Disney and ABC will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the classic animated film, The Little Mermaid, with a special live musical event. The Wonderful World of Disney presents The Little Mermaid Live! will feature live musical performances by Moana star Auli’i Cravalho as Ariel. Grammy Award winner Queen Latifah will play Ursula and Grammy Award winner Shaggy has signed on to tackle the role of Sebastian the crab.
The live musical will be performed in front of a studio audience. Hamish Hamilton will direct and executive produce. Additional executive producers include Katy Mullan, David Jammy, Raj Kapoor, and Ian Stewart. Richard Kraft, producer and director of the Hollywood Bowl productions of Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, is also executive producing.
The Little Mermaid Live! will air on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 on ABC at 8pm ET/PT (tape delayed on the West Coast). Expect additional cast members to be announced closer to the November air date.
The live musical production comes hot on the tail of the casting announcements for a live-action The Little Mermaid film. Disney’s live-action version will star Halle Bailey as Ariel, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Awkwafina as Scuttle.
The Little Mermaid Live! Details, Courtesy of ABC:
“This special tribute to the original animated classic and its timeless music will take viewers on a magical adventure under the sea as live musical performances by a star-studded cast will be interwoven into the broadcast of the original feature film. This never-before-seen hybrid format will feature beautifully intricate sets and costumes, with music from the original animated film and the Tony Award-winning Broadway stage version, originally composed by eight-time Oscar-winning composer, Alan Menken. Howard Ashman’s iconic film lyrics will also be showcased, while lyricist for the Broadway adaptation, Glenn Slater, will contribute to the star-studded spectacular.”
