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Welcome to The Rose!
It’s almost time for our next production, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, a Broadway musical based on the Disney film. We’ve assembled some special information to help you and your family to get ready for the upcoming performance. Before you go to the show, you might want to take a few moments to review this “Know Before You Go” Guide so everyone will know what to expect from the performance!
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The Story You Will See
As Ariel, the Little Mermaid, dreams of a life above the ocean’s surface, Prince Eric dreams of a life at sea away from all the responsibilities and burdens of being the head of a Royal Family. Ariel’s adventurous spirit gets her in trouble when she and her best finny friend, Flounder, are caught going to the surface to consult about amazing “human stuff” with “knowledgeable” seagull, Scuttle, instead of appearing in Sebastian the Royal Musician’s under the sea concert. King Triton bans Ariel going to the surface, but she remains upset that her father doesn’t understand how much she wants to be part of that world. Ariel’s Mersisters and Sebastian try to help Ariel and her father understand one another to no avail. When Triton loses his temper and destroys Ariel’s collection of thinga-ma-bobs (she’s got 20) and other treasures from the human world, she runs off to make a bargain with Ursula, the Sea Witch and Triton’s power-hungry sister. Ursula offers Ariel the opportunity to leave her under-the-sea life behind to become a human herself and join Prince Eric in his world. Will Ariel leave her family forever, and what will become of the merpeople if Ursula is able to usurp her brother Triton’s position as Royal Ruler of the Seas?
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| Best for ages 5+ | 2 hours long with an intermission |
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The Characters You Will Meet
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- ARIEL—a very curious and adventurous mermaid and the youngest daughter of King Triton, King of the Seas
- PRINCE ERIC—a human and a prince who seeks a more exciting life that his royal destiny might allow
- GRIMSBY—a older guardian and advisor to Prince Eric who hopes the prince will soon settle down and find a suitable princess with whom to rule the kingdom
- FLOUNDER—Ariel’s best friend in their under-the-sea world, perhaps a bit skittish but always interested in Ariel’s adventures
- SEBASTIAN—a gifted musician and a crab as well as advisor to King Triton (especially on the matter of his youngest daughter), he ends up charged with looking out for Ariel
- URSULA—the sister of King Triton and a crafty and rather ruthless sea witch who arranges very difficult bargains for unsuspecting merfolks
- KING TRITON—King of the Sea, Triton tries to protect merpeople from the evils of humans on the surface and especially worries about his youngest daughter
- ARIEL’S MERSISTERS (Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Atina, Adella & Allana)—they are the daughters of Triton and Ariel’s older siblings. They tease her but love her and worry about her.
- FLOTSAM & JETSAM—two slithery eels who serve as lackeys to the evil Ursula, they like to stir up a sea of trouble
- VARIOUS SEA CREATURES and SEA GULLS
- PRINCE ERIC’S STAFF of Sailors, Chefs, and Maids
- PRINCESSES who are interested in marrying Prince Eric
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Know Before You Go
Here are some things your family might like to “Know Before You Go”:
- Ariel’s sisters are not always very kind to Ariel because they are jealous of her voice and the favoritism King Triton has for her. It may be helpful to remind your child that even if they are jealous of someone, it is still important to treat everyone with kindness.
- Ursula and her eel minions may be scary to some young children. You may want to prepare very young theatergoers for seeing the Sea Witch and help them understand her villainous role in the story.
- During the story, Chef Louis sings a rather violent song about killing fish for food (“Les Poissons”) and eventually sets his sights on Ariel’s fiend and keeper, Sebastian the crab, who is trapped in the chef’s kitchen. Everything is played for broad humor, but if you have a particularly sensitive young audience member, you may want to prepare them.
- Some people are troubled by Ariel literally losing her voice and thus not being able to speak for herself in this fairytale. You may want to have some conversation with your family about this topic. Do you agree with the things that Ariel does or wants? What do you think about what Ursula tells Ariel about how young women should behave?
- While this live stage musical is based on the Disney animated film The Little Mermaid, changes have been made to the original screenplay. You may want to have a discussion about the differences between the movie and the stage musical after you have seen both! Which parts of each do you like better?
- Strobe lights are used during the performance. Please speak to a representative from The Rose Box Office to learn more about the specific point in the show when the lighting effect will be used.
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A note about parking:
City of Omaha Parking meters are now active from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Metered parking spots will still be free on Sundays and holidays.
Free parking is available in the Wells Fargo parking lot on the northwest corner of 20th & Farnam Streets on weekends and after 5:30 pm on weeknights.Parking is also now available for $2 in the parking garage at 19th & Harney, courtesy of the Omaha Douglas Public Building Commission.
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From Story to Stage
- Disney’s The Little Mermaid is a Broadway musical based on Disney’s animated film classic. The movie came out in 1989 and was a huge critical and commercial success, ushering in a new modern era of Disney animation. The stage musical opened in 2008 on Broadway.
- Songs for the film—many of which appear in the stage version—were written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman. Alan Menken wrote several new songs for this stage musical working with Glen Slater. The two had worked together previously on songs for the Disney animated film, Home on the Range.
- The original story of “The Little Mermaid” comes from a fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen, who also wrote “The Snow Queen,” “The Ugly Duckling,” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”
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While at The Rose
Enjoy a Refreshment!
Cookies, soda and bottled water will be sold during intermission. Each item is $1 and must be consumed in the lobby. Concession items are not allowed in the auditorium.
Join Our Post-Performance Q&A Session!
A few minutes after the performance, our actors will conduct a Question & Answer session from the stage. It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the scenery, costumes, special effects, and other aspects of the production. The actors may even have a question or two for you about the story.
Meet the Cast & Get an Autograph!
Some performers will be available after the show to say hello, pose in pictures, and sign their autographs for you. You can meet them on the mezzanine level right outside the entrance to our balcony level seats.
Grab a Theater Class Brochure!
If you like what you saw on the stage and think you’d like to be a part of it, try taking a theater class here at The Rose Theater. We offer a wide range of arts classes for every interest and experience level.
Wait, There’s More!
Please visit our website to read director’s notes and view production photos.
Box Office Assistance
The Rose Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4:30 pm at (402) 345-4849. Information and ticketing is also available online at the-rose.local. |
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