After starring in Disney’s Moana (as none other as Moana), Auliʻi Cravalho will play another daughter of the sea, Ariel. To celebrate The Little Mermaid’s 30th anniversary, this special will air on November 5th, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
Co-Stars
Set to join Cravalho are the musical talents of rapper Queen Latifah and hip-hop artist Shaggy. Queen Latifah will play the infamous villain Ursula, while Shaggy will play Sebastian the crab with live-puppetry and animation.
The Musical Components
As for the music, Deadline reported that they will combine the composing and lyrical talents of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. They will also work in Glenn Slater’s influence. Alan Menken is known for his scores in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ films, and has won many Academy Awards for his work. On the other hand, Howard Ashman is recognized for his lyrical talents in films such as Beauty and the Beast and Little Shop of Horrors, for which he has won multiple awards for each. Lastly, Glenn Slater is the lyricist for the Broadway adaptation of the film and has collaborated with Alan Menken and many other theater composers.
Disney’s Plus
This live musical will also serve as the launchpad for Disney’s Plus, which is set to debut a week after The Little Mermaid’s Live Musical. Originally, the musical was set to air back in 2017, however, it was set back until now. With Disney’s Plus set to debut just around the corner on November 12th, this event was a good way to announce and publicize their new subscription streaming site.
The Other Live-Action Ariel
Also in the works is the live action version of the film. There is still much controversy regarding Halle Bailey being cast as Ariel, but the actress has had much support. We’ll just have to wait and see how the movie will turn out. As for the other roles, it is rumored that Melissa McCarthy will play Ursula, and Harry Styles is in talks to play Prince Eric.
Are you going to watch this rendition of The Little Mermaid? Let us know in the comments!
