Baden stages German-language premiere of The Little Mermaid

The German-language premiere of Disney’s musical The Little Mermaid opened at Stadttheater Baden, a theatre, on Friday evening. Director Andreas Gergen’s lavish, family-friendly production was reviewed by APA culture journalist Ewald Baringer, ORF reported.

Anna Rosa Döller plays Ariel, the youngest daughter of sea king Triton, played by Andreas Lichtenberger. After rescuing Prince Erik, played by Timotheus Hollweg, from drowning, Ariel longs to become human. Sea witch Ursula, played by Maya Hakvoort, offers her a dangerous bargain: she must give up her voice.

Ariel’s adventures are shared with her friends Sebastian the crab, played by Ramesh Nair, and Fabius the fish, played by 10-year-old Thamos Hollweg. Baringer praised Nair’s performance. The production features a set by Momme Hinrichs, including waves made from flowing fabric, costumes by Aleksandra Kica and choreography by Francesc Abós. Victor Petrov leads the Bühne Baden orchestra.

The songs, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, include “Under the Sea” and “To Be Human.” Baringer said their age showed, but that did not diminish the evening’s success. The performance ended with enthusiastic applause.

The story draws in part on Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, which does not have a happy ending. Disney adapted it for film in 1989; the musical opened on Broadway in 2008 and ran for 685 performances.