The Little Mermaid

Chilina Kennedy in Ross Petty Productions' The Little Mermaid. Photo by Racheal McCaig.

It may be a fairy tale that everyone is familiar with, mostly due to its immortalization by Walt Disney in 1989, but as a sea sponge and clownfish explain excitedly, this version has been “bent” slightly. Ross Petty has done it again this year with his holiday show The Little Mermaid: Ontario's O-FISH-AL Family Musical, a colour-saturated, music-filled, hysterical twist on the beloved tale. Structured in the traditional English pantomime style, this production features Toronto jokes, modern songs, and a cast of unforgettable characters portrayed by a group of extraordinarily talented actors.

The young mermaid Angel (Chilina Kennedy) and her three sisters live in an underwater kingdom in Toronto's harbour, “floating” around the stage on rollerskates. In the production's first scene, they lament the amount of trash thrown into the water, including a dirty “Mel Lastman for Mayor” sign. Angel is thrilled to be turning 18, which means she will finally be able to swim to the surface, and her excitement is expressed through a version of Anna Kendrick's “Cups." The audience also meets the wise-cracking, fabulous Plumbum (played to perfection by Dan Chameroy in drag), the mermaids' aunt who always offers—or tries to offer—guidance and advice. After their song-and-dance rendition of Kelly Clarkson's “People Like Us” gets uploaded to “MerTube” it is seen by the evil sea wizard, Ogopogo (played by Ross Petty himself), who comes onstage to intense booing as the audience senses immediately that he's the bad guy. Ogopogo has high hopes of building a casino right in the middle of the Toronto harbour, thus destroying the home of Angel and her family. Ogopogo is followed closely by his redheaded accomplice, Eris (Jordan Clark), as well as a group of eels.

When Angel finally does rise to the surface, she meets Adam (Marc Devigne), an activist, and falls in love. The rest of the tale is one that the audience will know well, including the Faustian bargain Angel makes with Ogopogo. But there are many pleasant surprises in The Little Mermaid, including a dance by Carl the Clownfish (Reid Janisse) and Shelley the Shrimp (Lana Carillo) to a mash-up of Robin Thicke's “Blurred Lines” and Survivor's “Eye of the Tiger." Sponge Bill Triangle Pants (Eddie Glen), Spongebob's Canadian counterpart, also steals every scene he's in, and takes no offence to not being recognized, as he knows he's on Canadian television.

The Little Mermaid is a family-friendly holiday treat full of laughs, beautiful costumes, and exceptional performances. Catch it until January 4 at the ElginTheatre. Visit rosspetty.com for more information and to buy tickets.

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