Sometimes you gotta send a princess to do a princess's job.?
The Hollywood Reporter reports that ABC will air a live concert of The Little Mermaid, and that certified Disney princess Auli'i Cravalho will sing the role of Ariel. Cravalho previously voiced Moana in 2016's Moana, about a princess who lives on an island and wants to explore the sea. Take that idea, reverse it, and that's The Little Mermaid in a nutshell.
In addition to Cravalho, ABC announced Queen Latifah as Ursula and Shaggy as Sebastian the crab. The Little Mermaid live will be Queen Latifah's second time performing in a live television musical; she previously played The Wiz in 2016's The Wiz on NBC in addition to her supporting role in the movie version of Hairspray and her Oscar-nominated role in ?2002's Chicago.?
As for Shaggy, bless whoever cast him as Sebastian. It feels impossible somehow that he has not already played Sebastian, considering his two Best Reggae Album Grammys and distinctive, recognizable voice. "Under the Sea" will never be the same after Shaggy puts his spin on it.?
The Little Mermaid concert will air on ABC on November 5th as a part of The Wonderful World of Disney's special programming, and will incorporate songs from the original animated movie as well as the Broadway stage version of The Little Mermaid. Though it is being billed as a concert, THR reports that the show "will feature intricate sets and costumes."
This live production is of course in addition to the live-action The Little Mermaid currently in pre-production at Disney, which stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, and with Melissa McCarthy, Awkwafina, and Harry Styles all in talks to join.?
That's a lot of mermaids, but considering The Little Mermaid is one of Disney's best-loved animated movies, it's better not to complain about the full sea of adaptations.?
