July 15, 2013

Disney's The Little Mermaid at Starlight

DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID MAKES A SPLASH AT
STARLIGHT THEATRE JULY 23-28
Kansas City audiences will be emerged in a magical
kingdom under the sea

Disney's The Little Mermaid will grace the
Starlight stage, July 23-28. Based on Hans
Christian Andersen's famous and timeless tale,
Disney's The Little Mermaid is a family musical
that features classic songs: "Part of Your World,"
"Kiss the Girl," and the Academy Award-winning
"Under the Sea."

Twenty-four years after the original film was
released, Disney's The Little Mermaid continues to
capture the hearts of children and parents alike.
It's the story of Ariel, an adventurous and
independent young mermaid who lives in a magical
kingdom beneath the sea, but longs to leave her
ocean home to live in the world above.

"The stage version of Disney's The Little Mermaid
promises to be even more memorable than the film
with elaborate sets and costumes, unforgettable
choreography that includes special effects,
theatrical flight technology, additional songs and
an accomplished cast," said Denton Yockey,
President and Executive Producer of Starlight
Theatre. "It's our biggest show of the year."

As usual with Starlight's kid-friendly production,
Starlight will host a huge pre-show family "Under
the Sea Festival" from 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
nightly. Activities will include: entertainment,
cartoonists, a costume contest, a fishing booth,
hands-on art projects, photo opportunities,
goodies and more. Disney's The Little Mermaid is
Starlight's fourth production in its 2013 Broadway
Series and is presented by Panera Bread.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Starlight's production of Disney's The Little
Mermaid is one of the few in the U.S. this year,
Yockey said. For 2013, Disney has only granted a
handful of theaters licensing rights to produce
Disney's The Little Mermaid. Starlight Theatre is
producing it in partnership with Paper Mill
Playhouse and Pittsburgh CLO.

Starlight and its partner theatres have hired some
of the top national and international directors
and designers for this production including Glenn
Casale who previously directed Disney's The Little
Mermaid in Europe and in California. Casale also
directed the 1999 Tony® Award nominated and Emmy
winning Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby which
played at Starlight Theatre in 2012.

Choreography is by John MacInnis, who recently
choreographed the European productions of Disney's
The Little Mermaid. In 2011, MacInnis served as
associate choreographer of the Tony Award–winning
musical The Book of Mormon and directed and
choreographed the Olympic Medals Ceremonies at the
2002 and 2012 Winter Olympic Games. The flight
choreographer is Paul Rubin, "The Fly Guy," who
has choreographed some of the most memorable
flying sequences from the Tony® Award winning
Wicked as well as Peter Pan national tour.

The musical score is composed by eight-time
Academy Award winner Alan Menken and the late
Howard Ashman, as well as new songs by Menken and
lyricist Glenn Slater. The book for the musical is
by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning
playwright Doug Wright.

The cast includes Jessica Grové (Ariel), Nick
Adams (Prince Eric), Matt Allen (Scuttle), Sean
Patrick Doyle (Jetsam), Scott Leiendecker
(Flotsam), Liz McCartney (Ursula), Alan Mingo, Jr.
(Sebastian), Christian Probst (Flounder), Timothy
Shew (Chef Louis), Edward Watts (King Triton), Ron
Wisniski (Grimsby), Kristine Bennett, Ward
Billeisen, Lauryn Ciardullo, Thay Floyd, KC
Fredericks, Rod Harrelson, Lisa Karlin (a native
Kansas Citian), Nicole Javanna Johnson, Morgan
Kirner, Erica Mansfield, Dennis O'Bannion, Robbie
Roby, James Shackelford, Katie Ulrich and Jessica
Wockenfuss.

TICKET AND THEATRE INFORMATION
Tickets to Disney's The Little Mermaid are now on
sale for $10 - $135. Tickets are available at
kcstarlight.com, by calling 816-363-STAR (7827) or
in person at Starlight Theatre, 4600 Starlight
Road. Box Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Discounted ticket prices for groups of 15 or more
can be ordered by contacting Stacey Million,
Starlight's group sales manager, at
groups@kcstarlight.com or 816-997-1137.

All performances begin at 8 p.m. Dining options
for Disney's The Little Mermaid include pre-show
dining in the VIP Club catered by Plaza Catering
that includes hot buffet items, extensive salad
selections, a veggie garden bar, upscale desserts,
and children's menu that includes bagel pizzas,
mac and cheese, chicken tenders, mini pulled pork
sliders and desserts. Reservations may be made in
advance; walk-ups are also welcome. The menu for
Disney's The Little Mermaid is posted at
www.kcstarlight.com. Other dining options include
concession stand favorites and pre-packaged salads
and sandwiches on the Encore Deck provided by
ARAMARK.

Pre-show tours of the stage, Starlight's Walk of
Stars, gardens and fountains are offered nightly
along with pre-show performances at the Starlight
Square stage. Free nightly, behind-the-scenes
tours with information about Starlight and its
rich history begin at 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 7
p.m. at the top of the theatre behind Terrace
Section 1. The Ovation Gift Store is open from 6
p.m. through end of show. Accessible parking and
guest assistance getting in and out of the theater
are available. For information about other
Starlight services, visit kcstarlight.com.

NOTABLE DATES
July 23-28: Under the Sea Pre-Show Festival: 6-
7:45 p.m. nightly. This free pre-show festival
includes: Ariel's Treasure Find, cartoonists, a
costume contest, a fishing booth, hands-on art
projects, photo opportunities, goodies and more.
July 24 and 27 – Girl Scout Nights. Girls Scouts
receive special seating, a group discount and a
Starlight Theatre patch.
July 25 - Young Professionals Night. Young
professionals can volunteer at the "Under the Sea
Pre-Show Festival" before the show, receive
special seating and group ticket discount price to
the performance. Email
stacey.million@kcstarlight.com
July 27 - Performance will be described for the
blind and visually impaired by Kansas Audio-Reader
Network.
July 28 - Performance will be interpreted for the
deaf and hard-of-hearing.

ABOUT STARLIGHT THEATRE
Starlight Theatre opened in 1951 and is the
largest and oldest performing arts organization in
Kansas City and the second largest outdoor
producing theatre in the country. In addition to
presenting and producing Broadway musicals and
concerts, the not-for-profit organization offers
extensive community outreach and educational
programming which includes classes, scholarships
and Starlight's Blue Star Awards, the second
largest musical theatre award program for local
high schools and students in the country. Located
on 16 acres, Starlight's venue includes rehearsal
halls, gift store, club area for dining,
concessions, gardens, fountains and a 10-story,
climate-controlled stage.
# # #

NOTE: Photos, Music and Video may be downloaded
here:
http://www.kcstarlight.com/about_starlight/press_r
oom/press_kits.aspx?PressKitId=46


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