Today, I will be reviewing the Tyler Civic Theatre Center's production of Disney's "The Little Mermaid".

Hey, shut up.

Yes, usually, when I provide reviews for this website, they are of the latest rock, punk or metal variety.  Generally speaking, I can be found writing that review slightly hungover with ears still ringing in a hotel somewhere in the Metroplex, feverishly trying to think of synonyms for "sucks" and "lame", as I rush to meet my article quota for the week.

Not today.  See, my 4 year old daughter, Lennon, is in town visiting from Chicago for the next few weeks and the thing about 4 year old girls is that they need to be entertained.  Constantly.  For example, I've been writing this review for over an hour now...and this is as far as I've come.

So, you might imagine my relief when I saw that the TCTC was presenting a stage production of the Disney classic.  At $20 a ticket, it would be well worth it to hand off a few hours of role playing with her stuffed toys to the professionals.

And, as it happens, I'm at least somewhat qualified to review a stage play.  I was a Theatre major in college.  Always active in the "Drama Club" as a high school kid, I won a talent scholarship to a prestigious acting program in Illinois and studied with an acting coach who'd also mentored John Malkovich and Gary Sinise.

That is, until I dropped out after 3 semesters to join a grunge rock band and go on the road instead.

But, I know just enough about stage-craft to be critical and fair, I think.  I can recognize mistakes when they happen.  I know what "blocking" is.  So, yeah.  Totally qualified.

Most importantly, I know my kid.

And because I know her  (and her two brothers), I never envy actors that are brave enough to commit their talents to entertaining children.  I did Children's Theatre for a while.  It can be wonderfully rewarding.  And it can suck ass.  As most of us know, kids have the attention span of a flea.  When you're an actor on stage with nowhere to go but forward in the script, a single, bored child can derail an entire performance.

Wisely, the Tyler cast of 'The Little Mermaid' doesn't pander to children with this performance.  That is to say, while the production is clearly meant for kids with the just the right amount of cartoonish visuals and a few hilariously over-the-top characters, they smartly avoid any direct contact with the audience.  This is important for a show like this as it can quickly spell the difference between a professional performance and one descending into pure chaos.  I've witnessed a room full of kids take center stage, over-powering the actors themselves and it ain't pretty.

Instead, what we're presented with is an incredible use of space.  The director, Stephen Rainwater, is to be commended for a number of things with this production but one of the most striking was his ability to utilize minimalist staging very effectively.  Scene change-overs move very quickly and efficiently thanks to a well organized team effort from all of the players and Mr. Rainwater is able to create vivid and beautiful settings with only a few strategically placed platforms.   It's an amazing use of a small space and truly creates, at once, an intimate and up-close presentation for the audience but never lacks for a grandiose and visually stunning display.

Costumes and choreography are also equally impressive in 'The Little Mermaid'.  Once again, the small space might present an obstacle for a lessor choreographer but Shelby Moy has certainly risen to the challenge and the actors utilize every inch of the stage with big flourishes, leaps and an especially entertaining tap dance performance featuring story favorites, the gang of Gulls.

As a music guy, I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to the band.  Charles Praytor has a long history with the company as music director.  The small combo he's assembled for this production is outstanding.  Without a single misstep, the group nailed their performance, setting an ideal mood with their transitional pieces and, of course, perfect renditions of all of the program's big hits.  Very well done.

This was my first trip to the Tyler Civic Theatre Center since arriving in the area a little over a year ago and I am truly impressed with the talent on display.  Quite honestly, it's rare to visit a community theatre and be greeted with this level of performance.  We should count ourselves lucky to attract a wide array of actors and actresses that could easily grace the stage in much larger markets.

Among the outstanding performances, Chris Brantley's Sebastian the Crab is a unique interpretation of the iconic Caribbean red crustacean, charged with looking after the titular Ariel.  He's funny, yet dignified and delivers dead-on performances of two of the show's most recognizable songs.  Christopher Fisher hilariously steals his every scene as Scuttle, the know-it-all seagull and was certainly a kids' favorite on Friday night.  And, Carol Burrow Leos' delightfully evil Ursula was so convincingly menacing that my daughter grabbed my arm each and every time she took the stage.

A wonderful surprise at the onset of the second act was an appearance by Ryan Anderson as the Chef who makes it his mission to boil our friend Sebastian for dinner. Ryan clearly has a blast in the role and it's infectious.  He provided some of the biggest laughs of the night from children and adults alike.  His appearance is quick but he certainly makes the most of his time in the spotlight.

Finally, our hero and heroine are portrayed by Jordan Boyd and Rachael Cilliers and both bring to the stage strong performances with wonderful singing voices.  Of course, these are, perhaps, the most challenging roles as the little princesses in the audience each evening are likely to scrutinize them the most.  They do not disappoint and each remain true to the Disney archetype but take just enough liberties with the characters to make it clear that they are capable of finding depth in their respective roles.

Proof of Rachael's pitch-perfect performance could be found immediately after the show as, each and every little girl in attendance rushed to meet 'Ariel' and have her picture taken with the Disney princess as a keepsake of the outstanding show.

My daughter, in fact, bum-rushed the entire line  (she four but she's also rude - we're working on that) to give Rachael a big hug:

Brian Rickman
Brian Rickman
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For a show such as this, a line of adoring little girls after the show likely means more than any review by the local Rock DJ.  As well it should.

So, yeah.  It was great!

My daughter had a great and memorable night out and this guy, more accustomed to double-bass, screaming guitars and mosh-pits was also thoroughly entertained and very impressed.  I look forward to checking out the remainder of this season and future performances at the Tyler Civic Theatre Center.

Guys, take your daughters.  You'll both have a nice time.  Seriously.   You'll like it more than you might think.  It rocked.

The TCTC's run of 'The Little Mermaid' can be seen through August 14th with performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and a Sunday matinee at 2:30pm.  The show runs just about 2 hours with one intermission.

You can purchase your tickets before the box office right HERE.

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