CHICAGO—When there’s no violent storm, no real shipwreck, and no live seagulls, it’s a bit of a stretch to convey the kind of sea-world setting of the 1989 Walt Disney movie “The Little Mermaid.” But Music Theater Works comes through with a terrific job of conveying a seashore and the kind of underwater world that one experiences in the animated film. More importantly, a show like “The Little Mermaid” is a delight that offers positive and inspirational affirmation.
With the artistic touch of talented co-directors Joshua Castille and Stacey Flaster on the show’s stagecraft, and with imaginative designers and charming performers, it doesn’t take long before we believe we’re in an aquatic landscape as we watch Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale come to life on stage….