Theatre By The Sea to Present Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID, 7/22-8/5

Bill Hanney's award winning Theatre By The Sea (TBTS) is set to take family audiences on an underwater musical adventure with a spectacular musical production of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID. This highly anticipated theatrical event starts Wednesday July 22 and plays through Saturday, August 15. Press night is scheduled for Friday, July 24 at 8:00pm

"I am excited to be producing Disney's The Little Mermaid once again, this time at Theatre By The Sea. My production at North Shore Music Theatre last summer thrilled audiences of all ages and set box office records," said TBTS owner and producer Bill Hanney. "The artists at Theatre By The Sea have been working for months to bring this spectacular show to life on stage, and to make it the magical "must-see" show of the summer."

Journey under-the-sea to a magical underwater kingdom, with the beautiful young mermaid Ariel who longs to leave her ocean home behind and live in the world above. But first, she'll have to defy her father King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula, and convince the handsome Prince Eric that she's the girl whose enchanting voice he's been seeking. Based on the Academy Award-winning 1989 Disney film and one of Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved stories, Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID is a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages.

Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID has a book by Doug Wright and a score that has Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's music from the original Disney film including "Part of Your World," "Poor Unfortunate Souls," "Kiss The Girl," and the Oscar winning "Under The Sea." There are also several brand new songs written for the stage by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater.

Theatre By The Sea's production of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID will star Adrienne Eller (Ariel), Keisha Gilles (Ursula), Austin Colby (Prince Eric), Joseph Torello (Triton), Nkrumah Gatling (Sebastian), Zachary Berger (Scuttle), Andrew Holder (Flounder), Tom Roberts (Grimsby), Robert Conte (Flotsam), and Daniel Hurst (Jetsam).

The cast of 22 also includes Lucas Blankenhorn, Sara Gallo, Rachel Guest, Natalia Lepore Hagan, AJ Hunsucker, Jacob Paulson, Owen Pelesh, Isaiah Reynolds, Kelly Swint, Kasey Elise Waters, Zach Williams, and Hannah Kate Wilson

Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID will be directed and choreographed by Billy Sprague, Jr. The creative team also includes Esther Zabinski (Musical Director), Nate Bertone (Scenic Design), Kurt Alger (Costume & Wig Design), Bailey Costa (Lighting Design), Alex Neumann (Sound Design), Stephanie Harrop (Makeup Design), Rebecca Knipfer (Flying Director), ZFX, Inc. (Flying Effects), Eileen F. Haggerty (Production Stage Manager), Chet Craft (Stage Manager), and Michaela R. Brown (Assistant Stage Manager). Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID is produced for Theatre By The Sea by Bill Hanney (Owner/Producer), Kevin P. Hill (Artistic Director), and Thom Warren (Associate Producer).

Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID runs July 22 - August 15, Tuesdays through Sundays. Check the website for exact dates and show times. Tickets are $42 for preview performances on July 22 & 23 and $45, $55, & $65 for all other performances. Tickets are on sale by phone at (401) 782-8587, online at theatrebythesea.com, or in person at 364 Cards Pond Road, Wakefield, RI 02879. The 2015 Season is sponsored by WJAR - NBC 10.

Theatre By The Sea's 2015 Musical season will conclude with Young Frankenstein (August 19 thru September 6).

Theatre By The Sea's popular Children's Festival includes Cinderella (July 10), The Frog Prince (July 17), Legally Blonde, Jr. (July 31), The Airborne Comedians (August 7), and Keith Michael Johnson's Bubbleology (August 14). All shows at 10am & 12 Noon and all tickets are $12.