THE LITTLE MERMAID Swims onto Stage at Cabrillo Music Theatre on July 15th

When The Little Mermaid was released in 1989, it not only became one of the most popular Disney films to date, it was also the very first animated musical to use Broadway composers for its music - changing the direction of animated movies forever.

Now Cabrillo Music Theatre brings this amazing story to life with The Little Mermaid, live on stage! This is not simply a children's show - it's a brand-new fully-developed Broadway musical, in the spirit of Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and Mary Poppins, and Cabrillo Music Theatre's production will be the first in the region!

Disney's animated movie, based on the classic Hans Christian Anderson story, comes to vibrant life in the new Broadway musical written by Doug Wright, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater.

A discontented mermaid, Ariel, dreams of the world above the sea, and sacrifices her beautiful, captivating voice in search of true love and a sense of belonging. Full of great music (including "Part of Your World," "Kiss The Girl," "Poor Unfortunate Souls," and
new songs written for the stage), dance, comedy, and romance, Disney's The Little Mermaid will take you to places no musical has ever gone before!

Returning for The Little Mermaid are Cabrillo favorites Larry Raben and Heather Castillo. Director Larry Raben is known for his hilarity and hijinks on the Cabrillo stage in
shows like The Andrews Brothers, The Producers, and most recently A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and his direction of Cabrillo's Singin' in the Rain won him the coveted Ovation Award as Best Director. Choreographer Heather Castillo returns after choreographing multiple shows here, including The Sound of Music, Annie and Meet Me in St. Louis. Rounding out the artistic staff is Musical Director Colin Freeman, who will conduct the Cabrillo Music Theatre Orchestra.

Cabrillo Music Theatre's brand-new production of Disney's The Little Mermaid features an eye-popping collection of new-to-Cabrillo talent, including Alison Bagli ("Ariel"), Conor Guzman ("Prince Eric"), Lawrence Cummings ("Sebastian"), and Debbie Prutsman ("Ursula"). They are joined by Cabrillo favorite David Engel as "King Triton." Engel has starred in numerous Cabrillo shows, portraying "Don Lockwood" in Singin' in the Rain, as well as leads in White Christmas, The Producers and The Andrews Brothers. As is a Cabrillo Music Theatre specialty, local young talent abounds, and The Little Mermaid will showcase future stars such as Michael Kennedy ("Flounder"), Lyrissa Leininger ("Adella"), and Missy Marion ("Andrina"). In all, a cast of thirty-nine and a full professional orchestra will bring The Little Mermaid to vibrant life.

The Little Mermaid follows in the footsteps of last year's Mary Poppins," says Cabrillo Music Theatre's Artistic Director Lewis Wilkenfeld. "Our audiences were blown away by MARY POPPINS and by our production of Beauty and the Beast several years back. The Little Mermaid, with it's enchanting songs and enduring humanity, brings depth and warmth to an already-popular story." Adds Wilkenfeld, "Remember, animated movies were fading back in the 1980s - until the creators of The Little Mermaid brought in Broadway talent to write the songs. So, in a way, The Little Mermaid, by evolving into a stage musical, is "coming home" to where it belongs!"

Cabrillo Music Theatre continues its nationally-recognized "Beyond the Footlights" Animal Rescue program during The Little Mermaid, in which many organizations from across the community bring their animals to the Civic Arts Plaza at all performances. At past productions, such as Cats, Oklahoma!, Bye Bye Birdie, and Legally Blonde, Cabrillo Music Theatre has found homes for many dozens of in-need animals, as well as
helped to drive up donations and awareness for the organizations that do such good work. The Little Mermaid eagerly promises even more successful additions to families. Audiences should arrive early at all performances to check out these worthy local animal rescue groups. An animal rescue awareness kick-off event is scheduled for June 11th, to help draw more attention to these family-worthy animals.

Cabrillo Music Theatre's brand-new production of Disney's The Little Mermaid is appropriate for all ages, and is a magical show for families to experience together. As with all Cabrillo shows, Cabrillo will feature a signed performance for the deaf and hard-of-hearing on Friday, July 22nd, at 8:00PM. In addition, to accommodate audience
demand and requests from community seniors, a mid-week matinee performance has been added on Wednesday, July 20th, at 1:00PM, featuring lower prices for seniors and free parking.

Walk, run, or SWIM to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza! Spend your summer "Under the Sea" with Cabrillo Music Theatre's all-new production of Disney's The Little Mermaid!

Disney's The Little Mermaid opens on Friday, July 15th, 2016, playing until Sunday, July
24th, 2016 at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.

Photo Credit: Ed Krieger