As I am writing this, I just got back from seeing my high school alma mater's performance of The Little Mermaid. While it was a great performance, I noticed several things different in the musical from the movie that I couldn't help but write about.
1. More Singing
This is to be expected as it is a musical. But there are a whole bunch of songs compared to the small amount of songs in the movie.
2. Ariel's Singing
Remember when Ariel loses her voice and doesn't talk for a good half of the movie? In the musical, she still sings even without her voice. It's set up so you are aware that it's just in her thoughts so she is not actually singing.
3. Aunt Ursula
In the musical, Ursula and Triton both have Poseidon as their father. This was in the original movie script but was taken out. Hoever it resurfaced in the musical.
4. Scuttle Stole The Show
Scuttle plays a much bigger role in helping Ariel. He has a couple more songs that he's involved in, including his own song, "Positoovity."
5. Max Isn't In It
In the musical full of animals, the dog just isn't there. Instead, Eric finds Ariel by himself without the help of his furry friend.
6. The Order Is Different
The order of events is different. For example, the "Under The Sea" scene takes place after King Triton destroys Ariel's grotto.
No matter these differences, I love both versions of The Little Mermaid and am glad to have experienced them.