The Orpheum Theatre invited us to see Disney’s The Little Mermaid last week and provided us complimentary tickets in exchange for sharing information about it, so I took my 2 kids as well as my daughter’s friend for a fun night out! If you haven’t seen it but are thinking of going, especially with kids, this review is for you.
In short, it was a GREAT night. The performance was top notch, the casting was spot on, the talent was impressive, the effects were a visual spectacle, there were many funny moments, and we all enjoyed the show. There were the familiar songs – like “Part of Your World” sung by Ariel who did such a touching performance of it it brought tears to my eyes. And there were many more unfamiliar songs that added a lot to the story beyond the Disney movie.
Here are 3 things to know if you bring young kids:
1. The show lasts almost 3 hours. The show started at 8:00pm and ended at around 10:45pm (yes, there was an intermission – at 9:30), so be prepared if you are bringing little ones. My 5-year-old was getting tired and restless by halfway through (though it WAS late in the day for him), so I was busy trying to keep him occupied and help him get comfortable (since of course he wanted to go to sleep). Nonetheless, we all enjoyed the show from beginning to end (and went straight to bed when we got home at 11:45pm!). But it would have been better for us to go to a daytime show…
2. There are some things that are a bit “adult” and will go above your kids’ heads. There are some suggestive scenes…Ursula gets QUITE a bit excited a couple of times, if you know what I mean, like when Ariel uses Ursula’s tentacle to sign the scroll when choosing to become a human, and some other things like that. The whole show was hilarious, but some of it may be more amusing for the adults than the kids.
3. Arrive early and ask for booster cushions for your young kids! I just learned they had them and asked for them just before the show started but it was too late – all had been taken. We were on the main floor in the middle, so our seats were good, but my kids couldn’t see well behind all the adults in rows in front of us. So I had our 5-year-old on my lap a lot and we even switched seats.
Overall though – the show was GREAT and I recommend it, but more so for kids ages 6 and up.
So if you decide to go, and haven’t gotten your tickets yet…no worries!
You can buy tickets through the Hennepin Theatre Trust website. Or just use this special link to get $79 tickets for $49 from Goldstar for any of 4 shows from October 15 – 18 (hurry before they sell out).
(Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links that help support this site at no cost to you. All opinions are 100% mine.)
