The Little Mermaid to End Broadway Run August 30

Disney’s The Little Mermaid has set an August 30 closing date at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. The musical will have played 50 previews and 685 performances upon closing, directed by Francesco Zambello.

After a pre-Broadway run at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, The Little Mermaid began performances on Broadway on November 3, 2007, and opened on January 10, 2008. A national tour is set to launch in fall 2010.

“We are tremendously proud of the show and are confident we’ll have an excellent summer but it would be fiscally irresponsible to our shareholders to risk operating losses with such a big show in the historically challenging fall months,” Thomas Schumacher, producer and president of Disney Theatrical Productions said in a statement. “We are closing the Broadway production to concentrate on the long future life of this title—beginning with next year’s national tour and upcoming international productions.”

Composed by Oscar-winner Alan Menken and his longtime collaborator, the late Howard Ashman, with 10 new songs Menken and Glenn Slater, the score of The Little Mermaid features the classic songs “Part of Your World,” “Kiss the Girl” and “Under the Sea.” The book is by Tony winner Doug Wright.

The cast of The Little Mermaid currently features Chelsea Morgan Stock (Ariel), Faith Prince (Ursula), Drew Seeley (Prince Eric), Norm Lewis (King Triton), Rogelio Douglas Jr. (Sebastian), Eddie Korbich (Scuttle), Jonathan Freeman (Grimsby), Tyler Maynard (Flotsam), Eric LaJuan Summers (Jetsam), Robert Creighton (Chef Louis) and Trevor Braun, Major Curda and Brian D’Addario (alternating as Flounder).