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Artwork from the sequel showing most of the main characters in the franchise. Top row, from left to right: Scuttle, King Triton, Melody, Ariel, Eric, Tip, and Sebastian. Bottom row: Dash, and Flounder. In late 1986, Benson first heard of the audition for The Little Mermaid through lyricist and playwright Howard Ashman. The two had just worked together in the Broadway show Smile until its run ended early. He knew she would be the perfect fit for the role and that she would be a great replica of Ariel. [16] [17] After hearing the demo for "Part of Your World", she sang a small part of it on tape where it was later sent to Disney executives. Before her audition for The Little Mermaid, she was primarily a stage actress. It was Ashman's first Disney project. In early 1988, Benson won the role of Ariel and has been voicing her ever since. [16] [18] She also made a cameo in the 2023 live-action adaptation of the film, directed by Rob Marshall, as a market vendor who hands Ariel ( Halle Bailey) a fork during her tour of the kingdom. [19] [20] Filmography [ edit ] Film [ edit ] Year Cuccinello, Hayley (2016-06-06). "Rebel Wilson Is The Ursula We Always Wanted In 'The Little Mermaid Live' ". HuffPost . Retrieved 2016-06-22.
Her Voice" is a song from the musical version of The Little Mermaid. It is performed by Prince Eric when he's longing for the girl who sang for him the day she saved his life. It can also be heard in The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live!.
Ariel is often considered the first Disney feminist as she plays a much bigger role in her story than the previous Disney heroines. Eric makes cameo appearances in three episodes of the prequel television series: "Thingamajigger" (a non-speaking appearance), "Scuttle", and "Ariel's Treasures". In 2016, Rebel Wilson performed the role of Ursula at a stripped-down concert version of The Little Mermaid at the Hollywood Bowl, which featured the songs from the film and four songs from the Broadway musical. [90] Wilson was praised for her performance, which was described by The Huffington Post as "pitch perfect." [91]
Queen Latifah portrayed Ursula in the 2019 television special, The Little Mermaid Live! which used a similar format of the live concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, by combining a screening of the film with live accompaniment by guest musicians and celebrities. [92] House of Mouse [ edit ] In this book Braswell describes Ursula's species as “cecaelia,” [98] a term created by fans in the late 2000s. [99] This was the first Disney-published work to use the name. In her book Tales, Then and Now: More Folktales as Literary Fictions for Young Adults, author Anna E. Altmann compared Ursula to Satan because both Ariel and Triton "sign a contract ... with her"; [10] James Plath of Movie Metropolis described Ursula's contract as "a Mephistophelean bargain." [68] Much like Satan, Ursula was banished from Triton's palace, similar to the way in which Lucifer was exiled from heaven. [44] Felix Vasquez of Cinema Crazed believes that Ursula "is evil just for the sake of being evil". [69] Writing for the Disney Archives, Dave Smith observed that Ursula "has the gross unsubtlety of Ratigan from ' The Great Mouse Detective' but substantially more brio." [70] Describing Ursula as "Bejeweled and lip-pouting like an overweight, over-rich, over-pampered, over-the-top society hostess gone mad," Smith perceived the character as "all flair, flamboyance, and theatricality mixed with a touch of con-artistry", citing wrath as her only genuine emotion. [70] Additionally, Ursula tends to act as though she is performing for an audience. [70] Jay Boyar of the Orlando Sentinel compared the character's appearance to that of evangelist Tammy Faye. [71] At times, Ursula tends to demonstrate stereotypically masculine physical traits. [72] Describing the character as "A campy sea witch with an insatiable thirst for power", Rolling Stone's David Ehrlich believes that Ursula resembles a child of Divine and Donald Trump. [73] Some critics identify the character with body positivity. According to Michaela Glover of The Odyssey, "Ursula portrays a bold business woman, not being afraid to show off her curves and use them, which defies the typical standards of beauty by also being a full figured woman." [74] Appearances [ edit ] The Little Mermaid (1989) [ edit ] Hurlburt (November 17, 1989). " 'Mermaid' Is Magic". Sun-Sentinel. Roger . Retrieved September 19, 2014. Fireworks: Believe... There's Magic in the Stars • Celebrate the Magic • Disney Dreams! • Disney Enchantment • Disney in the Stars • Disneyland Forever • Fantasy in the Sky • Happily Ever After • Ignite the Dream: A Nighttime Spectacular of Magic and Light • Magic, Music and Mayhem • The Magic, the Memories and You • Momentous • Once Upon a Time • Remember... Dreams Come True • Wonderful World of Animation • World of Color • Illuminate! A Nighttime Celebration • Wondrous JourneysThe first real dress Ariel wears after she is a human is pink, similarly, the first dress her daughter is shown wearing is pink as well. a b Boyar, Jay (August 8, 1999). "Dive Into Disneys Delightful 'Mermaid' ". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved September 14, 2014.
Mauney, Matt (May 30, 2014). "The 30 greatest Disney villains of all time". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved May 26, 2016. Eric is conscious after Ursula is defeated, speaks with Ariel as a mermaid for a longer time, and eventually asks her if she'd teach him how to swim. A stage musical version of the 1989 film had its world premiere in Denver, Colorado, in 2007 for its pre-Broadway tryout, and on January 10, 2008 debuted on Broadway. The character of Ariel for the stage adaptation was originated by Sierra Boggess. Jodi Benson, the original voice actor for Ariel, attended the musical's opening night. Kroll, Justin (March 1, 2021). "Jessica Alexander Joins Disney's Live-Action 'Little Mermaid' Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023 . Retrieved May 27, 2023. in The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning Toggle Introduced in The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning subsection
SHOWS
Nouryeh, Elizabeth (March 7, 2016). "The 10 Best (Worst) Disney Villains". The Odyssey. Olympia Media Group . Retrieved April 25, 2016.
Valentino, Serena (26 July 2016). Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch. Disney Press. ISBN 978-1484724057. Truitt, Brian (October 2, 2013). " 'Little Mermaid' star Jodi Benson loves life as Ariel". USA Today . Retrieved June 1, 2016. During production of The Little Mermaid, Ursula's design evolved and transformed dramatically. Animator Glen Keane's earliest sketches of Ursula were drawn to resemble Rae, specifically based on the actress' audition for the role. [23] The short-lived casting of Stritch as Ursula and her subsequent performance eventually inspired the animators to design the character as "a tall, thin regal-looking sea witch" based on manta rays and scorpion fish, complete with a long cape. [22] At one point, Ursula had also been drawn with spikes to resemble a spinefish. [7] Ursula's appearance was largely inspired by American actor and drag queen Divine, [40] who was best known for his frequent appearances in several films directed by filmmaker John Waters. [17] Similarities were first drawn between the character and the actor after animator Rob Minkoff sketched "a vampy overweight matron", to which Ashman responded, "She looks like a Miami Beach matron ... playing Mah Jong by the pool.” [41] The character shares Divine's signature eye makeup, jewelry and body type while originally sporting a Mohawk, [41] the last of which was borrowed from the actor's Pink Flamingo s (1972) character Babs Johnson. [42] However, Minkoff had been drawing the character with a shark's tail at the time. [41] Clements eventually decided to place Ursula's head on top of the body of an octopus instead, which ultimately resulted in her current design. [3] The animators then studied the way in which octopuses move, explaining, "There was a very kind of seductive and yet scary aspect", which they incorporated into the character's own gait. [3] The Pink Flamingos-inspired Mohawk was ultimately discarded because Disney felt that the hairstyle was "too over-the-top" for the film. [42] Additionally, Ursula's face was also inspired by that of Madame Medusa from Disney's The Rescuers (1977) . [43] According to The Gospel according to Disney: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust author Mark I. Pinsky, Ursula became "the most grotesque characterization Disney ... have created for a female villain" at that time. [44] Songs from the Sea: The Sea Kingdom • What's It Like to Be a Mermaid? • The Scuttle Strut • There's Only One Ariel • He's a Friend • At the Mermaids' Ball • Party With Me • My Room in the Sea • Dreaming • H2O, What a Feeling! • We Share the Earth • Where Mermaids DwellCollins, Jim; Collins, Ava Preacher; Radner, Hilary (2012). Film Theory Goes to the Movies: Cultural Analysis of Contemporary Film. United Kingdom: Routledge. p.286. ISBN 9781135216450.
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