Unfortunate - The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch

Last updated
Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch
MusicTim Gilvin
LyricsRobyn Grant
Daniel Foxx
Book Robyn Grant
Daniel Foxx
BasisMovie "The Little Mermaid"
by Disney
Musical "The Little Mermaid Live!"
by Disney
Premiere2019: Edinburgh Fringe
Productions2019 Edinburgh
2022 Edinburgh
2023 London Run
2024 UK Tour

Unfortunate - The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch is a revisionist parody musical of Disney's Little Mermaid. [1] Ursula becomes the main character in the musical by Robyn Grant which was first performed in 2019 at the Edinburgh Fringe. [2] In 2024 it tours the UK. [3] [4]

Contents

Plot

Production History

Edinburgh Fringe (2019)

The world premiere production of Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch took place at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as a presentation by Fat Rascal Theatre. The show ran from 31 July 2019 to 26 August 2019 at Underbelly, Bristo Square (Ermintrude). [5]

Edinburgh Fringe (2022)

The musical ran again at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, after being reworked, from 4 August 2022 until 29 August 2022 at Underbelly, George Square (Underbelly). [6] This was reportedly a sell out run.

London Run (2023-2024)

Before it's UK Tour, Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch had a London Run staged at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from 8 December 2023 to 17 February 2024. [7]

UK Tour (2024)

The Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch UK Tour Launched at The Lowry in Salford on 22 February 2024 and closed at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre on 14 July 2024. [8]

Original Principal Casts

RoleEdinburgh FringeEdinburgh Fringe [9] London Run and UK Tour [10]
201920222023-24
UrsulaRobyn GrantElliotte Williams-N'DureShawna Hamic
ArielKatie WellsMiracle Chance River Medway
TritonSteffan RizziGeorge WhittyThomas Lowe
SebastianAllie MunroAllie MunroAllie Dart (Allie Munro)
EricJamie MawsonJamie MawsonJamie Mawson
GrimsbyJulian Capolei
Scuttle †Jack Gray
EnsembleCorrina Buchan, Jack Gray, Jamie Mckillop and Milly Willows

† Not credited in the Tour Cast as their own character but is still in the show and played by a member of the ensemble.

Musical Numbers

Act One

Act Two

Bonus Track

† Not included on studio cast recording

Cast Recordings

Studio Cast Recording (2024)

The Original Studio Cast recording for Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch was released digitally by Wildpark Entertainment on 14 June 2024. [11] [12]

Le Petite Albume (2024)

Before a full album was released in June 2024, a mini album was released on 12 January 2024 by Wildpark Entertainment. It was called "Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch - The Musical Parody - Le Petite Albume (Original Soundtrack)" and featured 3 songs as a teaser and was used for promotion. The song on the album are "Suckin' on You", "Unfortunate" and "Ask the Girl". It is listed as an EP and not an Album, as the full cast recording is. [13]

Fringe Cast Recording (2020)

On 9 April 2020 Fat Rascal Ltd released a Fringe cast recording featuring the 5 songs: "Nasty", "we Didn't Make It to Disney", "Unfortunate", "Female Role Models" and "To Be King". This EP is no longer publicly available to listen to. [14] [15]

Reception

Related Research Articles

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (1989 film) Animated Disney film

The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation in association with Silver Screen Partners IV and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is loosely based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen. The film was written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and produced by Musker and Howard Ashman, who also wrote the film's songs with Alan Menken, who also composed the film's score. Featuring the voices of René Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Paddi Edwards, Buddy Hackett, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, Ben Wright, and Samuel E. Wright, The Little Mermaid tells the story of a teenage mermaid princess named Ariel, who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric, which leads her to make a magic deal with the sea witch, Ursula, to become human and be with him.

Ursula (<i>The Little Mermaid</i>) Fictional character from Disneys 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid

Ursula is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Pictures' animated film The Little Mermaid (1989). Voiced by actress Pat Carroll, Ursula is a villainous Cecaelian sea witch who offers a mermaid princess named Ariel a temporary opportunity to become human so that she may earn the love of Prince Eric within three days. However, Ursula is, in fact, determined to sabotage Ariel's chances so that she can ultimately usurp King Triton's position as ruler of the oceans.

Ariel (<i>The Little Mermaid</i>) Fictional character from Disneys 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid

Ariel is a fictional character in Walt Disney Pictures' animated film The Little Mermaid (1989). Ariel is voiced by Jodi Benson in all official animated appearances. Ariel is the youngest daughter of King Triton and Queen Athena of an underwater kingdom called Atlantica. She is often rebellious, and in the first film, she longs to be a part of the human world. She marries Prince Eric, whom she rescued from a shipwreck, and together they have a daughter, Melody. She is the fourth Disney Princess and also the first Disney Princess to be developed during the Disney Renaissance.

"Poor Unfortunate Souls" is a song from the Walt Disney Pictures animated film The Little Mermaid. Written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken and performed by Pat Carroll, "Poor Unfortunate Souls" is sung to Ariel by Ursula the Sea Witch. In a style that combines Broadway theatre with Burlesque, Ursula uses the song to seduce Ariel into trading her voice for the chance to temporarily become human.

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (musical) Musical based on the 1989 film of the same name

The Little Mermaid is a stage musical produced by Disney Theatrical, based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios 1989 film of the same name and the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find true love. Its book is by Doug Wright, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, with additional lyrics by Glenn Slater. Its underwater setting and story about aquatic characters requires unusual technical designs and strategies to create gliding movements for the actors.

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (1989 soundtrack) 1989 soundtrack album by Various Artists

The Little Mermaid: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 1989 Disney animated film The Little Mermaid. It contains the songs from the film written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as the film's score composed by Alan Menken. The score was orchestrated by Thomas Pasatieri. The album has achieved multi-platinum sales and won the Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children. The album includes recordings of the music that won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television, the Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure</span> Dark ride attraction

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure is a ride attraction based on the 1989 Disney animated film The Little Mermaid, located in Paradise Gardens Park at Disney California Adventure and in Fantasyland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park, where it is titled Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid. The ride opened on June 3, 2011 at Disney California Adventure, and on December 6, 2012 at Magic Kingdom.

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (franchise) Disney media franchise

The Little Mermaid is an American media franchise created by The Walt Disney Company and it is based on The Little Mermaid created and written by Danish poet Hans Christian Andersen. The success of the 1989 animated film of the same name led to a direct-to-video sequel, a prequel film, a spin-off television series, a musical, several video games, theme park attractions, and other merchandise. A live action remake of the film was released in 2023. The Little Mermaid paved the way for what would become the Disney Renaissance, with the original film becoming the first film of that era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voyage of the Little Mermaid</span> Defunct live show at Disneys Hollywood Studios

Voyage of the Little Mermaid was a live show attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The show was an abridgment of the 1989 film The Little Mermaid. Along with a mix of live actors and puppets, the show featured effects such as light and laser projections on the auditorium walls and light rain over the audience. Voice actors included Pat Carroll as Ursula, Jess Harnell as Sebastian, Corey Burton as King Triton, Edan Gross as Flounder, Paddi Edwards as Flotsam and Jetsam, and Frank Welker as Max the Sheepdog. Wright, Carroll, Mars, Edwards, and Welker reprised their roles from the original film. The show replaced the previous attraction, Here Come The Muppets, on January 7, 1992, in the Animation Courtyard Theater.

StarKid Productions, also known as Team StarKid, is an American musical theatre company founded in 2009 at the University of Michigan by Darren Criss, Brian Holden, Matt Lang, and Nick Lang. Originally known for the viral success of their first musical, A Very Potter Musical, a parody of the Harry Potter series, the troupe primarily produces musical comedies inspired by pop culture, with original scripts, songs, and music. StarKid distributes their musicals for free on YouTube, with recent projects being funded by Kickstarter and physical ticket sales.

"Fathoms Below" is the opening song from the 1989 animated Disney feature film The Little Mermaid. A rousing sea shanty written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, the song is sung by the ship's crew on the film's original soundtrack. An extended version with additional lyrics by Glenn Slater appears in the 2008 stage adaptation of the musical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert J. Sherman</span> American songwriter

Robert Jason Sherman, known as Robbie Sherman, is an American songwriter based in London. He was born in Los Angeles to Joyce and Robert B. Sherman, the youngest of four siblings. Stemming from a long line of songwriters and composers, spanning more than four generations, at 16 Sherman became one of the youngest songwriters ever invited to join BMI and is an alum of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. He is perhaps best known for his work on Love Birds: The Musical, which premiered at the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The Little Mermaid Jr. is a stage musical produced by Disney Theatrical, based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find love. Its book is by Doug Wright, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, with additional lyrics by Glenn Slater. The Little Mermaid Jr. first became available to license by the company Music Theater International and Disney Theatrical Productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Matthew Price</span> British actor and singer

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Six is a British musical comedy in the style of a pop concert. Its music, book, and lyrics were written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. It is a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII, presented in the form of a singing competition. In the show, the wives take turns telling their story to determine who suffered the most from their shared husband, but ultimately seek to reclaim their individual identities and rewrite their stories.

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The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure is an upcoming musical stage production at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is a fully reimagined theatrical production inspired by the 1989 Disney animated feature film The Little Mermaid, replacing the classic Voyage of the Little Mermaid which performed almost three decades.

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References

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  3. Wyver, Kate (12 January 2024). "Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch review – a chaotic camp delight". The Guardian.
  4. Ferris, Nick (10 January 2024). "Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch: The Little Mermaid gets Wicked". The Telegraph.
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  6. Guide, British Comedy. "Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  7. "Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch reveals cast for new London run and UK tour". 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
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  11. Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch - 2020 UK Tour Cast , retrieved 2024-07-12
  12. "Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch releases cast album". Whats On Stage. 14 June 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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