>>>
>>> THIS
>>> THIS SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD, HOW DO YOU LIKE TO HEAD TO THE
CARIBBEAN?
CARIBBEAN? IF SO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO
FAR.
FAR.
FAR. YOU
FAR. YOU ONLY HAVE TO GO TO THE
FIREHOUSE NUMBER ONE IN FARMERS
BRANCH.>> ♪
>>
>> THEY
>> THEY ARE GOING TO GET YOU ALL THE WAY TO THE CARIBBEAN,
RIGHT THERE.
RIGHT THERE. THAT IS THE FIREHOUSETHEATER
PRODUCTION O NEON THIS
I+@SLAND.
I+@SLAND.
I+@SLAND. IT IS THE WINTER, BYTHEWAY OF
THE 2018 TONY AWARD FOR BEST
REVIVAL O+@F A MUSICAL.
IT HAS BEEN ON BROA+@DWAY BUT
DOING VERY WELL.
IT'S A CALYPSO FLAVORED TALE OF
LOVE WINNING OUT OVER PREJUDICE
, AND OPENING NIGHT IS THIS+@
COMING FRIDAY.
COMING FRIDAY. SO, WE WELCOME THE STARS,
ASHLEY RAGSDALE+@ AND JENNA MU+
TO MIDDAY HERE TODAY, THINGS
FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
IT IS FRIDAY.
>> WE ARE EXCITED.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS.
IT IS A POPULAR FAIRYTALE,
LITTLE MERMAID COMES UP A LOT
IN THIS ONE.
+@
+@ IF
+@ IF YOU
+@ IF YOU CAN KIND OF TALK ABOUT
WHERE THE STORY GOES, FOR PEOPLE
WHO LOVE THE LITTLE MERMAID,
THIS IS GOING TO BE SIMILAR +@B
VERY DIFFERENT.
VERY DIFFERENT. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. IT IS.
IT IS.
IT IS. IT+@ IS A DIFFERENT TAKE ON THE
LITTLE MERMAID, SO MORE TRAGIC
TAKE. +@
TAKE. +@
TAKE. +@ BUT, THERE IS A BIGGER STORY.
AND, SO, WHEN YOU GET TO THE
END, I'M NOT GOING TO GET AWAY.
YOU HAVE TO SEE IT IN THE
THEATER.
THEATER.
THEATER. WHEN YOU GET TO THE END, YOU'LL
FIND THAT YOU DIDN'T REALLY,
THERE IS SOMETHING YOU DIDN'T +@
THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
>> INTERESTING.
>> INTERESTING. >> YOU ANTICIPATE IT IS GOING
TO BE THIS LOVE STORY WHERE THE
GIRL MEETS THIS MAN, AND SHE IS
GOING TO GO ON THIS JOURNEY,
AND SHE IS GOING TO FALL IN
+@
AND SHE IS GOING TO FALL IN LOVE., WITH THIS, IT IS
DIFFERENT BECAUSE ARIEL IS+@ A
DARK SKINNED GIRL ON AN ISLAND,
SHE IS NOT A MERMAID.
SHE ACTUALLY HAS TO WALK WITH
HER OWN TWO FEET, ALL OF THESE
+@PERILS, ALL OF THESE TRIALS,
FIGHT FOR LOVE.
>> THAT IS INTERESTING TOO,
BECAUSE OFTEN, ISN'T IT ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, THIS FAIRYTALE
ENDING, HAPPILY EVER AFTER AND
ALL ABOUT?
ALL ABOUT? >> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. >> DEFINITELY DOESN'T YOUR REAL
LIFE IN A LOT OF SITUATIONS.
THIS REALLY TALKS MORE ABOUT
THE JOURNE+@Y OF LOVE, NOT
NE+@CESSARILY HOW IT ENDS UP, B
NE+@CESSARILY HOW IT ENDS UP, B@ THE JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE.
>> THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF IT.
THE JOURNEY.>> THAT CONNECTS
WITH PEOPLE, BECAUSE EVERYBODY
IS IN THAT JOURNEY.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SITE
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. WE
HERE. WE HAVE BEEN WAT+@CHING SOME
CLIPS,+@ IT IS+@ A PRETTY ORDIN
SET, THAT HAS BEEN DEVISED FOR
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. THE
THIS. THE LIGHTING AND ALL OF THAT,
THIS REALLY DOES KIND OF YANK
YOU DOWN INTO THAT ISLAND FEEL.
FEEL LIKE YOU ARE TAKEN
SOMEWHERE.
SOMEWHERE. >> YEAH, IT IS VERY VIVID.
THE SET DESIGNER, SHE IS+@
AMAZING.
AMAZING.
AMAZING. +@SHE TOOK A LOT OF TIME, PLACE
LOT OF INTRICATE DETAILS, SO WE
CAN REALLY FEEL AND SEE WHAT IT
IS LIKE TO BE ON AN +@ISLAND, +@
WITH ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WHO
ARE SO EXPRESSIVE, AND THESE
GODS WHO HOLDS ONLY DIFFERENT
VALUES AND BELIEFS.
AND SEE SHE REALLY MADE SURE
WHEN YOU SEE IT, YOU ARE
GRABBED BY IT.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE
LOVE, BECAUSE WE GET TO PLAY
WITH IT SO MUCH ON STAGE.
>> AND YOUR IMAGINATION TAKES
YOU, THE IMAGINATION GOES CRAZY.
YOU, THE IMAGINATION GOES CRAZY@ AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO +@BE ONE
SPECIFIC THING, YOU CAN IMAGINE
SOMETHING ELSE.
SOMETHING ELSE. AND IT HAS A TREE IN THE MIDDLE
OF OUR STAGE.
WHICH BRINGS A SENSE OF
COMMUNITY FOR EVERYBODY, AND I
THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE THE
MAIN FOCUS.
MAIN FOCUS. >> NOW, THE BROADWAY VERSION
HAD LIVE ANIMALS.
NO LIVE ANIMALS?
>> NO LIVE ANIMALS.
OUR STAGE IS TOO SMALL.
>> WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE ON
THERE WITH THEM.
>> PLUS, DON'T YOU THINK THAT
THAT KIND OF HELPS TO KEEP IT
FROM BEING A DISTRACTION OF A
LOOK AT THE CUTE LITTLE
ANIMALS?
ANIMALS?
ANIMALS? AND REALLY GET INTO THAT STORY
AND FOLLOW THAT STORY?
>> YES, YES.
>> FOR PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW WE
HAVE A LOT OF DISNE+@Y LOVERS O
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE THE LITTLE
MERMAID AGAIN, THIS IS A MORE
TRAGIC TAKE ON IT,+@ BUT IF YOU
LOVE THAT, DO YOU THINK YOU
WOULD LIKE THIS?
>> OH, YEAH.
YES, Y+@OU WOULD LOVE THIS ONE.
BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT IS SOMETHING
THAT T+@HEY WOULDN'T EXPECT.
AND, I THINK THEY ARE GOING TO
BE SURPRISED BY A LOT OF THE
CHARACTERS, AND YOU ARE GOING
TO HAVE A SENSE OF THEY HAVE A
THOUGHT IN+@ THE BEGINNING THEN
END UP LOVING THEM ARE NOT
LOVING THEM.
LOVING THEM. >> IF YOU'RE COMPARING IT TO
THE LITTLE MERMAID AS WELL, YOU
+@THINK ABOUT THE GUYS BEING
FLOUNDER AND SEBASTIAN, THOSE
CHARACTERS UP PLAY OFF OF NOT
ONLY YOURS, BUT THE VILLAGERS,
MYSELF, THE WAY THAT WE ALL
INTERACT, IT IS STILL PLAYFUL.
I MEAN, THE STORY CAN BE DEEP
AT TIMES AND A LITTLE BIT
TRAGIC.
TRAGIC.
TRAGIC. BUT AT THE SAM+@E TIME, THERE I
A SENSE OF MONOTONY, AND A
SENSE OF JUST BEING AROUND THIS
ISLAND, THIS BIG COLORFUL
WORLD.
WORLD.
WORLD. AND IF YOU REALLY LOVE THE
LITTLE MERMAID AND WHAT I GAVE
YOU, THEN YOU WILL BE+@ ABLE TO
LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, IT HAS A
LOT OF THOSE THINGS, AND I CAN
ENJOY IT.
ENJOY IT.
ENJOY IT. >>'S THANK YOU BOTH FOR COMING
OUT WITH US TODAY.
AND YOU DIDN'T GIVE AWAY THE
ENDING.
ENDING.
ENDING. >> I DIDN'T.
>> YOU GOT TO GO CHECK IT OUT
TO SEE THE ENDING.
ONCE ON THIS ISLAND OPENS+@ THI
+@
ONCE ON THIS ISLAND OPENS+@ THI FRID+@AY NIGHT AT THE FIREHOUSE
THEAT+@ER IN FARMERS BRANCH, IT
RUNS THROUGH AP+@RIL