IVINS — The “Big Blue World” comes alive in the Tuacahn Amphitheatre’s production of Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo: A Family Musical. Based on the 2003 animated film of the same name, this musical was originally written as a 30 minute stage show for Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida back in 2006. However, even though it was written for a theme park, it is beautifully written, with book, music, and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (the incredible team behind Disney’s Frozen). Now, almost 20 years after the show’s initial premier, the Tuacahn is the first theatre outside of the Disney Parks to produce Finding Nemo as a full-fledged musical with a live orchestra (directed beautifully by Music Director Alex Huff). As someone who grew up listening to this soundtrack and loved the show in the parks, I was unbelievably excited to see this production, and Tuacahn delivered.
The story follows the clownfish Marlin as he crosses the ocean trying to find his son Nemo who was kidnapped by divers. Along the way he gets help from a ditzy blue tang named Dory, and encounters sea turtles, sharks, and jellyfish. The relationship between Marlin and Nemo, played by Dominic Giovanni and Mollie-Claire Matthews respectively, was at the emotional heart of the show. Giovanni’s Marlin was full of anxious earnestness that paired excellently with Matthews’ youthful energy. It was very sweet watching their characters grow individually and their perception of each other change for the better. In the songs “Where’s My Dad,” “Not My Dad,” and “That’s My Dad,” we not only got gorgeous pingy vocal tone from Matthews, but some really heartfelt and nuanced acting moments. Matthews’ also had some great chemistry with the “Tank Gang” at the aquarium. It was a fun dynamic with very distinct characters, and Kyle Southern as the rebel leader Gill was a vocal standout with rich resonance during the song “We Swim Together.” Janna Cardia’s Dory was the comedic heart of the show. She demonstrated excellent physical and vocal comedy, using a full range of vocal play from low growls to high nasal. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a performer go that nuts with their vocal choices on stage, and it was wonderful. Cardia’s song “Just Keep Swimming” was a ton of fun, and she managed to mix the sweetness and the zaniness of the character really well.
A fun element of the show that gets its roots in the Disney Parks production was the use of a few larger than life puppets, designed by Scott Molampy. The Sharks, Crush the Turtle, and Professor Ray were all huge puppets, which helped to sell the dynamic with other characters really well. My favorite of these puppets was Crush the Turtle for one main reason: in addition to seeing this incredible puppet, we could still see the actor voicing him. Crush was played by the incredible Sittichai Chaiyahat, and his song “Go With the Flow” was probably my favorite of the evening with soaring vocals that demonstrated incredible vocal flexibility and control. Chaiyahat just kept singing higher and higher and it never sounded strained. But in addition to the vocals, he was doing a lot of acting physically and through facial expressions, and I’m so glad that the puppet was hoisted above the actor so we could see that. In comparison, the Shark puppets (while very fun to look at) covered the entire top half of the actors playing them. In their song “Fish Are Friends Not Food,” the three part harmonies were tight and their tap dancing was wildly impressive considering six people had to tap in unison while wearing a shark. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see the actors so I felt like I was missing out on some quality acting. This was proven when the sharks played by Stephen Diaz, Thom Henke, and Alec Talbott came out without their puppets during the “Megamix” at the end and performed a short reprise. It was incredible, armed with hats and canes they felt like smooth tap dancing gangsters, and their characters came out more in that short reprise than they did during the show itself.
Speaking of the Megamix, this section of the show allowed all of the dancers in the ensemble to really shine. Choreography by Director/Choreographer Mara Newbery Greer was high energy, technically impressive, and ended the show with a bang. Another very fun ensemble dance moment was the School of Fish that give Marlin and Dory directions. They were depicted almost like a hiphop dance team, and this concept was so fun. They were able to spell and create pictures purely using their bodies and stellar choreography. It was a very fun moment with excellent work from the ensemble, and really solid staging.
The show’s design was stunning. The scenic and lighting design, both by Paul Black, worked together beautifully to create the “Big Blue World” our characters explore. The stage was framed by lit and layered platforms that resembled waves, and the variety of blues in the set and lighting contrasted beautifully with the red rock that create the Tuacahn’s outdoor stage. Different locations were indicated by an LED screen, and by large moveable set pieces such as Nemo and Marlin’s anemone home and the aquarium fish tank. The fish tank was a favorite set piece of mine, complete with a volcano that erupted bubbles. It was effective to the storytelling to see the characters trapped in this larger than life box when the others were freely roaming the stage. The other element that really sold the whimsy of this underwater world was the spectacular costume design by Dustin Cross and hair and makeup design by Annie Hardt. They masterfully mixed the different fish species with the personality of the characters creating bold, dynamic, and story filled costumes. This was probably the best use of costuming I have seen in a live theatre production.
As a fan of the show, I had a wonderful time, but it is worth acknowledging that this is a show that is aimed for a younger audience. The script has been reworked and some new music has been added making the show about an hour long, with an 8:45pm start time this meant the show was ending around 10pm, which is perfect for families with small children. However, some of the expanded script feels a little clunky or rushed at times. This directing team handled that challenge wonderfully, but it’s worth noting that sometimes the writing just feels a little off. In spite of that, this show is a feast for the eyes, ears, and heart. Both the young, and the young at heart, will revel in the spectacular underwater world that is created by this incredible regional premiere of Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo: A Family Musical.
Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo: A Family Musical plays various dates and times through October 24 at the Tuacahn Amphitheater (1100 Tuacahn Drive, Ivins). Tickets are $36-$156. For more information, visit tuacahn.org.