Does The Little Mermaid: Live! Have The Best TV Musical Cast Yet?

The human world, it’s a mess. But luckily, we’re getting The Little Mermaid Live! on ABC (in honor of the original film’s 30th birthday) to make it just a little bit brighter. The Little Mermaid Live! starts at 8 p.m. EST on November 5 and singing along is absolutely mandatory. Okay, it’s not actually mandatory, but just live a little.

The Little Mermaid Live! (not to be mistaken with Disney’s live-action remake which reportedly is set to start filming in April 2020) will feature original songs composed by Alan Menken, so expect to see performances of some of your favorite songs. However, this isn’t an identical rendition of the Disney film. Director and executive producer Hamish Hamilton exclusively told Entertainment Weekly that The Little Mermaid Live! will be “50 percent of the original feature and 50 percent live musical performance.” So even if you’ve memorized every line from the original, prepare for a fresh and surprising retelling of Princess Ariel’s story. 

Just how different will this under-the-sea version be? Different, but not too different. Hamilton stated, “It’s a new way to watch The Little Mermaid — it will never replace the original. We are hopefully adding a slightly new take. It’s a celebration, ultimately. It’s just filled with so much joy and magic and honestly, the world can do with a little bit of that right now.”

Before diving in, these are the actors bringing new life to The Little Mermaid you grew up with.