Variety sticks it to Francesca Zambello

David Rooney is really taking director Francesca Zambello to task in his review of The Little Mermaid. Nobody gets off easy in his 10-lashings-for-poor-design review, but he really seems to have it in for Zambello. Check out my little mashup of his mentions of the acclaimed opera director:

Zambello has allowed emotion, charm and enchantment to be drowned in a sea of bewilderingly over-stylized designs... The joyous calypso frolic "Under the Sea" and gloriously romantic "Kiss the Girl" are wonderful songs but Zambello has compromised both with chaotic presentation... Despite Zambello's much-quoted creative choice of "no water, no wires," it's the simple wire work of Prince Eric's near-drowning in the storm or Ariel's underwater transformation from mermaid to human that come closest to engendering a sense of wonderment... if Disney Theatrical chief Thomas Schumacher's aim in enlisting Zambello and team was to develop another eye-popping theatrical event to transcend the kid-fare label, he needs to keep fishing.

Both Francesca Zambello and Asolo AD Michael Edwards (see Suckwatch: A Tale of Two Cities) are opera directors turned theater pros, and I'm glad to see Rooney hinting that a strong background in opera doesn't make someone a great director of musicals. The mediums have vast differences, and I'd hate to see a stylistic return to the 1980's because a new generation of opera/theater directors rely on sweeping, epic, gigantic productions instead of quality, character-based storytelling.

P.S. Check out Zambello's own website for a lot of pics of her productions. The photo gallery is really gorgeous, so it's not so hard to see why Disney was smitten. But is she really the best person to direct the upcoming First Wives Club musical?? Not so sure, Frannie, not so sure.