Melissa McCarthy shares a hilarious story about kicking Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken out of her first rehearsal for The Little Mermaid in a panic. McCarthy plays Ursula in the live-action adaptation of the Disney classic movie musical The Little Mermaid. In The Little Mermaid, Ursula sings a show-stopping number, “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” which was co-written by Menken.
In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant for The Little Mermaid, McCarthy discussed working with Menken and Miranda. She explained that she is “in such awe of both of them” and how that added to her nerves. McCarthy shared the story of meeting the composers before her first rehearsal began and her hilarious reaction when they offered to stay. Check out McCarthy’s full quote and interview below:
Melissa McCarthy: I’m in such awe of both of them. Who isn’t? I can’t even think of it in terms of living up to it because you’re like, I just don’t want to fail you. I don’t want to take your magic work, and then be like, “I’m sorry about that.” And at one point really early on. I was still just rehearsing. So this is the very first time we went there for five weeks to rehearse some stuff. They both popped in. They’re both delightful humans. They’re so nice. They’re really chatty.
They both popped in and a full sweat started. I was like, [terrified smile]. And they’re like, “Hey!” We chatted and they said, “Do you want us to just hang out and stay with you for the rehearsal?” I think Lin was asking, the full sentence wasn’t out yet. And I was like, “No!, No I don’t! I can’t think of anything worse! I can’t think of anything that would make me… I’m almost having a heart attack. Just talking to you guys. I’m not ready to sing for you. Oh my god. I’m sorry. I said it so quickly” I couldn’t take it back. And they just kind of laughed and were like “We’re gonna go then.” I’m like, “Bye!” I was like, “Get out of here.”
Working With Disney Legends on The Little Mermaid
Miranda has worked with actors who aren’t extensively vocally trained or have a ton of experience in musicals. While McCarthy’s worries are understandable, especially given how big of an impact these composers have had, they seem unwarranted to a degree. Miranda and Menken didn’t judge the actors, especially when they began rehearsal; instead, they worked together with the director, producer, cast, and the entire team to bring The Little Mermaid to life in a new way. Menken, who was the composer, co-songwriter, and score producer on the original animated movie, has repeatedly praised the cast for their performances.
Menken and Miranda have put their stamp on the soundtrack of many people’s childhoods throughout the generations with The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Hercules, Moana, and Encanto. This is the third time Menken has returned for a live-action adaptation of one of the classics he worked on in the past, bringing a new perspective to the score as well as writing and composing new songs for the adaptations. Menken and Miranda developed four new songs for the movie, including a hilarious rap for Scuttle and Sebastian, a ballad for Prince Eric, and new Ariel music leaning into the rules of the musical genre.
The live-action Disney remakes are strongest in what they add to the original story, with Aladdin incorporating a new arc for Jasmine and Peter Pan & Wendy bringing a new layer to the relationship between Hook and Pan. The music is a big part of this elevated experience, especially with legendary composers like Menken and Miranda writing new songs and infusing the score with elements that fit the setting of the film. The Little Mermaid is able to do this with new music that spans style and emotion as they incorporate epic ballads and a comedy-driven duet. Their mastery of music as writers and composers also means they can help the actors bring their musical performances to the next level. Although McCarthy was nervous at the beginning, she takes on one of the most difficult songs in The Little Mermaid and makes it her own.
Key Release Date
The Little Mermaid (2023)
Release Date:2023-05-26
