Cast List
Queen Latifah Set to Play Ursula in Live Musical (Not Live-Action) Little Mermaid Broadcast
Queen Latifah has recently announced that she will be playing Ursula in ABC’s live musical version of The Little Mermaid, (not to be confused with the live-action movie remake starring Halle Bailey).
The actress, singer, rapper, mogul & icon will be joined by reggae musician and actor, Shaggy as Sebastian the crab, and the voice of Moana Auli’i Cravalho as Ariel.
Ursula will add to Queen Latifah’s ever-growing collection of musical theatre roles and her 2nd time in a live musical broadcast, after having played The Wiz in NBC’s The Wiz Live.
This live event will air on November 5th on ABC and will be part of the Disney celebrating 30 years since the initial release of The Little Mermaid (1989). It will combine concert-style performances, costumes and set from the 2008 Broadway musical, and footage from the original animated feature.
Director Hamish Hamilton described the set as an immersive “dive in theatre” and will feature a projection surface in the middle. Despite the broadcast being a celebration of the original movie, the broadcast will feature songs from the Broadway musical. specifically for the characters who didn’t have solo songs in the original movie.
No new songs will be added to this production, strengthening its positioning as a celebration and not as an entirely new version of The Little Mermaid.
The Wonderful World of Disney presents The Little Mermaid Live! will air Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. ET, live on ABC.
Celebrity Takeover
Tituss Burgess Has New Music, A New Movie, & No Time For Mess + The Preacher’s Wife Musical Update
On Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Tituss Burgess gave us an update on his musical adaptation of the 1996 movie, The Preacher’s Wife – starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston. On the late-night talk show, a viewer called in to ask if there had been any updates regarding the show and Burgess shared that:
“ We are very close to signing with a hot-shot producer in New York, which means that the show is closer to appearing in London or here. But there’s also a recent development which could delay it for the better. You’ll find out about it later”
So not only do we know that the musical is still on its way to bless us, but there is an announcement about the show on the way! If you ask me, this is incredibly exciting. Tituss Burgess’ career has gone from stage to screen, and his abilities as an actor and singer are undeniable. Knowing that we are closer to seeing his skills as a musical theatre composer is mad exciting. Watch a clip from the interview above.
While we wait for The Preacher’s Wife Musical, listen to Burgess’ newly released EP Saint Tituss. Burgess sings his face off as he skillfully talks about issues that are personal and political — all while wrapping things up with a joyous celebration of resilience as positivity. He also has two songs that feature Daniel J. Watts including the single 45
He also has a new movie on the way. “Dolemite Is My Name” starring Eddie Murphy along with Burgess, Mike Epps, Chris Rock, & more will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. A national release date has not been set as of yet but is sure to be on its way.
While discussing the new movie during the same interview, Cohen asked Burgess about his relationship with Murphy. The way Cohen presented the question insinuates there might have been a problem between the two because of a ‘problematic past with the gays’ on Murphy’s part. The response given by Burgess is swift and loaded with “you tried it, but you won’t get me”:
“He wasn’t problematic for Tituss. We had a wonderful time. We talked about Dreamgirls and he should have won the Oscasr, I believe. He was great. Any troubles he may have had with gay people I guess are gone because he loved me.”
and this is why we live.
