This sprightly interpretation of Hans Christian Anderson’s story was eyed by Disney as far back as the days of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, finally surfacing in 1989. There’s a hot crustacean band, sure, but also a keening grasp of the angst, loneliness, and longing in Anderson’s tale, encapsulated in Ariel’s dream of being “Part of Your World,” a highlight of Alan Mencken and Howard Ashman's superlative songbook.
