THE LITTLE MERMAID MEDLEY by VOICEPLAY - Classical Musician's Reaction & Analysis

[@SirHairless]

Make sure to check out our recent VoicePlay medley reaction, in case you missed it 🧙‍♀ kzbin.info/www/bejne/najGkq1ofJuAkNU

[@RemWinchester]

I think you are the first person I have seen who immediately recognized Layne as the chef! Possibly the benefit of having seen the movie so recently, but I’m still impressed!

[@SirHairless]

👨‍🍳

[@acorrado5529]

Thanks for your reaction- love this one! Rachel was the perfect featured guest for this one as she performed as Ariel when she worked at Disney's Little Mermaid show for years while she was attending college in Florida. The challenge for Rachel here is if you look closely you will notice that she is pregnant so her voice, breath control, and costume are commendable. I also love Rachel in Voice Play's covers of "Phantom Of The Opera" and "I Knew You Were Trouble/As Long As You Love Me".

[@AudioVile]

I think this belongs in my VoicePlay top 5. LOVE it! Your descriptions after the performance was, as always, outstanding. I have heard this DOZENS of times, both "official" and reactions. You helped me notice NEW stuff I hadn't even considered before! Great reaction, Sir!!

[@loraleitourtillottwiehr2473]

I think you might enjoy Voiceplay's cover of The Phantom of the Opera featuring Rachel. It really showcases her voice.

[@RoHogan-en8jc]

One of the things that I love about your reaction/analysis is that you never try to dumb down observations! Thank you so much for the honest and intelligent reactions to this wonderful music!!😊

[@CharronMcLeod]

One of my top Voiceplay medleys! You always know it's going to be very fun when Geoff is painted a specific colour! 😂 Appreciate that you point out the less obvious items for our delight and contemplation. I also enjoy your enjoyment in hearing something new!

[@carinarodebak9419]

It's Layne doing the bubbles. Rachel worked at Disney, singing Ariel many times a day, for several years. She certainly know that role in all aspects. I recommend watching Elizabeth Zharoff , The Charismatic Voice performing Poor Unfortunate Soul. She, on her side, holds Geoff in high esteem as Ursula.

[@НемойРусский-й4ц]

❤

[@jackyfriedman1963]

Yep. And Geoff was the Butler on the Haunted Mansion ride then. That's how they met her. Some of them worked at Disney World doing various jobs. Before that Geoff performed at Universal Studios Orlando in the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue as Frankenstein. His wife Kathy (before marriage) was Frankenstein's Bride. Tony Wakim was Dracula. Shortly after they married and Geoff went to work at Disney World and other adventures.

[@gilliandrysdale5306]

I am always surprised by the length of this because when you’re watching it it seems to be over so quickly ❤

[@ilonadever8249]

This was done after Covid hit, the on screen effects, bubbles, snails, the boy and girl, the sack of money, are all things that they weren't doing when their focus was on live show touring. Two or three years before this they did a Moana medley, one of their most viewed. No on screen effects. This is one of my favorites, I think because they do the characterizations with such joy. Eli as the romantic lead was great, any time Layne sings great, and the nod to Phantom of the Opera was triple great!

[@rdyer8764]

Dipping way back into the Voiceplay Disney archives. Thank you! One thing that you didn't mention (maybe due to time) was the different voice "quality" when Rachel was playing Vanessa vs. Ariel. It's subtle, but noticeable. A long reaction, but well worth it! Don't worry about length. I appreciate everything you highlight in your reactions. Only one Disney medley left in my mind -- Moana! :))

[@veronicathunander4579]

This medley was what got me hooked on VoicePlay. I had heard their Bridge over Troubled Water before, and I liked that one so much that I shared it on Facebook, but then I forgot about them. Several months later I heard this one, and immediately deep dived into the VoicePlay rabbit hole. It was 5 years ago, and I'm still addicted to them...😊

[@DravenGal]

Well, now we know why Geoff has such a fantastic voice! Kidding, he's worked for it. But I love when J. None goes bass on the second "sing it with me now!" and Geoff looks confused.💙

[@EtherealForever]

I think the Poor Unfortunate Souls section was longer because they kind of tried to tell the story or follow the story-line for those who would have seen the movie(s) - plus VP do love their Disney villains 😉. I can't remember if you have done any of their live one-take ACA top 10 series stuff? They have done Disney Heroes, Sidekicks and Villains. Gives an appreciation of exactly how good they are live! Happy 2025 - may it be a great year for you!!! PS: thank you for the analysis ⚘️🕊

[@ChristineCornish-l9z]

Always love your reactions. This VP arrangement is like a mini musical, I get lost in it every time I watch it.

[@lkayh]

Loved this reaction/analysis! You always see/hear things other reactors don’t. This is probably one of my favorites by Voiceplay (who am I kidding-they’re nearly all favorites!).

[@PAT8888-is2pd]

Actually, J None has a very good range. At that time, he was the baritone for the group and now, he is singing bass in the Navy and is still able to cover Michael Jackson.

[@SirHairless]

Yeah that's my point - because of his extensive range, they can afford to do his song a bit higher 🎶

[@anjelikashaximardanova]

Uhhh! How many wonderful details can be heard with your help! What a gorgeous and charming Geoff as the witch! Everything was very beautiful! Thank you and VoicePlay for the mood! 💃🥰

[@lizlilliman3644]

Love this medley. I get very nostalgic with it now. Was always my favorite movie, then last year my daughters performing arts college did little mermaid for summer school (3yrs to 23yr olds) they do the show in a week. Daughter was the chef. The Saturday night show was cancelled because it was the hull riots. They moved it to the Sunday and the last version of part of your world is the final and they got a full standing ovation which was magical.

[@Sabine_Austria2024]

Memories 💝! Thanks for these so entertainig 37 minutes! Very comprehensible explanations, learned a lot again 🙌 I saw the movie in the cinema when I was a kid - I was totally scared of Ursula 😅(similar to Madame Mesusa in “Bernhard and Bianca” (“The Rescuers”), suffered along with Arielle, but also laughed a lot and swayed along with the songs 🎶

[@oberladyElise]

I couldn’t believe that I actually remembered the lyrics and was laughing as I was singing along! Needless to say this movie was played a great deal in our home, my kids loved the music as do I. Voiceplay did a great job, really love this one. And thank you again for your reaction and analysis. Always informative!

[@MarieDesJardin]

Love how you highlight the ambiguous nature of the opening -- VoicePlay is so good at interpretation of both the sound and themes of the material they cover. Enjoyed your description of how they transformed the song Under the Sea, and especially your discussion about straight tones and their difficulty/use in a cappella. Great reaction once again. Happy 2025!

[@SirHairless]

Thank you! Happy 2025

[@Gael4ce]

I like this piece in particular because it has something you don’t hear often - a grit-free vocal from Eli. He puts his rock voice on to some degree just about all the time, but not here.

[@judithL3100]

I love Geoff as the sea witch. Their arrangement of that part is flowing….i prefer VP’s style over the original

[@Sarah83_loves_bass]

Thank you for that reaction, love your explanations 🫶🏻 Their medleys are hilarious 🤩 When I saw it for the first time I had to rewatch it quite an unhealthy amount of times 🙈 Loved that Geoffsula turned the song more to the "seductive" side (I would've sold him my voice in the blink of an eye 😂🤷🏻‍♀️) and that SLIDE from the roof to the deepest cavern at the end left me with my mouth hanging open 😮 Layne as the chef had me giggle so much and after Eli entering as the screaming seagull in the middle of "Kiss the girl" like in the movie, I had to stop the video, cause I was literally on the floor from laughing 😂🙈

[@karingreen396]

So happy for this video from you. Love how VP did Little Mermaid

[@neetgupta1]

This is a fun one and the songs for the Little Mermaid are all such bangers, aren't they?! They do a great job of the atmosphere, characters etc. If you really like the songs, you should see the new live action Little Mermaid movie as it's beautifully done and Halle Bailey as Ariel is incredible.

[@thisismetoday7423]

Yay!!!! My favorite from them! I can’t even say how many times I’ve watched this one. Yes, Layne made the bubble sounds but it’s layered.

[@SirHairless]

🧜‍♀🧜‍♂🧜‍♀🧜‍♂🧜‍♀🧜‍♂🧜‍♀🧜‍♂

[@snapdoc]

“Part of Your World” is essentially “Somewhere That’s Green” reworked from Little Shop of Horrors by the Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, the team that composed the music and lyrics for both musicals.

[@emilyrln]

And "Les Poissons" becomes "Be Our Guest" 😊 Ashman knew when he had written a banger!

[@DarciKat256]

Wonderful reaction! This is my mom’s favorite Disney movie to the point that my youngest brother would have been named Ariel. I hope this isn’t too personal of a question, but do you have perfect pitch? You just seems to identify keys so easily I had to ask lol ❤

[@FLNatureGuy]

Wonderful medley! So appreciate your perspective. Thanks.

[@vdoyne]

Thanks for another VoicePlay analysis! They are always so fun but impossible for me to choose a favorite. I love it all!

[@DesmitskesUnplugged]

"No words needed." 😯 Those are the parts we want more words about! Technical information mostly! We all hear the epicness behind it. The technical information is why we come to you 😉

[@SirHairless]

Haha yeah it's tough! These videos are much longer than I intend for them to be already and we would be here all day 😅 I will assume those moments are the most-spoken about in other reactions as well (...hopefully?? 😅)

[@olabergvall3154]

​@@SirHairlessI think you almost always manage to strike that balance. Yes I could listen to you go on a bit more, but eventually there's diminishing returns, for everyone ❤

[@DesmitskesUnplugged]

@@SirHairless They are. But you have a unique view and some unique knowledge that you always add. I personally like that. And I - again: personally - don't mind the longer videos. I sit them through from the first second to the last.

[@cherylsmith3291]

I ALWAYS ❤ your analysis

[@gigi3242]

Thank you for your analysis, have a wonderful week.

[@emilyrln]

35:04 that motif is from the storm that wrecks Prince Eric's ship (not sure if it shows up elsewhere in the score).

[@caroleb.9387]

Love this medley and always enjoy your reactions and analysis. Just a side note... This medley was done before they did the Wicked medley. To those of us who have been following them for years, one of the easter eggs from Wicked was when Cesar sang/yelled "Kill the Witch" and then he and Geoff had a stare down... we all knew it was because Geoff had played Ursula ;-) for a chuckle... go back and watch just that part (kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJK9nnV9fdKGaas at the 3:40 timestamp) Thanks again for the great reaction.

[@janetdw]

This is my favorite of their Disney stuff. I love that they re-tell the story and there’s so much humor. The picture of J as a snail was what they put on his cake for his going away party. And of course because Layne was in charge it was a carrot cake! Rachel also has a recording of Poor Unfortunate Souls mashed with I Put a Spell on You with the group Voctave that might be a nice change for you. I think for me the first time I realized that part of a musical score could emphasize or even foretell someone coming is Star Wars with the Imperial March. I don’t think there’s anyone who ever hears that theme song and doesn’t visualize Darth Vader walking down those hallways. (BTW-I always thought that Geoff as Ursula sounded somewhat seductive in addition to smooth)

[@alisonwebre1]

Entertaining and informative.

[@joyrobinson4585]

I love the songs from Little Mermaid. If you want to spend a lovely couple of hours curled up with hot chocolate may I suggest Hollywood in Vienna 2022, a tribute to Alan Menken the composer of so much Disney music. In my humble opinion the highlight of the show (which combines Hollywood/Broadway sound/songs with the Vienna Philharmonic) is Poor Unfortunate Soul. I hope you give this a listen. I have watched it multiple times and never tire of it. Thanks for this, as always.

[@Maria...-mo5qm]

This was so much fun, tks!💦🧜‍♀💦 I watched the whole video with a smile on my face and some bursts into giggles 😄

[@SirHairless]

🧜🏽‍♂🌊

[@cherylrobbins715]

Flounder, though ugly, is nice to eat!

[@oberladyElise]

Yes it is, delicious!

[@SirHairless]

Never had it!

[@Traci2000]

I couldn't figure out who Layne was until he started singing and then I was laughing so much, I had to pause and take it back so I didn't miss anything. 😂 These guys are excellent story tellers! I love it when they go all in like this. I'm excited for you see the two they've done from Warframe. The last one is their most recent but I can't remember if you've already done "Sleeping in the Cold Below." Either way, I'm looking forward to whatever you do next! Happy New Year!! ❤

[@dcsobral]

I love their collaborations with Rachel Potter. Little Mermaid and Moana are my top picks, but Wicked and Phantom of the Opera are right behind. Wicked might have been the top one if she was the only guest star, and Phantom suffers from the lower production values back when it was created.

[@par500dragon7]

Yay! My favorite Disney piece!

[@Lisdodde]

Have you ever heard voces8? They are amazing a Capella singers, more classical but they also arrange pop songs And Jacob Collier with his audience choirs, weird chords and microtones of course is a must!

[@SirHairless]

Yes, you might find this (unpublished/secret) video of mine about Voces8 interesting: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZjCYXaPr9yfZ9U I've done workshops with Voces8 in the past and have sung on various occasions with some past/present members

[@Jennifer_J_C]

Thanks 😊

[@Starrynightdiner]

I really don’t think you need to worry about spoilers in a movie that was released 36 years ago. You’re not even that old, are you? I think the spoiler ship has sailed. ❤

[@SirHairless]

Still a long way to go til I'm that old

[@Sarah83_loves_bass]

@@Starrynightdiner omg, now I feel really old 🙈 Cause I watched this with my parents at the movie theatre as a kid 🫣🤫

[@disneyizme6855]

Heck, talk about feeling old…I’m So old I took my kids to see this one……36 years ago!!!

[@snapdoc]

Do the Pentatonix cover of Seasons of Love, please!

[@mariahaggmark9619]

💕🎵🎶💕 Love the analysis, as always 💕🎶🎵💕I think the word for Geoffsulas song is sensual or sensous? I'm not a native speaker, so please correct me 😃

[@Shadow_Person11]

🧜‍♂️🧜‍♂️🧜‍♀️🧜‍♂️🧜‍♂️