The seaway to true love is full of perils in Disney’s The Little Mermaid but, of course, the young lovers bridge land and sea for a happy ever after. And the magical production of the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Department carries us smoothly along to that expected Disney end.

The Little Mermaid production at the Power Center for the Performing Arts is light, airy, expertly performed and a fine display of how imaginative staging can turn fluff into gold. The production continues 8 p.m. April 14 and 15 and 2 p.m. April 15 and 16.

The Disney version of a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale began as a 1989 animated feature that helped turn around a slump in the Disney fortunes. It combined a Broadway-style musical score, improved animation, and the feisty young heroine Ariel to become a big hit and launch a generation of animated box-office magic.

In 2008, Ariel and friends arrived on Broadway with the original score by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman and 10 new songs by Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater. The show also had a new expanded book by Doug Wright.

U-M director and choreographer Linda Goodrich has given her production a breezy, uncluttered look with an emphasis squarely on the singing, dancing, and gentle comedy. She has a great cast to work with, student actors with dreams of their own who deliver on a story that has inspired the dreams of young girls for a generation.

Menken’s music is a fine of gumbo of musical styles, from jumping Caribbean rhythms to the strut of the ‘60s girl groups to the traditional lush sounds of Broadway ballads. Musical director Cynthia Kortman Westphal conducts the orchestra smartly from the rousing overture with its sampling of the show’s better-known songs to the final celebratory ending. She has a fine cast of singers to work with and they deliver on the romance, the beat, and the comedy while constantly in motion on land and on sea.

Ariel is the youngest of King Triton’s seven daughters. She is the King’s special favorite because of her ethereal singing voice. But Ariel longs to replace her mermaid fin with legs and walk upon the land. Her desires grow more urgent when she sees a handsome young prince and rescues him from the sea when he falls overboard.

Prince Eric would rather be a sailor than a prince. He loves the rocking motion of a ship, the sea air, and the call to adventure. But he also loves the siren’s voice he hears and the memory of the face of the girl who saved him.

Halli Toland makes a lovely Ariel in her long red tresses and her long green fin. She gives the role warmth, yearning, and a fine singing voice. She also does a lovely swaying dance movement that effectively captures the sway of the sea. She has several fine musical numbers starting with “The World Above” and is especially fine on “If Only.”

Trevor Carr has a dynamic, crystal clear, and perfectly phrased singing voice and the look of a dashing, but not threatening, leading man. His Prince Eric is a solid gentleman with an adventurous spirit. The prince takes a bigger role in the stage show than the movie and has a couple fine solo numbers, “Her Voice” and “One Step Closer.”

It is Liam Allen who gets to take the lead on the show’s two best-known songs, the Caribbean-inflected “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl.” He is engaging as King Triton’s aide, court composer, and bandleader Sebastian. He has a Jamaican accent and an island attitude. He does a fine job on his standout songs in which the ensemble joyfully joins in to dance and sing. He also does a funny crab walk and crawl.

The roadblock to true love is Ariel’s wicked Aunt Ursula, a sea witch with serious issues who forces Ariel into a contentious contract. Sarah Lynn Marion brings a big, round voice, and an imposing giant squid presence to her role. She seems to relishes every dastardly moment and the audience eats it up. She is assisted by two electric eels that slither nicely as played by Aidan Ziegler-Hansen and Simon Longnight.

Ariel and Eric have their own allies.

Ariel’s best friend is shy, nervous Flounder. Matthew Kemp slits about in a yellow fish costume, blushing with love for Ariel. But he finds his Frankie Vallee falsetto voice in a romp with Ariel’s sisters on “She’s in Love.” Scuttle is a wisecracking seagull with attitude. Barrett Riggins gives him a definite Jersey vibe and performs an energetic “Positoovity.”

Ariel’s sisters are a jealous and competitive brood but when they sing they are The Supremes times two and a lot of fun as played by Jordyn Norkey, Natalie Duncan, Alyah Scott, McKenzie Kurtz, Isabel Stein, and Leanne Antonio.

Jordan Samuels gives an alternately stern and gentle performance as King Triton.

Eric’s support comes from his upright guardian Grimsby, played with stiff-upper-lip kindness by Elliott Styles.

Sam Hamashima gets to ham it up and show his knife skills as the fish loving Chef Louis.

The scenic design by J. Branson and lighting by Janak Jha are simple but effective in portraying the sea and seaside setting. Simple props and bits of scenic rock or ropes and ship’s wheel are all that is needed to set a scene. The costumes by George Bacon are funny and eye-popping. The shadow puppets, balloon puppets by designer Sarah Norton work excellently.

This is a show with a built-in audience and this production should make Ariel’s fans burst with positoovity.

Hugh Gallagher has written theater and film reviews over a 40-year newspaper career and was most recently managing editor of the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers in suburban Detroit.

Tickets have been selling briskly for this production and an extra matinee was added. For ticket information, call 734-764-2538 or go online to tickets.music.umich.edu or in person at The League Ticket Office in the Michigan League Building at Fletcher and North University. Read our preview of "The Little Mermaid" here.