In Copenhagen’s harbor a statue of a mermaid perched on a rock has become an iconic symbol for Denmark and a tribute to Denmark’s most famous writer, Hans Christian Andersen, author of the fable The Little Mermaid in 1837, among many other stories.

In 1989, The Little Mermaid became an icon of another kind for young girls everywhere when Disney Studios transformed Andersen’s grim tale into an animated romantic musical with a lighter touch. The Broadway-ready score by Alan Menken with lyrics by Howard Ashman, the energetic heroine, Ariel, and a renewed emphasis on quality animation helped turn Disney Studios around and launched several more hit animated films.

In 2008, Disney’s The Little Mermaid was transformed into a Broadway musical. The University of Michigan Department of Musical Theatre will present its take on Disney’s version, April 13-16, at the Power Center on the central University of Michigan campus. It’s a big change from last year’s musical offering, as intended, to give students an opportunity to work in a broad range of styles.

“Every year we try to balance,” said Linda Goodrich, stage director and choreographer. “In the four years, we try to give them everything from Disney to last year we did Green Day’s American Idiot. So a full range, from the golden age to contemporary, and we try to get a large selection of each offering.”

Goodrich found much to like about the Disney movie.

“I really love the music. Alan Menken is a master of musical theater. It’s contemporary. The song construction of the songs is light, golden age,” she said. “It’s well crafted, a beloved film.”

But her first experience with the theatrical version was a disappointment.

“I told the cast that the first time I saw it on Broadway, I thought the design was really hideous. I lost the story,” she said. “I love the film but when I saw it in New York, I thought this isn’t the story I remember. When I came back to it later, I saw the story was there, but it was overproduced.”

Goodrich said U-M is taking a simpler, minimalistic approach with a bigger emphasis on dance.

“The costumes are the same, but scenically we’re using more imagination than a literal environment,” she said.

In addition to dance, the U-M production will feature scenery puppets, shadow puppets, and special props. But the story, the sea creatures and its lively heroine remain.

Ariel, the sea princess daughter of King Triton, longs to live on land, though she is forbidden to be around humans. One day she sees a royal ship and a man falling overboard during a storm. She saves the man, Prince Eric, from drowning and instantly falls in love. Aunt Ursula, a sea witch, gives Ariel legs for 72 hours to win true love’s kiss.

Goodrich credits Disney’s success that followed The Little Mermaid to a shift in how Disney portrays its central female characters.

“I think the heroine changed,” she said. “Ariel is very rebellious and strong minded. It went from a 1950s mentality of a princess to a modern-day woman going through struggles and finding her voice. It appeals to a modern audience. The sea creatures always fascinate everyone from children to adults. So I think the environment is conducive to the stage. They are animals we want to spend time with.”

Halli Toland, a senior from Holland, OH, plays Ariel, a role she’s known all her life.

“Ariel is so iconic and growing up I was a huge Disney fan and looked at Ariel as a role model and it’s a big responsibility and kind of scary,” she said. “But I think what I’ve been trying to work on, and Linda is helping me work on, is showing her progression, starting as a 16-year-old girl and turning into a woman by the end of the show.”

Ariel defies her father to live the life she wants to live and shows the way for her fellow sea creatures and humans alike.

“We talk about the theme of finding your voice; your voice is so precious and try not to lose it,” Toland said. “I feel that is what I’m trying to work on. And what I related to most in the script was the father-daughter relationship and how special and heartbreaking it is watching your daughter grow up and saying goodbye to your family and your father.”

And while Ariel yearns for a life on land, the object of her affection, Prince Eric, yearns to leave royalty behind and live his life at sea.

Trevor Carr, a senior from Ridgefield, CT, said Eric has all the usual princely virtues of respectability and gentlemanly behavior but at 20 years old he has no interest in being a king.

“He wants to be on the water,” Carr said. “He says he would rather be a sailor than a prince multiple times in the show. “

Carr said that an important part of the show is that the two young lovers have opposite desires.

“What I think about is that Prince Eric has everything he wants but he wants to be on water and Ariel has everything she wants but she wants to be on land,” he said.

Ariel is joined on her land adventure by her father’s right-hand crab, Sebastian, an underwater bandleader with a Jamaican accent.

Liam Allen, a sophomore from Gaithersburg, MD, said that Sebastian is one of those Disney characters that everyone knows. He said he knew it would be “weird” playing Sebastian after encountering him in the movie, numerous videos, and arcade games over the years.

“Linda encouraged us in the first few rehearsals to look into humanizing our characters,” Allen said. “He’s an artist, he makes music.”

In addition to his musical artistry, Sebastian also feels protective toward Ariel.

“A big part of Sebastian is that he wants to be a father figure for Ariel in a lot of ways, and he’s given the responsibility of taking care of her and bringing her back to her father. He’s sentimental, and there’s a moment in the show when he ends up being brought over to her side and it’s like, I’m in, and that moment is helping me create Sebastian.”

The show features the well-known songs from the movie including “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl,” and “Part of Your World.” It also includes 10 additional songs written for the musical with music by Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater.

While Ariel yearns for the land and Eric for the sea, all three U-M performers yearn for the Big Apple.

Toland and Carr will participate in the senior showcase but New York City looms large in their immediate future.

“A move to New York is the big plan, that’s kind of what you do unless you don’t want to,” Toland said. “My Dad always says to me, you can do what you want but you have to decide what you want first. I have lots of dreams and goals but I’ve decided to go to New York and try live theater on Broadway if it happens.”

Broadway is close enough to touch for Carr in Connecticut.

“My parents really love theater and they did it when they were young,” he said. “It’s always been a dream of mine and I’m so ready to live in New York, find a part time job and an apartment and be on Broadway.”

In two years, Allen said he plans to make the move as well, but he said performing is only part of his ambition.

“Eventually, as much as I enjoy performing and I won’t stop totally, I want to be a writer of theater and hopefully also for film and music,” he said. “One day I hope to write the musicals we’ll be performing in.”

The U-M cast includes theater students from as far away as Cambridge, UK, and Auckland, New Zealand, and as near at Tecumseh, MI.

In addition to Goodrich, the artistic team includes musical director Cynthia Kortman Westphal, scenic designer J. Branson, stage manager Nicholas Shafer, costume designer George Bacon, wig designer Whitney Mueller, and lighting designer Janak Jha.

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.

The Little Mermaid will be staged 7:30 pm April 13, 8 pm April 14, and 15 and 2 pm April 15 and 16 at Power Center for the Performing Arts, 121 N. Fletcher St., Ann Arbor. Only a few tickets are still available. For tickets, call 734-764-2538, go online to tickets.music.umich.edu or visit the League Ticket Office at 911 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor.