The original stage musical The Little Mermaid had its world premiere in Denver in 2007.
The musical began its pre-Broadway engagement at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver, Colorado. Previews started in November 2007, followed by the production’s official opening there. This engagement allowed the creative team to develop the stage version before its Broadway transfer.
The Broadway production later opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City in January 2008. Because New York is the most famous location associated with the musical, it is often incorrectly given as the world-premiere city. Denver was the earlier premiere location, while New York hosted the subsequent Broadway run.
The musical adapts the 1989 Disney animated film and includes music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, and a book by Doug Wright. The Denver engagement was therefore an important step between the film and the Broadway production.