Known as the “Ultimate Disney Tribute Band,” The Little Mermen visited Stockton University on Saturday, November 19 to host an energetic show full of family-friendly fun. The event was presented by the Stockton Performing Arts Center, and people of varying ages from all over South Jersey came to revel in the nostalgic sound of the Disney music canon.

Beginning at 1:00 pm, folks could lounge in the PAC’s lobby and take a look at the band’s gift shop, where many children found the light-up wands they waved throughout the show. The Little Mermen also were selling what they called “Magic Merbands,” which were glowing bracelets that came with a download of their album. The doors opened at 1:30 pm, and as people in Disney parks attire filed in to take their seats, songs from movies like “Beauty and the Beast” and “Encanto” played throughout the theater, preluding what was to come in their set. Children in Cinderella dresses waited for the band to “rock [their] Disney world,” while the screen on stage allowed for the audience to learn more about The Little Mermen and how they support the nonprofit organization, Musicians on Call, which provides live music to healthcare environments.

At 2:00 pm, the lights of the house went down and the opening narration from Disneyland’s Main Street Electrical Parade sounded loud and clear. On the big screen, a montage of Disney’s animated films played before showing a clip of Ben Stiller in the movie “Zoolander,” where his character says his iconic “Mer-MAN” line. Then, the six musicians took the stage dressed as Walt Disney’s classic characters. In the front, guitarist and vocalist Alexis Babini dressed as Mickey Mouse while vocalists and tambourinists, Carly Kincannon and Elizabeth Nestlerode, came as Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck respectively. In the back half of the stage, bassist Andrew Grau represented Goofy, keyboardist Ryan Slatko was Donald Duck, and drummer Cody Rahn channeled Pluto. From the moment they came out, The Little Mermen engaged with and encouraged the audience to sing and dance as they took everyone through what Babini described as a “magical, musical adventure through the Disney songbook.”

They began their 21-song set with the classic “Mickey Mouse Club Theme” before taking the audience to the world of Princess Ariel with “Under the Sea.” The band delivered by staying true to the original sound, but the rock twists they put on all of the songs, specifically the well-known ballad “Part of Your World,” let the band members put their talents on display. Kincannon’s vocals in “Part of Your World” astounded the audience, and throughout the show, the added elements of rock kept the energy alive while allowing the artists to reimagine these beloved songs in their own signature.

“Moana” was the set that came next, and Nestlerode got to shine in her rendition of “How Far I’ll Go” while Babini got to show his range of theatrics and guitar skill in “You’re Welcome.” Grau and Slatko got a chance to sing as well in the next number of “Belle.” Exciting the kids was the voice recording of a hostile Donald Duck, which the band pretended came from backstage as a way to segue in their cover of the “DuckTales Theme.” Here, Slatko whipped out the keytar, which he soloed on.

After “The Bare Necessities,” the children dressed as Mirabel and Dolores from “Encanto” got up on their feet to jump around to “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” Except for Rahn, each band member claimed one of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s melody lines to create a harmonic group number that got the kids singing if they weren’t already. Kincannon danced to all parts of the stage during “When Will My Life Begin” in order to connect with the little girls dressed as princesses, and following this the band performed “Mahna Mahna” from “The Muppet Show” and “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from “Mulan.”

Nestlerode and Babini became Jasmine and Aladdin for “A Whole New World,” before Kincannon took over for Mary Poppins’ part in “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” They represented “Hercules” with a powerful cover of “Zero to Hero” and Babini asked the kids to shout out their favorite color to introduce the next song “Colors of the Wind.” During their take on Phil Collins’ “Tarzan” soundtrack, Babini meshed together “Strangers Like Me” with the classic “When You Wish Upon a Star,” by playing the latter song’s leading melody line on his guitar. The infamous “Let It Go” came next, much to the audience’s enjoyment, and “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” rounded out “The Lion King” section of the show.

In their last number of “I Wan’na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)” from “The Jungle Book,” Rahn got the spotlight and delivered a drum solo. The Little Mermen ended their show with the “Alma Mater” from “The Mickey Mouse Club,” where they bid the audience farewell and thanked everyone for attending. Afterward, the band came out to the PAC lobby to take pictures with and sign autographs for any and all interested audience members.

From the wonderful musicality, engaging videos on the big screen, and dynamic stage presence, The Little Mermen provided a joyful afternoon for many families, couples, and Disney lovers in South Jersey. To learn more about the band and their future performance dates, visit their website here.