Two little girls in front of us sat on theatre-provided booster seats to get a better view of “The Little Mermaid,” aka Ariel, and Prince Eric in Disney’s remake of their successful cartoon feature.

What they, and dozens of families saw was a spectacular family-oriented blockbuster musical with some good songs, solid acting and singing, fabulous costumes and sets, and a fantasy created by the magic of theatre.

While the adults may be tempted to nod off at times, the giggles from the kids will keep them awake as they enjoy the antics of Sebastian the crab (Nkrumah Gatling), the mean old Ursula the octopus (Keisha Gilles) and Cranston’s own Tom Roberts, who has a major role as Prince Eric’s guardian, Grimsby.

The play opens with bubbles descending from the rafters of the old barn theatre, creating the atmosphere of being “under the sea.” Birds fly by, fish swim and the Little Mermaid moves from the water to land with some basic props and sets that create a magical wonderland.

It’s a pretty basic love story of two people from different worlds who fall in love, leaving important messages for the kids about overcoming the prejudices of their parents and helping everyone see that they need not fear those who are different from them.

Adrienne Eller and Austin Colby make a wonderful duo, both young and handsome and with beautiful voices. The sea creatures add to the humor of the story, bouncing on and above the stage, singing and dancing up a storm.

The music is nice, with “Under the Sea” being the memorable one that sticks in your head on the ride back north.

This is a great show to introduce your daughters and granddaughters to musical theatre, and you just might enjoy it also. At Theatre-by-the-Sea through August 15. Tickets are $45-$65. Call 782-8587 for reservations.