Summer Dramatics Project heads under the sea in ‘The Little Mermaid’
What if home, Ariel the mermaid asks in the introduction to her song “Part of Your World,” isn’t a place where you are born, but a place you have to discover?
The Summer Dramatics Project searches for the answer as they bring the tale of “The Little Mermaid” to the Butler County Community College’s Succop Theatre stage this weekend, marking a welcome return of the company after a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19 precautions.
The company’s mission is, in part, to teach young actors, and the 50-person cast, the 12-person orchestra, the 27 songs and almost as many dance numbers allow ample opportunity for young people to learn and hone their craft both on and backstage.
The musical’s underwater setting brings technical challenges, and director Gordon Cavalero cleverly utilizes scooters, flowing fabric and undulating movements on the part of the actors to create the illusion of being surrounded by water.
Those actors include Ariel’s mersisters (Isabella Colonna, Sadie Shearer, Amara DiCerba, Morgan Roithner, Mia McGrady, and Delaney Ray) who bounce along in harmony in “Daughters of Triton” and then return to provide a 1950s girl group-style song and dance number “She’s In Love,” which also gives Flounder (Abigail Colonna) a chance to show off an exceptionally strong voice in a little body.
Scuttle (Morgan Oesterling) plays a goony seagull with a Brooklyn-esque accent and a manic need to be the smartest bird in the room as he provides ample comic relief and a counterpoint to the stressed crab Sebastian, who finds himself placed by King Triton to watch over and keep Ariel safe.
Sebastian, played by Jack Iole in red top hat and tails, brings a nervous energy that propels every scene he’s in as the anxious crustacean attempts to keep everyone happy. “Under the Sea” provides Sebastian a chance to lead a group of sea creatures in a calypso-style song and dance, beautifully choreographed by Samantha Roth, that spills into the aisles amidst drum work from the orchestra, conducted by Kayla Karenbauer, in the show’s strongest number.
“Les Poisson” a song set in Chef Louis’ (Alex Collins) kitchen brought loud laughter from the audience as the actor leaned into the chance to embrace broad comedy, which eventually, as Sebastian attempts to flee the stock pot, falls into a Keystone Cops-style chase number in the next scene.
Prince Eric (Nick Collins) gets to shine in the Sondheim-esque song “Her Voice” with strong vocals and graceful dancing as he slowly falls in love with the creature who saved him. Ariel’s voice is, of course, a major plot point and Rachel Simms, as Ariel, embraces the challenging numbers. However, equally impressive is when she is able to still embody her character by relying on body language, facial expression and pantomime after Ariel sells her voice to Ursula the Sea Hag in “Poor Unfortunate Souls.”
King Triton, played by Jabob Messenger, is a loving, though conflicted father and Grimsby, Prince Eric’s trusted adviser, played by Lucas Bruno, follow the roles set out in the animated film version, but Disney fans will also notice some changes to the story. Ursula, played with wicked glee by Dori Shearer, is now King Triton’s sister who has been placed in exile by her brother. In this musical, Ursula is a more sympathetic and complicated character. This Ursula wasn’t born bad, the audience learns in “Daddy’s Little Angel,” circumstances and her father’s rejection have made her so.
Ursula has a gutsy voice and strong stage presence as her eels, Flotsam (Tad Conwell) and Jetsam (Mekenzi Sydlik), in glow-in-the-dark costuming, careen around her.
In the original Hans Christian Anderson story, what the little mermaid wants is not a husband, but a soul so that she will live on after death, unlike the merpeople who dissolve into sea foam. That story was rewritten for the 1989 animated film to show a girl in search of her prince.
Here, in the stage musical rewritten in 2012, Ariel makes it clear that her search is less about finding her someone and more about finding her somewhere: a place where she can fully be herself. In the Summer Dramatics Production, Ariel, a confused little mermaid, is desperately searching for a place that fulfills her understanding of who she is, and, merperson or human. Who can’t relate to that?
The Summer Dramatics Project Production of the Little Mermaid runs two and a half hours with a 15 minute intermission. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15-$17 and can be purchased at the door or at summerdramaticsproject.ludus.com.
