The Nazareth Area High School Theatre Troupe performed a rendition of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” this past weekend, with four shows throughout April 11 through April 14. The production was a sellout success with record breaking ticket sales.
With their fantastic acting, singing, dancing and wire-flying amid an intricately designed and colorful set, the cast, crew and orchestra lit up the stage, transporting attendees to a magical underwater realm where mermaids, talking fish and singing Jamaican crustaceans coexist.
Here, in the mystical depths of the ocean, where coral kingdoms shimmer and sea creatures sing, lies the enchanting tale of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.”
Ariel, played by senior Julia Borawski, is a spirited and curious princess of the sea who yearns to explore the human world beyond her aquatic home. However, her father, King Triton, played by senior Jason Cozza, is ruler of the sea and forbids contact with humans.
Despite his warnings, Ariel’s fascination with humans only deepens as she collects human artifacts salvaged from shipwrecks. In her treasure trove, she has “gadgets and gizmos a-plenty” and “whozits and whatzits it galore,” not to mention twenty “thingamabobs,” but these only fuel her desire to explore the shore up above and be part of that world.
When Ariel saves the life of the handsome Prince Eric, played by senior Dean Tarriff, during a storm that caused his ship to sink, her curiosity blossoms into love as she serenades him with “Part of Your World.”
Desperate to join Eric in the world above, Ariel makes a fateful deal with Ursula the sea witch, played by freshman Addison Giesler. Ariel exchanges her voice for a chance to walk on land as a human for three days during Giesler’s show stopping rendition of “Poor Unfortunate Souls.”
Transformed into a human but voiceless, Ariel faces the challenges of life on land with the help of her faithful friends, Sebastian the crab, played by junior Damon Dellanno, Flounder the fish, played by junior Marciel Wheatley and Scuttle the seagull, played by junior Marissa Sodano. While navigating the complexities of human existence, Ariel races against time to win Eric’s heart and break Ursula’s sinister hold over her and the ocean.
As Prince Eric longs for the girl he heard singing to him after his shipwreck, he continues searching for Ariel, even though she’s right in front of him. To help get Eric to kiss Ariel as they row through a lagoon, Sebastian tries to speed things along by romantically setting the mood and urging him to “kiss the girl” amongst a spectacular, colorful set of pool noodle coral.
As Eric leans in for a kiss, Ursula’s minion moray eels, Flotsam, played by senior Kailey Force, and Jetsam, played by senior Jade Mills, sabotage their kiss.
Back at the palace, Eric considers marrying Ariel, but suddenly hears the voice he had longingly been searching for when Ursula storms in and drags Ariel down to her underwater layer.
Upon King Triton learning of what transpired, he demands Ursula release Ariel, but she insists the contract was binding. Instead, he bargains his realm for Ariel’s soul and Ursula jumps at the offer for Triton to trade places with his daughter.
After Ariel is released of her contract, she grabs Ursula’s shell from which her powers are derived and smashes it, releasing its trapped souls, including her father’s, and Ursula dissipates into the ocean.
Ariel and Triton exchange apologies and Triton realizes that he must set Ariel free to be with Prince Eric.
Overall, the production was filled with unforgettable characters, dazzling decorations, eye-catching costumes and timeless music, taking viewers on a captivating journey of love, sacrifice and self-discovery.
Through Ariel’s daring quest to find her place in both the sea and the human world, audiences of all ages were swept away on a magical adventure that reminded attendees of the power of dreams and the importance of staying true to oneself.
In the production’s playbill, Director Sandy Jameson notes that Ariel’s dream of bridging the gap between her world and the human one is because “she has the optimism to see past the differences and notice the similarities.”
This is what Jameson says theatre is all about—”seeking humanity in experiences beyond our own and learning that we have more in common than we think.”
