An EPIC Event occured the first weekend in March when the SJH Show Choir performed Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID JR. at the Vince Ross Auditorium of Springboro HS. The 7th & 8th grade cast contained 39 thespians led by director/teacher, Chris Wylie. Wylie welcomed fellow teacher Amanda Nothstine as well as parent Teri Parks in the roles of choreographer as well as utilizing several former show choir members, current SHS students who each choreographed a number in the show.
THE LITTLE MERMAID JR. takes place in a magical kingdom beneath the sea, where a beautiful young mermaid named Ariel (Ashley Ortel) longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. But first, she’ll have to defy her father, Triton (Lucas Powell), the king of the sea, escape the clutches of Ursula (Haley Iverson), the evil sea witch, and convince Prince Eric (Cole Molnar) that she’s the girl with the perfect voice. Triton dispatches his trusty court composer, Sebastian the crab (Peyton Knight) to make sure his daughter tows the line as she misses a performance with her sisters. The Mersisters are six lively if not judgmental mermaids: Aquata (Sophie Bunce), Andrina (Maisha Choudhury), Arista (Alena Marcum), Atina (Isabella Olivas), Adella (Ally Hodapp), and Allana (Morgan Stewart) who wonder what is up with their sister as they sing with Ariel’s best friend, Flounder (Nicholas Pounds), in their featured song, “She’s In Love.” This classic Disney show contains all of the songs from the Academy Award® winning animated feature film including “Poor Unfortunate Souls” which features Ursula and her tentacles (Abi Gogel, Elizabeth Hayn, Alyssa Jimenez, Isabella Olivas, Rachel Parks, Morgan Stewart, Ella Widau and Ally Wyers) and “Les Poissons” highlighting Chef Louis (Bridget Rhodes) as well as his entourage of chefs with four featured chefs (Colton Holmes, Olivia Powell, Alli Brown and Jenna Hogue) and more! The show also includes several new songs from the Broadway show including “Sweet Child” sung by Ursula’s eels, Flotsam (Faith Hampton) and Jetsam (Lily Sellars), “Human Stuff” performed by Scuttle (Ben Locke) and his gull companions (Elizabeth Hayn, Nathan Haines, Jessie Griswold, Cate Grigsby, Belle DeRosa and Ally Wyers), two touching numbers with Ariel and her father, “The World Above” and “If Only,” and a dance number by Ariel and Prince Eric, “One Step Closer.”
Unique to this production was the innovative use of some beautiful swing flags and six young ladies (Madison Dunlavey, Maggie Hicks, Caitlyn Laws, Olivia Powell, Bridget Rhodes & Clara Wrazen) to express the movement of the sea, helping to transform Ariel, express the storm and much more. In the world above, Prince Eric’s right hand man is Grimsby (Jack Grandfield), his housekeeper is Carlotta (Maddie Green) and his ship’s Pilot (Colton Holmes) begins the show with a solo in “Fathoms Below.” Try as Grimsby might, he cannot convince Prince Eric to choose a bride among the princesses (Alli Brown, Alyssa Jimenez, Julia Kirk, Shelby McCoy, Hailey McGuire, and Ella Widau) in “The Contest.” Ultimately, it is King Triton, Ariel’s own father who allows his daughter to become human and live “happily ever after” with Prince Eric.