In the photos above and below, students from Wheatland-Chili rehearse scenes from their production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid which will be performed this weekend. Photos by Amanda Petrella-Christ
Mermaids will swim into Scottsville this weekend as the students at Wheatland-Chili bring the beloved Disney’s The Little Mermaid to the stage at the Middle School/High School auditorium, 940 North Road.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid opens with a 7 p.m. performance on Friday, March 20 and continues with two shows on Saturday, March 21 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and closes with a performance at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 22.
Cast members are Anaiah Adams, Finlay Brouse-Woodruff, Bethany Bucher, Aurora Callery, Audrey Cullum, Ella Cullum, Autumn Davis, Kira DeBruyne, Brooklyn Desmond, Ava Farmer, Evangeline Frisch, Elizabeth Fugle, Juliana Gates, Morgan Green, Ellia Hershey, William Hitchings, Parker Long, Kaitlyn Miles, Zoe Patterson, Derek Phillips, Isani Rattray, Madeline Russell, Katie Smith, Izzy Steele, Samuel Steele, Luna Sweet, Maryn Taylor, Claire VanKuren, Tessa Yare, Colden Young, Kendall Young and Avery Zimber. Students on the crew for the musical are Melissa Burnett, Felix Burns, Noel Crowley, Jaiden Cuello, Allie Ely, Nayellina Espinosa, Paige Hershey, Ivan Miller, Anton Teeter and Gabriella Trotto-Lattuca.
“We knew we had a large talented group of older girls this year,” said artistic director Amanda Petrella-Christ. “With so many strong female roles and an ensemble for our younger girls, it was a good choice but it is also suited for our boys who are in the show. The Little Mermaid is also a contrast to Little Women which we did last year because The Little Mermaid appeals to younger students who we hope will be attending. The kids were excited when we told them what the show was because it is a story anyone can relate to.”
Based on the 1989 film by Walt Disney Animation Studios and the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, the show tells the story about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find true love.
The show originally opened on Broadway on January 10, 2008. A modified version of the musical with a new book was developed in 2012.
The role of Ariel was double-cast with Smith, a senior, sharing the role with junior Audrey Cullum and Petrella-Christ said it was because both girls are good fits for that role.
This is Smith’s fourth show at Wheatland-Chili. She has been in The Addams Family as an eighth-grader, Coneybear in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as a freshman, took sophomore year off and had the role of Jo March in Little Women last year as a junior.
“This is my senior year and therefore my last show,” Smith said. “I love Disney and I grew up on Disney films and The Little Mermaid. The thought of playing a princess was exciting. It’s been a lot of fun, but very busy. Particularly, now just a few days from opening, it is stressful now that it is ‘crunch’ time but it is so rewarding to see everything all come together.”
Smith is President of the Drama Club this year and has enjoyed everything about the school musicals.
“What is most fulfilling is seeing younger kids get into theatre and how the little kids look up to me and seeing them enjoy the shows,” Smith said.
This year, Petrella-Christ and her fellow directors made the decision to cast fifth-graders from the district’s TJ Conner Elementary School if they wanted to try out. There are two fifth-graders in the cast along with four sixth-graders and seven seventh-graders. The four eighth-graders involved with the show are all on the crew. The rest of the cast is a mix of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.
“We wanted to give the fifth-graders in TJ Conner’s Drama Club some experience with a full-length show instead of the usual 30-45 minute show that the elementary school drama club does,” Petrella-Christ said. “We tailored rehearsals for them so they weren’t here as long as the older students.”
One special thing that will happen with the show is the dedication of two brand-new stage curtains in memory of Jill Skivington Jackett, the former director of the school musical and Drama Club’s advisor who was killed in an auto accident. The curtains are a mid-stage traveler and a white cyclorama curtain. The money to purchase the curtains came from a memorial fund set up by Skivington Jackett’s parents in her memory.
“There is a dedication page to her in the program,” Petrella-Christ said. “I did not know her but the vocal director, the instrumental director, the choreographer and the assistant director all worked with her.”
Tickets for the show are $15 adult and $10 students. They can be purchased at wheatlandchili.ludus.com and can be reserved online and paid for at the door or tickets will also be available at the door (cash or check).
