Note: In this production, the roles of Ariel, Ursula, and Sebastian were double-cast. Henceforth, the symbol “^” will refer to the blue cast (Friday night, Saturday matinee), and the symbol “*” will refer to the purple cast (Saturday night, Sunday matinee).
Last month, I had the pleasure of watching Ithaca High School’s annual musical, The Little Mermaid. The show made its Broadway debut in 2007, and sixteen years later, the stage of Kulp Auditorium. The Little Mermaid follows Ariel (Lily Ryan^, Sabetha Hersini*), as she longs to be human. When the sea witch, Ursula (Anya Packard^, Rowan Modisher*), casts a spell to give her a chance on the shore, she has three days to make Prince Eric (Suzzie Morey) fall in love with her. With the help of her friends, Scuttle (Daniela Forbes), Flounder (Luna King-O’Brien), and Sebastian (Myn Adams^, Saint Cassel*), Ariel explores the human world that she’d longed to be a part of for so long.
Director and Musical Director Gabriella da Silva Carr (Miss. Ella) was thrilled to be back at IHS for another production. “This was the most rewarding teaching experience of my career, seeing how much growth and confidence people found during our process,” Miss Ella gushed. “What I will remember most is the love the cast had for one another and the love and appreciation Megan and I have for the students and vice versa. I will miss being there for the students, whether that’s screaming in the audience because someone slayed their belt or being a shoulder to cry on when someone is having a tough day. It matters to me that the creative team is a place of support where people can come as their fullest, most vibrant selves and be accepted for all of who they are.” When reflecting on IHS’s new community-building practices in theater, she said, “I was one of the only ‘out’ kids in high school and it’s amazing to be part of creating a space where being queer and/or trans is just who you are and you are enough. It means a lot to me to give that to students because I didn’t have that in high school. I’m so incredibly proud of the work of the students on this show and this show had enough solos and opportunities for everyone to get a chance to shine.”
Alongside her on the production team were Frey Letton (assistant director), Megan Omohondro (choreographer), Steve Brookhouse (set designer), Liz Kitney (costume designer), Indira Clairborne (stage manager), and Quinn Charsky and Maggie Bonassar (assistant stage managers). Music was provided by Jonathan Fleischman (pit conductor), Em Ludek (accompanist), and the pit orchestra.
During Friday’s performance, I was thrilled to see Lily Ryan^ back on stage. From the opening note, you could tell how enthusiastic she was about her performance. Ryan, who is a sophomore at IHS, said about her performance, “It was absolutely incredible that I got the chance to play such an amazing role! Being Ariel was a dream come true, and one of the best stage experiences of my life. As a little girl, I would stand in front of my mirror and sing ‘Part Of Your World’ at the top of my lungs, hoping that I would one day be able to be just like a Disney princess. Little did little Lily know, she would be able to live her fantasy. It was truly a magical moment I will never forget.” On Saturday evening, Sabetha Hersini stunned the audience as Ariel in her final IHS show. “This was a fantastic show,” Hersini said.
In the number “Fathoms Below,” freshman Sparrow Faraday, who played the pilot, steered the ship and the cast toward success during this opening number. Mersisters Chloe King, LeAnn Zhu, Ani Rassnick, Laura Ward, Roxy Nelson, and Lila Holmes put on a spectacular show during “Daughters of Triton.” King, a sophomore, had weeks to learn the role after a casting conflict, and sophomore, had weeks to learn the role after a casting conflict, and boy did she turn it out! “Stepping into a role late is always hard and took a lot of work but it absolutely paid off,” King remarked. “I feel so lucky for my mersisters (and Luna of course) because I don’t think I could have done it without their amazing support. I don’t know that I’ve ever felt so connected to a cast before…every member of the cast took the initiative to set aside time during lunch to practice and worked so hard. I’m so proud of every member of the cast and the show that we put on!”
Our first look into Ursula’s (Anya Packard^, Rowan Modisher*) lair was composed of a delightfully evil song (“Daddy’s Little Angel”), villainous plotting, and ssslippery eel dancing from Flotsam (Roxy Nelson) and Jetsam (Hayden Sheley). On Friday night, I was enchanted by Packard’s wicked acting choices, and on Saturday, Modisher engaged the audience with her delightful tone. “It was lovely getting to work with [Modisher]; her interpretation of the character was a lot different than mine. I learned a lot from her in the way she carried herself,” Packard said about the double-casting experience.
The iconic number “Part Of Your World” did not disappoint. Ryan^ and Hersini* both took the opportunity to put their own twists on classic characters while still keeping the Disney magic alive. As she swoons over Eric, her sisters and Flounder (Luna King-O’Brien) performed “She’s in Love” complete with glow-in-the-dark Heelys—“[I was] exhilarated while zooming around on my two-wheeled shoes,” King-O’Brien said—and Omohondro’s effortless choreography. King-O’Brien dazzled the stage once again, completely deserving to be in the limelight.
While I was impressed by every actor on stage, I was especially blown away by Suzzie Morey’s portrayal of the dashing Prince Eric. During “Her Voice,” Eric’s solo, Morey took command of the stage and captured many of the audience’s hearts. I could sense how strong of an actor Morey is through their performance and was thrilled to see them in this role.
Another well-known number, “Under the Sea” did not disappoint. Complete with Kitney’s unique sea creature costume design and choreography by Omohondro, “Under the Sea” at IHS was the theatrical masterpiece it was meant to be. Myn Adams^ wowed the audience in their first leading role during Friday night’s show. “[Acting as] Sebastian was altogether an amazing experience,” Adams stated. “I’m so glad that I was given this ionic role as my first lead [and that] I was able to bring this character to life.” The next day, Saint Cassel* belted the ending and had the crowd cheering. “It’s my first time playing such an emotional role so I’m grateful my Ariel [Sabetha] was so intense so I had something to feed off of,” Cassel told me.
In the final scenes of Act 1, Flotsam and Jetsam ssstole the show. The eels’ duet, “Sweet Child”, had my jaw on the floor. Nelson and Sheley’s chemistry onstage added something extra to the already captivating experience. Once returning to Ursula’s lair, Packard^ ,and Modisher* delivered Ursula’s signature song (“Poor Unfortunate Souls”) in a wickedly fantastic style. Packard’s vocal run had the audience cheering; Modisher held her own and hexed the crowd with her soprano belt. “I had so much fun embodying
the crowd with her soprano belt. “I had so much fun embodying Ursula on stage! I was so glad to work with Anya, Hayden, and Roxy to make our scenes as deliciously evil as possible,” Modisher reflected.
Another standout performance came from junior Daniela Forbes in the role of Scuttle. I found her takes on the classic comic relief character to be uniquely humorous. In “Positoovity,” Forbes and her backup dancers (Roxy Nelson, Ani Rassnick, Sabetha Hersini^, and Anya Packard*) tap-danced and lifted Ariel’s spirits in a joyful number.
After another gorgeous solo from Ariel (“Beyond My Wildest Dreams”), Chef Louis (Cameron Greco) took the stage to perform “Le Poissons.” Prince Eric and Ariel then performed an intimate dance number (“One Step Closer”), which brought a new perspective to the couple’s growing affection. “Kiss The Girl” showcased Sebastian’s love for Ariel, with help from her gilled and feathered friends.
By far, my favorite number in the show was “If Only”— a quartet performed by Prince Eric, Ariel, Sebastian, and King Triton. I sensed the actors’ commitment to their characters more than ever in this number, and I thought they did a wonderful job of blending their sounds together.
When Ursula’s plan to take back the crown was foiled (“Poor Unfortunate Souls (Reprise)”), the cast joyfully celebrated Ariel and Eric’s marriage (“Finale Ultimo”). It was a great way to end such a lovely performance by having everyone on stage together. After the performances on both nights, the audience stood up and cheered for the actors as they bowed.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed watching The Little Mermaid at IHS. This was a truly excellent show and I’m excited to see what the future holds for these actors and for IHS theater.