Ruhaab Shuja
The Little Mermaid performance at Indian Hills
On May 1, 2, and 3, the Indian Hills Theater Company (IHTC) took the auditorium under the sea, bringing Disney’s musical, The Little Mermaid, to life. As the lights dimmed, the orchestra opened with a medley of songs to come.
Throughout the musical, the audience follows Ariel, a curious mermaid played by Victoria Fox, who longs to be a part of the human world. However, her father, King Triton, played by Michael Reisch, has a hatred for humans and would do anything to protect his youngest daughter from them. One day, when Ariel is swimming above the surface, a nautical prince named Eric, played by Matthew Khanlian, hears her singing while sailing on his boat and becomes bewitched by her voice. After a lightning storm suddenly hits, where he is thrown overboard, a worried Ariel saves him from drowning and realizes she has fallen in love with him.
Ariel then makes a deal with a sea witch named Ursula, played by Ryleigh Burchell, who also happens to be King Triton’s sister, to trade her angelic voice for human legs. Yet, in this “squid pro quo,” she can only remain human if she can kiss Prince Eric within three days. Meanwhile, Grimsby, the prince’s guardian and advisor, played by Brandon Maharajh, tells him he must marry before he turns twenty-one years old; however, he is still infatuated with the voice he heard. With the help of her friends Flounder the Fish (Seulgi Park), Scuttle the Seagull (Vinci Introna), and Sebastian the Crab (Alexander Noerr), Ariel has to learn to navigate the challenges of being human without her voice.
The show proved to be a heartwarming, feel-good musical, able to connect with the audience regardless of age. The cast performed an amazing rendition, leaving the audience in awe with their talent. All of the actors were able to make their characters lovable, even if they were evil. Not only that, but the hard work of the crew backstage and the orchestra did not go unnoticed. The IHTC director and club advisor, Ms. Kim Marino, comments on her experience being “magical.” She further stated, “We worked so hard to create a unique production with the incorporation of projections as our ‘set.’ The actors were tremendous, hard-working, and committed to making this show the success that it was. I was a proud director!”
Fan favorite sophomore Alexander Noerr, who played Sebastian, explains, “The Little Mermaid was one of the first pieces of theatre I saw as a little kid, and even then I wanted to play the part. Frankly, fun times were had the entire time; one of my favorite rehearsal processes!”
Reflecting on the experience from a senior’s perspective, Victoria Fox—who starred as Ariel—remembers her final production with IHTC fondly. “This show was all hands on deck, and I am super proud of how it turned out,” Fox said. “In the beginning, we spent many long rehearsals learning the harmonies and blocking, but once we were off-book and doing full runs, the time flew by. I am very grateful for this experience and the memories I made with my friends during this show. It was a wonderful last show to have here with the Indian Hills Theater Company, and I am so thankful for everything this club has given me.”
The Little Mermaid did not just bring its audience together, but also everyone who worked on it. Ms. Kim adds, “The IHTC is truly a family. Many of the IHTC students say that it’s their second home. We foster a safe and supportive environment for anyone wanting to participate. There is nothing like a theater kid!” To those interested in becoming part of the magic, IHTC is very welcoming to anyone interested in joining the cast or crew. As production for The Little Mermaid ends, be sure to look forward to IHTC’s next shows in the fall and spring of the upcoming school year!