This coming spring, the Morris Hills theater and music departments will be putting on their own version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Starring Kayla Thomas as Ariel and Daniel Dollase as Prince Eric, the musical’s dedicated cast and crew demonstrates the variety of talent present in the Morris Hills student body. 

The musical version of The Little Mermaid is quite different from the movie it is based on. For example, the musical has many new songs for Ariel, Prince Eric, and even supporting leads like Scuttle. In fact, in the second half of the show, Ariel sings several songs despite losing her voice, and Scuttle has his own solo number called “Positoovity”. As a result, almost all of the leads in the musical have to be strong singers and actors, as they have a considerable number of musical performances.  

When asked why The Little Mermaid was chosen for this year’s production, director Ms. Amy Calzone, explained that the show “offers a fantastic creative opportunity for rich costumes and sets, as well as the chance to perform some of the best-known songs from the past 30 years.” Such an incredible undertaking also requires a considerable number of people on cast and crew, with about 60 Morris Hills students participating in the show. 

Since the beginning of January, the cast and crew have been proven themselves to be up for this challenge. Tirelessly rehearsing every week, these students have been putting their heart and soul into preparing for their performances in March. Some even stay after school almost every day of the week, coming on weekends as well to work on their piece of the show. Despite the demanding schedule, however, cast member Zoe Tweedie says she loves the frequent rehearsals. When asked about her experiences as part of the musical so far, she responded, “It’s a great community and all of the directors are amazingly supportive. I get to push myself in areas I don’t get to during the normal school day and I love that. It’s a lot of fun!”

On March 6th, all of the cast and crew’s dedication and diligence will culminate into their opening night performance. Be sure to grab a ticket in February; this performance is one you certainly won’t want to miss!