Young performers with the Harmony Arts Program plan to make a splash with their latest performance as they re-create the underwater world of Ariel the Mermaid and sing well-known toe-tapping tunes.
Youths from six to 13 are working on The Little Mermaid Jr., based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and subsequent Disney film, with the music adapted and arranged by David Weinstein. These young actors will enchant you with their storytelling skills as they bring to life the adorable Flounder, silly Scuttle, and serious Sebastian, leaving you splashingly entertained!
The first performance is on Friday, March 11 at 7 p.m. at the Mae Wilson Theatre, while the second performance is on Saturday, March 12 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre.
Charley Lemcke, 12, is thrilled to play Ariel because, until this year, she has never had the main part before in a theatrical performance. It’s also fun being the mermaid-turned-human because she is on stage regularly.
“I like a lot of them (scenes), but one of my favourite scenes is when I get beach-stormed, where I’m on the beach and my flipper is taken away,” she said. “Or when, at the beginning of the show, my first scene with Flounder.”
Lemcke added that people should watch the show because it is entertaining and the youths will impress.
Harmony Arts Program started its fall classes in October and began rehearsing in mid-November, explained co-director JanLaree Nelson. She and co-director Kelsey Warren chose The Little Mermaid Jr. because they thought the music was beautiful and knew people would enjoy it because of its familiarity.
“When we reviewed the script, we were excited for what we could visualize and bringing it to the stage,” she remarked.
Working with the kids is the best part of the week, Nelson continued. Even though there is plenty of work behind the scenes, her stress dissipates when she directs the youths and watches them perform.
Nelson also enjoys watching the kids grow and gain confidence on stage. Some youths have no inhibitions being in front of others, she pointed out, while others struggle with their bodies and expressing themselves.
“So, the best part of this is when we can grow a child’s confidence to the point that they feel comfortable to be themselves out to the audience and out to the world,” she added.
This is Brady Fortin’s first year with the Harmony Arts Program and he has found it to be “extremely fun” because he can sing, dance and act. His character, Prince Eric, is a good guy who sails on the sea and teaches Ariel to dance because she is mute.
“… We’ve done a lot of hard work on it, so people should watch it,” he added.
The group normally rehearses twice a week for five hours from November to February. Once February arrives, training increases to nine hours a week.
Nelson thought the performers were “very close” to being ready, with small parts needing to be ironed out. This included helping the youths remember their cues or ensuring they know to perform a certain action when the music hits a particular note.
They must also know their lines well because the tech crew needs to hear certain words before the next scene can happen.
“The level of responsibility for these kids is high. And some people will look at that and be like, ‘But they’re only six years old. Or they’re only 10 years old.’ But as soon as I … thoroughly explain (the situation to them), then they do it,” Nelson said.
“… They’re all little professionals in their own right (who) look after themselves. Give them a ton of instructions, and they just absorb it like a sponge.”
Visit www.harmonyartsprogram.com for more information.
