After months of rehearsals and creative collaboration, performers and crew are ready to bring an undersea world to life with their rendition of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Final preparations are underway for the upcoming Musical Comedy Guild show at the Sault Community Theatre Centre.
Co-producer Michael Dal Cin said they found a 'true Disney princess' in Ada Crowder as the mermaid Ariel, after about 200 people auditioned for the production.
"She was a perfect fit. She came in as one of the last auditions on the Saturday night and she sang and it was almost like a a Disney moment, like a bird could have flown into her hand," said Dal Cin of Crowder.
Dal Cin produced Legally Blonde: The Musical for the Comedy Guild in 2023 and last year starred as Willy Wonka in the West End Theatre Project's production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The Little Mermaid is licensed by Disney and with that license comes a number of stipulations about how the characters look. Dal Cin said volunteers have put in countless hours creating costumes and practical sets for the production, along with puppets and props.
"There's so many costumes in the show, it's like a feast for the eyes, really and truly. It's been a collective effort and a huge undertaking," said Dal Cin.
Crowder comes to the role of Ariel with some experience playing a Disney princess in a Korah Collegiate and Vocational School production, but put musical theatre on the back burner while she was in university.
"I was Jasmine in Aladdin in 2016 and I guess it never occurred to me to do community theatre after high school — then I get into post-secondary studies and that took up my life," Crowder said.
In the process of preparing for the audition, Crowder learned something new about her own voice, that she sings as a soprano.
"I thought I was an alto, which is like a lower female sound, and I thought I couldn't be a lead because all of the leads are sopranos," she said.
Crowder shares many of her scenes with Ashton Sommers, who is taking on the role of Sebastian the crab.
In the same way Crowder has previous experience playing a Disney princess, Sommers brings with him on-stage experience portraying a crab when he assumed the role of Mr. Krabs in the 2023 Superior Heights production of The SpongeBob Musical.
Dal Cin said Sommers has the vocal chops to carry some of the most iconic songs in the Disney canon, including Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl.
"When he sings it is basically like he's singing the Broadway track — he is that good," said Dal Cin.
The Little Mermaid will be Sommers' third community theatre show, in addition to the work he's done in high school.
After months of prep work, he is happy the cast and crew are now under one roof at the Sault Community Theatre Centre making final preps for the show.
"Everyone out here are really good friends of mine and I love them so much and they're so much fun to be around," said Sommers.
Amelia Stuetz will take on the role of Ariel's seagull friend Scuttle, while also acting as co-choreographer with Lizz McIntosh for the production.
"This has been a challenge, but in a very positive way for myself. I've been in community theatre productions in the past in ensemble roles or as a dancer, but this is the first time I've taken on choreography as well as an actual role, and a feature role at that," she said.
As far as dancing during the musical numbers, Stuetz said there is a bit of everything.
"We've got tap dancing, we've got more classic musical theatre, jazz dancing and there's a ballet allegro section. It's quite exciting," said Stuetz.
The role of the iconic tentacled villain Ursula will be played by Emily Youngson.
Youngson said she is playing against type for this role, but having a lot of fun doing it.
"She has pieces of me that I feel like she and I mirror. We're both sassy, we're both bodacious and we both have a sense of humour about ourselves," said Youngson.
"But it's just really fun to paint an evil character. I've never done that before."
Youngson said it all came together when she was finally able to put on the make up and costume for Ursula.
"Today was the first time I had them all on and it felt pretty powerful. I'm not going to lie about it. It really helps to get yourself into the character," she said.
The Musical Comedy Guild's production of The Little Mermaid runs Nov. 20 to 23 at the Sault Community Theatre Centre.
Tickets are available at mcgsault.com, saultctc.ca and at the Station Mall Box Office.