You may notice some significant additions to the staged version of The Little Mermaid that were not in the original animated film that we all know and love. I hope you are delighted by the additional songs for the Mersisters, Flounder, Scuttle, King Triton and Prince Eric! Additionally, there are some subtle yet powerful changes to the plot. For example, it is a breath of fresh air to see Ariel as the true hero at the end of the story. However, my favorite change is the love story. No - not the one between Ariel and Eric. That is still there, of course. I’m talking about the love of a father and daughter with King Triton and Ariel. I’m the only daughter in my family and my father has been battling health problems this year, so perhaps that has made me more sensitive to this seemingly small plot point. However, there are such truthful and loving moments that I hope are not lost in the performance. I love what could be a word of caution for all parents when King Triton sings the lyric, “How could I have pushed her to the point of having no one left to turn to?” I imagine that the parents of graduating seniors might find this lyric particularly tender: “If only I could make time stop. Believe me, I would try. But fathers have to learn that daughters have to grow. And if you truly love them you must let them go.” Due to my father’s illness, he won’t be able to come to see my show this year. However, his love for me supports me in everything I do and he doesn’t have to be physically present for me to feel it. He has instilled that in me every day since the day I was born. When Ariel sings to Triton, “And oh, I love you so - if only you could know!” I think of my Dad.
Despite the fact that I’m a Disney fan, I never really had a desire to direct a Disney show. As a director, the idea of trying to closely replicate a movie on stage didn’t seem exciting or challenging to me. However, some of my colleagues wisely thought a Disney show would be a good fit for our students this year. After seeing Ms. McRae and Ms. Hallihan joyously running around the room squealing when the idea of doing The Little Mermaid was mentioned…Well, how could I say no to that? I thank both of them and my delightful cast for igniting my enthusiasm for this show and making the rehearsal process so much fun! I LOVE my cast - every single one of you! I was quite naive in thinking that directing Disney wouldn’t be a challenge. We’ve been drowning in tentacles since January! I thank my amazing costuming students for their tireless efforts and fabulous creativity in designing and building some of the most iconic costumes we’ve had on our stage and for not going insane with the sheer abundance of them. The incredible Mr. Byrd and his fabulous technical theatre students kept us all afloat with their endless hours of hard work making projections happen, building smoking cauldrons, painting faces, and destroying “human stuff”. Mr. Hunter, Mr. Wilson, and the student orchestra are definitely one “hot crustacean band” and we’re so grateful to have them as a part of this process!
Thank you all for coming and I hope you enjoy the show!
KoKo M. Thornton
Director
