By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — Three Rivers High School’s annual musical is looking to be “Part of Your World” starting this weekend.
This year, TRHS will be putting on a musical production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” which will run from March 13-15 and March 20-22 at the high school’s Performing Arts Center.
The story, similar to the 1989 Disney film of the same name, follows the story of the mermaid Ariel, who dreams of the world above the sea and eventually gives up her voice in order to find her true love.
“Some people might think it’s a love story, and there’s a little bit of a love story in there, but really it’s about Ariel finding her voice,” show director Jennie Miller said. “It’s a story about finding out who you are, and I think a lot of kids in high school are discovering their path and who they are. And this show is a beautiful picture of that.”
The lead role of Ariel will be played by senior Natalie Moore, while Ariel’s love interest, Prince Eric, is played by junior Nick Karabetsos. Ariel’s friend Flounder is played by eighth-grader Sam Karle, Sebastian is played by senior Aaron Fletcher, King Triton is played by sophomore Daniel Brennan, and Ursula is played by senior Alexandria Lewis. Other roles include Jetsam and Flotsam, Ursula’s henchmen, who are played by senior Lundyn Driskel and freshman Amelia Holtz respectively; the seagull Scuttle, played by freshman Sara Pickle; and Prince Eric’s servant Grimsby, played by freshman Miles Montcalm.
Other members of the cast include Drew Perez, Chloe Walton, Mira Osborne, Seryph Holdworth, Isabella Madison, Lily Pepper, Gabriella Williamson, Makenzie Rennie, Ciel Rennie, Abigail Wright, Aniyah Copley, Lilliana Garcia, Arianna Gonzalez, Sam Modaff, Andrea Canardo, Bell Kanyalak, and Maddy Montcalm.
Miller said she has a talented cast, with many things that stood out about the different leads in the show that led to the students being cast.
“For Ariel, for sure, it was when [Moore] sang the ah-ah-ah-ahs [during auditions], it was just so beautiful,” Miller said. “When Flounder came up and sang ‘She’s in Love,’ it has a very beautiful high tenor part, and [Karle] just nails it; he was a definite go from the moment he started singing. Nick, he exudes princely behavior, even during his audition, and he has an excellent voice, and I knew he would be a great pick for Prince Eric. Then Ursula, when [Lewis] auditioned, she sang ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls,’ and I was just in awe of the power behind her voice. And Aaron Fletcher is having the time of his life as Sebastian; he embraced the Caribbean accent, and he really understands how fun Sebastian is, and I really enjoy watching him grow on stage.”
So far, Miller said, rehearsals have gone well with a different setup, starting with focusing on dance and music early on, and not worrying about blocking on stage until later, something she said gave the cast a chance to “hone in” and be more precise with their dancing. She also praised the new lighting and sound systems in the Performing Arts Center, made possible because of the recent bond projects in the district.
“We’re very excited because we have the new lighting system in here and the new sound system that we’re going to get to use,” Miller said. “The lighting cues that we’ve already been working on make it feel like you’re underwater, and the sound we’ve been using during rehearsals is very sharp. It’s spot on.”
This week, she said, costumes were worn for the first time by many characters, making rehearsals even more fun for the cast.
“It was really neat to see characters start to develop even more, but every day is a gift here on this stage,” Miller said.
For Miller especially, that phrase rings true, as she said this would be her last show as the director of the high school’s musical program after eight years and six of seven publicly-shown shows in the role (2020’s Mamma Mia! was postponed and eventually cancelled one week before its first show due to the COVID-19 pandemic.) She called it “bittersweet,” but said she’s excited about what’s to come next, whatever it may be.
“I’m very excited about my next chapter. I don’t know what that looks like yet, but yes, it’s been a real blessing to be here. It’s been an amazing opportunity for me to grow as well. Not just watching the kids grow, but for me to grow,” Miller said. “I really got to know the students and develop amazing relationships with them. When I see former students that have been in my cast, they always come up and greet me, let me know what they’re doing. It’s really a special interaction that you have with students because it’s just such a fun way to get to know people.”
Miller said there’s plenty of fun to be had for anybody that comes visit the show on either weekend.
“This is going to be a very family-friendly show,” Miller said, adding that there will be a kids’ day at the Sunday, March 15 performance, where elementary school kids will be able to get in the show for free with a paid adult to encourage families to bring their kids to the show.
Tickets for the show are $10 for adults, $5 for students, and free for elementary students on the March 15 show only. Tickets can be purchased online at https://tinyurl.com/TRHSLittleMermaid, or at the door the day of the show.
Miller thanked the school administration for allowing the show to go on.
“I want to thank our administration because without their support, I know every year money and funds could go in other places and yet they still choose to support this program, and I’m always so grateful for that,” Miller said.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
