At Firestone Community Learning Center, director Lisa Henderson is telling the story of “The Little Mermaid” with the help of modern dance.
She’s using this modern twist to enhance storytelling with lead characters as well as the story’s natural elements.
Firestone’s “The Little Mermaid” production will run April 16 through 19 in the school’s Linda B. Kersker Auditorium.
Female romantic lead Ariel, played by senior Maggie Vollman, struggles physically, through modern dance, to find her own voice. That movement — created by choreographer Alicia Diaz Valls — reflects youngest daughter Ariel’s emotion and her yearning for freedom as she rebels against her strict, traditional father, King Triton, who’s played by senior Dean Gable.
“It’s a literal rebellion through movement,” Henderson said April 6 at rehearsal.
She described Firestone’s production as a modern reimagining of the classic musical.
Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” premiered on Broadway in 2007 and is based on the 1989 animated film. Firestone last presented the musical in 2016.
“You’re taking these very iconic Disney cartoon characters and you have to make them real. So you have to think about like, you know, Ariel’s not just a mermaid,” said Vollman, 18. “She’s a teenage girl who fights with her dad and that’s pretty relatable.”
What does playing Ariel in her last high school musical mean to Vollman?
“I’ve always loved Disney and Ariel was probably my favorite princess growing up,” said Vollman, who had a mermaid tail to swim in when she was a little girl.
At age 7, she played a seahorse in “The Little Mermaid” at Weathervane Playhouse in Akron.
“I looked up to our Ariel in that (production) and I want to be that for other kids in the community,” Vollman said. “Ariel was kind of the first Disney princess to actively pursue her dreams. The other ones, stuff just kind of happened to them.”
Playing opposite Vollman as Ariel is senior James Harvey, 18, as Prince Eric, the human whom the mermaid loves. Eric is an avid sailor, while Harvey said he is not.
“I always like the challenge of stepping into a character that I don’t really have a lot of connection to and finding the connections between me and the character and making the character my own,” Harvey said. “I hope I can be a role model in that to my underclassmen.”
Vollman will attend Nazareth University in Rochester, New York, to study musical theater. Harvey, who will soon be committing to a school, plans to study pre-law and also study theater, possibly as a minor.
So what makes Firestone’s “The Little Mermaid” fun?
“It’s super whimsical. The sea creatures are literally speaking to the audience,” Harvey said.
“It’s definitely an escape getting to come in every day and tell this story. It’s so much fun,” Vollman said.
Dramatic water scenes in ‘Little Mermaid’
A couple of key water scenes in the musical are created by water dancers Naja Williams (senior), Jayda Blackmon (sophomore), Pepper Adams (junior), Breauna Daniel (freshman) and Ellison Smith (freshman). They include the perilous storm that causes Prince Eric’s shipwreck, where the water dancers lift him up as if on top of a wave, and Ariel’s transformation to a girl with legs, which also involves dance lifts.
“We have a lot of skilled dancers, which is something I’m not super accustomed to, and it’s very nice to work with people who are skilled in dance so I can learn from them,” Harvey said.
“The characters who are under the sea have to make it seem like they’re underwater in their physicality,” he said. “I think that’s a super interesting aspect and it makes it more playful.”
More final bows for seniors
Gable, 17, and Emma Richmond, 17, are also seniors who will be making their final high school bows in “The Little Mermaid.”
As Triton, Gable is fiercely protective of his daughter Ariel.
“He has good intentions because obviously he assumed that humans are the people who killed the mom (his wife) but obviously he misdirects his anger at Ariel and everyone around him,” the actor said.
Gable, who is playing his first big role, plans to study photography at a local university.
Playing the wicked sea witch Ursula, who tries to destroy Ariel’s chance at happiness, is senior Richmond. She wears an elaborate purple corset and big, purple, pillowy tentacles.
“I love playing her,” Richmond said of the villainess Ursula. “I get to let my mean side out that I don’t normally let out.”
“I haven’t really gotten to step into the villainy role really before. I really enjoy it because it takes a lot more thought into her actions and what she’s doing on stage when Ariel is talking or Triton is talking,” she said.
Richmond, who is president of Firestone’s choir department, dance captain of the show choir and queen of the Madrigal Choir, also sings in Treble Choir and Vocal Jazz. She’ll study early childhood education at Bowling Green State University, where she plans to become involved in the choir program and hopes to do musicals.
Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.
Details
Musical: “The Little Mermaid”
Where: Firestone CLC, 470 Castle Blvd., Akron
When: 7 p.m. April 16-18, 2 p.m. April 19
Onstage: Maggie Vollman, James Harvey, DeMar Clemons, Kenny Glenn, Hannah Gippin, Chris Flower, Benny Bear, Dean Gable, Elijah Landry, Jayda Blackmon, Breauna Daniel, Pepper Adams, Naja Williams, Gennie Brooks, Lucia Greathouse, Bellamarie Olaya, Jaynna Harvey, Emma Richmond, Asher Banks, Alyssa Francis, Tristan Stewart, Ellison Smith, Lydia Rutan, Onill Zigudo, Jayden Hereford, Hunter Wyatt, Dalice Lidge, Evan Millon, Cerenity Williams, Samantha McDevitt, Noelle Hunt, Kenneth Deck, Isaac Johnson, Karlisa Gomez, Prestyn Valentine
Cost: $10 adults, $5 students
Information: events.hometownticketing.com/boxoffice/akronschools/entity/schools/3 or in person at the Firestone CLC box office
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: ‘Little Mermaid’ musical gets modern dance twist at Firestone CLC
Reporting by Kerry Clawson, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
