The Little Mermaid
at Rock Ridge High School

Reviewed on May 6, 2016

Mallory Williamson
Dominion High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Loudoun

A lone ballerina twirls, silk shimmering behind her, as she cuts gracefully through the aquamarine fog swaddling her like an eerie blanket. The trumpets blare, and suddenly she is nowhere to be seen. Aesthetically beautiful and childishly affecting in equal measures, this is how The Little Mermaid begins. Rock Ridge Performing Arts' production of the Disney classic was at once a throwback to a childhood relic and a window into a new part of our world.

The Little Mermaid, based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1989 Disney film of the same name, premiered in musical form on Broadway in January of 2008. After an impressive 685 performances, it left the New York stage and has since been performed around the world. It tells the story of Ariel, daughter of sea king Triton and a mermaid whose curiosity about the human world overwhelms those around her. When she falls in love with a human man, Prince Eric, Ariel makes a deal with the devil and trades her voice for a pair of legs all in the name of true love.

Rock Ridge's production, though rich in theatrical talent, was punctuated by the creativity exhibited by the show's visual and physical effects. Viewers upon entering the auditorium were greeted by an inflatable purple octopus, and, once seated, were assailed with confetti ribbon and showered with bubbles at appropriate moments during the production. It was nearly impossible to not feel "Under the Sea" with all the sensory stimuli surrounding audiences at any one moment.

Laila Gallant was mesmerizing as the titular Little Mermaid—she delivered her lines and sang with equal clarity and talented vigor, and made employ of emphatic facial and body expressions throughout the show. Opposite her was Seth Cooper as Prince Eric, who showed off his impressive vocal range during songs "One Step Closer" and "If Only". The pair worked well in tandem, and their long-awaited kiss scene at the show's culmination was replete with perfect chemistry.

The Little Mermaid's supporting cast, however, truly made the show shine. Terrifying was Jordan Green as Ursula, whose vocal chops in "Daddy's Little Angel" and "Poor Unfortunate Souls" sent chills down every spine. Swimming alongside her were Flotsam and Jetsam (Hannah Kane and Lucky Vemuri), who notably complemented the dark queen's malice in "Sweet Child". On a far less frightening note, Kevin Lacey's portrayal of Sebastian at once put on display truly impressive vocal talent in the house-downer "Under the Sea" and a knack for slapstick humor during one notable scene with Chef Louis.

It might seem difficult to make a high school set seem like something stolen straight off of Broadway, but Rock Ridge pulled off the heist seamlessly. Towering piles of gleaming souvenirs and royal ships fit for a king adorned the stage in every scene, completing a set that seemed nearly professional. Flawless was the musical's mood lighting—the subtle light cues and color shifts reflected the characters' rolling emotions without a hitch. Rock Ridge's sound crew also merits commendation; for the vast majority of the show, all 17 of the actors' microphones lent themselves to a nearly seamless performance.

Rock Ridge High School's The Little Mermaid was far more than a high school theater production—it was a Technicolor blast from the past that afforded a whimsical Friday night for people of all ages.

Megan Horgan
Loudoun Valley High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Loudoun

You're a real "poor unfortunate soul" if you didn't make it out to see the spectacular production of "The Little Mermaid" this past weekend at Rock Ridge High School! With amazing lighting, silk curtain effects, and pure talent from the actors, each audience member was pulled deep into a world under the sea.

Based on the commonly known Disney story by Doug Wright, Ariel and her aquatic friends made their Broadway debut on January 10, 2008. The story line follows Ariel, the youngest and most adventurous of Triton's seven daughters, as she travels up to the surface and finds true love upon land. In her love-struck awe, she makes a deal with Triton's evil witch of a sister, Ursula, which conjures up some additional trouble.

The talent demonstrated in this production was beyond any high school show. Alluring harmonies really locked the cast together as an ensemble. Energy from the entire cast was constantly up and really helped to keep the audience wanting more. An interesting choice found in this production was that the stage constantly had numerous things happening, it was almost overwhelming. Although the ensemble and tech far exceeded anyone's expectations, with beautiful aerial dancers, impeccable sets, and spectacular special effects, they did however sometimes overshadow the story line.

Laila Gallant (Ariel) and Seth Cooper (Prince Eric) both displayed astounding vocals and acting on stage. These are characters which most of us have been familiar with since a very young age, and they both did an astonishing job of bringing them to life for the stage. The chemistry between the two actors was impactful and they certainly worked very well together.

An amazing concept that was depicted in this show was the portrayal of some principle characters' emotions via aerial dancers. One dancer in particular, Ariel's shadow (Savannah Sides), accurately reflected everything that was said on stage. With flawless facial expressions and body movement, Sides told the story without ever having to say a word. As Prince Eric says, "Who needs words? Dancing beats small talk any day."

Of course, by Ariel's side throughout the show is the witty crustacean, Sebastian (Kevin Lacey). Lacey's performance was thoroughly enjoyable by all and kept us wanting more. His stage presence was strong and almost always brought some comedic relief.

There's no doubt that the technical features of this show ideally complimented the talent revealed on stage. The 400 light cues came together to create a spectacular mood for each scene. Just under 250 beautiful costumes (96% of which were made by students) made each and every ensemble member look their part, really making this world under the high tides feel like a reality. All of this plus seventeen microphones shared by twenty-six actors, there's no wonder the cast and crew was a total of 120 people! The scenic design team has been working on designing for this show since the summer of 2015, 100% of them being students! Each set piece is extremely detailed and again, all done by students of Rock Ridge! Aerial silks were also used as set pieces and scene transitions, as well as for beautiful choreography!

From the bottom on the ocean, to up on the shore where dinglehoppers are found, Rock Ridge's production of "The Little Mermaid" truly brought to life this well-known childhood favorite.

Gillian Kniley
Stone Bridge High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - Loudoun

The lights faded out allowing an elegant overture to begin with a ballerina flowing through the stage. Suddenly, the auditorium was thrown into a sea of excelling talent thus being taken along for the ride.

"The Little Mermaid" is a classic children's story that revolves around Ariel, a young mermaid who is fascinated about the world above her. Eventually, making a deal with the sea witch, Ursula, her wish to live where the people are costs her voice. Written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1989, this story was later adapted by Doug Wright to create this enchanting stage musical.

This upbeat show is majorly supported by a red Jamaican crab, Sebastian. Kevin Lacey's delightful portrayal of Sebastian was an electrifying stage presence supported by a clear Jamaican accent.

Seth Cooper as Prince Eric and Laila Gallant as Ariel harmonized their every note and move to create the meaning that one does not need words to express love. Cooper's voice showed to be breathtaking as he captured the emotional struggle this young prince faced whilst trying to find his true love. However, it takes two to create a harmony and Gallant exceeded all vocal expectations for Ariel.

Throughout the entire show, tremendously talented students were twirling through the air preforming specific dances whilst hanging from a silk attached to the ceiling. These Aerialist Dancers as well as the dance corp, especially in the quartet "If Only", brought a new perspective to the production and created a surreal environment.

Walking in to the auditorium one was immediately submerged into this underwater reality through bubble machines attached to the catwalk, as well as a giant whale that spouted confetti streamers into the audience during the Overture. If one would imagine themselves in a dream, they would imagine themselves being immersed in the over 400 light cues that the lighting crew created and executed at the highest professional level. The lighting scheme was truly dream-like and expressed the emotions exquisitely. The special effects team did a fantastic job as they allowed the story to come to life right before the audience's eyes through different techniques.

At moments during this production, the dazzling effect of the incredible tech and large number scenes took away from the intimacy of the plot which restrained the characters from fully developing in their relationships. More depth and focus during some scenes would have been appreciated as some numbers were overwhelming in certain aspects. However, the cast kept up an immense amount of energy that was demanded from them by the intense choreography.

Changing from being in an underwater kingdom, to being on land sets up the daunting task of creating a changeable set that still involves great precision. The detail-oriented sets were designed intricately and showed swift and almost unnoticeable scene changes. With exceptional effort, the student-made costumes created a brighter and more detailed aspect to the show. To add to the effect of being under the sea, the entire underwater cast rolled around on stage with Heelys. This idea was also used in the production on Broadway. However, the shoes served to be slightly clunky in comparison to the intricate and talented costumes. Although that remains true, the bold choice worked out in their favor as the effect of swimming was evident and creative.

The entire cast and crew of "The Little Mermaid" illustrated a truly remarkable story that captured the desires and emotion of this production. Breathtaking tech created a dream-like environment where the students at Rock Ridge High School culminated all of their talent into a truly unforgettable performance.

Miranda Huffer
Woodgrove High School
Submitted for publication to Loudoun Now

Ripples of aqua lighting flow across the entire stage as aerial silks float in from the wings, dancers holding blue fabric simulate the rolling of the ocean, actors dressed as luminous jellyfish enter, and a ballerina gracefully twirls about the stage. This was the ambiance that Rock Ridge High School created when they began their performance of Disney's The Little Mermaid.

Based off the world-renowned movie, The Little Mermaid, first on Broadway in 2007, revolves around Ariel (Laila Gallant), a mermaid princess who dreams of walking amongst humans on the surface. One night, a storm causes the stalwart Prince Eric (Seth Cooper), whom Ariel had fallen in love with, to stumble from his ship into the sea; fortunately, he was rescued by Ariel. Desperate to meet Eric again after returning him to the surface, Ariel trades her voice to the sea witch Ursula (Jordan Green), for legs. In order to keep them, however, Ariel must kiss Eric before three sunsets have passed. Assisted by her friends Sebastian the effervescent crab (Kevin Lacey), the sheepish Flounder (Andrea Arias), and the spry, squawky seagull Scuttle (Deirdre Price), Ariel eventually defeats Ursula and finds a true happy ending with Eric.

Every minute of this performance was packed with colorful costumes, high energy ensemble numbers, and astounding technical elements. The most distinct of these was their usage of aerial silks, complete with impressive dancers. Despite being somewhat distracting, they added a whole new dimension to the choreography, set, and lighting elements of the show, for they were used in imaginative ways, such as for ropes with sailors scaling up them.

One of the most entrancing things about Ariel's character is her voice, for which Laila Gallant met all expectations. Her silky voice complimented her character, for her songs all conveyed deep emotion vocally. This was showcased in the famous number, "Part of Your World." Another extraordinary vocalist was Sebastian, who integrated his vivacious character into all of his numbers, especially during the vibrant "Under the Sea."

Chef Louis (Byron Salazar) brought his own ludicrous humor in "Les Poissons." Salazar demonstrated exceptional vocals and a consistent accent while being fantastically comedic during his big number, chasing Sebastian around amusingly. In contrast to that slapstick humor, Ursula and her two sidekicks, Flotsam and Jetsam (Hannah Kane and Lucky Vemuri), brought a darker humor. The group worked together well, leaving a chilling vibe on stage.

This bubbling ocean was brought to life by many remarkable technical elements. The lighting conveyed the emotions of the performance well; nearly all of the estimated 400 cues were seamless. Though some of the designs left actors in the dark, their prismatic choices set the scene for the spirited ocean. The set and props also brought a whole new level of magic to the show. The detail put into them was astounding, showcased in Ariel's treasure cove, Ursula's magic shell, and the ship of Prince Eric. Although some of the more ambitious set pieces made it hard for the audience to see, they brought to life the magic of the story itself.

Filled with color and energy, The Little Mermaid was a sight to behold. Immersing entirely in a show is a rare experience, but Rock Ridge truly had everyone feeling as though they were "Under the Sea!"