Disney's The Little Mermaid
at Lindenwold High School

Reviewed on March 24, 2018

C'Mone Smith
Upper Darby High School
Submitted for publication to Philadelphia Inquirer - 1

Disney musicals are known for their sense of magic and wonder, and the happiness they bring to their audiences. Lindenwold School District brought all that to the table and more with their production of "The Little Mermaid"!

Based on the 1989 Disney film of the same name, the musical "The Little Mermaid" tells the story of a young mermaid named Ariel who falls in love with a human despite her father's strict rules against it. The plot thickens as she puts everything on the line to follow her heart.

Kyra Williams-Custis (Ariel) lead the show from start to finish with her melodious singing voice. By her side was Gaelyn Kelly (Prince Eric) with his charming and charismatic stage presence. Together they displayed love and intimacy that carried through the show.

Sayf Mouhamed as Sebastian, added comedy to the performance with his extremely theatrical stage presence and captivating facial expressions. Mouhamed made this character his own and it showed.

On the more villainous side, Erin Nevin (Ursula) and her henchmen Michaela Day (Flotsam) and Marquez Haywood (Jetsam) did a wonderful job portraying the antagonists of the production. Nevin's confidence and strong vocals made her perfect to play the the role of Ursula, a strong and vengeful sea witch, along with Day and Haywood who added a playful but sinister twist to her songs.

One of the most note-worthy parts of the production were the costumes done by the LHS costume crew. They helped to add a sense of fun and color that comes with a Disney musical. Along with costumes, the set also highlighted the glitz and glam of life under the sea. Complete with streamers, ramps, and a multitude of set pieces, the set as a whole was nothing short of spectacular. The LHS sound crew did an admirable job of handling over 24 microphones and while some distracting errors did occur the team made up for it with very well placed reverb on Ursula's microphone during the intense and nail biting scenes in the show.

All in all, Lindenwold School District did a magical job at portraying the childhood classic, "The Little Mermaid".

June Sanchez
Upper Merion Area High School
Submitted for publication to Philadelphia Inquirer - 2

From under the sea to the world up above, Lindenwold School District's performance of "The Little Mermaid" proved to be just as delectable as the delicacies of Chef Louis himself!

Based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale and the 1989 Disney film of the same name, the stage adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" tells the familiar love story of a sailor and a charmingly curious mermaid with added musical flair and fun.

Lindenwold took their audience into the clear blue waters of King Triton's kingdom and beyond with a plethora of beautifully intricate student-made costumes and a vibrant, detail-oriented set. The perfectly coordinated onstage color palette and unbelievably quick set and costume changes lent of professional air to the production, and was complemented by the equally lively performances of the cast.

Kyra Williams-Custis's uniquely sweet yet resolute portrayal of Ariel anchored the cast. Her melodic vocals in numbers like "Part of Your World" and "Beyond my Wildest Dreams" made her the perfect undersea princess. Opposite of Kyra, Gaelyn Kelly put a new twist on the easily made mundane Prince Eric with refreshing enthusiasm and depth.

Other notable performances included that of Michaela Day, Marquez Haywood, and Erin Nevin, who portrayed the villainous trio of Flotsam, Jetsam, and Ursula respectively. Day especially gave a standout performance, portraying the evil eel with ease through her fluid movements and smooth vocals in "Sweet Child."

The costume crew as well as the prop team spearheaded by Rosie Bonilla expertly incorporated lights into numerous costumes and props to further add to the undersea ambiance. The use of black lights in Ursula's Lair added an evil, mysterious feel, and nicely contrasted the clear, ethereal atmosphere of King Triton's kingdom. The LHS Run Crew balanced an impressive twenty-four body microphones, and while there were occasional sound issues, they were generally solved in a timely matter.

Lindenwold School District's performance of this beloved tale brought the audience "One Step Closer" to the undersea magic of Ariel and her friends.

Allegra Greenawalt
Harriton High School
Submitted for publication to GPC Website Review 3

The story of forbidden lovers may seem like a familiar tale, but when the princess has fins, the prince yearns for the open waters, and the overbearing father is quarreling against a sorceress with tentacles, the story becomes something entirely different. Wonderfully brought to life by Lindenwold High School, "The Little Mermaid" transported the audience from their land-locked seats to a magical world under the sea.

Based off of the 1989 Disney movie with the same title, "The Little Mermaid" follows a young mermaid who longs to trade her fins for legs. When she is presented with the chance to walk on land by a sinister sea witch, she gladly takes the opportunity. However, there's a catch: she only has three days to make the human prince of her dreams fall in love with her, or else she'll be trapped in the depths of the unforgiving ocean forever.

While this musical's demand for a large ensemble poses a challenge, Lindenwold's cast surpassed expectations and surely rose to the occasion. Perhaps the most notable aspect of the entire production, the ensemble filled the aisles with song and dance, radiating with energy and thrilling the audience with showstoppers such as "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl".

Leading mer-lady Kyra Williams-Custis shone as the beautifully curious Ariel. Her graceful stage presence and fluid vocals suited the role well, particularly in her delivery of the crowd-favorite "Part of Your World." She had undeniable chemistry with Gaelyn Kelly as the charming Prince Eric, and together they created the classic love story that resonated with everyone in attendance.

The show would have been incomplete without its large supporting cast. With a menacing laugh and dominating stage presence, Erin Nevin took her villainous role as Ursula and swam with it. In the iconic number "Poor Unfortunate Souls", Nevin showcased her powerful vocals and commendable comedic timing. Alongside her, the dynamic duo of Michaela Day (Flotsam) and Marquez Haywood (Jetsam) electrified the stage as the eel henchmen, slithering mischievously as they plotted their revenge. Also notable were Sayf Mouhamed (Sebastian), Quincy Montgomery (Flounder), and Gabrielle Magbalon (Scuttle), who all proved to be hilarious sidekicks with charismatic portrayals of their respective characters.

The technical aspects of the show were marvelous. Colorful and inviting, the set added to the production immensely, truly making the audience feel as if they were underwater with its heavy detail and intricate design. While the stage crew ran into a few issues with the movement of some pieces, they handled it professionally and delivered a great performance.

With a talented cast, brilliant set, wicked spells and sea shells, Lindenwold's production of The Little Mermaid left everyone longing to be a part of their world.

Alexis Short
AP Schalick High School
Submitted for publication to GPC Website Review 4

Lindenwold High School "got 'fishy' with it" this weekend in their production of Disney's "The Little Mermaid"! With extravagant costumes and talented merfolk, the overall production was fit for a king- even the king of the sea!

The Little Mermaid follows the story of precocious mermaid Ariel, played by Kyra Williams-Custis, who wants nothing more than to be "where the people are." Williams-Custis commendably embodied Ariel's intense love for life and sweet personality.

Although she is warned by her father, King Triton (Bryan Lopez), to never go near humans, Ariel cannot help herself and finds herself "head over fins" in love with Prince Eric (Gaelyn Kelly.) Kelly does a great job portraying the yearnful prince. Kelly and Williams-Custis also had excellent chemistry together.

Two of Ariel's best friends, Flounder (Quincy Montgomery) and Sebastian (Sayf Mouhamed), attempt to help Ariel in the ways that they know how. Both boys adorably encompassesed their roles with larger-than-life stage presence. On the flipside, there were those not looking out for Ariel's best interest: the sea witch Ursula, ferociously played by Erin Nevin, and her eery, slimy henchman, Flotsam (Michaela Day) and Jetsam (Marquez Hayward.) The evil trio was a force to reckoned with both in their parts and in their performance.

While the lavish costumes would have been rather impressive if done by professionals, it just make the ritzy pieces all that more exemplary knowing that each costume was hand-constructed by the FACS Fashion Design Class; especially due to the fact that each ensemble piece was unique in its own right. "Under the Sea" notably encompassed a fish-band as well as a delightful Sea Urchin (Connor Basallote).

Matching the rigor of the costumes, Lindenwold's sets were quite the feat, also entirely constructed by Lindenwold's Tech Theatre class. Each piece of the set was extravagant in its own right and the immense time and effort put into every element was evident. Even more impressive was the conviction with each aspect was utilized.

Overall, it is clear that Lindenwold made quite the "slash" in the technical theatre realm with their impressive sets and costumes as well as hair and makeup, also executed entirely by students. Yet while the tech aspects of the show were tremendous, they did not overpower the students, who delivered a truly feel-good performance of "The Little Mermaid".