Ariel and her friends want you to be part of their world, at least for a couple hours.

Richmond Civic Theatre opens its season with Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.”

Performances take place from Thursday, Aug. 3 to Sunday, Aug. 6, and Aug. 10-13 at the downtown theater.   

The musical about the teenage mermaid princess who is fascinated by the human world is based on the 1837 Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale and the Disney film.

Some of the famous songs to be heard in the 150-minute G-rated production include “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl” and “Part of Your World.”   

Ariel (played by Sarah Vincent) bargains with Ursula (Sarah Gibson), the evil sea witch, to trade her voice for human legs to impress Prince Eric (Ethan Bain).

Cast members rehearse “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” which opens Aug. 3 at Richmond Civic Theatre. Supplied

However, Ariel needs the help of friends Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull and Sebastian the crab to restore order under the sea.

Disney first told Ariel’s story in 1989 with an animated version, and then released a live-action adaptation in May.

Leaders of RCT’s production include director Tammy Cornell, music director Alison Moore and assistant director Terri Mitchell, who also is serving as stage manager.

RCT’s Main Stage season also includes:

  • The dramatic musical “Rent” about young professionals struggling with love, finances and illness on Nov. 2-5 and 9-12
  • “The Gods of Comedy,” a screwball comedy about two professors whose discovery is followed by a disaster, college coeds, campus capers and conspicuous consumption, Jan. 18-20 and 26-28
  • “These Shining Lives” on March 28-30 and April 5-7 is based on a true story of women who became ill from their jobs and refused to allow the company to kill their spirits or endanger the lives of those coming after them.  
  • The musical farce “Something Rotten!” about two brothers trying to write a musical in the 1950s

Stage One Youth Theatre will present three G-rated shows, “The (Almost) Totally True Story of Hansel and Gretel” on Sept. 15-17 and 22-24; “Peter Pan Jr.” from Dec. 7-17; and “Seussical the Musical Jr.” from March 1-3 and 8-10.

The schedule for RCT’s RadioWorks shows to be broadcast on WECI 91.5FM is yet to be announced.  

To help pay for all those productions, RCT is planning two fundraisers – its Stage Fright II Halloween party on Oct. 21, and its Storybook Café breakfast next March. 

If you go

  • What: Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”
  • When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3-Saturday Aug. 5 and Aug. 10-12; 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6 and 13
  • Where: Richmond Civic Theatre, 1003 E. Main St., Richmond.
  • Cost: Pre-sale/online: Adults, $20; students and seniors 65-plus, $17. Tickets at the door (one hour prior to curtain) are $22 for adults and $18 for students/seniors. All upper balcony tickets are $10.
  • The balcony is not handicap accessible. Patrons needing accessible seating should call 765-962-8011 for floor-level sections.
  • Info: 765-962-1816 or gorct.org

Who’s part of “Little Mermaid”?

Cast: Sarah Vincent, Ethan Bain, Sarah Gibson, Ashley Beckett, Marty Hoelscher, Paul Shaver, Andrew Triana, Jordan Hiestand, Jake York, Garland Weaver, Eric Swango, Katelyn Ferguson, Alaina Harris, Collie Erdosy, Halie Scott, Peyton Bain, Sarah Burket, Hanna Stapleton, Allison Mopps, Lori Staifer, Tessa Hamilton, Jill McKellar, Tony Wagner, Bailey Russell, Angi Wilson, Justin Fraizer, Carrie Debenham, Alessandro Santiago

Production team: Director: Tammy Cornell; Music Director: Alison Moore; Assistant Director and Stage Manager: Terri Mitchell; Choreographer: Traci McCollum; Assistant Choreographer: Ross Fogle; Scenic

Designer: Aaron Clarke; Props Designer: Ann McClarnen; Costume Designer: Renee Piekutowski; Lighting Designer: Bobbi Cayard-Roberts; Sound Designer: Rick Funk; Technical Director: Aaron Clarke

Crew: Izzy Fecher, Chelsy Nichols, Rowan Bailey, Lina Burkett, Isaiah Fecher, Noah Homer, Jackson Thompson, Tim Emery, Austin Snyder, Mika Parks, Rick Funk, Sunshine Rankin, Jules Pickett, Angel Chhoeuy, Livvi Piekutowski, Nicole Andreas, Aureana Andreas, Ezekiel Andreas, Ada Smoker, Naima Diarra, Aziz Diarra, Aaron Clarke, Mickey White, Ryan Shaw, Alison Blanford, Suzy Orbik, Noah Homer,  Terri Mitchell, Patty Glenn, Tony Wagner, Erica Kretchman, Cameron Kretchman, Whitney Kaehr, Gabe Kaehr, Lily Kaehr, Paul Shaver, Teresa Smoker, Jonathan Hampton

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A version of this article appeared in the August 2 2023 print edition of the Western Wayne News.

Millicent Martin Emery is a reporter and editor for the Western Wayne News.