Students at Ursuline College Chatham are preparing to take the plunge into their latest play, Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
The cast has been rehearsing for months, two and three days a week. And they wouldn’t have it any other way. Many of these students have performed together over the past few years, and have developed friendships.
“I’m having a blast,” said Leah Jackson, who plays Ariel. “We’ve all become really close. It’s just really fun getting to hang out so much with people you get along with and are friends with.”
Frankie Foex, one of the seniors in the performance, and who plays Ursula, agreed.
“I’m also taking on the role of dance captain. It’s been a lot of fun helping to create the dances as well as just getting more chances to spend time with these people that I love a lot,” she said.
Anthony Vaz, tasked with playing Sebastian, said he thinks he’s grown personally from the effort and enjoys seeing new students taking part.
In terms of their characters, the students who The Voice interviewed saw them as somewhat of an extension of themselves.
Mathew Cartier, a veteran of UCC’s musical theatre effort, seems to have a smile forever implanted on his face. He plays Scuttle, Ariel’s advisor on all things human, albeit from the rather inaccurate perspective of a seagull. Scuttle is excitable, and seemingly forever positive.
“This (Scuttle) is pretty close to my personality. I just kind of speak me, but more seagully,” he said with a laugh.
Vaz said he can relate to Sebastian.
“Sebastian is a very funny character, but there are times he can be pretty serious, and I feel that reflects myself a lot,” he said.
As for Jackson, she admits she likes to dream.
“I definitely associate with Ariel’s dreamy personality. She’s a big dreamer and she goes after what she wants. I’d say I definitely have that,” she said.
With all the preparation efforts, the cast can’t wait for the curtain to go up on opening night on April 29. Jackson said she’s “super stoked” to perform in front of the audience.
As for Cartier, he’s excited to have the chance to fly past the audience in character.
Rosanna Magliaro, one of the teachers involved with the project, is a familiar face in the auditorium. She performed in school plays as a student at UCC and has been a helping hand as one of the overseers of the yearly performances for the past eight years.
She sees this year’s cast as a very positive team.
“They’re very inclusive. A lot of the cast and crew (from last year’s The Descendents) came back. They’re just so positive,” she said.
Overall, Magliaro estimated about 75 students are directly involved in the production, from cast, to crew, to the orchestra. But support goes well beyond that level. She said other departments and areas of interest are involved.
“We tried to incorporate many of the other departments too,” she said.
That includes students from hospitality classes providing food on performance nights, tech and carpentry classes working on set construction, and media students helping with the play’s promotion.
For Foex, the performances will be bittersweet. They will mark the end of her time on stage at UCC, but will open the next chapter of her life. She’s heading to Sheridan College next fall to enroll in the schools musical theatre program.
The Little Mermaid runs April 29-May 2 with showtimes at 7 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased through onstagedirect.com/ucc.
