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Everyone loves The Little Mermaid;
Three performances remain |
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July 21, 2014 |
Now moving into its second and final week of
public performances, the Bonners Ferry Summer
Youth Theatre's production of The Little
Mermaid has been met so far with widespread
acclaim throughout Boundary County by those who
have seen the play.
If you've thought about attending, there are
three performances remaining for you to get your
ticket and see the play before its run closes.
This classic Disney tale, based on the 2008
Broadway production and the 1989 Academy Award®
winning animated feature film, contains all of
the songs from the film, as well as three new
songs from the Broadway show. The Little
Mermaid Jr. takes place in a magical
kingdom beneath the sea, where a beautiful young
mermaid named Ariel longs to leave her ocean
home to live in the world above. But first,
she’ll have to defy her father, the king of the
sea, escape the clutches of an evil sea witch
and convince a prince that she’s the girl with
the perfect voice
After each show, audience members have an
opportunity to meet the cast, see the costumes
up close, and have pictures taken with their
favorite characters.
The Little Mermaid is staged here
locally by the Bonners Ferry Summer Youth
Theatre. Summer Youth Theatre is now in its
seventh year of producing and presenting plays
for our community. The Little Mermaid
is the most recent in a long line of summertime
productions, sometimes two productions per
season, for our local youth theatre company.
Over the years, the Summer Youth Theatre has
presented Pirates of Penzance, Peter Pan,
Grease, 101 Dalmatians, Back to the 80's, Little
Shop of Horrors, Wizard of Oz, Cats, and
Once on this Island. That is a lot of big
time plays!
In this production of The Little Mermaid,
approximately 50 children and youth, ranging in
age from 4 through 18, are participating, either
as actors on the stage, or as behind-the-scenes
support staff. The group has been working hard
on this production, with background work
beginning back in December 2013. In February,
workshops for those interested in auditioning
were held, with auditions shortly thereafter.
Certain cast members began rehearsing as early
as May, with full rehearsals starting on June
16. All this hard work came together as the play
opened last week, with this week being the final
week of performances.
Our reports indicate that participants in the
production find the work involved to be quite
hard, but with great rewards. "Most [of the
actors] love being on stage in their costumes,
being able to sing, dance, and learn how to
act," said Summer MacDonald, Publicity
Coordinator for the play. "The common theme,
however, is how much they all just enjoy being
around each other. I’ve watched rehearsals, and
they can be grueling. The performers are asked
to do scenes over again and again until
everything – sounds, lights, cues, emotions,
etc. – are just right," Ms. MacDonald added.
"I have observed that there becomes a real
feeling of 'family'. The work is hard, the
rehearsals are long, they spend hours putting on
makeup and costumes, but the backstage area is
full of laughter and friendship," she said.
Bonners Ferry's Summer Youth Theatre provides an
opportunity for children and youth of all ages
to have the opportunity to enjoy the performing
arts, and to learn confidence, stage presence,
public speaking and leadership skills, and to
just have a great time. There is a place
available for anyone who is interested. Some
roles are more appropriate for older or more
experienced performers, while there are roles
for those who are younger or are just becoming
interested in performing. There are
opportunities for individuals who are interested
in the technical aspect of stage production, as
well, including lights and sound.
Our local community has been invaluable in
helping to support the Summer Youth Theatre
endeavor. Dawn and David Carpenter have spent
countless hours over the years in working with
and directing the various productions. Many
local community members have donated their time
and supplies in providing for costume design,
sewing skills, carpentry skills, painting
skills, and in performing any other task that is
needed to support the production. A group of
middle school students, along with their art
teacher and Barb Colegrove, a very talented
artist, painted two backdrops that are placed in
the auditorium. Boundary County School District
supports the program by providing full access to
the auditorium space. Local businesses have made
donations or have paid to have their ads in the
play's program in support of the production.
"The past seven years would not have been
possible without the many volunteers who have
helped to create sets, costumes, props,
publicized productions and a variety of other
technical specialties,” said David Carpenter,
program director.
All youth who are interested in the performing
arts and want to be involved are invited to
consider the Bonners Ferry Summer Youth Theatre.
This year, the youngest company member is four,
while there is a handful of students who have
graduated from high school and are heading off
to college in the fall. There are even some
college students who have previously returned
and participated during the summer between their
college semesters.
Remember, just three performances of The
Little Mermaid are left! Performances
are at the auditorium at Bonners Ferry High
School. Tickets are available for advance
purchase at Mountain Mike's and Bonners Books,
as well as at the door. Prices are $8.00 for
adults and $5.00 for students/seniors. Six
tickets can be purchased for the price of five.
Summer MacDonald, Publicity Coordinator for
The Little Mermaid, contributed to this report. |
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