Ridgedale Players wrap up ‘Little Mermaid Jr.’ production

TROY — The young actors of the Ridgedale Players performed “The Little Mermaid Jr.” on March 7-9 and March 14-16.

Based on the well-known Disney film of the same name, The Little Mermaid follows the story of the mermaid princess Ariel, who wishes to walk on land in spite of her father’s concerns. After rescuing Prince Eric from a shipwreck and falling in love with him, Ariel seeks out the help of the sea witch Ursula to help her, although she is unaware of Ursula’s ulterior motives for helping her.

Audiences could expect the beloved music by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, such as “Part of Your World,” “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl,” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” However, the show also featured a few changes to story and new songs, courtesy of lyricist Glenn Slater and a book by Doug Wright.

“Since I was 5, I’ve loved The Little Mermaid,” Jamee Perryman, a director for Ridgedale Players, said. “I’m a huge Disney fanatic and I’ve always wanted to be a part of the Disney magic.”

The Ridgedale Players’ production featured two casts, with some of the characters being played by different kids on different nights during the show’s performance period.

“I’ve been really impressed by the growth of the kids,” Perryman said. “I believe theatre should be an inclusive experience and we’re overloaded with talent.”

Tessa Bishop played Ariel for some of the shows, on top of playing one of Ariel’s sisters during other performances. This is Bishop’s second show with Ridgedale. She has also been a part of shows in Royal Oak and Warren.

“The Little Mermaid is a fun, iconic show every child grows up with,” Bishop said. “ I love working with Rynah (Mehta) on this character.”

Mehta also played Ariel during the production.

AJ Dennome played Prince Eric during some of the performances of the production, on top of serving as a student director for the show as a part of his college courses.

He has been a part of one other show with Ridgedale, along with participating in multiple other shows with various theatre companies in Michigan.

“I want to get in the mind of how a director can be,” Dennome said. “I prefer working on stage and this is my first time doing off-stage work.”

Perryman’s daughter, Skylar, played Flounder during some of the shows. It was her first show for Ridgedale, although she has participated in other productions.

“Everybody’s really nice here,” Skylar Perryman said. “I’ve watched the movie several times and been in the musical once before.”

For more information, visit ridgedaleplayers.com.