Stage Door News
Stage Door News
CAMBRIDGE – Discover the magic under the sea as award-winning Drayton Entertainment takes family audiences on an aquatic adventure with its production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid this holiday season. This highly-anticipated theatrical event will dive onto the Dunfield Theatre Cambridge stage for five weeks only, November 19th to December 21st.
“I am delighted to bring another heart-warming Disney classic to our audiences in Cambridge,” says Alex Mustakas, Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment “The fun characters, magical story, and spectacular musical numbers make our production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid a ‘must-see’ production for the holidays.”
The famous tale journeys to a magical underwater kingdom where a young mermaid named Ariel longs to leave her ocean home behind and live in the human world above. But first, she'll have to defy her father King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula, and capture the heart of the handsome Prince Eric. Based on the enormously popular 1989 Disney film and one of Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved stories, Disney's The Little Mermaid is a glorious fairy tale for audience of all ages.
Disney's The Little Mermaid is written for the stage by Doug Wright. The unforgettable score includes all the memorable songs from the original Disney film including "Part of Your World," "Poor Unfortunate Souls," "Kiss The Girl," and the Academy Award-winning "Under The Sea" by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. The score also features several new songs written for the stage musical by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater.
Renowned theatre and opera director Ann Hodges anchors the creative team in her Drayton Entertainment directorial debut. Hodges work has been featured at the Calgary Opera, Manitoba Theatre Centre, and Manitoba Opera among other prestigious companies. She is joined by Music Director Steve Thomas, Choreographer Lisa Stevens, and Lighting Designer Kevin Fraser.
Drayton Entertainment favourite Jayme Armstrong takes on the coveted role of Princess Ariel, the young mermaid with big dreams, a big voice and an even bigger heart. Armstrong was seen by Cambridge audiences earlier this season in Les Misérables. She also played the title character in Disney’s Mary Poppins last season to rave reviews.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid wouldn’t be the same without Ariel’s trio of faithful friends. 14-year-old Aidan Tye, who played the title character in Drayton Entertainment’s production of Oliver! last season, plays Ariel’s nervous best friend Flounder the fish, with perennial favourite Keith Savage as the goofy seagull Scuttle, and song and dance man Mark Cassius as the Caribbean crab Sebastian.
After winning the hearts of theatregoers as Marius in Les Misérables, David Cotton will play the dashing Prince Eric with Canadian theatre veteran Victor A. Young as his royal confidante, Grimsby. Stratford stalwart Marcus Nance is the mighty King Triton, ruler of the sea-people and Ariel’s father, with Nick Settimi as the comedic Chef Louis. Powerhouse performer Kristin Peace will wield her tentacles as Ursula the sea witch, with Gregory Pember and Thomas Alderson as her scheming eel sidekicks Flotsam and Jetsam.
Rounding out the exceptional ensemble cast are Rachel Clark, Stephen Cota, Ryan Gifford, Anna Hurshman, Dani Jazzar, Judy Kovacs, Bethany Kovarik, Chad McFadden, Anwyn Musico, Nicholas Nesbitt and Amanda Struthmann. To add to the excitement, 25 young local dancers will be provided the unique opportunity to perform alongside this professional cast. Dozens of hopefuls from across Waterloo Region auditioned at an open call in October for the coveted spots, and will be announced next week.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid is proudly sponsored by Equitable Life of Canada and the Region of Waterloo International Airport. Media Sponsors are 107.7 FM and the Cambridge Times. The Design Sponsors are Homewood Suites by Hilton and ComDev. The Youth Theatre Education Sponsor is TD Bank Group. The 2014 Season Media Sponsor is CTV.
Go under the sea with Ariel and friends in Drayton Entertainment’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid at the Dunfield Theatre Cambridge from November 19th to December 21st. Regular performance tickets are $42.00 for adults; $25.00 for youth under 20 years of age. Tickets for preview performances scheduled before the official opening and groups of 20 or more are $34.00. HST is applicable to all ticket prices.
Tickets are on sale now and can be conveniently purchased from any computer or mobile device by visiting www.dunfieldtheatrecambridge.com, in person at the Dunfield Theatre Cambridge Box Office, or by calling (519) 621-8000 or toll free 1-855- DRAYTON (372-9866).
2014-11-03
Cambridge: Casting announced for Drayton Entertainment's "The Little Mermaid"