by Tori Newby ‘22

Senior Christain Maffei, playing Sebastian, sings “Under the Sea” with the ensemble. Photo by Ari Packer ’23.

Celebrating the return to in-person performances, Sherwood Theatre put on a production of The Little Mermaid from November 18-21, directed by theater teacher Elizabeth Kominski. The musical, based on the 1989 Disney movie, follows the story of the mermaid princess Ariel (played by double-casted seniors Emily Scholl and Kate Diuguid) who ventures to the world above sea to find her true love, Prince Eric (played by sophomore Ben Schoenberg and senior Luke Hanson).

The show started off strong with the overture played by the pit orchestra, led by music teacher Alex Silverbook. Percussion, string, and wind instruments showed off their strengths throughout the orchestral arrangements along with piano accompaniment by music teacher Johnathan Dunn. According to members of the pit orchestra, the music was difficult to learn, but the students and music directors did a phenomenal job.

The curtains opened with Ariel leaning on a rock singing “The World Above,” followed by Prince Eric sailing by on a ship during “Fathoms Below.” All of the set pieces, including Ariel’s rock and the ship, looked very professional. The tech crew, led by former Sherwood teacher Sarah Breeden, worked after school to build and paint Ursula the seawitch’s chamber, Ariel’s grotto, Prince Eric’s dressing room, and more. 

Costumes looked great as well, especially the mersisters–Ariel’s sisters–who had shimmery dresses made to look like mermaid tails. Prince Eric had a top for the wedding scene that had shoulder pads and gold tassels, perfectly depicting what a fairytale prince would look like. Ursula (played by juniors Mia Rohan and Clara Cundick) wore a black corset top with inflated octopus tentacles that gave Rohan and Cundick a large presence to match that of their character. Ensemble members wore all black with various pieces that depicted aquatic animals, including fish and seahorses.

Vocals were definitely a strong point for the cast of The Little Mermaid. Both Ariels, Prince Erics, and Ursulas performed their many solos with confidence and poise. Senior Christian Maffei, who played Sebastian the crab, led “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl” with beautiful vocals.

“Under the Sea,” the scene in which Sebastian tries to convince Ariel that life underwater is better than life with humans, had a lot of moving parts onstage and with the music, but the cast and orchestra did a superb job. Children of Sherwood teachers and other children in the community were invited to take part in the musical, and the “little fish” were featured in this scene donned in aquatic animal costumes. There was a lot to look at in this ensemble-heavy number, but ultimately the choreography was simple enough to make the scene manageable.

The one drawback to the show was the lack of microphones, as some lines and songs were drowned out in the vast Ertzman Theatre. Particularly the mersisters were difficult to hear as their songs, such as “She’s in Love,” had complicated harmonies that were very high and thus difficult to project to the 1,000-seat audience without mics. 

Since masks were required for performers, leads were given clear masks that allowed the audience to read their lips and interpret their facial expressions. However, the ensemble and those with smaller parts without microphones had black masks that blocked their faces and muffled sound quality.

A fan favorite was the first song of Act Two, “Positoovity.” In this scene, Scuttle (played by junior Jordan Goodman and sophomore Evie Lynch), along with his seagull ensemble, taught Ariel to walk with her newly acquired legs in a tapdance number. Dancers were perfectly in time with each other as they flapped their feathers and performed complicated tap moves. Senior Jenna Thompson stood out in the front row of the dance number with lots of energy, making the steps look natural and effortless. 

Another notable mention is Goodman who also played the chef in both casts. After receiving the role of the chef only two weeks prior to the show, he stepped up to the role with his clever acting and comedic timing. 

Ultimately, Kominski and everyone in the cast, crew, and pit orchestra put on a phenomenal performance for their first musical back in the Ertzman in two years. Kominski was out for multiple rehearsals leading up to the show due to a required quarantine, and it is impressive that the performers were able to put everything together nonetheless.