Gas Lamp Jrs. put on ‘Little Mermaid’

The Gas Lamp Juniors will be presenting the junior edition of Disney’s musical, “The Little Mermaid.”

Based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, “The Little Mermaid” was initially a 1989 animated film and then a 2008 Broadway musical. In 2023, it was released as a live-action movie.

It relates the story of Ariel, a young mermaid, who is enthralled by the human world and falls in love with Eric, a prince she sees aboard a ship. She consequently longs to be human and is admonished by her father, King Triton, for going to the surface to see a human, believing they are dangerous and had killed Ariel’s mother. But she barters with her evil Aunt Ursula, exchanging her beautiful singing voice to become human with a proviso: Ariel must be kissed by the prince within three days or she becomes Aunt Ursula’s prisoner for eternity. But it is Ursula’s plot to imprison Ariel until her brother, the king, relinquishes his magical trident and kingdom to her to free his daughter.

The show, which is directed by Heather Ballantyne and Erin Dilly, will be performed at Ridgewood Avenue School Friday, July 18, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, July 19, at 1 p.m. There is an admission fee.

There are 140 children in the Gas Lamp Juniors production. Although the production is 90 minutes long, with an intermission, it was put together in just several weeks. This was accomplished because a number of adults helped guide the children.

“There are many lobsters in the show, but most of the older ones have speaking parts or sing solos,” Ballantyne said. “And I always stress that it’s camp for only three weeks. I know everyone wants to be seen and heard and we make sure everyone has their moment. With a big part, there’s a little more stress, so it’s a double-edged sword.”

Ironically, Ballantyne said there is an advantage to putting up a show quickly during the summer: The kids are not tired from school work and focusing just on the show, they do not forget anything.

Ariel is double-cast and performed by Sofie Corbin and Katheryne Kelly. They have a good work ethic, Ballantyne said. Both girls spoke about Ariel.

“She’s very curious,” Sofie said. “She wants to see what’s up there. If someone told me I couldn’t see what’s ‘up there,’ I’d think, why not? Why is that so bad?”
“And she’d really determined to see the prince and the world,” Katheryne added.

Being in a 90-minute show in so short a time, Katheryne said, requires the sort of determination and drive Ariel has.

“You have to be on top of things,” she added.

As for disobeying her father, Katheryne said Ariel does not want to make her father angry, but he frustrates her.

“And he doesn’t listen to her,” Sofie said, “to what she has to say.”

“But I don’t think I’d give up my voice to see something new,” Katheryne said. “Obviously, it’s a musical and a story, but it would be hard to achieve, getting the prince to kiss her without a voice.”

“I don’t think I’d do it either,” Sofie said. “She’s heard all those stories about her mother. It makes an impact. She only has her father.”

“But she wasn’t satisfied with life under water with her father,” Katheryne said, “so it was worth taking a risk.”

Ballantyne said she especially likes directing children and they are made to order for “The Little Mermaid.”

“This age is perfect for it,” she said. “They’re dreaming about things and their imagination is ten-fold. When you think about there being a perfect world and falling in love, this is a perfect age. They’re on a cusp, about to become teenagers. All acting is playing, using your imagination. Acting school brings you to an emotional place, but a kid is already there.”