“Someday I’ll be a part of your world”
In fact, The Little Mermaid has become an entertaining part of Brookfield East’s world. Striking the hearts of many, The Little Mermaid is a classic tale that has been adapted many times throughout the decades. The newest adaption will be performed by students from Brookfield East High School between November 30th to December 3rd, in the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center. These past few months, the cast, crew, pit, and directors, Mr. Schneidewent, Ms. Doepke, and Jessica Fastabend, have worked hard to bring this story to life. From mermaids to chefs, the musical has a variety of characters that will light up the stage.
The cast includes students from across grade levels. Lucy Irwin (12) plays the lead role of Princess Ariel alongside Charlie Cornell (9) as Prince Eric. Ariel’s companions include Flounder, Scuttle, and Sebastian as played by Ceci Cornel (11), Careena Evanson (10), and Fletcher Allenstein (12) respectively. The story’s villains include Ursula played by Ryder Ruck (12), and his “evil minions” Flotsam and Jetsam as portrayed by Annie Bennington (10) and Lydia Fox (10).
Meet Princess Ariel
Lucy Irwin (12) is delighted to be playing the classic Disney princess, Ariel. She played Judy Haynes in last year’s production of White Christmas and Elle Woods in Legally Blonde the year prior. Irwin notes that a crucial part of playing a leading role is truly getting into character. She accomplishes this by adopting her character’s personality traits throughout the rehearsal process. She shares that as she was preparing for Legally Blonde, she subconsciously wore pink almost every day to get into character. As a Disney princess fanatic growing up, Irwin was ecstatic when she got the role, stating, “I feel so blessed and excited to be playing Ariel” and hopes to sell out the show!
Meet Prince Eric
Charlie Cornell (9) is thrilled to be performing Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid! In the summer production of The Addams Family, he portrayed Lucas. He has also partaken in various productions in the area through the First Stage Theatre Academy. He looks forward to The Little Mermaid, expressing a particular interest in singing Prince Eric’s solo song, “Her Voice”. He shares that it is a powerful song with impactful lyrics. Cornell’s favorite song, however, is “Kiss the Girl” due to its familiarity among crowds and catchy lyrics.
Meet Ursula
Ryder Ruck (12) is overjoyed to play Ursula due to the new learning experiences that playing a dramatic character entails regarding voice and physicality. Ruck asserts that “It’s easier to embody a human, but embodying a sea creature takes more research than you would think”. He finds Ursula to be “fierce” and “sassy”, and feels she’s had to overcome many obstacles in life. Ryder claims that “Poor Unfortunate Souls” is his favorite song to perform in the show. Ruck also finds that The Little Mermaid is his favorite show that he has done at BE, but his performance as Alfred, from Alice by Heart, was similarly treasured. As a senior, Ruck plans on continuing theater after graduation. He plans to make a career out of acting, declaring, “I love performing and getting to meet new people and make connections too much to give it up.”
With stellar songs, lively characters, and amazing props, there is no question that Brookfield East’s performance of The Little Mermaid will be unforgettable. Tickets can be purchased through the Sharon Lynn Wilson Center’s website, so make sure to catch one before they sell out!
