The Little Mermaid stage production swims into Victorville this weekend

The Excelsior Charter School Performing Arts Department will present a live stage production of Disney’s "The Little Mermaid" beginning Friday.

Presented at the Victor Valley College Performing Arts Center, each show will feature over 70 costumed performers and a live orchestra, according to department director Sandy Sooter.

The production is based on the Hans Christian Anderson story and the Walt Disney film produced by Howard Ashman and John Musker.

Thursday night’s final rehearsal appeared nearly flawless, as the actors, dancers, orchestra, lights, sound and background crew worked in sync to deliver a production that mirrored the big screen versions of Disney’s musical romantic fantasy.

In the Excelsior production, senior Francesca Pamplona plays the role of Ariel the mermaid princess and the daughter of King Triton, played by Bryce Edwards.

Ariel makes a bargain with Ursula the sea witch, played by Danielle Ferris, to become human to win the love of the two-legged Prince Eric, played by Devon Lowery.

Julien Brown plays the role of Sebastian, the singing crab who is Triton’s royal court composer and the one selected to keep Ariel out of trouble.

Playing a sea witch

Ferris said she grew up watching The Little Mermaid and had fun preparing to play the main villain despite it being a lengthy process.

“Her robust personality came easy to me, but it felt oddly empty like I was just acting,” Ferris told the Daily Press. “It wasn’t until I stopped trying to be the perfect villain, and played around with who she is, that I really embodied the role and I truly became Ursula every time I stepped out on stage.”

Ferris added that the best part of the production for her was bonding with her cast mates.

“I love performing, and being on stage is a feeling like no other, but being together with these amazing people so much built friendships that will last a lifetime,” Ferris said.

Ferris is a junior, who plans on enrolling at a performing arts college and pursuing a bachelor’s degree in either vocal performance or musical theater.

“I’m not sure which one yet, or where I want to go, but I am sure that performing is right for me,” Ferris said.

Playing Ariel

Pamplona, who also grew up watching Disney movies, said the story of "The Little Mermaid" was no new tale to her.

“The process of preparing for Ariel was fun and exciting. She and I already have so much in common, so tapping into her quirks and traits came naturally,” Pamplona said. “Her curiosity, sensitivity, and bravery drew me to the character.”

Pamplona admitted that the most difficult, yet rewarding, part of the process of playing Ariel was the long hours of rehearsal. She added that it took dedication and effort from both the cast and crew to deliver “the wonderful show we have now.”

“What made it truly special and enjoyable for me was being surrounded by my close friends throughout this journey,” said Pamplona, who plans to major in biology in college while continuing to pursue music outside of school.

Prince Eric

Lowery said he prepared for the role of Prince Eric by watching various versions of The Little Mermaid from different high schools, and rehearsing lines and music every night before bed.

“To be honest, I wasn’t very familiar with the story before auditioning for the role and only knew some of the story but luckily it wasn’t much of a problem,” Lowery said. “The most difficult part of this process was learning the music for this production.”

Lowery credited his “talented music teachers,” who helped guide him through the process.

After graduating in 2025, Lowery hopes to attend the University of California, Irvine to study computer engineering.

Music directors for the play are Sam and Sean Sooter, with Brittney Campos conducting the choreography.

Show times are 7 p.m. on Friday, April 12, and 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 13. Tickets are $15 each and are available online at gofan.co/app/school/CA18817_1.

Victor Valley College's Performing Arts Center is located at 18422 Bear Valley Road in Victorville.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Excelsior school’s production of The Little Mermaid runs weekend