Review: DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID at Ouachita Little Theatre

Nestled at the foot of the Talimena Drive that connects Mena, Arkansas and Talihina, Oklahoma sits this charming theatre that produces five shows a year. The Ouachita Little Theatre, 610 Mena St., in Mena, which was once a Lyric Movie Theater, transitioned to a live theatre in 1985 and has been going strong, minus Covid and a couple of tornadoes. For my first visit, but definitely not my last, I was able to catch DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID THE MUSICAL, which ran from July 26-August 4. Magically transporting us under the sea, this theatrical troupe mesmerized the young and young at heart and made us part of their world.  

With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman & Glenn Slater, and book by Doug Wright, THE LITTLE MERMAID, based on Disney's animated film, expands upon the classic tale of a young mermaid named Ariel (Anna Lei Burt) who dreams of life on land. Her father King Triton (Michael Sterner) forbids Ariel to go to the surface, but Ariel is obsessed with human stuff and ends up falling in love with Prince Eric (Silas Baker) after she rescues him from a shipwreck. He doesn’t get a good look at Ariel, but her voice stays with him. 

Meanwhile, her friends Flounder (Athena Howard) and Sebastian (Eric Decker) are in charge of keeping Ariel out of trouble, but when King Triton destroys Ariel’s human shrine, she goes to Aunt Ursela (Lauren Bollmeyer) for legs. Ariel has three days for Prince Eric to “Kiss The Girl,” but it is a challenge since Ariel gave up her voice for the opportunity. How does everything work out? Ok, I’ll tell you since the show is over.  

In the end, Ariel and Eric declare their love for each other. Triton realizes that Ariel’s happiness is most important and grants her wish to live her life with Eric on land. The musical concludes with a celebration of love and unity, emphasizing the importance of understanding and acceptance between different worlds. 

This cast captured the Disney-esque quality of the show. It was colorful, the actors were lively, and the melodious singing enhanced the underwater world. I loved how Scuttle’s (Andrew Schnell) quirky personality contrasted with Ariel’s earnest curiosity providing comic relief in their scenes together. Ariel also meshed well with her time with Prince Eric.  

Another comedic scene was when Sebastian was being chased by the chefs (Karma Christianna, Taz Haggard, and Holiday Neufeld). They cracked me up.  

However, Ursula has to be my favorite Disney bad guy. Bollmeyer’s Ursula was a captivating antagonist who added depth and intrigue to the story. She had a commanding presence and a cunning personality, and I loved her number “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” 

One of the most impressive elements in this show was the artistry in the set painting and artwork. The stage and walls were so beautiful, I thought it was a shame they would eventually paint over it for a different show. Seriously, the detail and colors were perfect. It was all professional quality....absolutely breathtaking. Congratulations for this masterpiece goes to Natalie Raby, Susan Raby, Deborah Schump, Lorraine Timmerman, and Lindsey Hamilton.  

Before the show I was able to tour the facility and chat briefly with OLT President Alex Night, OLT Board Member Ezekiel McPherson, and Director April Renee Burt. 

BWW: Thank you for taking the time to show me around. I really love this theatre. What is your goal for OLT? 

Ezekiel McPherson: My goal is just to inspire more love for the community of Mena and to offer a place for children and teenagers, even adults, to belong and have a place where they know people love them.   

Alex Night: He said it perfectly. We've always been an awesome theater, but we're experiencing kind of a renaissance with more and more young people getting excited and involved and just taking more and more agency to do their part and doing art. 

Ezekial: I think a question a lot of people in our generation have is what matters? How am I going to matter? And we're trying to answer that here and say come matter here, some matter with us.  

Alex: Yes. Exactly. Art inspires empathy. It's a big thing with us.  

BWW: How has the Ouachita Little Theater impacted the Mena area? 

Ezikial: It's been the bedrock of this community for 45 years, and what's so cool is that consistently you can count on that there's gonna be five shows a year happening here every year. It's just always here. I think that if there's something like that in your community that you can describe as always there, always open, always for you, I think that makes it an important essential part to the community. We have a commitment to continuing that legacy for sure.  

BWW: So, what is your projected future for OLT? What is your wish for the theater?  

Alex: Just that we keep inspiring more and more people to take part in the arts and appreciate the arts.  

Ezekiel: I want to open more minds and hearts to empathy in Mena.   

Alex: Yes, yes, yes!  

Ezekiel: And we don't have to tell people in the audience we're trying to change you. That's not our goal, however, it's a slow, very residual kind of suggestion.  

Alex: Yes. Incremental.  

BWW: So, what made you choose The Little Mermaid?   

Alex: The play selection committee were looking to do a Disney Junior show and they thought of April. April directed last summer’s FANTASTICKS. I can't even tell you how magical it was. She has something so specific in her visions, and all of her shows feel like you're in one of your favorite dreams you've ever had. So, they went to April and said ‘we would love for you to direct a Disney Junior show,’ and she chose Little Mermaid. But, when we looked at the Disney Junior version the stakes were lowered, and we decided that we wanted to do the whole version, so here we are.    

April: Well, I've always resonated with this story. I know it's a classic. I knew that the audiences would love it, and I knew that I could do something new and exciting with it.   

BWW: How long have you been here?  

April: Well, I've been here since 2010, and my first play was THE SOUND OF MUSIC in 2011. So, I've been here for, you know, all my childhood, adolescence. Now I'm in school getting my BFA in musical theater. This is my second summer coming back in directing a musical here at the community theater here in my hometown. 

BWW: And would you say that being here as a kid influenced your educational decision?  

April: Ohh, absolutely. You know, growing up in this theater did influence me, but also my family was a big influence because both my parents are theater people. My dad has taught theater, so I've just always had a lot of theater influence in my life. However, growing up in this theater and doing a lot of plays here definitely influenced my choice to go and get my degree in musical theater.  

BWW: What are your plans after graduation?  

April: Well, I'm planning on moving to New York City for a year with one of my friends, and then sometime in the future, I want to get my Masters, maybe in directing, so if I want to teach, I have that option. However, performance is my first love, so I'd love to continue to perform. 

For more information about the Ouachita Little Theater and their upcoming productions, visit their website at https://www.ouachitalittletheatre.org.  

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