Review: Pearls of Talent Abound In THE LITTLE MERMAID

SPECTACULAR is the key word for Valley Youth Theatre's current production of DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID.

It may be said to be something of a phenomenon when a troupe of gifted young actors (in this case, 44 remarkable talents) is assembled on a single stage and own it completely with emphatically pro-like performances. I wouldn't be saying this unless I was ready to apply superlatives to the cast and crew of Bobb Cooper's masterful and magical staging of the ever-popular musical.

Cooper, in his 21st Season as the company's Producing Artistic Director, possesses the uncanny ability to mine gold out of el-hi thespians. (The history of VYT's alums attests to the praise.) He's done it again! There's no doubt in my mind that future stars strutted their stuff on Opening Night and will continue to wow family audiences throughout the run at Herberger Theater Center.

In the comical and romantic allegory (Doug Wright's adapted, and some might say overly tinkered version of Hans Christian Andersen's classic) about "dating outside one's species," Kayla Dobbs, a high school freshman, plays Ariel, the sea creature who aspires to the high ground, with a delicate and absorbing charm and a mellifluous voice.

Unique among the daughters of Triton, the sea god, (played like a stalwart deity by Clay Rollon) Ariel ventures against his will and contrary to the warnings of her companion Flounder and gull friend Scuttle to explore beyond the sea.

Ten year young Kylan Chait is undoubtedly an old acting soul, flawlessly (and, may I say, adorably) portraying Ariel's true blue friend Flounder. Is there a line that this kid utters without being totally endearing!

Liam Thibeault is a winging featherful of hilarity as Scuttle, exploiting malapropisms with precision and elan. Thus, from the mouth of the happy scavenger, who calls a fork a dinglehopper and a pipe a snarfblatt: "Human paraphenicular, eh? You've asked the right bird; I happen to be an expert on that very specie-­?ality!"

In his effort to control his wayward daughter, Triton assigns Sebastian, a red crab from Jamaica, to keep tabs on Ariel. Ira Hill grabs hold of the role with his oversized claws and leads the ensemble into an exhilarating rendition of Under the Sea.

Ariel's match is the equally adventurous Prince Eric (a swashbuckling and starry-eyed Nathan Sheppard). Her rescue of the young royal with whom she falls in love ~ tail over heels, as it were ~ triggers the inevitable conflict with dad and surfaces contradictions and prejudices and impulses for forgiveness as old as time. (Ariel: "I can't him just because he's different. Perhaps you can, but it's just not me." Triton: "Different? They catch us with their hooks, they spear us with their blades.") Of course, as penalty for her defiance, she's grounded!

For his part, Eric wants a girl who is as carefree and alive as the sea itself, and Ariel fits the bill. But, suddenly, she's disappeared ~ out of sight, but not out of mind. Although he is under the gun to find a wife by the time he returns to court, Eric is ready to defy convention and make waves, determined to sail the seas until they reunite.

Eric's search is complicated not only by Triton's restrictions on Ariel's movements but also by the intervention of Triton's banished sister Ursula (Tatumn Zale), who seeks to exact revenge upon her brother. She lures Ariel into a devilish deal: In exchange for Ariel's voice, she will transform her niece into a human and give her three days to be kissed by Eric. If Ariel succeeds, she will become a human forever; if she fails, she will lose her soul to Ursula.

Tatumn Zale is extraordinary. This is a blowout performance by a young actress who commands the stage with confidence and panache. She delivers brassy, menacing, and utterly delicious turns (Daddy's Little Angel, Poor Unfortunate Souls) as the tentacular purveyor of reprisal and deceit.

It must be clear by now that there are enough pearls of talent in VYT's production to fill an oyster bed or two. Add to the list, Sam Primack and Devon Policci's spins as Flotsam and Jetsam, Ursula's delightfully roguish minions on merblades; Ariel's sassy Mersisters ~ Addison Bowman, Isabella Conner, Tatum Dial, Talia Kahn, Tiana Marks, and Avery Strachan; Mark Muñoz whose razzle dazzle as Chef Louis will have you flipping your spatula in laughter; and the tens of other dazzling sea creatures, princesses, and courtiers.

All are bedecked in Karol Cooper's lavish and exquisitely tailored costumes. They inhabit a nautical environment set aglow by Dori Brown's sets and Mike Eddy's lighting. They are elevated by the soaring music of the young musicians under the direction of Mark Fearey.

VYT's must-see THE LITTLE MERMAID, runs through June 26th at the Herberger Theater Center's Center Stage.

Photo credit to Wade Moran

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