BIG SKY BROADWAY
Big Sky Broadway, Big Sky’s only children’s theater company will present another Disney classic musical, “The Little Mermaid,” at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 30, and Saturday, July 1, at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center. On the heels of last year’s production of “Beauty and the Beast,” Producer Barbara Rowley admits a growing bias for the multi-generational appeal of the Disney princess. “Little kids love Ariel and love watching the movie, and so do their moms,” she said.
Once the rights to the musical became available, the choice to produce “The Little Mermaid” was a no-brainer for Rowley, especially knowing that Big Sky Broadway Director John Zirkle had interned for the actual Broadway production during college. “I didn’t even read the script first, I just signed up the second we could get the show,” Rowley said. “I knew it would be fun for everyone, but especially John, to work on a show he knew so well.”
With 40 area youth participating, the cast of “The Little Mermaid” is Big Sky Broadway’s largest ever. Ten of the roles have been double-cast to accommodate community interest while keeping the cast number to a more manageable 30 children for big chorus songs like “Under the Sea.”
“We tried to stick to just 35 kids as advertised, but it was hard to say no to just five more,” Rowley said. “So we moved the number to 40 and stopped enrollment the same day we opened it.”
In keeping with tradition, Rowley and Zirkle will be joined by Music Director and BSB Co-founder Klaudia Kosiak, Choreographer Jennifer Waters, and the team’s new Vocal Director, Sarah Mitchell. Two theatrically-experienced high school students, Anna Alvin and Ava King, round out the professional team, and five new interns, Emma Flach, Dounia Metje, Hannah Gunderson, Abi Hogan and Solae Swenson—all BSB and high school musical alums—will provide additional support.
The Spanish Peaks Community Foundation is once again sponsoring the production. “With costumes and set requirements for a show like this, well, we just couldn’t do it without the generosity of SPCF,” Rowley said.
Tickets to the two performances of “The Little Mermaid” at 7 p.m. Friday, June 30, and Saturday, July 1, are available online at warrenmillerpac.org and at the door.
