The Spotlight Community Theatre troupe’s next production will be “The Little Mermaid” at Jefferson High School.
Shows are scheduled for 7 p.m. July 30-31 and 2 p.m. Aug. 1-2 at the high school located at 7 Blue Jay Way, south of Festus. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $10 for youngsters 10 and under, and are available at spotlightjeffco.ludus.com or at the door.
According to materials supplied by Spotlight, the story is described as the following, “Ariel, a curious young mermaid who longs to live on land, falls in love with Prince Eric after saving him from a storm.
“Desperate to become human, she makes a dangerous deal with the sea witch Ursula, trading her voice for legs and three days to earn Eric’s kiss. As Ariel adjusts to life on land and grows closer to Eric, Ursula schemes to sabotage her. In the end, Ariel regains her voice, Ursula is defeated, and King Triton accepts his daughter’s dreams, allowing her to become human permanently so she and Eric can begin a life together.”
Courtney Wisely of Festus, the production’s director as well as theater troupe’s founder, said the show appeals to a wide range of people.
“At its core, ‘The Little Mermaid’ is about acceptance and love,” Wisely said. “The age-old misconception that those who are different are dangerous is dispelled in this beautiful show and serves as a reminder that we should choose curiosity over judgment. Under the surface, everyone shares the same core values; to be accepted, to be loved and to be free to be who they were meant to be.”
She praised the cast.
“This cast does a phenomenal job bringing this classic Disney story to life, and I can’t wait for our audiences to experience the magic of this show,” she said.
Dana Evans is assistant director, and Debbie Anderson is music director. Zane Moore and Jenny Ditto are the stage managers. Ditto is from Oakville while Evans, Anderson and Moore are from Festus.
Evans spoke of the joy of being part of a Spotlight production.
“Musical theater is the ultimate group project,” Evans said. “Our show is buoyed by the dozens of talented performers, designers, technicians, artists and volunteers who are merging their collective skills to create one colorful and energetic world.
“That sort of collaboration really cements relationships and is why the Spotlight family continues to grow. Making art together is such a beautiful way to create connection within and to our community.”
The principal cast members are: Kailynne Brooke (Ariel), Nathan Anderson (Eric) and Nick Sullivan (Sebastian) of Festus; Ben Somers (King Triton) of Richwoods; and Colleen Thomas (Ursula) and Isabelle Zurcher (Scuttle) of St. Louis.
The rest of the cast includes: Becca Wofford, Genevieve Crow, Sean Maloney and Will Wofford of Arnold; Lizzie Boyster of Barnhart; Shannon Crow of Crystal City; Scott Ewers of Eureka; Addie Cage, Austin Sitz, Benjamin Pilger, Corinne James, Eli Evans, Erin Bingenheimer, Grady Evans, Haylee Sitz, Hazel James, Kaylie Grunow, Kelsey Kort, Landon Sanford, Naomi Shemwell, Stella Drury and Taylor Swain of Festus; Emerson Allen of Herculaneum; Brock Day, Emily Hilligoss, Meghan Brown and Vivienne Hilligoss of Hillsboro; Melanie Willis of Imperial; Austin Prince of Pevely; Alice Ditto of Oakville; Clementine Somers and Isabel Somers of Richwoods; and Elizabeth Leigh and Mikee Olegario of St. Louis.
The Spotlight Community Theatre group is a nonprofit organization founded by Courtney Wisely in 2022 based in Festus but draws members from around Jefferson County and beyond.
The organization’s website is spotlightjeffco.org.