Air Academy High School’s The Little Mermaid was a showstopper this week. From Friday, March 15 to Saturday, March 16, the Air Academy Auditorium was packed with families eagerly awaiting the musical. The music, the lights, the performers, and the energy that emanated from the crowd was surreal.
“The energy was high, the crowd was great, and everyone was putting in their all. It really was incredible,” senior, makeup department director, Will Lamb said.
The school production was based heavily off of the original Disney movie, but had many musical adaptations and new songs that made the production that much more exciting.
Featuring a live orchestra, and an accompanying ensemble, the cast brought their very best performance every single night. The intricate backdrops and sets were an impressive added touch to each act, and the cast was incredible.
With the utilization of blacklights, students were able to create an underworld scene for the sea witch, Ursula, and through the usage of an estimated $12,000 projector, the technical crew was able to project an ocean landscape for even more detail throughout the show.
“The Little Mermaid was good. It was an enjoyable production to work on, and I’m happy with how it turned out. We had a couple of cues being wrong or early, but everything went fairly smoothly,” sophomore tech student Laina Therrien remarked.
This year’s musical production was extremely progressive, and much more advanced than previous shows. Students were heavily involved in the technological production as well as the musical production.
“The set was one of the best I’ve seen our school produce,” Will Lamb said.
On Thursday night of the opening show, the Colorado Springs area received an estimated total of thr
ee feet of snow. The inclement weather caused Air Academy High School to close, and subsequently canceled the production of The Little Mermaid. Nevertheless, the show went on on Friday.
“We got right back on track on Friday. Honestly, I think the cast and crew were even more determined after. They wanted to make the last couple shows the best they could,” Will Lamb explained.
Regardless of the snowy conditions, many families and students who purchased tickets on Thursday night, bought more for Friday, and even Saturday to support the theater program.
I’ve been in several musicals before. I’ve even done professional theater where I got paid, and I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so much community. There’s no backstage drama to speak of, nobody hates anybody else, nobody’s grinning and bearing their way through a scene. Everyone just genuinely seems so friendly and so supportive of each other,” actor Hunter Roren stated.
The audience seemed to enjoy the show just as much as the cast did. Every act received loud cheers, and every actor received a standing ovation. So much work was put into creating The Little Mermaid, but on show night, it all paid off.
Next year, the theater program is putting in the extra effort to advertise and promote their shows, so that they can use the budget for bigger productions. The Little Mermaid is just the beginning for what’s in store for Air Academy Theater. Encore!
