Local actors happy to be part of Little Mermaid production

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Kaitlyn Post loves to play the villain, and in the Capitol Theatre’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, she plays the role of Ursula, the evil sea witch.

“It’s fun to play the villain and to access the darker parts of yourself. I’ve always leaned toward playing the more villainous roles,” says Post, a native of Sussex who works as an actor in Toronto and returned home to New Brunswick to be part of the musical. She is one of many local actors cast in key roles of the musical, along with members of New Brunswick’s Tutta Musica Orchestra, who are playing live music throughout each performance.

Disney’s The Little Mermaid is the seventh professional musical theatre production for partners
Tutta Musica Orchestra and the Capitol Theatre. The first show on Friday night was attended by New Brunswick Lt.-Gov. Brenda Murphy. Performances continue through to Sunday, March 3.

For her part, Post wears an elaborate costume with flaming white hair and octopus-like tentacles very similar to the animated version in the Disney classic. During her performance, she also wears a harness that allows her to “fly” while singing. In the story, Ursula is the evil aunt of Ariel, the Little Mermaid, who casts the spell allowing her to take on human form.

“This is the first time I’ve ever flown during a performance. We incorporated it into the scene where I’m singing and it was super fun,” she said.

Ontario actors Emma Rudy and Travae Williams play the lead roles of Ariel and Sebastian the crab, while Curtis Sullivan of Dalhousie is King Triton and Emilien Cormier of Cheticamp, N.S., is Prince Eric.

Director Marshall Button said they have always tried to cast as many local actors/singers/dancers as possible, thus providing opportunities for them to gain experience and move up to bigger performances. At least one actor, Ian MacGowan, has been involved in all seven Capitol productions.

The Capitol’s version stays true to the original story of The Little Mermaid, but localizes it by suggesting that it is happening in the water near the lighthouse at the Pointe-du-Chene Wharf. A lobster trap with an Acadian flag is part of the scenery.

J.B. Vanier, who is known as a director with Moncton’s Hub City Theatre group, plays the part of Chef Louis, who sings while trying to catch Sebastian the Crab and boil him for dinner.

“This character pretends to be nice and then turns around. I get to be a complete lunatic on stage,” he said after Tuesday’s matinee. “When you play a character like this, you want to do your own version, but also honour what people loved about that character.”

Two young Monctonians – Molly Nelson, and Olivier Émond – were cast in the role of Flounder, Ariel’s sidekick. Emond, who turned 13 this week, got his start in The Sound of Music last year. Flounder is a bright blue and yellow fish who travels on a hoverboard and is incredibly shy.

Robyn Esson of Riverview was in the cast for Mary Poppins and Beauty and the Beast, and was a choreographer for the Rocky Horror Picture Show. She returned to Moncton for this show and is one of mermaid princesses who sing and dance while floating above the stage.

“I feel very fortunate to have been able to come home and work in a show like this,” Esson said. “Having worked in places outside of Moncton, it’s really cool to come home and see that we have high calibre talent here and we can put on a professional show for people. It shows how much the arts are growing here and I hope it continues.”

Michael McArdle, a retired drama teacher at Moncton High School who still runs his own Hazy Grape Theatre, has been working for months with costumer Allie Johnson to create the costumes and props for the stage production.

McArdle said it took a long time to create mermaid “tails” using multiple layers of green and blue iridescent organza fabric that reflects the stage light and surrounds the feet but still allows performers to walk and fly.

“We went through so many prototypes to see what would work,” he said.

They also created costumes for Scuttle the Seagull (played by Chris Norris) and his entourage of other gulls who have white feathers, orange feet and gangster-like pinstriped vests. McArdle said the vests came from his vast costume collection and gave the singing seagulls a cartoonish human-like appearance.