"The Little Mermaid" is a delight
The Exeter Township High School production is chock full of great performances and voices
The Exeter Township High School production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” is a can’t miss moment. You have two more opportunities to catch this great play, Saturday and Sunday March 15th and 16th at 2 PM.
Now that the very important information is out there, the review.
I’ve been going to Exeter musicals for about six or seven years, and they never fail to amaze. While I don’t claim to have any real knowledge about what makes great entertainment on the stage, I DO know that what I witnessed Friday night qualifies as GREAT. Every year I go to the spring musical and am blown away by the talent I see on display.
We can start with sophomore Jillian Crotty as Ariel, whose singing was beyond spectacular. Every note was pitch perfect, there was no wavering of her voice, and not a drop of a second of any note. In her cast bio, we’re told that she plays French horn (which I remember from my high school years as being the most difficult of the brass instruments to play), the mellophone, piano, numerous top chairs at District and County festivals, and on and on. That’s a lot of talent in a young body. Exeter’s plays are in good hands for the next two years with Jillian coming back.
Ryan Claudfelter as Ursula was nothing short of amazing. When I interviewed some cast members earlier this week, a question I asked Ryan was how much concentration it took for a big, lumbering guy like him to play this part. I took notice as he was walking me down to the area where we did the interviews that he’s a typical 17 year old guy, tall and walking like a dude. But we didn’t see it last night. He was completely immersed in the part, fluid in his movements and always present in his character without letting on that he was. His answer to me on the question was so classy, giving credit to the director instead of taking it for himself. In his cast bio, as is typical of Exeter kids, we see involvement in clubs, District and County chorus accolades, National Honor Society, and on and on and on. Oh, and ALL he wants to do with his life is be a Physicians Assistant, you know, HEAL PEOPLE. That’s all. The counter to Jillian being here for a couple of more years is that Ryan leaves, but what a legacy will be in his trail.
Prince Eric was played most ably by Eddie Farrar. His voice was great, acting impeccable, and he showed one other skill that not a lot of people may have picked up on. The ability to “pilot” the boat in the scene where Eric and Ariel are on a moonlit lake during “Kiss The Girl”, while playing his part. He was maneuvering the boat with his feet, moving it around the stage, not missing a beat. Perhaps this is the athleticism of the football player in him combined with the concentration level of the performer.
Other performances that shined included Giulia Weisser as Flounder, Daria Orphanos as Scuttle, Anthony Greene as King Triton, and Josiah Miranda as Sebastian. But all of the great performances are too many to list without making this a 5,000 word review, a short book.
For my money, this was the best music for a spring play that I’ve heard in the six or seven Exeter performances I’ve seen. There was a depth that I’ve never heard before, an urgency that I never perceived. The music portion of the play is always very good, there was just an extra oomph that I haven’t heard before.
I’m humbled by the hours and hours of rehearsal that must have been put in by the cast, crew, and director Alicia Brisbois to hone this production to perfection. From a play insider, I hear that Brisbois has really connected with the kids, that the atmosphere is full of laughter, and that the entire production has felt like family. So Exeter’s plays are also in great hands with Alicia.
My only criticism would be reserved for the community at large. On a Friday night in Exeter, with nothing else going on, the auditorium was perhaps 60% full. We can jam a football stadium on a Friday night for a non-league opponent to support students, but we can’t pack this auditorium for 2 1/2 hours (about the same amount of time) to support the students in the arts? This is plain and simply shameful. These kids are not working any less than football players and that hard work demands your respect. Get out and support them. As detailed at the beginning, you have two more opportunities, and there ARE tickets available.
