Disney’s ‘Little Mermaid’ on stage at Cultural Park Theater
By CJ HADDAD
Wish you could be part of their world?
Starting this weekend, you can.
Cultural Park Theater opens its Broadway season tonight with a production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” which runs until Sept. 22.
“Cultural Park is thrilled to open our 57th Culliton Gunterberg Broadway Season,” said Michael Moran, executive director for Cultural Park Theater. “The film of Little Mermaid, which premiered in 1989, was an immediate hit and remains so in the heart of people of all ages. It is a story that Cape Coral’s Cultural Park Theater has wanted to tell. We are proud to open our 2019/2020 season around ‘The Little Mermaid’ and Cultural Park Theater will bring you the full Broadway production. While others in the area have done the junior production at high schools, youth groups and churches, we’re the first to do the Broadway production. It just became available and we asked. We’re so happy to be able to do it.”
The Disney classic come to life is directed by Tyler Young and Samantha Pudlin, with Bridey Kearns handling the choreography.
The show features a youth cast of 36 actors, ages 8-18, who melodically tell the tale of Ariel, a young mermaid unsatisfied with her life “under the sea,” played by Emma Kane.
Sebastian, a Jamaican-accented crab that serves as King Triton’s advisor and has to watch over Ariel, is played by Tyler Connelly in a can’t-miss fashion. Connelly is the perfect comic relief, mixed with top-notch acting and stage presence.
Yovanna Ignjatic portrays the evil Ursula, a sea witch who is set on sabotaging Ariel’s chances of becoming part of the human world all the while attempting to take over her father’s throne. Ignjatic delivers the role in stellar fashion, bringing the bite and snarling qualities of the villainness to the Cultural Park stage.
Other leading roles include Georgia Rainero as Flounder, Emmanuel Tojanci as Prince Eric, Landon McCarthy as Grimsby and Nick Teeter as King Triton.
Young has been a part of Cultural Park Theater for five years, and has been running the youth program for four. He has stage credentials in his own right, and also runs the drama program at Gulf Elementary.
The 57th season will include: “The Little Mermaid (Sept. 13-22),” “The Ghost In The Meadow” (Sept. 27 – Oct. 6); “On Golden Pond” (Oct. 25 – Nov. 3); “Spectacular Christmas Revue” (Dec. 11-15); “Nunsense” (Jan 10-19); “Same Time Next Year” (Feb. 7-16); “Urinetown the Musical” (Feb. 28- March 8); “The Owl & The Pussycat” (March 20-29); “Nana’s Naughty Knickers” (April 3-12); and “A Passage To Ireland” (April 24-May 3).
Broadway Season shows are performed Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and on Sundays at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $22 for adults, $19 for seniors (60-plus), $16 for students with ID and $10 for children under 12.
Season ticket and group rate pricing are also available.
The Cultural Park box office is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on performance weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
You can also call the box office at 239-772-5862.
Cultural Park Theater is at 528 Cultural Park Blvd. in Cape Coral.
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