The Little Mermaid Makes a Splash at BCCHS

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Stephanie Cuba, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Birmingham’s theatre team acted out one of the most beloved stories from Disney, The Little Mermaid. Birmingham students, along with the help of Birmingham’s Theater Arts instructor Mr. Weiss, put it all together from lights, stages, props, costumes, and then action, to produce a magical show that was wondrous to see.

The stage is dark and empty, and then suddenly exploded with the ocean’s beautiful underwater color pallet, and with the first song, brought the play into full motion.

Narely Villaparedes and Priscilla Flores, the interchanging actresses of Ariel within the different nights of the play, did a fantastic job pursuing the role with their own spin on it. The trusted sidekick, Sebastian, was a fun character to watch as it was played by Ricky Gonzalez. He protected this curious little mermaid on her adventures trying to get her out of trouble. It wasn’t only the cast that made us fall for the mermaid’s story, but everyone involved in the show–from the writers, directors, to the background players who gave the play it’s aesthetic to help make it great.

Rolando Corona, who played as one of the chefs, said, “It was really fun to do the show. It was a great experience and we ended up bonding as a family during that time which only made it better.” We could see the connection between them through their interactions in the play and you almost forget who they were and just saw the characters they’re playing. It felt interactive and real, especially with the sneaky eels that squirted the audience with water guns. The songs made everyone want to sing along and dance, which brought back the nostalgia from when we were children. They even added their own taste to it by adding some Spanish into the show that caught many by surprise.
The show was well crafted and executed by everyone who took part, but it’s not a surprise since Birmingham’s Play Production never disappoints in their annual shows. You could hear the emotion in their dialogue, the rhythm of each song and energy they put on stage, and you could tell they were having fun. My personal favorite part was the fight scene in the end before Ariel reunites with her prince. It was suspenseful and it got everyone on the edge of their seats not knowing what’ll happen. Of course, they had a happy ending somehow, since this is Disney after all, and the left everyone beyond satisfied with the show.