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'Little Mermaid"'comes to Lake Zurich arts center

Posted February 03, 2010 10:00 pm

"Deep down in the depths of the ocean, there once lived a Little Mermaid." So the tale will be told in Marc Robin's "The Little Mermaid" at the Lake Zurich Performing Arts Center this weekend. Director Marcel Graham tells us what you need to know.

Q. Briefly, what is this play about? What type of play is it?

A. This is theatre for young audiences with enough humor to keep all ages interested.

It is a musical theatre production of the classic tale of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" wrote by Marc Robin.

Q. Tell us what you know about the author and the history behind this play.

A. Hans Christian Andersen published this play in 1837 as a final installment of "Fairy Tales for Children." Andersen wrote the story about a little mermaid who was willing to sacrifice her life in the sea to become human and join her love, a human prince. It was an instant success and has been retold and rewritten in many versions. This version was wrote by Marc Robin and was originally produced in the mid '90s at the Drury Lane Theatre in Evergreen Park under his direction. Since then it has been produced nationwide, including right here in Chicagoland at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire and Chicago Shakespeare at Navy Pier as a musical theatre production complete with songs, dance and the magic that accompanies the tale.

Q. What's the appeal of doing this play from your point of view?

A. It is a classic fairy tale with a fairy tale ending. It is a colorful and beautiful production that truly entertains young and old. With the different type of entertainment that is accessible to children today I feel that fairy tales and classic story telling is being lost in the half-hour increments that our children are exposed to on TV. Being able to tell the story of the Little Mermaid live and up close and personal is magical.

Q. What makes this play fabulous?

A. From the lighting to the sets to the costumes there is little that we have missed in trying to reproduce a stage version of Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale. From being underwater to a raging storm that is taking place on the surface of the water we are attempting to make you feel as though you are there, feeling what the characters are feeling.

Q. Without giving too much away, is there a "don't miss" moment, and when does it come?

A. Yes, the culmination of the fairy tale story at the end of the show is somewhat of a beautiful surprise.

I would say the "don't miss" moment is ... the show!

Q. Has the play received awards or notable nominations?

A. Productions for young audiences very rarely receive awards for their work. However, Marc Robin has been nominated over 40 times for his work in Chicago theater and has received the Joseph Jefferson Award 13 times in the Chicago theater area.

Q. List the main cast and crew in your production.

A. Melody the Little Mermaid is portrayed by Hayley Barron. Her friends Turtell and Bobelle are played by Hannah Buto and Matt Wright. King Poseidon is portrayed by Nick Rossiter. Prince Alexander is played by Zach Carlino. Collier, Prince's best friend and dog, is played by Bridget Euker, and Fogerty, his assistant, is played by Jeremy Krause. Flutter the butterfly is being played by Ellen Opacich.

The show is being directed by Marcel Graham with the technical director/producer position held by Jill Williams. Student directors are Kevin Pierce and Libby Wickwire. Stage manager is J.C. Vanderpoel, and student producer is Savannah Haeger.

Q. Who are you?

A. Marcel Graham, director of the show and technical director at the Lake Zurich High School Performing Arts Center. I have worked in professional theatre since 1988 with my first job at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Summit, Ill. In 1993 I moved to the Drury Lane Theatre in Evergreen Park where Marc Robin was the artistic director and I worked as the production manager, technical director and sound designer until it closed its doors in 2004. I have been involved more than 15 Joseph Jefferson Award-winning musicals and more than 10 Midwest premieres including Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit's "Phantom at Candlelight" and "All Night Strut" at the Drury Lane Evergreen Park.

I also have run sound for such acts as Jim Nabors, Florence Henderson and Joe Williams, just to name a few.

From left, Hannah Buto plays the role of Turtell and Matt Wright plays the role of Bobelle in the Lake Zurich Children's Theatre production of "The Little Mermaid." Steve Lundy | Staff Photographer

If you go

What: Lake Zurich High School Children's Theatre presents "The Little Mermaid"

When: 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7

Where: Lake Zurich High School's Performing Arts Center, 300 Church St.

Tickets: Tickets are $6 for students and seniors and $8 for adults. At the door there is a $2 surcharge for tickets. Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at (847) 540-4740 or email to boxoffice@lz95.org. There is also an online ticket order form at lz95.org/lzhs/fineart/rculver/boxoffice/ that can be printed and turned in to the LZHS drama department.

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