Winter Musical
The ELHS theater department welcomes a new director for musical
February 2, 2023
Dive into a fantastical story of dreams come true, mermaids, and talking fish with ELHS’s spring musical: “The Little Mermaid.”
With experienced actors senior Rosie Rossi (Ariel) and junior Sebastion Gates-
Graceson (Prince Eric) as the leads. Plus, award-winning choreographer junior Jazmin Hall as the dance captain, this cast is full of talent and is bound to put on a great show.
“We have amazingly talented people and everyone has so much energy. I don’t think there’s ever going to be a dull moment in this show,” junior Bettina Irakiza, who is playing Ursula, said.
“The cast basically becomes your second family and so you always have a blast at rehearsal just being with your pals,” Irakiza said. She has been doing theatre for around four years, including doing a show in middle school but knew after her freshman year she “just had to join every show the high school puts on.”
Unlike performances of the past, this musical will be combining onstage sets with special effects and moving visuals. This, along with the talent of the cast, should really create an immersive experience that draws the audience straight into the show and the world of “The Little Mermaid.”
The show is opening on March 10 at 7 p.m. The show also will run March 11th at seven p.m. and March 12 at two p.m. The show will run for two hours with a 15 minute intermission in the middle. Tickets will be $15 for adults, $12 ages 5 to 18, and children under 5 get in free. Tickets will be sold beforehand at lunch and at the door.
Along with the hardworking cast and crew a part of this production, a new director has joined the drama team. Laura Beth Wendelin is an orchestra teacher at ELMS and has directed musicals at the middle school in the past. This year, however, she decided to come to the high school to take on a new challenge.
“We knew we needed a show that had a lot of good parts in it because all of the kids in this cast are so talented,” Ms. Wendelin said. When choosing the musical this year, she has made it a priority that every talent stands out.