“Disney's The Little Mermaid,” a musical adapted from the Broadway production and motion picture, will be presented by Superior Arts Youth Theater and the Wildcat Performing Arts Academy at Northern Michigan University Thursday, March 5-Sunday, March 8.
The show focuses on Ariel, King Triton's youngest daughter, who wishes to pursue the human Prince Eric in the world above. She bargains with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to trade her tail for legs. But the bargain is not what it seems, and Ariel needs the help of her colorful aquatic friends Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull and Sebastian the crab to restore order under the sea. "The Little Mermaid" explores the theme of sacrifices made for love and acceptance.
Producer Jalina McClain said the youth performers will present the full version of the musical, which runs about 2.5 hours with a 15-minute intermission.
“It's a spectacle production and, like the movie, very much a fantasy,” McClain said. “But though much of it is set ‘under the sea,' we can't have the characters swimming under water. Our director, Kelly Davis, has done a good job portraying how the creatures move under water. And she has a really nice interpretation of Ariel's transformation from mermaid to human. The costumes and lighting help to make that a cool moment in the show.”
Davis is an assistant professor in NMU's School of Education, Leadership and Public Service. She previously taught and produced many theater productions in Bloomfield Hills, and has been the Michigan Thespian Festival Director since 2020. She is joined by music director Stephanie Beinlich, choreographer Emily Burbey and stage managers Ashley Rinehart and Ambrose Meteyer, among many other NMU student and youth crew members.
In March 2025, Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance finalized a merger between its Wildcat Performing Arts Academy (WPAA) and Superior Arts Youth Theater (SAYT). The WPAA continues to focus on education and training, with workshops, summer intensives and other programming. SAYT remains as the performance and design branch as it moves forward under the WPAA umbrella. The first show in its “season under the sea” was Nickelodeon's “The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition” in November.
Showtimes for “The Little Mermaid” are 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, with a 1 p.m. matinee on Sunday. There will also be a sensory friendly Theatre for All 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Tickets are $22 for the general public; $20 for NMU employees, seniors and military; and $15 for youth. They are available at tickets.nmu.edu.