Youth Theatre Carson City opens Disney’s ‘Little Mermaid, Jr.’ on Friday

Youth Theatre Carson City will present its production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” during the weekends of July 26 and Aug. 2 in the Bob Boldrick Theatre at the Carson City Community Center.

From classic literature to the Academy Award-winning film and Broadway musical, the young mermaid Ariel’s undersea journey is a beautiful love story for all ages. In a magical underwater kingdom, Ariel longs to leave her ocean home — and her fins — behind and live in the world above. But first, she’ll have to defy her father, King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, and convince the handsome Prince Eric that she’s the girl whose enchanting voice he’s been seeking.

Little Mermaid, Jr. features the talents of more than 120 local youth in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade onstage and off. Leading the cast are Aydree Shehorn, 14, and Anuhea Azevedo, 11, as the little mermaid herself. Also featured are Ethan Spier and Ewan Kalley as Prince Eric, Brooklyn Remington and Lily Foster as Flounder, Ethne Myler and Ximena Villegas Martinez as Sebastian the crab, Camilla Beckwith and Deepti Arun as Ursula the sea witch and Bradley Gomez as King Triton.

Youth Theatre Carson City is proud to welcome the talents of Studio E Aerial Arts and ZFX, Inc., which have provided high-flying special effects to help bring the world of “The Little Mermaid” to life.

“We spent four days training our cast and crew with a professional flight technician, and the results have been nothing short of dazzling,” said Andie Wilkerson, artistic director of Youth Theatre Carson City and staging director of “The Little Mermaid,” referring to the flying effects that allow birds to fly and fish to swim.

“Our production also features young aerial silks artists that dance mid-air,” Wilkerson said. “We are so lucky to have the opportunity for our students to work with and learn from such talented individuals.”

Performances of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” will run July 26 and 27, Aug. 2 and 3 at 7 p.m., and July 27 and 28 and Aug. 3 and 4 at 2 p.m. in the Bob Boldrick Theatre at the Carson City Community Center located at 851 E. William St. Tickets are $12 general admission and $10 for students and seniors. For tickets and information, go to www.youththeatrecarsoncity.com.