At the beginning of the month, from May 8-11, the fine arts programs at Gloucester High School collaborated to put on “The Little Mermaid” musical. It was my first time participating in a theater production, and I was terrified that they would treat me like an outsider. Instead, I found a trio of incredible teachers who were willing to push me above and beyond my best, along with a family of students willing to provide support and assistance through the process.

Mr. Venable, the band director at GHS, and Mr. Martinez, the choir director, both worked extremely long and taxing hours to pull the music for the musical together. Disney music is notoriously difficult, and this was no exception. For the band students, the keys were hard, and they had very little time to spend practicing the music. However, with hard work, practice, and perseverance, they were able to make it as perfect as possible. Furthermore; not only did Mr. Martinez supervise auditions in January, but he also helped students with their rhythms and pitches all the way up to the last performance. The choral music was not easy, but he helped the cast sound magical enough to be worthy of performing something created by Disney. 

Mr. Alexander, fondly known as Mr. A by his students, is retiring at the end of this year from his position as GHS drama teacher and theater director after 23 years. He has been the mastermind behind the more recent performances of Into the Woods, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and many more. His students speak highly of him and will be sad to see him leave. For this musical, he managed auditions, choreographed and directed scenes, and corrected everything from props to mics to the facial expressions of actors. The cast had all of the parts required, but he had the vision that brought it together in the end. 

Altogether, the 2024 production of “The Little Mermaid” was an endeavor that required many talents and a huge amount of dedication. None of us could have put it on without the combined abilities of the rest of the cast, crew, pit, and even the supporters who came out to see the results of all our hard work. I was lucky to be a part of it, and I encourage anyone thinking about auditioning next year to go through with it. It is an incredible experience that will thoroughly affect everyone who participates.