St. Peter students bring Little Mermaid musical to life

Posted 4/21/16

It was 90 minutes before curtain time Friday, but that didn’t stop Katie Strout and 40 St. Peter School students from adding more polish to their performance of Little Mermaid Jr. at the Hendricken …

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St. Peter students bring Little Mermaid musical to life

IN PERPARATION TO SHOW TIME: Katie Strout shares words of encouragement with the cast before opening night. Cast members pictured are Aidan Moreira, Marissa Birmingham, Haeleigh DeFeo, Zachary Young, Annabelle Tracy, Sophia Piperata, Grace Moreira and Tess Der Manouelian.

Warwick Beacon photos by John Howell

GETTING ACROSS HIS POINT: King Triton played by Aidan Moreira along with Grimsby (Jack Ayers) and Prince Eric (Sean Fey-Mongeau).

PROTAGONIST: Flotsam and Jetsam, with the evil sea witch Ursula played by Sophia Piperata, are Emily Wynne and Marissa Birmingham.

SLITHERING CAST: The Mersisters are pictured with their youngest sister, Ariel, played by Phoebe Phalen. Other from left are Isabella Martira, Elizabeth Cavanagh, Tess Der Manouelian, Elizabeth Alcantara, Hannah DeFeo and Calei Harris.

Posted Thursday, April 21, 2016 11:17 am

Strout started with the fourth graders. She had them lined up off stage to the left.

“Run, run, run,” she instructed.

At first the kids looked somewhat confused. Some went in front of the coral stage set, others behind. They got it soon enough, joining hands and taking bows. Then came the older students in lines from stage right and left. They rehearsed the curtain call a second and third time.

While this was the finishing touch before the first of two performances, rehearsals have been like that – doing it the first time, doing it again and again since September.

Strout, St. Peter’s resource teacher, loves drama and undertook the challenge of staging the school’s first major production. From the selection of the musical - the school’s drama club picked it - to the set, dancing and costumes, Little Mermaid Jr. has involved many of the school’s 240 students and a good deal of their parents. It’s no wonder that nearly 500 viewed the show over the two performances.

All of the kids came together and really worked hard. It was great for the school to be able to offer this opportunity to our students,” said 7th grade homeroom teacher and production coordinator Mrs. Nancy Moreira.

The musical had students wishing they could do it again – and for some a well-deserved sense of self-confidence.

The student cast consisted of Avery Adams, Elizabeth Alcantara, Jack Ayers, Sydni Bigelli, Lauren Birmingham, Marissa Birmingham, Andrew Cavanagh, Elizabeth Cavanagh, Meaghan Conway, Catherine DeAndrade, Haeleigh DeFeo, Hannah DeFeo, Theresa Der Manouelian, Sean Fey-Mongeau, Spencer Fidgeon, Calei Harris, Athena Howlett, Luke Karpowich, Cailee Lavoie, Isabella Martira, Aidan Moreira, Georgia Moreira, Grace Moreira, Michael Moreira, Sophia Piperata, Phoebe Phalen, Gianna Rose, Tory Stamatakos, Annabelle Tracy, Olivia Tracy, Olivia Weidele, Emily Wynne and Zachary Young.

In addition to Strout and Moreira, Mrs. Nonetta Shatakhtsian was music director and Mrs. Lisa Der Manouelian was lead stage manager.