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ONTARIO >> A small boy dressed in a red suit dragged a young girl dressed in blue sequins and a red wig across the stage before bursting into a rousing rendition of “Under The Sea” from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” Other students dressed as sea creatures tilted their heads from side to side to the beat.
Students from kindergarten through high school in the Ontario-Montclair School District are all putting in the effort to create a top-of-the-line performance, whether it be acting roles in sequined costumes or working in the sound booth for a musical production of “The Little Mermaid Jr.”
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Students from Buena Vista Arts-integrated School and Vernon Arts Conservatory are acting in the musical.
What sets apart this production from others of the same play are the 10 lyrical dancers and 10 actors playing Ursula’s tentacles, said Director Teyana Robinson Smith.
“I’ve never seen it done with dancers,” Robinson Smith said. “We’re using the dance and sea creatures as personified versions of the set and background.”
For 13-year-old Kerra Conley, from Vernon Middle School who plays Ursula, the play is unique in that the lead roles aren’t just the oldest students, but younger students have an opportunity to play lead characters as well.
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“Everyone is so talented,” Conley said. “(Smith) is hard on us, but when we do get it, she’s really supportive and helpful.”
The play will be shown at the Ontario High School auditorium on at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $5 at the door.
“They rise above all expectations,” Robinson Smith said. “If you want to see what good theatre is, you have to come to this show.”