The Niles West Theatre department is showcasing their final musical of the year, “The Little Mermaid,” which will premiere Thurs., May 2 at 10:00 A.M., followed by both Friday and Saturday performances, at 2:00 P.M. and 7:30 P.M.

The musical follows the Disney tale of Ariel, an ambitious mermaid who longs for a life out of the water. This ambition leads her to strike a deal with Ursula, an evil sea witch. The musical includes the same Disney songs, with a few additions to the original score.

With a musical as universal as this one, director Hannah Yeager, alongside the cast and crew, have worked to incorporate elements that are representative of ocean life nowadays. These elements are especially apparent in the props and costumes for the upcoming show — both are made from plastic materials to represent the pollution in our oceans.

“I think it’s very cool that we were able to incorporate the problem with plastic into our musical,” senior Leah Nano said. “It kinda forces the audience to visualize what is happening in our actual oceans.”

The cast and crew are especially excited for all the children who will be attending as well.

“I’m really excited because it’s a kids show, so I think it’s gonna be super fun and cute to see them react to ‘real life’ sea creatures,” Nano said.

Stepping into a lead role as iconic as Ariel, senior Shannon Berg explained her motivation and desire to be a role model for the underclassmen on the cast.

“Our department is going through a ton of changes, so being a lead meant staying positive and trying to be an example for the underclassmen. Of course, singing, dancing, and acting are challenging. Especially when trying to find connections to a character and mesh it with my reality,” Berg said.

With all the hard work the cast and crew have put into this musical, many are excited for the audience to see their rendition of “The Little Mermaid.”

“I’m so excited for everyone to see what we’ve created,” senior Uros Tubic said. “The hardest part about my role as Prince Eric is having to look prim and proper, like a prince, but at the same time rough and ambitious like a sailor.”

Make sure to support the Niles West Theatre Department’s last production of the year, “The Little Mermaid,” this weekend.