'The Little Mermaid' opens Friday at Masquers

SOAP LAKE — A tale of pretty mermaids, handsome princes, evil witches and true love under the sea comes to the Masquers stage, beginning this weekend, as the company presents “The Little Mermaid.” It's the opening production of the 2016-17 season.

Showtimes are a little different for this production. The premiere performance is 7:30 p.m. Friday at the theater, 322 East Main Ave. A matinee is scheduled at 2 p.m. Saturday. Additional performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28, Nov. 4 and 11. Weekend performances are 2 p.m. Oct. 29 and 30, Nov. 5 and 6 and Nov. 12.

The musical is based on the 1989 movie, which was based on the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson. “The Little Mermaid” premiered on Broadway in 2007 and was revived in 2012.

The play was released for production last year, said Stacey Bresee, the show's director. Normally potential directors propose plays for the upcoming season, and the Masquers board chooses the schedule. But “The Little Mermaid” was a consensus choice, Bresee said, and the company wanted to be the first in the area to present it.

It's the classic story about Ariel, the curious, slightly rebellious young mermaid (Paige Lubach, Quincy, in the Masquers production). Ariel wants to know about the world above the water, which horrifies her dad King Triton (Clifford Bresee, Coulee City) and Sebastian the Crab (Andrew Covarrubias, Moses Lake), whom the king assigns to keep an eye on her.

Ariel is hanging around where she shouldn't be – near the ocean surface – when fate introduces her to her true love, Prince Eric (Jeff Ames, Moses Lake), washed overboard in a storm. Eric goes in search of the girl who saved his life, but alas, she's nowhere to be found.

Ariel finds a way to get to the surface – but it requires making a deal with her wicked aunt Ursula (Rachel Bresee, Coulee City).

There's plenty of angst, comedy and catchy songs along the way to the happy ending. “I went ahead and put myself in as an extra, because it is so fun I couldn't resist,” Stacey Bresee said.

People familiar with the movie will find some changes, including more music, “that dives a little bit deeper into the characters,” Bresee said.

It's a big production, one of the biggest in the company's history, with a cast of about 30 kids and adults. “It was a challenge,” Bresee said, and has required “a year's worth of planning.”

Tickets are $18 per person and can be purchased at www.masquers.com or by calling 509-246-2611. Reservations are recommended.