Disney's The Little Mermaid is the Marion Palace Theatre's Summer Musical!

Disney's The Little Mermaid is coming to the Marion Palace Theatre on July 13, 14, 19, 20 & 21. Members of the cast joined the podcast to talk about their show.

For tickets and details go to MarionPalace.org

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Joining me in studio today is partof the cast for Disney's The Little Mermaid,
which is going to be on theMarion Palace Theater stage. Coming up
here very very soon July thirteenth,nineteenth and twentieth at seven thirty. July
fourteenth and twenty first at two o'clockAnd Kirk, how you doing, my
friend good Paul Jim. He broughta whole cost in with you, man

(00:21):
sometime it's been a day or three. Yeah, we brought it. I
brought three cast members with me today. I love it. We've got Brady
wink Yep, hello, Brady winkIs. I gotta tell you he's playing
the romantic lead this year. I'veonly seen Brady as you know, some
goofy character, whether it's SpongeBob orLoumire. But let me tell you he's

(00:45):
playing the romantic lead and he's doinga great job. He plays Prince Eric
okay in The Little Mermaid. That'sgoing to be fun. Yep. Yeah.
We got Carter Rollins who's playing Flounder, the big Yellowfish. Yes.
And Morgan Schwartz is playing Ursula,the Sea Witch. She's also a marketing
manager at the Palace Theater. Butyes, we've got a great show,

(01:07):
great cast. We are really lookingforward to this excellent. So it is
coming up. It's going to bethe weekend of the thirteenth and fourteenth and
then the following weekend nineteen twenty andtwenty one. So you guys have been
rehearsing. So Brady, talk alittle bit about the show. Talk a
little bit about what you're doing.My friend. Yeah, like Kirk said,
I'm Prince Eric, and like hesaid, it is a little different
from what I'm normally used to PrinceEric. He's just kind of a guy

(01:30):
who's thrown into this royal family thathe doesn't really want to be a part
of. He's in this situation wherehe wants to be out on the seas
young. He's my age twenty,so that's pretty easy I can relate to
that in a way. But no, it's been a lot of fun.
We have a new girl coming inplaying aerial. Her name is Olivia Nowell.
She's absolutely fantastic jo aoice, whata boys right, And she's just

(01:52):
been so easy to work with forme, making it real easy on me.
We're real comfortable together. And No, it's just been a lot of
fun. Rehearsals this week. It'sgonna be it's getting real this week.
So we had a long night lastnight, it's gonna be a long night
this week, but it'll all turnout well. What's your favorite part of
the show so far. That's agood question. Honestly, it's nothing I'm
a part of. I love seeingall the sea creatures in Under the Sea

(02:14):
and Kiss the Girl. It's absolutelybeautiful. The costumes Susan did a great
job. They're fantastic, and itjust brings the show to life for sure.
That's fantastic. Move that Mic overto Carter. We're gonna talk a
little bit about Carter's role. Talkabout what you're doing, Carter. So
I am playing Flounder, and honestly, this role is just so fun to
play. I'm very used to playinglike the funny, goofy kind of character,

(02:38):
so this is such like in mywheelhouse. For this role, it's
different because I'm eighteen and Flounder isusually like a kid, so like adding
that perspective is adding like that bitof a challenge, but it's so fun
to like have that little younger versionand liveliness of me. Talk about your
costume, I mean there're a fish. Yea. So my costume is very

(03:02):
bright yellow and has blue. Thepants are so funny, they're like little
hoel hoops at the bottom of mylegs. I have to heal you in
the show, so it looks likeI'm swimming. So that has been a
challenge. So have you've been practicingthat? Like I haven't. I brought
them on vacation with me. Wheredid you guys go? And you were
healing? Okay, But I gointo the palace like probably two times a

(03:27):
week to practice just because I wantto make sure I have it by the
time opening night comes. And it'sbeen a working progress, but I'm it's
definitely there. I can definitely nowmove those wheels. I know you guys.
I know you guys love a goodchallenge and that makes it even more
fun. Morgan, talk a littlebit about your character and once you're gonna
be up to in the show.Yes, so I play Ursula. I
think this is my first time playinga villain, which is pretty fun.

(03:51):
Wow. I think what is interestingand fun about this version of the Little
Mermaid is it is a little differentthan the movie. Specifically my character.
You've find out she has more ofa villain origin story in the musical than
she does in the movie. Youkind of find out why she is the
way she is, and why shewants the voice and why she wants to
kind of take down the kingdom.It's it's been really fun. The makeup

(04:13):
is fun, the wig is fun. Outfit your costumes, yeah, I
know, we're gonna keep talking aboutthe costumes. I think these are probably
the coolest costumes we have ever had. Yeah, They're incredible, and a
lot of them, maybe most ofthem, light up, which is an
added little bonus. Yeah, itis. It's a treat. I know.
Over the years, Kirk, thebudget for costuming just continues to go

(04:34):
up and up and up. AndI know a year ago, I was
I know, absolutely I was blownaway by the costuming with Beauty and the
Beast, and I just so I'mgonna be the same way with Little Mermaid,
Right, is that what I'm hearing? Yeah? We well, we
rented them from a company called KansasCity Costumes out of unbelievable Kansas City.
And if you, if anybody cameto the will Rogers Follies two years ago

(04:58):
as the same company, they doa costumes. I mean, these are
Broadway quality. Uh yeah, asMorgan said, they light up. Uh
and uh it's and they're very expensivefor the guy who has to put the
puncil to the to the lives.I think the costumes are going to sell
the show once we get the picturesout there on Facebook or people will see

(05:23):
them in the Marine Star or wherever, or on our website. Uh.
I think that'll be a big draw. Well, they're amazing, you know,
I and Brady and and Carter.You guys do shows. Brady,
you do shows all over the place, and obviously it's it's a family affair
with you. But with the showsthat you do everywhere and then you come
back to the Marrion Palace, thisis Broadway quality work. And that's that's

(05:47):
one thing that I don't think mostpeople have gone to see the shows,
especially the summer musical. They don'tunderstand that this is this is Broadway quality
stuff. Oh yeah, and it'sit's it's funny because everyone there is giving
their free time to the stage andthat's what we love. And they're getting
giving back to the community. Andwe want to keep this palace alive and
and and just keep everyone in theseats and yeah, like you said,

(06:10):
we're everyone's so talented, everyone putsin long hours, and like you said,
every show it blows everyone out ofthe water, and I think this
will do the same. And youhave and you're excited obviously because you have
a new co lead that's going tobe the stage and she's fantastic. Yeah,
she's from Columbus and she's looking todo this professionally as well, and
she's she's incredible. Is that whatbrought her to the stage is because the

(06:32):
opportunity to do work with the talentthat we have on that stage for that,
and she's also dreamed of playing aerialher entire lit. She is Ariel
when I tell you she is,She is Ariel. She just did at
the Lincoln Theater in in Columbus.She just played the female lead in Hunchback
of Notre Dame and she uh butTanner Wink was in that show with her.

(06:55):
Tanner, of course, is Brady'sbrother, so I think she may
have heard of the show through her. But we're glad to have her.
She's got the voice of an angeland she she's on Heally's too. But
let me tell you, she glides. She's so graceful. But what an
she's She's a triple threat. She'sbut I watch her and even at rehearsals,

(07:16):
a lot of people just kind oflike do their lines and stuff and
then they get into it as theshow. But even from day one,
I mean, she sings songs withtears in her eyes. She is an
actress. That is awesome. Morgan, talk about being a villain. You
said it's the first time you've everhad to be the villain. How how
fun is that and how much ofa challenge is that for you? It
is fun, but it does feellike a challenge because I don't feel that

(07:38):
I'm a villain. I think I'ma pretty easygoing, calm, cool,
collected person. So I have beentold I need to be meaner at times.
So getting that kind of into mysystem and channeling maybe when my kids
aren't listening to me is what Ineed to pull from. But it's been
very fun. I might make yourkids scared of you, well that's what
Nora has said. I don't likewhen you scare me. Sometimes that's a

(08:01):
good tactic. I'm just saying thatsometimes it works. Carter talk about working
as mom, being you're a vocaldirector. Does she make you sing a
lot at home or what's the storythere. She's probably been my vocal director
for about eighteen years. Eighteen years, yeah, about eighteen years. I
just graduated high school with her asmy choir teacher, So we have an

(08:24):
interesting relationship when it comes to that. Yeah. So she definitely pushes me
very hard every night after rehearsal.She's like, this is what you can
fix. You're doing fine, butthis is what you can fix. You're
doing this professionally, like in yourlife, you need to know what to
fix, right. So she isvery loving in the sense of like a
mother, but as a teacher,she's like, you got to get yourself

(08:46):
ready for these next steps as yougo into college for this. Yeah.
Yeah, well, I mean we'vegot, you know, a room full
of people that understand peer pressure andpressure that comes directly from your family,
and and those are the types ofthings that I think will probably help you
do some breakout stuff. And you'vedone a lot of breakout stuff, you
guys all have. So it's goingto be an amazing show. It is
coming up. It is Disney's TheLittle Mermaid. You can see it July

(09:09):
thirteenth and fourteenth and July nineteenth,twentieth and twenty first at the Marion Palace
Theater. You can purchase tickets bygoing to Marionpalace dot org. You can
stop out at the Palace and getyour tickets. I would suggest getting them
early. And Kirk talk a littlebit. Anything special going on with the
show, any special type deals oranything that's happening. Yeah, Actually,
I do want to just mention wehave to be talked about Jamie Rowlins,

(09:33):
but we also got to give kudosto our director Claire Cook. Absolutely.
You know, she's a veteran,she is a color the goddess of the
Palace Theater. She's doing shows forforty seven years there and it's going to
be another great Clairecok production. AndChristy Wink, who happens to be Brady's
mother, is a choreographer and assistantdirector also an amazing, amazing talent.

(09:56):
So yeah, but coming up,Yeah, we do have a lot Morgan
talk about the specials. Yeah,I know, the Patroon ticket gets you
a good premium seats, right,Yeah, so the Patron ticket you it
kind of is a pick your ownseat option with that. This year we
have the fifty five dollars option,which will get you access to the Patron
party following opening night. That's kindof the big perk, but you can
absolutely take some of the closer seatsup front. We also should we do

(10:20):
the Yeah Go for we can offera five dollars off each ticket discount if
you use the code Splash at checkout. That will only apply to the twenty
seven twenty nine dollars tickets. Thatwill not apply to the fifty five dollars
Patron or the thirteen dollars Children orStarlight just the regular adult price tickets.
Okay, another special fun thing wehave going on with this show is the
second weekend, on Sunday, thetwenty first, we're doing the Under the

(10:43):
c Soare, So we will havesome of the cast members there in full
costume, so that if you'd liketo bring your kiddos to that and to
have a little meet and greet withsome themed finger foods and snacks and get
some pictures and autographs. I'll bea fun opportunity for all the kids.
That's some great stuff. I lovethe Splash option that allows families to really
be able to save a little bitof money because this is truly a family

(11:05):
show. And that's what's really niceabout the shows you guys have done the
last couple of years, is thatyou're really inviting every single age group to
come into the summer musical and beable to support our Marion Palace Theater and
see Broadway quality stuff right here inMarion, Ohio at very affordable cost.
And even when you look at usingthat code splash to be able to save
yourself even more money on those tickets, I think that is fantastic. There

(11:28):
is a deadline I see though,on the Patroon ticket. Is that correct,
Morgan? You can kind of buythem at any time, but the
deadline has passed to get your namein the program because they are printed.
But definitely want to make sure youget those early enough because there is obviously
food and things that need to beordered and stuff like that with that,
so you don't want to put anybodyin a bind with that great stuff.
Guys, anything else you want toadd about the show, Well, not

(11:50):
about this show, but I dowant to mention sure piggyback on we're doing
two summer musicals again this year,And sitting in the room right now are
two of the leads of Rent Yeah, Carter and Morgan are two of the
leads in Rent. We're doing RentAugust twenty third, twenty fourth, and
twenty fifth in the main stage.Let me tell you that's going to be
a busy summer for you guys.But Rent is, of course, the

(12:13):
Pulitzer Prize winning I was called Rentthe Hamilton of the nineties because it was.
It was the huge Broadway musical ofthe nineteen nineties. It was.
It's based on the opera labbo m. Jonathan Larson brilliant, brilliant playwright and
songwriter. He I mean, itwas legendary that he died on like the

(12:33):
first night of previews off Broadways,and it was it just became legendary.
But I've loved that show since theycame out in the mid nineties, and
Dustin Rawlins put it forward to produce. So that's going to be our August
musical as well. That'll be fantasticthe show, by the way, the
Little Mermaid? Did he A LittleMermaid is sponsored by Ohio Health, Stephen

(12:54):
Beth Comby, the Mary H.Holloway Fund, Linda Fargo, and Louise
Vance. So thank you so muchtoo, all of those supporters to helping
keeping the arts at the Marion PalaceTheater Marypalace dot org. You can get
all the details about rent, youcan get all the details about Disney's A
Little Mermaid, every show coming up. It is a completely redesigned website and
it's very easy to navigate, socheck that out and be able to get

(13:18):
the stuff that you need. Youcan purchase tickets right there or stop out
at the box office at the MarionPalace Theater. Guys, thanks for coming
in today. Always a pleasure,Always fun to talk about the great shows
going on at the Palace and seeingeverybody what y'all are up to.