By CHERYL JENSEN
The Progress
The students of Virgin Valley Elementary School presented a musical production entitled Finding Nemo, Jr. last week. The play ran for enthusiastic audiences from March 5-8.
The show had two casts: Pacific and Atlantic. Both casts sang, danced and entertained the packed audiences of parents, friends and community members.
Each cast got to perform the play twice. The Pacific Cast’s main characters included Ivy Rasmussen playing Nemo, Tazden Dalton as Marlin, Cannon Maxfield as Bruce, Cora Kennedy as Dory, and Danielle Hatala as Damelfish. The Atlantic Cast were Aslyn Gomez as Nemo, Alex Bennett as Marlin, Elayna Whipple as Dory, Savannah Gleave as Bruce, and Danielle Hatala as Damselfish.
The students were well-prepared and sang out with exuberance in a whole lineup of production numbers. Students not on the stage were singing in the Sea Chorus seated on risers.
Bruce, the shark, and his buddies, moving around the stage sang, “I need fish! I need food!” and they meant it! But the other sea creatures countered, “Fish are Friends Not Food!” while they danced and some did cartwheels.
Nemo and Marlin had matching costumes of bright orange with white strips. Dory, dressed in blue with fins, sang with confidence. Others in the cast were dressed as sea turtles wearing green with brown “shells”. The octopus had pale pink shimmering tentacles. Lobsters had bright red costumes with large red “claws”. Damelfish with her entourage held her fin and looked like a queen in her shimmering silver costume.
The stage was decorated with blue, turquoise and white balloons with gold sea stars and the background of ocean scenes was projected behind. Bubbles floated out of the treasure chest giving the effect of an underwater environment.
During scene changes the Vacationer, played by Declan Meierhoff, was besieged by the “seagulls” who descended on him trying to steal his loaf of bread! The audience enjoyed watching the actresses moving their puppet seagulls.
The director was VVES Music Teacher Jenny Good, with Issac Talahytewa, student teacher, and Susan Good as assistants.
Good complimented the students on memorizing their lines and songs and said, “The parents were so much help this year,” she said. “I have never had so many parents offer to help and it is greatly appreciated. The students were dedicated and practiced every morning before school for the last few months.”
Students started in September coming 3 days a week before school.
Emerald Hall was stage Manager and acting coach. The Scenery was done by Jon & Jessica Meierhoff and friends. Costume assistants were Jessica Meierhoff, Josie Hughes, and Jamie Wakefield.
