Like many other girls, Emily Grace Tucker spent her childhood dreaming about what it would be like to be a princess. In her case, that dream is coming true several times over this summer at Tuacahn, thanks to her role as Ariel in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and multiple princess roles in various sections of Disney’s “When You Wish.”
“I was obsessed with Ariel,” Tucker says, recalling a familiar photograph of her 4-year-old self with her first Ariel doll. “It was one of those movies that was always on.”
In fact, Tucker says she is so excited for her mother to see the show this summer as a way of saying ‘thank you’ for sitting through the worn VHS version of “The Little Mermaid” movie over and over again.
Back then Tucker’s fascination centered more on the love story between Ariel and Eric, as well as getting a glimpse of the magical life under the sea. But as she grew up she realized there were so many lessons to be gleaned from the princesses she adored.
“I’ve always felt connected to Ariel in that she is proactive,” Tucker says. “It’s easy to assume it’s going to just be another princess love story, but Ariel’s journey is not rooted in getting the prince; she’s passionately pursuing a different life and she presses forward without judgment. I love that about her!”
Inner courage is a trait that has become much more commonplace among the Disney princesses from Ariel to the present. Take the fiercely loyal yet independent Moana from the Disney film of the same name. Her conviction is just one of many messages that come to life in this year’s production of Disney’s “When You Wish.”
“People will leave feeling wonder and awe,” says Susi Lafaele, who plays Gramma Tala in the “Moana” section of “When You Wish.”
In addition to her onstage role, as a Pacific Islander Lafaele has served as a consultant for the cast and crew to ensure sensitivity and accuracy in portraying the Pacific Island culture in the show.
“It’s a lot of pressure… to be an example to the younger generation,” Lafaele says. “We (Pacific Islanders) are more than just rubgy, football playing luau performers. It’s more than what you see in the movies.”
For Lafaele, the fact that Tuacahn is so dedicated to portraying a culture in a sensitive way speaks to the class of people working on all of the shows.
“We’re just trying to lead with our best foot,” says Jeffry Denman, director of “When You Wish.”
That “best foot forward” mentality manifests itself in every aspect of the show; from cultural accuracy to a cast and crew of high-class professionals and a set design that allows the audience to seamlessly transition from one magical world to another. Those worlds include “Peter Pan,” “Cinderella,” “Tarzan,” “Moana,” “The Princess and the Frog,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “Mary Poppins” and more.
“You get all your favorites rolled into one in ‘When You Wish’,” says Josh Strickland who plays Tarzan, among other roles in “When You Wish,” and Eric in “The Little Mermaid.” “It’s going to be so cool to swing on a vine through the red rocks of Tuacahn.”
Flying is just one of the many technical spectacles audiences can expect from both “When You Wish” and “The Little Mermaid.” Both shows have been completely revamped and redesigned since their debut at Tuacahn several years ago. In fact, Strickland says, the visual concepts for “Mermaid” in particular are unlike anything people have seen.
“It’s just incredible; this big, splashy, gorgeous production,” Strickland says.
For Tucker, participating in the technical elements — especially flying — that make Tuacahn such a unique venue is actually one of the ways she’s really become in tune with the traits she admires in her characters.
“I am terrified of heights,” Tucker says. “Going into flight training I was nervous, but kind of excited. It’s been empowering to face those fears. It’s crazy what you can do, even if you are afraid.”
It’s a message she hopes people take away from both shows.
More to come
Joining the two Disney openers for the summer season, Tuacahn presents the beautiful epic “Sound of Music” starting July 19 in the outdoor amphitheater and “A Gentleman’s Guide To Love and Murder” in the indoor Hafen Theatre beginning July 5.
“It’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen on Broadway,” Scott Anderson, artistic director at Tuacahn, says of “Gentleman’s Guide.”
Directed by Peggy Hickey, who choreographed the Broadway version, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” tells the story of how Monty Navarro, a man ninth in line to inherit the family fortune, seeks to jump ahead in the line of succession using hijinks and murder.
All four of this season’s shows pack talent into every moment of musical and dramatic antics, thanks to the large pool of talented actors from which Tuacahn has to draw.
With more than 1,300, including many Broadway veterans, vying for spots in each of this season’s shows, Anderson says it was one of the largest turnouts in Tuacahn’s audition history.
“The cast brings a high level of energy and expertise to what we try to do,” he says.
That high level of talent extends through the Christmas season as well. This year, Tuacahn presents Elf the Musical in the Hafen Theatre, giving audiences even more to look forward to in the 2019 season.
You can see it all for yourself like you’ve never seen it before.
Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” starts May 24. Disney’s “When You Wish” starts May 31. The shows play on alternating nights Monday through Saturday. They’ll be joined by “The Sound of Music” on July 19. Tickets start at just $32.
“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” plays July 5 to Aug. 10. Tickets start at $25. For information and details on all of the shows, log onto www.tuacahn.org or call 435-652-3300.
