Evoking the Disney magic at Hillcrest

Hillcrest High School’s production of The Little Mermaid has been a professional affair.

Students auditioned for the ‘‘full Broadway experience’’ by singing, dancing, acting and being part of a cattle call.

‘‘Our goal is to make the school show the most memorable experience in their high school career,’’ director Scot Hall said. The school’s biennial show was just that for Hall, a former student at Hillcrest.

‘‘It’s been a special evolution for me because the show when I was at school almost didn’t happen. We were able to do Seussical: The Musical, and I played Horton, and it changed my life and put me on the path towards doing this,’’ he said.

‘‘I was directed by David Sidwell who is now one of my friends and mentors and it’s really exciting knowing he’ll be coming to see this show.’’

Hall directed his own rendition of Seussical: The Musical for the school in 2016, and he hopes The Little Mermaid will ‘‘evoke the Disney magic’’ with audiences this year, with live instruments, smoke, fog and - of course - bubbles.

‘‘One of the main themes in the story is about the fear of diverse cultures or people, and how these two young people, Ariel and Prince Eric, fall in love and shatter that.’’

Those tasked with embodying the beloved characters are Celia Griffiths and Jet Lim.

Griffiths is one of the school’s arts captains, while Lim is a sports captain. It’s very rare a sports captain secures a lead role in a theatre production, Griffiths said.

He was part of the ensemble in Hall’s 2016 Seussical show, but portraying Prince Eric will be the first time Lim’s been cast as a lead.

‘‘My whole life has been sports,’’ he said. ‘‘I picked up dance and started drama for the first time this year. There are some things I can take from sports and put into drama.’’

Griffiths secured the female lead against many other auditionees and said although she was excited, there was a small amount of pressure to bring Ariel to life.

‘‘It’s a character everyone knows and loves and grew up with,’’ she said. Another cast member with big shoes to fill is Hakaia Daly, who will play the exuberant crab Sebastian.

The Little Mermaid will be his first musical, and he’ll be performing in the crab’s notable Jamaican accent.

The Little Mermaid, performed at Clarence Street Theatre, March 21-25. Times and tickets: clarencesttheatre.co.nz/events/thelittle-mermaid