Marriott’s Lincolnshire Theatre Invites You To Dive Deep
Marriott Lincolnshire’s Theater for Young Audiences is a marvelous, magical series introducing the engaging power of live performances to both young and those young at heart. My adult friends and I thoroughly enjoyed the charming staging of magical family entertainment venues. Disney’s Pixar Finding Nemo is a musical adaptation of the beloved animated film. I have always felt Disney does it best, but I could not imagine how Marriott Lincolnshire’s Theater for Young Audiences could make their animated film come alive on stage. They achieved this challenge through accomplished stellar actors and dancers, large puppets, and creative staging. This show utilizes elaborate, entrancing, detailed puppetry to bring underwater characters to life and leave us spellbound.
The acclaimed husband and wife songwriting team, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, have created the enchanting music for Finding Nemo. Composer and playwright Robert Lopez has achieved EGOT status (4 Emmys, 3 Grammys, 2 Oscars, and 3 Tonys) not just once, but twice. There are only twenty-seven people who have achieved this feat. Lopez also co-created Book of Mormon and Avenue Q. He and his wife wrote songs for Disney animated productions of Frozen, Frozen 2, Coco, and Marvel Studios’ WandaVision. My favorite songs in Finding Nemo were “Big Blue World,” “Just Keep Swimming,” and “Go with the Flow.” All the songs had a lot to say about life.
Thanks to the creative vision of two-time Jeff Award-winning director and choreographer Amber Mak, we are captivated by her production of a family-friendly tale. It takes us on an exploratory, imaginative dive into the deep blue sea in an underwater world alive with creative, diverse characters. Ellie Kahn’s musical direction is magnificent. The actors and dancers, through large puppetry, transform into sea creatures. We were entranced by the adventure story, which explores themes of family and friendship while overcoming fears in a vibrant, engaging, humorous way.
There are a few surprises for the young people in the audience. Be warned, the barracuda and jellyfish are a bit scary. The children are requested to stamp their feet during one scene. At one point, the children reached for the sky and squealed with delight as bubbles rained down on them. This production is too much fun.
This musical is based on the plot of the movie Finding Nemo. Devin Desantis masterfully stars as Marlin, a widowed clownfish and an overprotective, cautious father desperate to find his child, Nemo. Avelyn Lena Choi, a young star with a fantastic resume and expressive demeanor, plays Nemo. A diver snatches away Nemo after ignoring his father’s advice about safety. While searching for Nemo, Marlin meets Dory, a royal blue tang with short-term memory issues. Dory is artfully, comically played
Maya Rowe is charmingly sweet as Coral, Nemo’s mom. She is also Tad’s mom, Anchor, Moonfish, Jellyfish, and Turtle. Taking on triple roles of Gurgle (an outspoken Royal Gamma Fish), Moonfish (Moorish idol fish and leader of the tank), and Crush (chill, surfer dude turtle) is the versatile, accomplished actor Andres J. DeLeon. Young, exceptionally talented Genevieve Jane depicts five characters: Sheldon (intolerant, trouble-making seahorse), Moonfish, Jellyfish (deadly menaces), Turtle, and Sea Creature (adult fish parents). Talented youth actor Charlie Long also plays Tad (obnoxious butterfly fish), Moonfish, Jellyfish, Turtle, and Sea Creature. Lorenzo Rush, Jr. commands the stage with his presence and stellar, beautiful baritone vocals. He is cast as Professor Ray (Spotted Eagle Ray, who is Nemo’s school teacher), Nigel (Pelican, tank friend, and also a lookout), and Moonfish. Spirited Meena Sood’s roles are Moonfish, Jellyfish, Squirt (Crush’s child), and Sea Creature. Adelina Marinello aptly plays six characters: Pearl’s Mom, Chum, Peach, Jellyfish, Moonfish, and Turtle. Understudies include Josh Bernaski, Madison Kauffman, Will Koski, and Teah Kiang Mirabelli. From December 11-22, the role of Marlin will be played by Patrick Michael Tierney.
Disney’s Finding Nemo Theatre for Young Audiences is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. The Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences team is skillfully led by Associate Artistic Director Katie Johannigman, with Associate Director & Choreographer Elizabeth Romero. The scenic Design by Milo Bue is both imaginative and brilliant. Puppet Designer Jesse Mooney-Bullock is masterfully talented. His puppets are colorful, dazzling works of art. Costume Designer Theresa Ham convinces us through blue body suits and mottled overalls that the actors and dancers are real creatures in the deep blue sea. Lighting Designer Brian Elston immerses us in this blue underworld of magic. Sound Designer John Johnson, Media Designer Alex Gendal, Props Designer Wynn Lee, Wig, Hair, and Makeup Designer Miguel Armstrong, Stage Manager Katie Dreher, and Assistant Stage Manager Adam Hyde all add to this delightful, laugh-out-loud, heart-warming, Broadway-style production where we suspend disbelief.
