Creative Directors 

Director | Will Bonfiglio 

Choreographer | Alisa Cooper 

Music Director | Larry D. Pry 

Student Assistant Director | Aspen Meyer

Alumni Assistant Choreographer | JiaLi Deck

Cast 

in order of appearance

Ariel | Kaelyn McCurtis 

Pilot | Jai Hodge 

Prince Eric | Xander Ungerboeck 

Grimsby | Grayson Ritson 

Flounder | Nora Turner 

Scuttle | Brynn Meyer 

King Triton | Dr. Philip A. Woodmore 

Windward | Rachel Spizler 

Leeward | Victor Garcia 

Sebastian | Safiya Austin-El 

Aquata | Nora Griswold 

Andrina | Clara Garcia 

Arista | Cora Donaldson 

Atina | Haylin Travis 

Adella | Peyton Webster 

Allana | Molly Fitzpatrick 

Flotsam | Rian Page 

Jetsam | Karajana Caplinger 

Ursula | Nayomi Shackelford 

Chef Louis | Byron Jenkins 

Featured Ensemble 

Guppy & Gull Ensemble 

Creative Team 

Director | Will Bonfiglio 

Choreographer | Alisa Cooper 

Music Director | Larry D. Pry 

Student Assistant Director | Aspen Meyer 

Alumni Assistant Choreographer | JiaLi Deck 

Scenic Designer | Seth Howard 

Lighting Designer | Jayson Lawshee-Gress  

Assistant Lighting Designer | Jonathan Scully 

Sound Board Operator & Designer | Luke Bower 

Costume Designer & Costume Shop Manager | Cody Floyd 

Assistant Costume Designer & Draper | Meredith LaBounty 

Props Designer | Cassie Gant 

Ursula’s Shell Designer | Bess Moynihan 

Scenic Intern | Molly Kreitman  

Costume Design Intern | Ari Stern 

Production Team 

Production Manager | Carolyn Carter 

Technical Director | Cameron Tesson 

Assistant Stage Manager | Lexi Sims 

Intern Assistant Stage Manager | Gray Campbell 

Backstage Crew & Fly Operators | Mason Hunter, Connor Kielty, Isaac Bunting, Elliot Wright

Youth Manager | Cassie Gant 

Carpenter | Elliot Wright

Master Electrician | Zak Metalsky

Light Board Operator | Julia Nelson 

Spot Ops | Ehsan Bey & Austin Thomas  

Student Costume Volunteer | Cayden Swink 

Flying Effects | On the Fly Productions 

Senior Director of Artistic Strategy & Programs | Shawna Flanigan  

Artistic Director of Theatre | Will Bonfiglio 

Pre-Professional Division Manager | Rachel Schneider 

Pit Orchestra 

Bass | Jonah Larsen 

Drums | Joe Winters 

Percussion | Anne Stevenson 

Horn | John Gerdes 

Keyboard 1 | Timothy R Clark 

Keyboard 2 | Kris Pineda 

Keyboard 3 | Jeffrey Brayden Bollwinkel 

Keyboard 4 | Becca Bessette 

Reed 1 | Stephanie Brueggeman 

Reed 2 | Brandon Thompson 

Reed 3 | Alex Macke 

Trumpet | Mo Carr 

Special Thanks 

Belleville Township High School West 

DeKylah Epps 

Musical Numbers

Act One 

“Overture” 

“The World Above” | Ariel 

“Fathoms Below” | Pilot, Sailors, Prince Eric, Grimsby 

“Daughters of Triton” | Mersisters 

“If Only (Triton’s Lament)” | King Triton 

“Daddy’s Little Angel” | Ursula, Flotsam, Jetsam 

“Part of Your World” | Ariel 

“The Storm” | Sailors 

“Part of Your World (Reprise)” | Ariel 

“She’s in Love” | Mersisters, Flounder 

“Her Voice” | Prince Eric 

“Under the Sea” | Sebastian, Sea Creatures 

“If Only (Ariel’s Lament)” | Ariel 

“Sweet Child” | Flotsam, Jetsam 

“Poor Unfortunate Souls” | Ursula 

“Act One Finale” | Ursula, Ariel 

Act Two 

“Positoovity” | Scuttle, Gulls 

“Beyond My Wildest Dreams” | Ariel, Maids, Grimsby 

“Les Poissons” | Chef Louis 

“Les Poissons (Reprise)” | Chef Louis, Chefs 

“One Step Closer” | Prince Eric 

“Daddy’s Little Angel (Reprise)” | Ursula, Flotsam, Jetsam 

“Kiss the Girl” | Sebastian, Animals 

“If Only (Quartet)” | Ariel, Prince Eric, Sebastian, King Triton 

“The Contest” | Grimsby, Princesses 

“Poor Unfortunate Souls (Reprise)” | Ursula 

“Finale Ultimo” | King Triton, Ariel, Prince Eric, Ensemble  

Biographies 

Will Bonfiglio (Director) is COCA’s Artistic Director of Theatre and has spent his career as a theatre artist and scholar. His work has been featured on stages across the country, and he is the proud recipient of three St. Louis Theatre Circle Awards. Recent directing projects have included Legally Blonde the Musical (Tesseract Theatre), Prayer for the French Republic (New Jewish Theatre – Assistant Director), The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong (East Central College), and SIX: Teen Edition (COCA). 

Alisa Cooper (Choreographer), a dancer and choreographer from St. Louis, MO, found her passion for dance and choreography while studying at COCA, Center of Creative Arts and earning induction into the National Society for Dance Arts. After high school, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a Minor in Health Promotions from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. While at SEMO, Alisa choreographed for the main stage production of Mary Poppins, and choreographed the second stage production of Urinetown. Also during her time in Cape Girardeau, Alisa was appointed Director of Dance at Heartland Dance where she served 5 years. There she honed her skills, teaching young artists and choreographing across many genres. While at Heartland Dance, Alisa earned several choreographic awards, as well as recognition for her work building the program. In 2021 Alisa moved back to St. Louis, returning as COCA’s Student Success Coordinator. She now serves as the Program Manager for COCA’s Summer Arts Camps, where she continues to teach, choreograph and inspire young artists. 

Larry D. Pry (Music Director) has been music directing and teaching voice, piano and musical theater for over 40 years. He’s a nationally recognized vocal coach, music director, clinician, orchestrator and accompanist. He served as the Associate Music Director for the world premiere of Stephen Schwartz’s Children of Eden. Larry worked as an audition pianist and Publicity Manager for The Muny for 18 years. He served as part of the faculty at Webster University (15 years), St. Louis University (5 years) and Washington University (5 years). Favorite performance venues include Mile High Stadium, The Muny, The Fabulous Fox Theatre and The New Jewish Theatre. Internationally, Larry has performed with the Beach Boys, Charo, and many theatrical tours. Larry received the 2024 St. Louis Theatre Circle Award for Outstanding Musical Director for The New Jewish Theatre’s production of Into the Woods. Larry is a proud board member for Tesseract Theatre Company. He is honored to join the COCA team for this production. 

Aspen Meyer (Student Assistant Director) is thrilled to take on a new role in the production process as Assistant Director in COCA’s The Little Mermaid! She is currently a rising Senior at Clayton High School as well as a member of the Allegro Vocal Company at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA). Notable acting credits include: Cinderella in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at COCA, Eponine in Les Misérables at Clayton High School, Katherine Howard in Six: Teen Edition at COCA, Teen Ensemble in Les Misérables at The Muny, Kim MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie at CBC, and Kendra in 13: The Musical at GCPA. She was a nominee for Best Supporting Actress in the 2023 St. Louis High School Musical Theatre Awards for her role of Kim MacAfee at CBC. Outside of theater, Aspen is actively involved in Student Government, Mock Trial, Speech and Debate, Principal’s Advisory Council, and the Intercultural Dialogue Club at her high school. As well as being the Youth Coordinator/Board Member for a Touch of Hope: Purse Project, a domestic violence support project. She would like to give a huge thank you to the cast and creative team of The Little Mermaid for making this experience so wonderful, her mentor Sonny Willis, and her family for their support in her journey. insta @aspentreemeyer 

JiaLi Deck (Alumni Assistant Choreographer) is a student at Barnard College studying dance and sociology. She is also a member of the Columbia Ballet Collaborative. She grew up and trained at the Center of Creative Arts in St. Louis, MO. She has attended summer intensives at Ballet West, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, and BalletX. Recently, JiaLi performed works by Ehizoje Azeke, George Balanchine, Keerati Jinakunwiphat, Valentino Zucchetti, and more and was a featured dancer in the 131st Annual Varsity Show and Spring Awakening. 

Seth Howard (Scenic Designer) is a freelance scenic designer based out of St. Louis, MO. Some of his design credits include Athena (The Rep St. Louis); Grease (Bucks County Playhouse); Mamma Mia! & Come From Away (Theatre Aspen); Diary of a Wimpy Kid (The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati); The Color Purple (Center of Creative Arts); Topdog/Underdog (Palm Beach Dramaworks); 42nd Street (Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre). Check out @sethhowarddesigns on social media. www.sethhowarddesigns.com 

Luke Bower (Sound Designer & Board Operator) is excited to serve as the Sound Engineer for this production. He enjoys collaborating with performers and fellow crew members to create an engaging experience for audiences and believes great sound helps bring every story to life. Working behind the scenes, he appreciates the teamwork and attention to detail that go into every performance. Luke is grateful for the opportunity to be part of this talented production team and would like to thank the cast, crew, and audience for their support. 

Cody Floyd (Costume Designer & Costume Shop Manager) has been working at COCA since 2022, handling the range of operations that the COCA Costume Shop is involved in during the yearly COCApresents season. Before their time at COCA, they completed a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design at Lindenwood University. In addition to their regular duties, Cody has been the Costume Designer for a variety of shows including The Kid at the Edge of Everything, Hadestown: Teen Edition, and She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition. 

Meredith LaBounty (Assistant Costume Designer & Draper) earned her M.F.A in Costume Design from Florida State University in 2021. She spent 5 summers at the Utah Shakespeare Festival as a Senior Technician in the Costume Shop. She has been a freelance Designer in St. Louis for many years. Designing and building shows such as Trash Macbeth (Circle Award 2017) Oedipus Apparatus, Dollhouse by Three Manufacturers. Her next show will be The Last Show on Earth with ERA. 

Cassie Gant (Props Designer & Youth Manager) holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the Chicago College of Performing Arts. After seven years in Chicago, where she worked as an actor, vocalist, scenic painter, and props artisan, she returned to her hometown of St. Louis. Cassie grew up performing in local productions, including at COCA, and is so happy to be back working with the organization that helped inspire her love of theatre. 

Carolyn Carter (Production Manager) is so grateful for her home at COCA. She loves working with her students and the community all over STL. Some of her favorite credits include her shows at COCA, SM at The Rep STL (The Brother’s Size, Athena), PM at Music as the Message, SM at Opera Theatre STL (New Works), SM at Shakespeare Festival STL (Shakespeare in the Streets: Power, The Game’s Afoot, In The Ville, Love at the Rivers Edge). BFA in Stage Management: The Sargent Conservatory Webster U. Mom to Joy & Piper. Rev 7:12 

Lexi Sims (Assistant Stage Manager) is excited to make her COCA debut! Professional credits include: The Muny’s Evita (ASM), Les Misérables (PA), The Little Mermaid (PA), and Waitress (PA), St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (ASM), and Tesseract Theatre’s Legally Blonde (PSM). Lexi is also an alum of Webster University’s Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts. She thanks her family, friends, and mentors for their endless support and encouragement. https://simslexi26.wixsite.com/portfolio 

Gray Campbell (Intern Assistant Stage Manager) is a Film Production and Creative Writing student at Webster University and a longtime member of the COCA community. Most recently, she appeared as Fate 3 in Hadestown: Teen Edition, earning an Arts For Life Best Performance Awards nomination alongside her fellow Fates. Gray is excited to continue developing her production and technical skills while supporting the artistic work that first inspired her as a student. She is grateful for the support of her family and partner, Jadon. 

Mason Hunt (Backstage Crew & Fly Operator) is thrilled to be joining COCA for the first time! Based in St. Louis, he has worked with numerous organizations, including, but not limited to, Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble, The Midnight Company, ERA, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, and Metro Theater Company. Mason has experience working as a stage manager, lighting technician, master electrician, and stagehand. He is grateful to be part of this production and thanks you for supporting live theatre. 

Connor Kielty (Backstage Crew & Fly Operator) is a recent graduate from the Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville with The Little Mermaid being his first show working alongside COCA. After recently finishing a season working as an Assistant Technical Director at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Kielty is more than excited to keep working and experiencing the theatrical scene is Saint Louis. 

Ehsan Bey (Spotlight Operator) is excited to return to COCA for his third summer as a member of the tech team! He is a saxophonist and often plays in the jam sessions at The Dark Room @ The Grandel. His interests include golfing, assembling Lego sets, 3D printing, and collecting fragrances and watches. Ehsan is a rising 9th grader at Grand Center Arts Academy. 

Ari Stern (Costume Design Intern) is an upcoming junior at the University of Colorado studying Strategic Communication and plans to minor in Costume Design. She has worked in the university costume shop for the past year and plans to continue until graduation. A lifelong lover of musicals, theatre, and film, Ari is fascinated by the way costumes help bring characters and stories to life. She is especially drawn to creating clothing that transports audiences to different worlds and eras. 

Alan Menken (Composer). Theater: God Bless You Mr Rosewater, Little Shop Of Horrors, Real Life Funnies, Atina: Evil Queen Of The Galaxy, Kicks, The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz, Beauty And The Beast, A Christmas Carol, Weird Romance, King David, Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame, The Little Mermaid, Sister Act, Leap Of Faith, Aladdin and Newsies. Film: Little Shop Of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast, Newsies, Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Hercules, Life With Mikey, Lincoln, Home On The Range, Noel, Enchanted, Shaggy Dog, Tangled and Mirror Mirror. Songs: Rocky V, Home Alone 2 and Captain America. Awards: 8 Oscars (19 nominations), 11 Grammys (including Song of the Year), 7 Golden Globes, Tony® (plus 4 nominations), Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, New York Drama Critics, Olivier and London’s Evening Standard Award, Drama League. Honors: Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, Doctorates from New York University and University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Howard Asham (Lyrics) Best known as a pivotal creative mind behind the renaissance of Disney animation and his work on The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and The Beast (which is dedicated to, “Our friend, Howard Ashman, who gave a Mermaid her voice and a Beast his soul…”) Ashman’s first love was theater. Ashman was a founder of off off Broadway’s renowned WPA Theater, where he conceived, wrote and directed God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, as well as the classic musical, Little Shop of Horrors (both music by Alan Menken). In 1986, he wrote and directed the Broadway musical Smile (music by Marvin Hamlisch). Lamented as a lost treasure of the 1980’s theater scene, Smile remains popular on High School and College campuses throughout the country. Howard Ashman died in 1991 from complications of AIDS. For more information, please visit howardashman.com.

Glen Slater (Lyrics) co-created Disney’s 2010 worldwide smash Tangled (2011 Grammy Winner, 2010 Oscar and Golden Globe nominee), as well as the Broadway and international hit musicals Sister Act (2011 Tony nominee – Best Score) and The Little Mermaid (2008 Tony nominee – Best Score, Grammy nominee – Best Cast Album), and, most recently School of Rock (2015). With longtime collaborator Alan Menken, he is Executive Producer and Lyricist for the ABC-TV musical comedy series Galavant, and has also written songs for the Disney animated film Home On The Range (2004) and the Broadway musical Leap of Faith (Tony nominee – Best Musical, 2012). In the West End, Glenn provided both book and lyrics for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies (2010 Olivier nominee – Best Musical), the sequel to Phantom of the Opera. Other work includes an Emmy-nominated song for the ABC-TV comedy The Neighbors (2013), and the stage revue Newyorkers at The Manhattan Theatre Club (Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle nominations). Glenn is the recipient of the prestigious Kleban Award for Lyrics, the ASCAP/Richard Rogers New Horizons Award, and the Jonathan Larson Award. He is an alumnus of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, and a member of both ASCAP and the Dramatists’ Guild.

Doug Wright (Book). GLAAD Media Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Drama League Award and a Lucille Lortel Award for I Am My Own Wife. His screen adaptation of Quills was named Best Picture by the National Board of Review and nominated for three Academy Awards. Doug was cited by the American Academy of Arts and Letters and awarded the Tolerance Prize from the Kulturforum Europa. Currently, he serves on the board of the New York Theatre Workshop and serves as Secretary on the Dramatists Guild Council. Works include: Interrogating the Nude (1988), Quills (1995), Unwrap Your Candy (2001), I Am My Own Wife (2003), Grey Gardens (book) (2006), The Little Mermaid (book) (2007), The Pavilion (2009).

Add On: Princess Sea Party

On Saturday, July 18, guests can add on a special experience. Join us for a Princess Sea Party! Come in your best dress for tea, drinks, light bites, and crafts. Tickets are $15 per person.