Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' comes to life when Pueblo School District 60 and Pueblo Parks and Recreation present its summer musical July 15-20.
The show is held in Pueblo, but many of Cañon City High School's current and former students are in the production, which is directed by Cañon City's Todd Albrecht and his assistant, Ryan Walter.
"There is incredible singing and dancing, it's full of Disney magic," Albrecht said. "I love the story and I love the music. I wanted to pick a show that I knew people would love to come to see and that people would love to be a part of."
He said in addition to beautiful costumes, there is a live orchestra and the choreography is some of his best work.
There is a total of 47 young people in the cast, including seven performers with Cañon City ties.
CCHS graduates Nicole Bechtel plays Ariel and Denise Barragan portrays Ursula.
Other actors with ties to Cañon City include Jacob Smith and Danica Clanton, current CCHS students, and CCHS graduates Emma Brady, Aaron Baroz and Haylee Rae Rossiter-Lewis.
This is the 63rd summer that the annual program has produced a show.
Albrecht discovered the program in the summer of 1974 when the Pueblo Summer Musical produced, "Hello, Dolly!" He was just 10 years old, but that performance lit a spark in him to love musical theater.
"I think it helped shape what I did as a career, honestly, watching the summer musical all those years ago," he said.
Albrecht retired from his 30-year career as the vocal music director at Cañon City High School in July 2020. During his tenure at CCHS, he sent many of his own students to Pueblo to be part of the summer program.
"It has been a great program for our kids," he said. "I've always sent kids over there so that they could get experience."
With the cutoff age of 25, Albrecht said the program is a chance for college students to mentor high school students in a more professional setting.
Albrecht was invited to take over the program in March, which he accepted, he said, with a humble and grateful heart.
"I felt like I could breathe some fresh life into this program because it meant so much to me growing up, and it meant so much to so many kids," he said. "... I take the responsibility seriously, and I promise to take great care as I lead this incredible team of professionals during our time together."
One of those kids who benefited is CCHS graduate Richard Barth, who took part in the 1997 show. He went on to perform on Broadway and at the Tony Awards and is now the Resident Director of the National Tour of Les Miserables. He also is a significant supporter of the annual program.
"It's a great tradition that they've welcomed our Cañon City kids," Albrecht said. "They have kids from County, District 60, District 70, and sometimes kids from Colorado Springs. They just welcome everybody and they put on a great show. I felt like I could give a lot of people some opportunities."
Ryan Walter, Albrecht's successor at CCHS, is the assistant director for this production, and Susan Kinnischtzke, a longtime Pueblo teacher, is the accompanist/assistant to the directors. Additionally, Ryan Van Gilder, a professor at CSU Pueblo, is the director of the live orchestra comprised of high school and college students.
Showtimes are at 2 p.m. July 15 and 16 and at 7 p.m. July 17-20 at Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, located at 210 N. Santa Fe Ave. in Pueblo. All tickets are $15 and may be purchased online at https://www.sdc-arts.org/performance or by calling 719-295-7200.
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