Ottawa High School Theatre Shines With Disney Classic
Ottawa's Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School made a splash this spring with its student production of Disney's The Little Mermaid, earning glowing recognition from the Cappies — Ottawa's prestigious Critics and Awards Program that celebrates the best in high school musical theatre.
Directed by Sarah Davidson, the production transported audiences deep beneath the waves into a shimmering underwater world filled with vibrant coral reefs, sunken shipwrecks, and the beloved characters audiences have cherished since the 1989 animated classic. According to Cappies critic Lucie Parenteau of St. Patrick's High School, the show was "a whirlpool of colour and excitement" — high praise in a program that holds student productions to a genuinely rigorous standard.
What Makes Cappies Special
For the uninitiated, the Cappies program is a big deal in Ottawa's arts community. Student critics from participating high schools attend each other's productions, write professional-grade reviews, and ultimately nominate peers for awards across dozens of performance and technical categories. The program has been running in Ottawa for years and has launched more than a few careers in theatre and journalism.
Being reviewed as Show #16 in the Cappies season means Pearson's cast and crew performed under the watchful eyes of fellow students trained to evaluate everything from lead performances and ensemble work to lighting design, costumes, and set construction. Earning a positive write-up in this context is a genuine accomplishment.
A Full Underwater World on Stage
Staging a production like The Little Mermaid is no small feat for any theatre company — let alone a high school with a student cast and crew. The show demands elaborate underwater set pieces, demanding vocal performances ("Part of Your World" alone is a formidable challenge), and creative costuming to conjure creatures of the sea on a budget.
The reviewer's description of "swift tides and shimmering coral reefs" and a "sunken shipwreck" suggests the Pearson team leaned hard into the visual spectacle, building an immersive environment that brought the fantasy world to life for families and classmates in the audience.
Ottawa's High School Theatre Scene Thrives
Lester B. Pearson is one of many Ottawa-area Catholic and public high schools that invest seriously in the performing arts each year. From Glebe Collegiate to Lisgar to All Saints, student productions across the city draw real audiences and produce real talent — and the Cappies program ensures that work gets recognized and documented.
If you haven't caught a high school musical in Ottawa recently, the Cappies season is genuinely worth paying attention to. Productions consistently punch above their weight class, and the ticket prices are a fraction of professional theatre.
Keep an eye on the Cappies Ottawa website for the full review of Pearson's The Little Mermaid and updates on the upcoming awards gala, where nominees from across the city compete for top honours.
Source: Ottawa Citizen / Cappies
