Altoona Area senior Evan McGuire demonstrates an eel puppet with puppet designer Adam Swartz, whom the district hired to help students create puppets for the high school’s upcoming musical, “The Little Mermaid.” Mirror photo by Matt Churella

Students involved in the Altoona Area High School’s musical, Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” are eager to perform in a couple weeks and see months of their hard work pay off in front of three packed audiences.

Casting calls and auditions for the musical took place in December, according to Ben Cossitor, the musical’s director. Since then, more than 50 students have been working hours upon hours after school to learn and rehearse their lines and memorize choreography techniques in sync with an all-star student pit orchestra, which will perform songs and underscores throughout much of the show.

Rehearsals have been taking place for three hours every school day since the second week of January, Cossitor said, noting just as many students were involved backstage in the designing and making of all of the sets, props, puppets and costumes used in the performance, which they did every Saturday leading up to the April 3-5 performances.

According to Cossitor, every year the school district pays “tens of thousands of dollars” in legal royalty fees to produce a musical for the students to gain professional-level experiences in theater productions.

The total cost among staffing, purchasing rights fees and materials for the costumes and sets for “The Little Mermaid” is nearly $20,000, Cossitor said.

With the exception of about three costumes, everything audience members will see on the stage has been built from scratch specifically for this show, said seamstress Karen Hamel.

Hamel, who has a theater degree with years of experience working with several theaters in Pittsburgh, volunteered her time working with the student costume designers to prepare for the shows.

Her daughters – Cassandra, Morgan and Alexandria – are Altoona Area alumni who all served as costume designers and actors for the district.

Hamel said she’s passionate about giving back to the district because she wants to share her talents with the students who are equally as passionate about costume designing.

Freshman Katelyn Rainey, who recently transferred to Altoona Area from another district, said she enjoys sewing and is happy she found new friends at the district through being involved in the musical’s costume design process.

“Everyone has been pretty welcoming,” Rainey said, adding she wasn’t nervous about getting involved. “Sewing is definitely one of my things to do, so I’m happy I found it.”

Senior Lea Gioiosa was one of the many students who sewed costumes – tunics, overalls and bodysuits – for the musical.

“This is my first year doing it, but I really enjoy it,” she said. “I really like watching the project come together.”

Seniors Jillian Pierannunzio and Olivia Behe, who are both performers in the musical, said they enjoyed pinning ribbons onto more ribbons to make seaweed skirts for the advanced dancers.

Pierannunzio said she enjoys theater so much she plans to major in theater arts this fall at Point Park University in Pittsburgh.

Last fall, Pierannunzio was the student director of the school’s play, which gave her a unique perspective into how much actually goes on behind the scenes to produce school plays, she said.

“I got to fully respect what happens behind the scenes,” she said. “I really like seeing the show come together, both behind the scenes and on stage, and I can’t wait to see what happens.”

Pierannunzio’s mother, Amanda, was one of this year’s parent volunteers who helped the students make props for the musical. Since it’s her daughter’s last year, she decided to help out.

“I think it’s amazing that all of the kids do all of this work here. It’s great they’re making all of the props,” Amanda Pierannunzio said.

Since May 2024, Hamel and the school’s lead student designer have been collaborating on all aspects of the musical’s costume designs.

“For a show like ‘The Little Mermaid,’ we didn’t have much in stock, so we’re pretty much designing the show from scratch,” Hamel said, noting the school is “blessed that we have a school board that supports us.”

Cossitor said the Altoona Area School District Foundation also provided funding to bring in ZFX Inc., a performer-flying-effects company based in Louisville, Kentucky, and Adam Swartz, a puppet designer from State College, who taught students how to create the various puppets that will be used throughout the performance.

Cossitor said ZFX showed district personnel how to use a fly system to lift students into the air, creating an effect the school has never used before to make the performers look like they’re swimming on stage.

Swartz, who has worked with the district before, came to the school every week to help students create more than 50 puppets for the musical.

“Some of the kids are starting to get attached to some of the puppets,” Swartz jokingly said, adding one student enjoyed making a squid puppet and now wants to have a squid as a pet.

The first couple weeks involved a lot of cutting and hot gluing pieces of foam together, Swartz said, noting students didn’t really “see the vision” for the puppets until they started putting the pieces together in the weeks that followed.

“When you put the fins and the eyes on the fish, these lightbulbs go off,” Swartz said. “The fact that (students) want to show up after school and do something is awesome. They really love coming in and working.”

Senior Emma Lunglhofer said she loves staying after school two to three days a week and on Saturdays to serve on different crews for lighting and puppets. She’s also in the all-star student pit orchestra.

“Everybody works together,” Lunglhofer said, adding she’s looking forward to seeing the group’s hard work pay off, but will be sad when her last musical with the district is over.

“It’ll be sad, but I’m excited for it. This is a good one to be my last show,” Lunglhofer said.

Cossitor said he tries to give the students a variety in the styles of shows they produce every year. Because the district hasn’t done a Disney fairytale in a while, this year was the right time to do it, he said.

“It’s something we knew would be popular with the kids and the community. It also has a lot of room for special effects, which is allowing us to do all of these cool things that we have planned,” Cossitor said.

For the past three years, Bryce Cossitor, Ben’s father who also works at the school as the district’s technology director, has been in charge of directing music for the musical.

He said “The Little Mermaid” has music that involves singing or underscoring throughout 80% of the show. Students have a lot of harmonies they have to learn in combination with all of the choreography that’s simultaneously involved, he said.

“It’s a real artform and the kids are doing a really good job of it,” Bryce Cossitor said. “They’re working so hard on this show.”

This past week, students started building the set on the auditorium’s stage, which is devoted to the musical until after it’s over, Cossitor said.

“Today was a lot of spacing and getting the kids to recognize where there’s stuff that they have to do as well as sing at the same time and project,” Cossitor said prior to Monday’s school board meeting.

Superintendent Brad Hatch said anyone who has been to one of the district’s musical productions knows they’re a sight to see.

“The level of talent that you see is just remarkable,” Hatch said.

Tickets for the musical are $5 for students and $10 for adults and can be purchased in advance online at www.altoonaasd.booktix.com and at the high school’s student store. Tickets will also be sold at the door 45 minutes prior to each performance.

Ben Cossitor said the school’s auditorium can hold 1,200 people. He encourages people to purchase tickets in advance to avoid long lines at the door.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.

If you go

What: Altoona Area High School drama department production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” musical

Where: Altoona Area High School auditorium

When: 7 p.m. April 3-5

Cost: $5 for students, $10 for adults. Tickets are reserved seating and are available in advance online at www.altoonaasd.booktix.com and at the AAHS student store. Tickets will also be sold at the door 45 minutes prior to each performance. Attendees have been encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to avoid long lines at the door.

Synopsis: Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories and the classic animated film, “The Little Mermaid” is a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages. The show follows Ariel, King Triton’s youngest daughter, as she dreams of pursuing the human Prince Eric in the world above and bargains with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to trade her tail for legs. But the bargain is not what it seems, and Ariel needs the help of her colorful friends, Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull and Sebastian the crab to restore order under the sea.

‘The Little Mermaid’ Cast:

Ariel – Jillian Pierannunzio

Prince Eric – Owen Carmel

Grimsby – Ethan Peterman

Ship Pilot – Logan Schaffer

Flounder – Camille Krug

Scuttle – Samarra Wertz

King Triton – Talen Turiano

Windward – Gregory Wenzel

Leeward – Theo Kessling

Sebastian – Trevor Wilson

Aquata – Laura Reed

Andrina – Gabrielle Beldin

Atina – Olivia Behe

Adella – Karinna Wolfe

Arista – Ava Conrad

Allana – Madison Aboud

Ursula – Skylar Rutherford

Flotsam – Emily Pentland

Jetsam – Evan McGuire

Chef Louis – Gavin Harkins

Sailor Ensemble: Nat Christensen, Liam Diehl, Haven Femea, Gavin Harkins, Jorja Kimball, Payge Lamborn

Sea Creature Ensemble: Novalee Beard, Addison Carles, Kelsey Crider, Mary Dumaya, Haven Femea, Jorja Kimball, Nevaeh Kirsch, Kallie Kunkle, Amina Lee, Vivian Markley, Harley McChessney, Jade McClure, Lydia Miller, Madalyn Miller, Grace Murphy, Sean Roland, Leigha Short, Alyssa Stetser, Kiera Stoltenberg, Maura Thompson, Chaylah Whitt, Lydia Wise, Sophia Wise, Diviney Zolna

Maids and Butlers Ensemble: Theo Kessling, Haven Femea, Jorja Kimball, Lydia Miller, Logan Schaffer, Chaylah Whitt, Sophia Wise

Advanced Dance Ensemble: Olivia Behe, Nat Christensen, Liam Diehl, Payge Lamborn, Emma Lang, Emily Pentland, Marissa Rosas, Gaby Sparacino

“Positoovity” Tapping Seagulls: Olivia Behe, Payge Lamborn, Emma Lang, Emily Pentland, Marissa Rosas, Karinna Wolfe

AAHS Faculty Sailors: Jordan Corman, Jess Hogan, Carolyn Kline, Jim Krug, Amy Martin, Brad Scherden, Jacob Wilt

AAHS Faculty Poor Unfortunate Souls: Katelyn Brendle, Gale Brubaker, Laura Brubaker, Denise Condo, Jess Hogan, Carolyn Kline, Megan Leone, Paige Matteson, Tabitha Quinn, Heather Tippett-Wertz, Natalie Trimmer

Pit Orchestra

Reed 1 – Rachel Kennedy

Reed 2 – Gracelynn Beldin

Reed 3 – Seth Goheen

Reed 4 – Griffin Hollen

Violin – Lea Gioiosa, Hannah Jack, Melissa Krainer and Emma Lunglhofer

Cello – Andrea Slusser

Bass – Andrew Sackett

French Horn – Taylor Glunt

Trumpet – Blake Riddle and Randy Grove

Keyboard 1 – Isabella Abbott

Keyboard 2 – Isaac Hillard

Keyboard 3 – Jamin Dong

Drum Set – Reece Myers

Percussion – Nicholas Boos

Crew

Student Director – Laila Wilkinson

Stage Managers – Attison Batten and Ava Cabell

Assistant Stage Manager – Ruth Cron

Student Choreographers/Dance Captains – Olivia Behe and Emily Pentland

Set Construction – Carmen Stevanus (Design), Cider Ayala, Nat Christensen, Teddy Heidler, Reece Hillard, Jema Johnson, Rosslyn Jones, Finn Lesnikowski, Emma Lunglhofer, Derek Reed and Bella Tarras

Community Service Workers – Jillian Pierannunzio, Laura Reed, Skylar Rutherford and Carmen Stevanus

Sixth Period Fall Set Design Class – Cider Ayala, Attison Batten, Cassidy Clark, Stayley Drenning, Finn Lesnikowski, Emma Lunglhofer, London Medley, Olivia Noel, Peyton Pennington, Ethan Peterman, Carmen Stevanus, Kiera Stoltenberg, Casey Weyant and Dominic Wombacher

Set Painting – Stayley Drenning (Design), Vida Blanco-Peterman, Molly Burk, Myla Drenning, Mairen Eberhart, Bailey Hostetler, Aiden Kuny, Madalyn Miller, Sofia Saracoglu, Ryker Scriver, Lyla Seabrooks and Selena Thompson

Props – Delaney Beecher, Mary Dumaya, Jasper McMullen, Adeline Middleton, Raelynne Moore and Jocelyn Zeoli

Puppets – Cider Ayala, Cassidy Clark, Kelsey Crider, Sophia Feigh, Chassity Greenwood, Nyah Hughes-Thaxton, Emma Lunglhofer, Evan McGuire and Bella Tarras

Costumes – Owen Carmel (Design), Gabbie Beldin, Bentlee Bralley, Mack Callan, Marli Closson, Sophia Feigh, Lea Gioiosa, Hailey Goheen, Katelyn Rainey, Leigha Short, Evelyn Stehley, Tristan Sunderland and Lydia Wise

Hair/Makeup – Olivia Behe (Design), Sarah Johnson, Jasmyn Lenning, Harley McChessney, Chaylah Whitt and Diviney Zolna

Stage Crew – Lindsey Boose, Myla Drenning, Stayley Drenning, Ethan Franks, Josh Howard, Adrielle McNeal, Riley Piotti, Carmen Stevanus and Brenna Tupone

Lights – Emma Lunglhofer (Design), Jackson Beckwith, Riley Behe, Cassidy Clark and Cameron Auker

Sound – Rowan McCusker and Noah McCaulley

Logo/Poster Design – Brenna Tupone

Publicity/Broadcasting – Ava Cabell and Jillian Pierannunzio

Staff

Director – Ben Cossitor

Assistant Director/Choreographer – Michele Dugan

Assistant Choreographers – McKenna Dugan and Anne Diminick

Flight Director – Wesley Miller (ZFX)

Flying Movement Adviser – Megan Marcaurelle-Jones

Music Director – Bryce Cossitor

Rehearsal Accompanist – Susan Cossitor

Pit Orchestra Conductor – Kelly Detwiler

Technical Director – Dave Borst

Set Painting/Construction – Davey Beyer (Design), Dave Borst (Design), Jenifer Deblois, Caleb Marasco, Heather Miller, Matthew Miller and Dennis Peterman

Costumes – Karen Hamel (Design), Lucy Craig, Jenifer Deblois, Alex Hamel, Cassandra Hamel, J Hamel and Karen Sparacino

Puppets – Adam Swartz (Design) and Caleb Marasco

Prop Design – Lucy Craig

Wigs – Bill Amrhein (Design), Kayla Leib (Design), McKenna Dugan and Paige Matteson

Program Design – Nancy Wonderly

Headshots and Production Photos – Chuck Meyers (Two 20 Studios)

Box Office/Usher Coordinator – Brenda Lenning