What A Do Theatre takes audiences on an underwater journey with 'Finding Nemo Jr.'

BATTLE CREEK — Teri Noaeill had absolutely no experience with puppetry.

The executive director of What A Do Theatre Company told her cast members as much in January as they set out on a journey to bring the musical adaptation of the 2003 Pixar movie "Finding Nemo" to life on stage in Battle Creek.

Simply put, Noaeill wants people to see and have access to the arts. A professional puppetry firm and a cast of about 40 local kids are helping make that happen, transporting audiences to an underwater world full of music and adventure in their production of "Finding Nemo Jr."

Just three shows remain this weekend at Kellogg Community College's Binda Performing Arts Center, 450 North Ave. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 3:30 p.m. Saturday and 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are available online at whatadotheatre.org .

"(This show is) really taking people out of their element, into that world, that ocean life and I don't know, it's something I can't describe," Noaeill explained Wednesday. "Personally, I'm going to be sad when it's over, and I've been watching every show from start to finish with them, because I'm just so engrossed with their talent and how they maneuver the puppets and how detailed these puppets are."

Inspired to do the show after seeing it firsthand with her daughter at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom roughly eight years ago, Noaeill teamed up with Troy Mullin of the professional puppeteering firm Mullin Entertainment to deliver a new experience to audiences, with Mullin customizing incredibly detailed puppets to the specifications of cast members.

"I knew that I wanted to do puppetry and find a way for these kids to get involved in it and work with someone that works in a different type of art form and provide that professional experience to our kids in our community," Noaeill said. "Our theater is huge on accessibility and we have kids in our cast that have extra needs and so, what Troy did was pretty brilliant. He actually customized puppets for kids that would need accommodations and so they're able to perform on stage with those accommodations and not have any barriers to their performance. That's really cool to see."

The show itself is a 60-minute musical adaptation of "Finding Nemo," with audiences joining Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, as he sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean to find his son, Nemo.

Auditions for the show were held in mid-December, with rehearsals kicking off in January ahead of the first slate of performances last week. Together, cast members learned how to maneuver the puppets, what they would be like and how they could enhance the performance.

They adapted quickly.

"That's the thing about our kids, what I love about them is they are very resilient and they are always up for a challenge," Noaeill said. "As soon as they got (the puppets) in their hands, they were just ready to learn and ready to go. They just amazed us with their talent."

The show marks a unique opportunity to get professional puppetry in the hands of youth. Noaeill also believes it's a perfect opportunity for young families to experience theater for the first time in the community.

"Some of the feedback we've gotten, it's like, 'You forget you're at a youth show' because our kids are so professional, so (audiences) are getting a really quality experience by children in our own community."

The performances are also sparking a lot of interest in What A Do Theatre.

"We're getting a lot of feedback, too, with kids wanting to sign up for the next thing," Noaeill explained. "(This cast is) inspiring and engaging kids to sign up for theater here in town, which is amazing."

For more information about What A Do Theatre Company, visit whatadotheatre.org .

Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Underwater adventures, puppets headline What A Do Theatre's latest show