From now until opening night on Nov. 9, the Livingston Post will be profiling cast members of the Community Theatre of Howell’s production of “The Little Mermaid.”
Foyid Mockbil has become a fixture on the Community Theatre of Howell stage in recent years, and his specialty is making the audience laugh.
He’s at it again in the current production of “The Little Mermaid.” Mockbil plays the exuberant Chef Louis, and it’s a role filled with over-the-top comedy.
“I enjoy the role of Chef Louis because it’s all fun and no work,” Mockbil said. “Director Kevin Rogers is always fun to be around, but he has taken a childhood memory for a lot of us and is helping us relive it through my character. And I don’t want to give away too much.”
“The Little Mermaid” tells the tale of a rebellious 16-year-old mermaid named Ariel who is fascinated with life on land. On one of her visits to the surface, which are forbidden by her controlling father, King Triton, she falls for a human prince. Determined to be with her new love, Ariel makes a dangerous deal with the sea witch Ursula to become human for three days. But when plans go awry for the star-crossed lovers, King Triton is forced to make the ultimate decision. Along the way, they encounter a variety of colorful and crazy sea creatures.
Mockbil gets to sing one of the funniest songs in the show, “Les Poissons,” as he prepares to cook and serve Sebastian the Crab to the newly human Ariel.
“The Little Mermaid” is Mockbil’s 12th show with CTH, and most of them have been family affairs. His wife, Marcie, and daughters Elissa, 17, and Elayna, 14, are also heavily involved with the group. All four of them are in this show.
“Our first encounter with CTH came when Elissa got an ensemble role in ‘Willy Wonka Jr.,’” said Mockbil, a Howell resident who works as a police officer in Dearborn. “We were ‘all hands on deck’ with set build, makeup and working crew. It was a family affair and we were hooked. Our family has decided long ago that if one of us is involved in a show, we all are!”
Mockbil had a great comedic turn as Lumiere in CTH’s “Beauty and the Beast” a couple years ago, and that still ranks as one of his favorite roles. But this one is even more special, he said.
“This production of ‘Little Mermaid’ is my favorite CTH (or any other theater) experience so far because my wife Marcie has never been on stage with me and our girls and this will be her first time,” he said. “I had a great time portraying Lumiere in CTH’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ because I can’t speak French at all and it was challenging to get out of my comfort zone of being in the background where I can blend in.”
It’s the family nature of the group that he says makes the experience even more special
“For me, being involved in CTH allows us great quality family that might otherwise be swallowed up by ‘busy life,’” he said. “We create lasting memories and lifelong friends at the same time.
“The greatest experience related to this particular show is that my wife Marcie has stepped out of her comfort zone and is going to perform on stage,” Mockbil added. “Her decision to do that has brought the family back together again for this production. With our high school senior Elissa so heavily involved in Howell High School’s theater program, she has even made time to come back to CTH to make this production a true family affair.”
With opening night coming up on Friday, Mockbil said, “My favorite part of the ‘Mermaid experience’ has definitely been watching Marcie grow as a performer. Watching her learn to sing and dance is like watching our children do it all over again. She is having fun and so is the rest of the family. Her decision to be a part of this cast has brought us closer together as a family.”
The Community Theatre of Howell is presenting “The Little Mermaid” at the Howell High School Freshman Campus, 1400 W. Grand River Ave., Howell. Shows are Nov. 9-11 and 16-18, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with matinees at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday each weekend.
Tickets are $17 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, available at Finding Roots in Howell, Maria’s School of Dance in Fowlerville, Big Acre in Brighton, and Ed Bock Feed and Seed in Pinckney. Tickets are also available by calling 517-545-1290, or online at cththeatre.org. You can buy tickets by clicking here.
