Fredericksburg, Virginia—There may be a lot of fish in the sea, but there are also a flotilla of sea turtles. For STEP VA Inc., the local 501(c)3 non-profit that empowers people with disabilities and their families through creative expression and sensory exploration, the upcoming performance of Disney/Pixar's “Finding Nemo, Jr.” will have eight sea turtles, including Jack Barker, Jacey H., and Bridget Syed.
The show will be Barker's third time in the cast of a STEP VA spring musical, having been a member of the Peanuts Gang in “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and The Lorax in “Seussical Jr.”
For Barker, being a sea turtle means he gets to focus on what he enjoys the most, singing and especially dancing. He's a quick study when it comes to learning and executing choreography, and he says the role comes with very few challenges, like some of the bigger leads face.
Like many in the cast, he returns each year because he looks forward to being with his friends every week. It makes sense, then, why “Big Blue World” is his favorite song in the show—not only is it a fun way to set the tone for the show, but it brings the entire cast together. It's the song everyone has been working on together since the beginning of rehearsals and it lets Barker be with all his friends, both returning and new to the cast.
One of those new friends is Jacey H., who is taking to the STEP VA stage for the first time this year. Though she's new to the STEP VA Spring Musical experience, she's been singing with the All Abilities Choir this season, and is familiar with many of her cast mates. She's also no stranger to musicals in the general sense, and is a fan of the Tony Award winning musical Wicked, which hit Broadway in 2003 and was made into a movie starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in 2024.
As such, Jacey H. jumped at the chance to audition for STEP VA's version of Disney/Pixar's “Finding Nemo, Jr.”
“This is amazing!” she said during auditions, and that excitement over the experience has carried over to the whole process.
Dancing, she says, is her favorite part of rehearsals, though she says she hasn't found any part of learning her part particularly challenging. Her castmates say that when they do see her get rattled, “she always gets back on her feet” quickly. It makes sense, then, that Jacey's favorite song in the show is “Go with the Flow,” and not just because it features the sea turtles.
“It has been so much fun and so special to me,” Jacey says of being in the cast.
“My favorite thing about rehearsals is that we get to sing and hang out with my friends,” Syed said, adding that she enjoys that she gets to be active, too, with the singing and dancing. She especially loves singing.
Her favorite song this year is “Go with the Flow,” and as a fan of the original “Finding Nemo” movie, she's excited for the whole experience. That doens't mean it's a walk in the park.
“Trying to remember all of the dancing and the singing can be difficult sometimes,” Syed admitted, before adding that she wants everyone to “just keep swimming.”
Barker and Syed are both looking forward to seeing their family and friends in the audience, watching their performances. Anyone who wants to see what makes the experience special to Jayce and join the friends and families in the audience can purchase tickets by swimming on over to the STEP VA website or by CLICKING HERE.
STEP VA's staging of Disney/Pixar's “Finding Nemo, Jr.,” will be on stage at Courtland High School (6701 Smith Station Rd, 22553) on Saturday, April 12 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, April 13 at 3 p.m. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for the audience will be available at the Saturday evening performance. Tickets are $15 and available via online purchase only.
For more information or to donate to STEP VA, visit www.stepva.org.
***
STEP VA, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides sensory-based theater and arts programs for individuals with disabilities. Its vision is to transform the world by offering each individual the opportunity to flourish in the community.