Senior Jeremy Jarocki captivated the audience with his performance as Chef Louis in NDA’s musical The Little Mermaid.

This was Jarocki’s first time participating in a musical of any kind, and he was inspired to try out after discovering an interest in acting with the help of his Public Performance class.

“I found a passion for acting when I joined Public Performance, and Mrs. Gilson encouraged me to join,” explained Jarocki.

Surprisingly, even though this was Jarocki’s first time performing in front of a large crowd, he did not have any fear on stage.

“When you are on stage you are blinded by lights, so you can not see anyone.” 

As many who attended the musical know, Jarocki’s role was extremely intricate, as he had to provide comedy, speak with a French accent, and run around the stage and into the audience. He said the only way he developed his role so elaborately was through hours of practice.

“I developed my role by practicing, practicing and more practicing. Also, I experimented with different styles to maximize my scene’s comical value.”

In total, Jarocki said he put around fifty hours of practice into his role.

While he enjoyed acting as Chef Louis, Jarocki commented his greatest difficulty was developing a French accent that was authentic and fit his character.

“I have no prior French experience, so attempting to do a French accent was completely foreign to me,” said Jarocki.

Most actors feel a sense of relief once the musical is over, as they are exhausted from practicing every day for hours. Jarocki, on the other hand, said he is “quite sad” over the show’s conclusion, and playing Chef Louis will be one of his most memorable moments.

Along with his scene, Jarocki’s favorite part of the show was the “If Only” quartet with its beautiful song.

Jarocki’s performance was exciting to watch, and he plans on auditioning for the spring play that will soon be announced. Hopefully his talent can be appreciated again very soon.