COEUR d’ALENE — A young mermaid is about to find out the truth to the old adage that "the seaweed is always greener in somebody else's lake."

Ariel's burning desire to do away with her fins and walk upon the land lead her to go to great lengths to achieve her dream, but not without falling in love and learning valuable lessons along the way.

Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre's production of Disney's "The Little Mermaid" opens at the Kroc Center at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, and with it will come all the enchantment of the beloved musical animated version.

"I get extremely giddy at the mention of 'The Little Mermaid,'" said Natalie Colvin, who stars as Ariel. "This couldn't be a better group of people to work with. Down to every last sequin — this show is going to be magical. The rehearsal process is collaborative and there is already a sense of family with the cast."

"The Little Mermaid" takes place under the sea, in a magical kingdom ruled by Ariel's father, King Triton. Ariel falls in love with Prince Eric and seeks the help of evil sea witch Ursula so she can walk among the humans. The sea witch turns Ariel's world upside down, and only with the help of her friends can things return to normal.

"My main goal in choosing and directing this piece was to get back to the magic and excitement I felt personally when I saw the movie as a kid," said director Jadd Davis. "We're not doing any self-conscious winks to the audience. We're giving them a pure-hearted adventurous love story. Young audiences deserve that respect, as do their parents and grandparents."

Davis said this will be a "visually stunning production."

"We're really embracing the options for beauty that comes with a fairy tale setting," he said.

Tim Suenkel, who plays Prince Eric, said he is thrilled to perform with Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre.

"Ever since I was a kid, highlights of my summer would include seeing shows at Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre," he said. "I had high expectations about how great it would be to work for this theater, and my experience here has far surpassed my expectations. What makes this theater truly amazing is that every single person involved with 'The Little Mermaid' brings such passion, talent, hard work and kindness. It's a dream to get to be 'A Part of this World!'"

Kate Jaeger, who plays Ursula, also shared her enthusiasm for performing in CST's "Little Mermaid."

"It has been my dream to play Ursula ever since I first heard they were making 'The Little Mermaid' into a Broadway show," she said. "It has been such a joy and pleasure to be able to fulfill that dream with the amazing cast and creative team at CST. If this week is any indicator, this show is going to be amazing."

"The Little Mermaid" plays at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. Sundays until Aug. 28.

Tickets are $49 for adults, $42 for military and seniors 62 and older and $27 for children 12 and younger. Tickets can be purchased at www.cdasummertheatre.com.

The Kroc Center is located at 1765 W. Golf Course Road, Coeur d'Alene.

Info: 660-2958