Olivia DiRocco (’29) and Jeni Veitch (’27) starred in Cherokee’s 2025 fall production of “The Little Mermaid” as Flounder. Flounder is Ariel’s best friend and most trusted companion. He often accompanies her on adventures in abandoned shipwrecks, even though they scare him. He acts as a voice of reason for her throughout it all (not that she always listens).
Both girls have been doing theater for a long time, DiRocco since she was four and Veitch since she was seven. This is Veitch’s thirty-third production, which is a huge feat. Some of her past roles have been Susie Waverly in “White Christmas,” Mary Poppins in “Mary Poppins,” Regina George in “Mean Girls,” Nala in “The Lion King,” and so many more. DiRocco noted that her favorite parts to play in the past include Moana in “Moana,” Lydia in “Beetlejuice,” Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” and Wendy and Peter Pan in “Peter Pan.”
“Yeah, you don’t wanna know,” she said. “Not in the same show, but like two different shows. Running at the same time.”
Both Veitch and DiRocco agreed that one of the best parts of being in “The Little Mermaid” has been the friendships they’ve made with their castmates.
Veitch also said that this show has helped her “to grow as an actress and a singer, and definitely as a dancer.”
They expressed how much they’ve enjoyed being double-casted with each other.
Veitch says that her favorite character is Scuttle, the “know-it-all that knows nothing,” as she so perfectly put it. He has a song called “Positoovity,” and Veitch said that she’ll “listen to that on a daily basis just to get myself hyped up for whatever life brings.”
DiRocco loves Ariel, especially the way Mackenzie Brown portrayed her in our Cherokee shows.
Out of all of the amazing moments the show had to offer, Veitch and DiRocco were most excited for people to see “Under the Sea,” a stunning number performed primarily by Sebastian and an ensemble of ocean creatures, as well as the magical transformations that are sprinkled throughout the show.
“We have put so much work into the song,” Veitch said about “Under the Sea.”
“We started from such a low point, and to get to the point that we are now… We put in so much dedication to that song, and I’m really proud of all of the progress we’ve made.”
The Flounders love singing “She’s in Love” with Ariel’s six mersisters, and Veitch says that it’s “very fun to be just this grumpy little fish.”
DiRocco also loves singing the finale because of its amazing harmonies.
“When you do it in each vocal part, it sounds good, but when you put all of them together, it sounds ten times better.”
The finale is absolutely as great as she describes. It’s a moment where the worlds of the land and the sea come together as one, which is the perfect ending to a show like this.
Finally, we discussed their favorite and least favorite parts of performing. Veitch said that her least favorite thing about doing shows is that every show is only temporary.
“That’s honestly why it’s so beautiful to begin with. It’s meant to be this beautiful thing that only lasts so long,” she said.
DiRocco said that tech week, the week preceding opening night where costumes, makeup, sets, and the orchestra all come together, is her favorite. Similarly to Veitch, she said that her least favorite part was the end of closing night.
“I’m never doing this show again, most likely never going to have this role with this cast again. And like, it’s bittersweet, but nice to know that all the hard work paid off.”
Flounder is so entertaining, and it can be agreed that Veitch and DiRocco played him amazingly. Every line, movement, and expression prompted a chuckle from the audience, and it’s safe to say that everybody was excited each time the little fish reappeared onstage.
