Jackson 9-year-old performing with Muny

Nine-year-old Jenny Duncan is making a splash on stage as a pink fish in the Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis production of Disney's "The Little Mermaid." Last summer she was in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast."

Performances of "The Little Mermaid" continue through Thursday at the outdoor musical amphitheater in St. Louis. The theater seats about 10,000 people, but Jenny is not nervous about performing in front of the large crowd.

"A lot of people watch but I'm not nervous, just excited," she said. "I've been in front of audiences before and its always lots of fun."

This spring Jenny and more than 500 other children auditioned to be members of the Muny Kids performing troupe, and Jenny was one of 50 selected. The group of children ages 8 to 13 tours the St. Louis area performing songs from the seven 2011 Muny shows including "Bye Bye Birdie," "The Little Mermaid" and "Singin' in the Rain."

Jenny has trained with the Academy of Dance Arts in Cape Girardeau and studies performance under Lara Teeter, head of Webster University Conservatory's musical theater program in St. Louis.

Sam Duncan, Jenny's father, remembers when she would get in trouble at school for always singing and dancing. He is happy that his daughter is part of a talented group encouraging her to do what she loves.

"Jenny just loves to be on stage," he said. "She smiles when she sings and smiles when she dances, she just has fun."

For the past two weeks Jenny has lived in St. Louis in her sister's apartment. Every night at 9 p.m. Jenny and her mother, Melanie Duncan, get a call from the Muny about the times of the rehearsal for the following day.

"Some days are short, some practices are longer," Jenny said. "One day is hard, then the next day is something different."

The cast practices outside in the heat at the amphitheater and rehearsals can run for many hours, but nothing slows Jenny down; she is always ready and excited to be on stage and learn.

"She really values the performance," Sam Duncan said. "It's important to her to work hard and do a good job. Professional performers share knowledge with her, and she really listens and learns."

Jenny has been singing, dancing and acting since she was 3, and plans to continue with the Muny and her acting career.

"It's natural for me to be on stage," Jenny said. "This is what I want, so hopefully I will always get to do it."

Tickets to "The Little Mermaid" range from $10 to $68 and first-come-first-served free seating is available in the last nine rows of the theater. The show begins each night at 8:15 and runs until 10:30 p.m. Audiences can sing along with popular songs like "Under the Sea," meet Ariel and watch a pink fish dance across the stage.

rpayne@semissourian.com

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