Seneca's Isolano to Perform in Little Mermaid Jr.

Christopher Isolano said he went into New York City on a whim to audition for The Little Mermaid Jr.

"It was a long ride in," he said. "All the nerves were clicking."

"All auditions are good," said his mom Christine Marshall. "It's good exposure and good practice."

Along with 250 other kids, Isolano, 14, of Holbrook, sang a song for the casting crew and they called him back to sing it again at Ripley-Grier Studios.

"I've never done that before," he said.

That night the cast list was posted online and Isolano will be playing the role of Scuttle – the seagull in the original version from 1989 – May 22 and 23 at The Manhattan Music Movement & Arts Center.

"It was liberating when I saw my name on that Website," said Isolano, who attends Seneca Middle School.

For Isolano, who adores actress Sandra Bullock and loves the movie Miss Congeniality, this is just another notch on his acting belt.

Already featured in a handful of plays at school, he has played the parts of Agwe in Once on this Island, Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka and Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks in Annie. He has also performed in Charlotte's Web and the Jingle Bell Jubilee at the Airport Playhouse in Bohemia.

Isolano, who is an eighth grade honor student, editor of the school paper, a member of the track and field team, in jazz band and select chorus – among other things, – is one of 22 young actors and actresses chosen for the Disney remake.

He'll be traveling into the city Saturday and Sunday to rehearse each weekend before the performance.

One of Scuttle's more popular lines in the movie is when he speaks with Ariel about her new appearance – she had legs.

"Look at ya! Look at ya! There's something different. Don't tell me. I got it. It's your hairdo, right? You've been using the dinglehopper, right?"

Isolano will be perfecting that over the next month.

In the future, he plans on attending Julliard to pursue acting as a career.

"When I'm on stage I feel like I'm part of something and having fun."