When the curtains opened for the Walden Elementary School Drama Club’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr. on Thursday, March 24 and Friday, March 25, 2022, there was something special in the air for the students performing. The performance was not only the first time students graced the stage to perform post-pandemic, but also a tribute to long-time Walden resident and friend of the school community Samuel Wright. Wright, a beloved Broadway actor, voiced Sebastian in the Disney classic film The Little Mermaid and later opened the Hudson Valley Conservatory in Walden in an effort to bring the arts to the community.

The performance brought many emotions for those involved in the show, from students unsure about their ability, to teachers and staff eager to bring out the best in their students after a long two years. Drama Club Director Nina Morrison said the performance this year was special for a multitude of reasons. The Little Mermaid Jr. performance consisted of 54 fifth grade students as part of the cast and crew.
“I think the lack of musical expression because of Covid had a huge impact on students feeling confident in their own abilities, especially when it came to singing. However, they came into their own in the end, and you never would have known that they lost those two years and having the added honor of finally presenting The Wright Family with the plaque that we wanted to give to Sam directly was such a touching experience. I would say that at this point in my career, it was definitely the biggest highlight for me, and I will forever cherish that moment,” said Morrison.

Morrison explained The Little Mermaid, Jr. was selected this year as the school play because the school had previously planned to honor Wright personally during the 2019-2020 school year, but he passed away before the school was able to.

“We did “The Lion King” musical during the 2019-2020 school year and had asked if Sam would be willing to come into school and talk to the drama students about his experience on Broadway as the very first “Mufasa” and his acting career. At the time, we had planned to present him with a plaque to honor all of his accomplishments and the work he has done in our Walden community. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to attend our shows where we were going to present the plaque directly to him because he was too sick. We never had the chance before now to present it to him because one week after The Lion King shows, the world was shut down due to COVID. Sadly, he passed away before we were able to run another musical production,” explained Morrison.

Morrison said recognizing Wright and his family’s commitment to the arts in the Valley Central School District community was an honor. “His dedication to his family is undeniable, I have seen for myself how much he meant to them and how much his absence leaves a hole in their heart. After his acting career, he moved here to Walden and founded the Hudson Valley Conservatory and The New Rose Theatre. At that point, Sam and his wife Mandy dedicated their lives to teaching thousands of students dance and drama,” she explained.

With many students attending the Hudson Valley Conservatory and his daughter, Dee Kelly, on the school board, Wright and his family are an integral part of the fabric of the Valley Central community. Morrison said honoring Wright was a privilege for those who knew him.

“I am confident that Sam’s biggest and most important role was definitely being a devoted father, husband, and grandfather. Seeing what his children have continued to accomplish without his presence makes that very clear,” said Morrison, “We wanted to honor him because of his accomplishments in his career, but more importantly how he took all that talent and decided it was more important to personally share that talent with our community here in Walden instead of choosing to continue to pursue his acting career. I believe a huge part of that decision was also so that he could be closer to his family. I really admire the fact that he chose his family over a career of fame and fortune. It takes a really special kind of human being to make that choice.”

The plaque made for Wright was presented to his family during the performance and Morrison said she was glad his family was finally able to accept it on his behalf. Wright’s daughter, Dee Kelly said the experience of seeing the school community honor her father was a moment she will never forget. “I think seeing my kids so proud of who my Dad was and having it really click for them was amazing. As important as he was to my family, he was equally as important to others in the community and my kids recognized that. He loved the community so much and enjoyed volunteering with the kids. He didn’t do it for the accolade- he did it because he genuinely loved the kids,” she shared.

“It was important to celebrate Samuel Wright who had a profound impact at Walden Elementary School and throughout our school community. Sam and his wife Amanda made a great team. They always enjoyed visiting our students to read books, speaking about kindness, and making us all laugh by voicing Sebastian the Crab.  He was a great actor and an even better man.  The Walden Elementary School Community is so fortunate for Sam and his entire family for all they have done, and continue to do, in the Village of Walden and beyond,” said Walden Elementary School Principal Gregory Heidemann.