JUST KEEP SWIMMING WITH FINDING NEMO JR. AT VERMILLION PLAYERS!
Disney and Pixar’s FINDING NEMO JR.
Playing at Chautauqua Park Theater Pavilion in Pontiac, IL
Pontiac, IL May 8th 2026 – Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo JR. is playing at Chautauqua Park Theater Pavilion from July 8th through July 12th at 7PM. The charming 60-minute musical, designed for middle school-aged performers, is based on the beloved 2003 Pixar film Finding Nemo. The Vermillion Players cast includes over 80 students led by co-directors Ashley Diaz and Meghan Harper.
Dive into the big blue world of Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo JR.! This new stage musical is a 60-minute adaptation of the beloved 2003 Pixar movie Finding Nemo, with new music by award-winning songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves. Featuring memorable songs such as “Just Keep Swimming,” “Fish Are Friends Not Food,” and “Go With the Flow,” Finding Nemo JR. brings a vibrant underwater world to life on stage in a story full of family, friendship, and adventure.
For information on purchasing tickets please visit vermillionplayers.com or call (312) 834-7860 for reservations.
Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo JR. is presented through special arrangement with and all materials are provided by Music Theatre International. For more information about licensing Finding Nemo JR. or other Disney shows, please visit www.DisneyMusicals.com.
Vermillion Players, Inc., an amateur theatre troupe based in Pontiac, IL and relies upon the talent throughout all of Livingston County and the surrounding area. VP has been providing quality live theatre to Pontiac and surrounding communities for decades.
Founded in 1965, we stage musicals, comedies, melodramas, farces, revues, and serious drama in the summer of each year. Our home base of stage production is the Chautauqua Park Pavilion in Pontiac, IL, and at The Eagle Performing Arts and Conference Center in downtown Pontiac every February, April, and October. Every year our performing spaces come alive with the sounds of music and laughter as performers delight audiences of all ages.
Originating as a children’s theater, Vermillion Players was formed with the idea that the young in the area would have an opportunity outside of their schools to experience and participate in live theater. The troupe has evolved into a diverse group dedicated to bringing area talent together both on stage and behind the scenes.
Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form.
MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists, and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials, and dynamic theatrical resources to over 70,000 professional, community, and school theatres in the US and in over 60 countries worldwide.
MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.
