Being evil

Sometimes villains aren’t as evil as they’re made out to be.

Jay County Civic Theatre’s production of Disney’s “Descendants: The Musical,” kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday, with additional performances set for 7 p.m. Saturday, June 16 and June 17 and 2 p.m. Sunday and June 18 at Arts Place.

The show follows the descendants of four Disney villains as they attend school alongside the children of Disney heroes.

Joseph Bailey, music director, explained the show features a large number of pop songs requiring ensembles.

“I think this is actually one of the strongest ensembles we’ve had in a long time,” he said. “And I think that’s going to be reflected in some of the musical numbers. You can tell they definitely put in the work.”

More than 30 cast members make up the ensembles alone. Bailey noted those in the choir roles are the ones who “make or break the show.”

“A lot of times, we think, if you’re in the show, you think, ‘Oh, I didn’t get a lead role. I’m not as important,’” said Bailey. “(Director Ray Cooney) and I, we go to a lot of shows. We don’t watch the main characters. We watch people in the back.”

Bailey pointed out some of the main characters haven’t played larger roles before.

Aubrey Millspaugh, 16, Portland, stars as Mal, the daughter of Maleficent. She has performed in Jay County Civic Theatre productions of “The Little Mermaid,” “Frozen Junior” and “Moana Junior,” but this will be her first time in a lead role with the group.

It’s always been a dream of hers to play Mal, having loved the character since she first saw the movie, Disney’s “Descendants,” in 2015.

“I remember when the movie came out thinking I wish they made this movie when I was 16 so that I could play Mal,” said Millspaugh, who describes her character as the confident leader of a street gang.

“The confidence she has, that’s something I wish I had myself,” she said.

Logan Zimmerman, 18, Pennville, portrays Jay, the son of Jafar.

“Jay is a cold-hearted thief who enjoys getting his aggression out on other people, and who’s also very misunderstood,” said Zimmerman, who starred in past productions of “Frozen Jr.” and “Moana Jr.”

“He’s the kind of guy who just wants somebody to be proud of him.”

Mandi McIver plays Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty.”

Maleficent is “profoundly selfish,” said McIver. “She only cares about winning. She will stomp anyone that gets in her way, including her own child.”

The role enticed McIver because it’s not within her normal comfort zone.

“Everybody always talks about wanting to be the bad guy. And the bad guys do have more fun with their roles,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the kids’ actual reactions to me.”

She noted cast members will have a meet-and-greet with the audience following the show.

During an interview Thursday, McIver wore custom-made horns indicative of her character. Nods to various classic Disney characters, such as Aurora from “Sleeping Beauty,” Cinderella and Dopey from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” appear throughout the production, explained McIver, who has helped costume designer Jennifer McGraw. Chorus outfits are directly inspired by fictional characters.

“You’ll see other children popping through,” said McIver. “We gave some of the other kids ‘princess parents,’ so you’ll see Ariel inspirations, you’ll see Pocahontas inspirations, and then same thing with villains, you’ll see Captain Hook inspirations, you’ll see Dr. Facilier from ‘Princess and the Frog,’ so you’ll see random things sprinkled about.”

Tickets may be purchased in-person at Arts Place, by phone at (260) 726-4809 or online at myartsplace.org. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students.

“I just really hope people enjoy it,” said McIver. “We have worked very hard. There is a lot of roles that have pushed people that have challenged them, myself included.”

She noted Maleficent’s song, “Evil Like Me.”

“I’ve never been able to hit notes like that on stage before,” she said. “So it’s all very challenging. But it’s so much fun.”

“I just hope people get into it and relax and not be afraid to laugh, not be afraid to cheer, not be afraid to interact and get into it,” she continued. “Because this show definitely allows moments for that to happen.”