The Turnage Theater will be transformed to an undersea paradise this Saturday as Arts of the Pamlico presents “The Little Mermaid Jr.,” the second installment of the nonprofit’s Broadway Kids Camp.

Based on the Hans Christian Anderson tale turned Disney classic, “The Little Mermaid Jr.” tells the story of a rebellious teenage mermaid, Ariel, and her fascination with the world of humans. Falling in love with a human prince, Arial struggles to find her place in the two worlds, falling prey to the machinations of the evil sea hag Ursula.

What follows is a tale of love, friendship and finding one’s way in a confusing world. With 20 scenes in all, the play will be performed by a cast of kids between the ages of six and 11. AOP Children’s Programing Coordinator Rachel Isaac, for whom this is the first time directing a musical production, is directing the show. Bruce Anglemyer, one of the older participants in the Broadway Kids Camp, is serving as her assistant director.

“For basically all of them, this is their first show,” Isaac said. “They’ve only had three weeks to practice, learn everything and memorize everything.”

From committing lines to memory and learning where to stand on stage to remembering cues and musical numbers, the process of bringing a show to life on stage has many moving pieces, challenges the cast of “The Little Mermaid Jr.” have taken well in stride.

“I’ve seen them grow in their personalities too,” Isaac said. “At the beginning they were very quiet and shy, and now they’re all super excited and loud and actually having fun on stage.”

The Little Mermaid Jr. takes the stage twice this Saturday, with a matinee showing at 2:30 p.m. and an evening showing at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the door or online at www.artsofthepamlico.org. Cost is $5 cash or $7 with a credit card.