By Lisa Larson

Playing the title role in Disney’s The Little Mermaid at Tuacahn this year, Kelsey Lee Smith knows flipping your fins will only get you so far in discovering all the St. George desert has to offer. Luckily, Smith is no fish out of water when it comes to life in the Greater Zion area, having spent time here last season as Anya in Anastasia.

“I was really excited to come back!” Smith said. “I loved it so much here last year. It really felt like home to me as I was driving through the canyon again. I’ve missed this view!”

Settling into her comfortable Canyon Suites apartment on the Tuacahn campus, Smith said it is remarkable being able to live so close to work. She shares her space with her cat, Frankie, and relishes the unique experience of living alongside her castmates and waking up in the shadow of Southern Utah’s red rocks every morning.

“My apartment is very me,” Smith said, looking around at the walls of her latest home. “I drove here from California, so I was able to pack some personal things to make it really feel like mine.”

Personal items like her collection of plants, familiar favorite bedding and decorations for her walls gives her a calm space in which she can relax and reset after a long day of rehearsals and performances. It’s one of the important ways in which Smith maintains a proper work/life balance.

“I really enjoy what I do, but it is important for me to have some alone time each day just to recharge,” she said. “During busy rehearsal season, a lot of that down time is filled with running errands, but I actually enjoy running errands.”

Especially when those errands include stopping at FS Coffee — her favorite local coffee shop — and time in the Book Bungalow.

“It’s this 100-year-old house converted into a bookstore, which is really cool,” Smith said of the popular locally owned bookshop on Tabernacle Street in St. George. Smith says she enjoys reading fantasy books, as well as romance.

While downtown, Smith can’t help but wander into some of the other shops, especially those that sell crystals, another passion of hers. And she loves any chance she gets to do a little thrifting at places like SwitchPoint Boutique, and Coyote Exchange.

“I do a lot of thrifting in my free time,” Smith said.

Once the rehearsal schedules for all three Broadway musicals are in the rearview mirror and performances are in full swing, Smith and her fellow cast members have a little more flex time and they often use it by taking advantage of the area’s natural beauty. Among the most popular destinations for Smith and her friends is Pine Valley — because it’s a way to escape the heat.

“It’s so nice to go up there in the trees,” Smith said. “We spread out a blanket near this little creek, listen to music and chat.”

Because some of the cast and crew reside in the Arcadia Resort complex, Smith said they are able to access the fantastic pool and lazy river at Arcadia occasionally.

“We love swimming there, and they have really great milkshakes too,” she said.

Naturally the proximity to Zion National Park is an enticing draw to many of the Tuacahn actors and crew. Last year Smith enjoyed a few hikes in Zion, and she can’t wait to go back. This year she hopes to try The Narrows, and a river float if she can.

Even closer to home, however, Smith said the most adventurous thing she’s tried is the Padre Canyon Trail behind Tuacahn Amphitheatre. Last year Smith attempted to find the cave with a friend, but it was too hot, and they couldn’t make it the whole way. This year, she’d like to finish the task.

In the meantime, Smith and her fellow cast members will be entertaining audiences each night under the Southern Utah stars in one of three spectacular musicals, including Disney’s The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz and Newsies.

“Playing Ariel is a dream role of mine,” Smith said. “I have always loved the story and I was always singing the songs around the house. Anytime I went to the pool I would pretend to be a mermaid. My inner child is just smiling every time I do this show.”

If you’re lucky, you may see Smith and her friends out and about after the show at one of their other favorite local haunts: Iceberg Drive Inn, noshing on milkshakes, French fries and chicken tenders.

Do you have a favorite spot in Greater Zion you think Smith and her castmates should try? Check out Tuacahn’s social media Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, TikTok and X and comment where you think they should visit next.

And don’t forget to book your tickets now to see this season’s Tuacahn lineup. For ticket pricing, dates and info check out www.tuacahn.org or call the box office at 435-652-3300.