Spring Musical Cast Spotlight: Rachel Crowley, Benny Middle, and Benjamin Renaux
- Step VA, Inc.
- Apr 9
- 7 min read
Fredericksburg, Virginia—Until very recently, Disney has been famous (or infamous) for its main characters not to have a mom. Moms in the Disney-verse are often eliminated in the first few minutes of a movie, if not as part of the backstory. The movie Finding Nemo was par for the course, with Nemo's mom—and Marlin's wife—Coral eaten by the barracuda in the first few minutes of the film.
STEP VA Inc., the local 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers people with disabilities and their families through creative expression and sensory exploration, tips that idea on it's side, as it brings Disney/Pixar's “Finding Nemo, Jr.” to the stage this weekend. While Coral does, indeed, go to the great beyond early in the show, her actor returns as a shadowy figure that guides Nemo through the dangers of the “Big Blue World.”
Rachel Crowley will take on the fins of Coral, protecting her only surviving offspring, Nemo—played in the second half of the show by Benny Middle and in the first half of the show by Benjamin Renaux—before the incident with the barracuda (played by Joel Ayo) and afterward, as a shadow character that keeps Nemo on the straight and narrow current.
STEP VA's version of Disney/Pixar's “Finding Nemo, Jr.” marks Crowley's fourth time on the stage with the organization. She's been in every licensed musical that STEP VA has staged, starting her run with the role of Scar in Disney's “The Lion King, Kids!” Now in its fifth year—fourth year of licensed musicals—Crowley returns to the STEP VA Spring Musical Experience for that, exactly: the experience.
“STEP VA keeps challenging me and letting me grow as an actor, dancer, and storyteller. Every production pushes me in new ways, whether it is the role I play, how I shape my character, or how I use movement to tell the story,” she said.
After her run as Scar, Crowley found herself in supporting character roles: Marcy in “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and the Mayor's Wife in “Seussical Jr.” Going into auditions for Disney/Pixar's “Finding Nemo, Jr.” she was hoping to get a role that challenged her more than the Marcy or Mrs. Mayor did. Being cast as The Shadow offered her the challenge she craved.
“With Mrs. Mayor, my challenge was making her feel real and important. With Nemo Shadow, it is about how he carries his own presence and emotions on stage,” she explained. “He is not just another version of Nemo—he has his own identity, and I have worked hard to make that clear through my performance. It has been super exciting to build him into a full, meaningful character!”
Crowley put a lot of thought into the new character.
“I do not play Coral for long, but her love stays with Nemo, so I carry that into Nemo Shadow to keep her presence alive kind of like a guardian angel,” she said.
As such, her favorite song is “Big, Blue World.”
“'Big Blue World; is my favorite! It shows Nemo’s excitement to explore the ocean, but it also connects to Coral—her love and encouragement are still shaping his journey, even when she is not there. That makes the song extra special for both of my roles!” she explained.
Maintaining that energy while developing two very different, yet connected, characters has created the biggest challenge Crowley had with the rehearsal process.
“When I got the role, I wanted Coral and Nemo Shadow to feel different but still connected. Coral is warm and protective, while Nemo Shadow moves with enormous emotion. It is tricky making sure all the transitions are smooth, so the audience really feels the meaning behind every step!” she said, adding that she enjoys the weekly rehearsals. “One of the best parts of rehearsals is getting to sing and share the experience with my friends! It is not just about perfecting everything, I love being part of it all, enjoying every moment, from learning unfamiliar dance movements to making friendships along the way.”
Crowley both challenged herself further and built on the friendships she's made through STEP VA by joining the Media Committee this year. It was her first time writing some of the Cast Profiles for her castmates, such as Warrick Couture and Christian Merrill.
“It was super cool!,” she said when asked about her experience with the media committee this year. “Getting to shape how the production is presented while performing in it gave me a whole new perspective. I got the chance to do this because of my past interview about Ryan Gosling’s approach to Ken—finding depth in a character that might have been overlooked. That inspired me to make sure my castmates’ stories were highlighted with care, and I loved helping frame their artistic journeys.”
As Coral—Nemo's mom—and the Shadow, Crowley also has spent the last three months helping to shape the artistic journeys of Middle and Renaux, as they learn their way around the STEP VA stage. She reports that her relationship with the two younger cast members is very much like an older sister, but adds that she feels a certain amount of responsibility toward them.
“I try to support them, help them feel confident, and make sure they have fun while bringing their characters to life,” she said.
With all the hard work the cast has put into rehearsals, as well as her own dedication to two roles—as well as trying to set a good example for her costars, Crowley is looking forward to the show.
“I cannot wait to share this musical with the audience! We have put so much heart, energy, and creativity into it, and it is going to be amazing seeing everything come together. I am excited for people to experience how each character comes to life through music, dance, and storytelling,” she explained. “I hope they see that this musical is more than just an ocean adventure—it is about trust, letting go, and accepting support from the people around you. Marlin holds onto Nemo because he is afraid, but he learns that being protective is different from letting someone grow. And throughout the show, unexpected friendships and community support make all the difference in facing challenges.”
Those friendships and community support are certainly strong within the STEP VA family and it's often the most apparent during the Spring Musical Experience. It's certainly when some of the newer actors learn just how important it is to work as a team.
For Benny Middle, who plays Nemo in the second half of the show, the support from his castmates is important as he steps into his first full role with lines and choreography—as one of the titular characters.
“Rehearsals are a little stressful because I'm afraid I'll mess up,” he admitted.
While this is the first time he's had such a big role within the Spring Musical Experience, it's not the first time he's been on stage with STEP VA. Last year, he was a member of the Dr. Seuss class, which performed in the pre-show. The year before, he had a slightly bigger role as a pint-sized version of Charlie Brown. In that cast, the mini-cast had their own song and dance number, and joined the main cast on stage for two of the big songs as well.
So while Middle has an idea of what to expect, being in the main cast is a completely different experience for him. Still young enough to enjoy recess, being in a musical of this scale sometimes can be boring.
“Sitting and waiting can be hard,” he said.
Luckily, as a Nemo, Middle doesn't have to sit and wait as much as some of his castmates. It's one of the benefits of being cast as a title character on one of his first times out.
“It’s really cool; I get to be involved in everything,” he said.
Everything, including the character arc wherein Nemo sees a side of Marlin that he hadn't seen before. It leads to his favorite song in the show, “That's My Dad.”
With so much to experience as a Nemo on cast, Middle has a lot to look forward to in just two days time. What has him the most excited?
“Signing autographs at the end!” he said, adding that “I’m a little nervous about being on stage, but I think it’ll be okay.”
Middle is far from the only one who's a little nervous about being on stage. His Nemo counterpart, Benjamin Renaux, also admits to being unsure of the experience.
Though he's participated in some of the organization's summer camp sessions and weekend workshops, Renaux is in his first Spring Musical Experience performance with STEP VA. At auditions, he indicated it's his first real exposure to musical theater, but he wanted to give it a try because he likes to sing. He certainly wasn't expecting to land the role of Nemo.
“I was really surprised I got to be Nemo, it made me so happy. I am super excited to be Nemo and to show off my awesome dance moves,” he said.
Dancing is one aspect he particularly enjoys about rehearsals—and it's one of the challenges he faces with the weekly practice sessions as well.
“Learning new dance moves and learning to sing on stage” are what Renaux enjoys most about rehearsals. His favorite songs are “The Prologue,” and “Go with the Flow,” but “learning to memorize the words of the songs and speaking lines” can be challenging.
“It makes me nervous sometimes,” he admitted, but he's also happy to be part of the cast.
“I am very proud of myself and my Mom is super proud too.”
Though he may be nervous, he's also excited for the show this weekend. He's ready to show the audience what he can do, and he's excited “to be apart of the show; to be apart of something that I love to do,” he said. What does that entail? “To be with friends who love to act and sing and dance like I do,” he added. “I really love to dance and sing. I have practiced really hard and I hope I do well. I like how it makes me feel to be apart of this play. It makes me feel good about myself.”
STEP VA invites you to come see a show that's more than just another musical and get autographs from the cast after the curtain drops. Their production of Disney/Pixar's “Finding Nemo, Jr.,” held April 12 & 13, 2025 at Courtland High School, is also a metaphor for life, especially if you know or love someone with a disability. Show times are 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 13. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation available for audience members at the show on Saturday, April 12 (6 p.m.). Tickets are $15 (kids under five are free) and are on sale now. CLICK HERE to purchase. Flowers for cast members are available for advanced purchase HERE, through Friday, April 11.
For more information or to donate to STEP VA, visit www.stepva.org.
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STEP VA, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides sensory-based theater and arts programs for individuals with disabilities. Its vision is to transform the world by offering each individual the opportunity to flourish in the community.