SALAMANCA — A visit to the Ray Evans Seneca Theater this week promises an ocean full of fun and excitement as the Salamanca Youth Bureau’s Arts Alive program presents “Finding Nemo Jr.”

In free performances at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, the area’s youth will perform a musical adventure based on the Disney/Pixar animated film about a fish father searching for his lost son with the help of an eclectic cast of sea creatures.

Director Brandon Milanwoski was feeling good heading into show week as the various elements — both on stage and behind the scenes — were coming together Friday. He said the past two months of the Arts Alive have included playing theater games with the roughly 50 participating kids for the first several days and then putting the show together over the last six weeks.

“The past couple of years it’s been closer to 40, so we’re seeing a little bit more than normal,” noted Markie Phillips, the youth bureau director. “After 30 years, it’s impressive that it’s still going as strong as it is.”

“It kind of fell off, but now we’re rebuilding,” Milanowski added. “I feel like when we did Willy Wonka (in 2016), there were like 80 kids.”

Because the program is generally aimed at elementary school students, Milanowski said they always have a lot of returning students from the previous year. And although they didn’t get as many older kids returning this year, he said they did have a lot of new faces joining for the first time.

“Most of the Tank Gang (a group of fish in a dentist’s office aquarium) is new this year, Nemo is new this year, but we also have a lot of returning kids who have been here for four or five years,” he said.

That cast is a big part of why “Finding Nemo Jr.” was chosen for this summer’s production, Milanowski said. He said it’s both a familiar story for families who have watched the 2003 film, and the musical itself has become more popular online with performances at Disney parks.

“They have a starting point in their brain for the show,” he added.

From left, Whalyn Wyatt as Marlin the Clownfish, Lainey John and Bruce the Shark and Evelyn Earley as Dory the Blue Tang in a scene from “Finding Nemo Jr.”

The aquatic-themed sets made with scenic cutouts and pool noodles incorporated into the look of the stage are also familiar for Arts Alive productions, Milanowski said. He said a youthful approach to making more colorful sets has been a nice return after more realistic sets the past couple of years — and it makes it fun for the eyes to watch the show.

“Also new this year, we have a full Group B song — they’re all about 9 years old,” he said. “We usually try to throw them into group songs or they’ll have some featured parts, but this year they have an entire song to themselves. … If they’re in the program for a while, the program is in good hands.”

Phillips said they’ve been privileged to see the program continue and evolve from when they were actors in it, to production assistants years later, to this summer.

“We’re getting to continue this tradition in the community, and we’re getting to see that the kids grow throughout this entire program,” she said. “It’s been nice to see our teenagers take over (behind the scenes) this year. We have a lot of new teenage workers who are helping and making the show what it is. It’s an exciting new passing of the torch for employees this year.”

Milanowski agreed, adding his excitement in seeing a young actor who may be shy or quiet at home or school, but they blossom into a completely different person when they’re up on the stage. He said even if someone doesn’t excel at academics or sports, there’s a place for everyone in the arts.

“These younger kids have really stepped up,” Phillips said. “They’ve really taken charge and made the show really incredible and taken ownership of it.”

The Salamanca Arts Alive summer program has brought the community free live entertainment annually for 30 years, and Milanowski and Phillips both want to see the tradition continue for another 30 years, encouraging families to attend a performance, whether they have children on stage or not.

“It’s also really unique that we get to do this in (the Ray Evans Seneca Theater),” Milanowski noted. “We’re one of the few lucky theater programs in the area that has an actual theater to perform in.”

“It’s adorable and it’s fun and it’s only an hour long,” Phillips added.

Milanowski and Phillips also extended their thanks to the entire Arts Alive staff and the families of actors and crew for making the program a success.

The Tank Gang in “Finding Nemo Jr.” features (from left) Averie Earley, Paisley Haines, Evelyn Long, Payton Jimerson and Morgan Earley with Bria Hill.