Wireless Mics and Projection for Disney's Finding Nemo JR.
Show guide · JR. · 34 speaking roles; doubles down to 15–20 · Reviewed by Stage Gear staff, October 2026
Short answer: plan on 15 channels. 13 body mics for the main roles, with four packs shared between characters who never overlap, plus 2 spares. Cover the Sea Chorus with 2–3 area mics at the stage edge.
Stage Gear supplies wireless mics, rentals and projection to school and community theatres across the U.S. Our staff work in theatre; this guide is how we'd mic Disney's Finding Nemo JR.
Who gets a mic
With 34 speaking roles you cannot mic everyone, so we focused on roles that sing solos or carry long scenes. Nemo, Marlin, Dory, Gill, Crush, Bruce, Bloat, Gurgle and Squirt each get their own pack. Four more packs are shared: Coral passes hers to Peach, Professor Ray to Nigel, Pearl to Kai and Sheldon to Breeze, because the first of each pair is done before the second appears. That is 13 packs plus 2 spares, for 15 channels.
Borderline: Tad, Chum, Anchor, Bubbles, the Reef Parents and the Seagulls have short lines that area mics or a spare can cover. Shared packs only work with a backstage mic wrangler and a written swap list, so confirm in your script that the reef characters have no lines in the finale.
Bigger budget (19 channels): give Peach, Nigel, Kai and Breeze their own packs so no swaps are needed.
Mic plot
| Ch | Role | Mic | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel 1 | Nemo | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Young lead; small mic under fish cap or hair. |
| Channel 2 | Marlin | Hairline, beige | Carries the journey; long dialogue scenes with Dory. |
| Channel 3 | Dory | Hairline, brown | Under wig; fast comic dialogue and solos. |
| Channel 4 | Gill | Hairline, brown | Leads the Tank Gang; tuck under fin cap. |
| Channel 5 | Crush | Headset, black | Belts "Go With the Flow"; surfing moves need a headset. |
| Channel 6 | Bruce | Earset, black | Shark hoods often cover the hairline; earset sits clear. |
| Channel 7 | Coral / Peach | Hairline, beige | Coral exits early; Peach appears later in the tank. |
| Channel 8 | Professor Ray / Nigel | Earset, beige | Ray teaches early; Nigel's beak headpiece suits an earset. |
| Channel 9 | Bloat | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Small mic under fish cap; comic Tank Gang lines. |
| Channel 10 | Gurgle | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Small mic under cap; nervous comic lines. |
| Channel 11 | Squirt | Headset, brown | Fast, active turtle kid; headset stays in place. |
| Channel 12 | Pearl / Kai | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Pearl is on the reef early; Kai solos later. |
| Channel 13 | Sheldon / Breeze | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Sheldon is on the reef early; Breeze solos later. |
| Channel 14 | Spare | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Pre-taped backup for Nemo or Dory. |
| Channel 15 | Spare | Headset, black | Quick swap for Crush or Squirt. |
Every Bodymic is wired for one transmitter family: Shure, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, AKG, MiPro or Creative Audio. Build your Bodymics to match the packs you own. Cast Pack: every 4 Bodymics of the same style and capsule size earn a 5th free. This plot is a starting point; change any row to suit your cast.
The ensemble
The Sea Chorus builds the ocean and plays dozens of small creatures, so cover it with two or three area or choir mics along the front of the stage. The Sharks, Seagulls, Fish "Friends" and Reef Parents mostly speak or sing as groups and work on the same area mics. Give an ensemble member a body channel only for a featured line that keeps getting lost, such as a lead Seagull.
Show notes from our team
- Four pack swaps. Coral to Peach, Ray to Nigel, Pearl to Kai and Sheldon to Breeze each need one crew member, a printed swap list, fresh tape and a mic check before the next entrance.
- Fish caps and headpieces. Most productions use caps, hats or headpieces rather than full fish costumes. Fit mics under them at the first costume fitting, and keep fins and foam from rubbing the element.
- "Go With the Flow". Crush, Squirt, Kai and Breeze move fast through the current with the Sea Chorus. Secure headsets and packs firmly, and pull ensemble area mics down under each solo line.
- Ocean to aquarium. The Sea Chorus moves the story between the ocean and the aquarium tank. Build separate mixer scenes for reef, ocean and tank so only the characters in that world are open.
Projection
The coral reef, the open ocean, the jellyfish, the East Australian Current, the aquarium tank and Sydney Harbour all suit projected scenery, and projection makes the jumps between ocean and tank simple. Most school auditoriums need 7,000–10,000 lumens with the right lens; smaller black boxes need less.
Our sister company Broadway Media makes Scenic Projections for Disney's Finding Nemo JR. Not sure which projector? Read Stage Projectors for Digital Scenery.
Rent it for the run, or own it
| What you get | Next step | |
|---|---|---|
| Rent for the show | A 15-channel wireless rental, Monday to Monday around tech week. Tested before it ships, return labels in every case. | See rental systems |
| Own it | Creative Audio Show-Ready, 16 channels: receivers, bodypacks and antennas racked, programmed and tested. $ 11,190.38. | See the system |
| Mics for the packs you have | Bodymics for the whole cast: hairline from $79, earsets and headsets from $99. | Build your Bodymics |
Buying for a school? U.S. public schools can pay by purchase order. How school ordering works.
Common questions
- How many wireless mics does Finding Nemo JR. need?
- Plan on 15 channels: 13 body mics for the main roles, with four packs shared between characters who never overlap, plus 2 spares. With more budget, 19 channels removes the swaps.
- How do we mic the Sea Chorus?
- Use two or three area or choir mics along the front of the stage. The Sea Chorus plays many small creatures and mostly sings as a group, so save body mics for Nemo, Marlin, Dory and the other named roles.
- Can one mic pack really be shared between two characters?
- Yes, if the first character is finished before the second enters and a crew member handles the swap: remove, wipe, re-tape and check. Write a swap list for every share and rehearse each one during tech.
- Can we rent mics just for our show week?
- Yes. Stage Gear rentals run Monday to Monday around tech week, so you have mics for rehearsals and every performance. Systems arrive tested with return labels, and school purchase orders are welcome.
Doing Disney's Finding Nemo JR. this year?
Get mic tips for your show and a reminder before rental season books up.
Stage Gear is not a show licensor. Disney's Finding Nemo JR. is licensed through Music Theatre International (MTI); production rights come from them. Stage Gear sells and rents the equipment. See you on stage!
