Do you remember the green eggs your teacher made for the whole class in kindergarten? Or your neck being a bit sore after a Dr. Seuss read-aloud on the carpet? When attending the musical’s production of “Seussical: The Musical” on opening night, November 13, it was easy to feel transported back to childhood by the songs. It was entertaining for all ages, and the familiarity of the stories kept the audience’s full attention for two and a half hours. The production is based on “Horton Hears a Who,” but incorporates other stories like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “The Cat in the Hat,” and “Horton Hatches the Egg.” Arriving early gave people the chance to see Seuss books, stuffed animals, and a face-in-hole Thing One and Thing Two stand, perfect for picture opportunities. The cost for students was $8, which was initially a bit expensive, but the quality and entertainment were worth it.
The show began with the Cat in the Hat’s classic red and white top hat in the middle of the stage, with the spotlight streaming down; anticipation and excitement filled the audience. Jojo, played by freshman Sarah Majeske, is the creator of this imaginary world and lives in Whoville. Jojo sets the scene with the discovery of the hat, which leads up to meeting the narrator of the show, The Cat in the Hat, played by junior Gwendolyn Bruce-Demuri. Bruce-Demuri did a beautiful job energizing the crowd by embracing the weirdness of Dr. Seuss’s beloved character.
In the scene “It’s Possible,” inspired by Dr. Seuss’s book “McElligots’ Pool,” the scene takes place in Jojo’s bathroom while he’s daydreaming in the bathtub. He daydreams of the bathtub being connected to some other sea. Jojo and Cat, as well as many other background actors in this scene, did a marvelous job portraying the wonders of childhood, making it feel like this imaginary pool surrounded the audience with the colors and fish from the Dr. Seuss universe.
The two work together to tell the story imagined in Jojo’s head of a giant elephant named Horton, played by senior Jack Gerber, who hears cries of help from a small speck of dust, which he places carefully on a clover. The story follows Horton’s journey of protecting the clover, on which Jojo and the rest of Whoville live. Horton also has to care for an egg left behind by Mayzie LaBird, played by senior AnnaMae Clinch–a fabulous bird who flees for vacation from her motherly duties. Additional plot lines include the slow-burning romance of Gertrude McFuzz, played by senior Lillian Johnson, Horton and Jojo going to war against the butter side downers, and the hatching of Horton’s elephant bird. The story interweaves themes of loyalty, friendship, and the central idea that a person is a person, no matter how small.
Vocally, the show did not disappoint. Goosebumps were frequent, especially during those low whispered moments that were honestly spooky.
One Issue that detracted from the performance was that the sound system was off. Many spots were either too loud or too quiet. For example, when one of the bird girls was singing, the sound seemed to be completely turned down, and when Sour Kangaroo, played by senior Makayla Trochinski, was singing, it was way too loud. Overall, “Seussical: The Musical” deserves a 4.5/5 because of its entertainment value for all ages, the quality of the show, and the smooth flow of the scenes.
