With Nools, Whos, Wickershams, and kangaroos galore,
JC’s production of Seussical was captivating, charming and more.
The production was packed with rhyming, dancing, and singing of all sorts. It was incomparable to any other production JC’s theater department has ever put on.
The show opened with a strong group number called “Oh, the thinks you can think.” The choreography was great and everyone seemed to know all moves by heart. The energy was high on stage and there were tons of great costumes and hairstyles to admire.
After the opening song, the scenes began to focus on specific characters. One main character was Horton the elephant (played by senior Tyler Fritz) who was an outcast among his peers in the jungle of Nool. He found a clover where a village of tiny people called “Whos” lived. They asked Horton to help them survive, and he vowed to protect them by saying his famous phrase: “A person’s a person no matter how small.” Fritz’s genuine empathy for the people of the “Who” showed his enormous talent.
Junior Kelsey Lake played the role of a bird with a one feather tail who is in love with Horton. She was not on stage in every scene, but when she was, she commanded the attention of every audience member. Her ability to stay in character was so amazing that it was shocking to see her after the show as a human being and not as a little bird.
Traditionally, the JC musicals follow a trend of casting the same students playing in lead roles.
However, in this production, the spotlight was on someone new when the role of Sour Kangaroo was given to junior Ashley Markley. In Act I, she sang the song “Biggest Blame Fool” with more soul than James Brown and Arethra Franklin combined. Not only did she have a unique voice, but she had an effortless stage presence that made her role even more entertaining.
Although many of the characters were excellent, the Cat in the Hat was my absolute favorite. Junior Ryan Selvy had the audience laughing every time he stepped on the stage. The caliber of his performance could easily be compared with that of a Broadway performer. His comic timing was perfect, and he obviously had fun with his role. He was what made the show great instead of good.
Along with some fabulous main characters, there were many other things that made the show great. There was an excellent set which included a jungle background and a nest for Horton to sit in.
Some characters interacted with the audience and came down the isles. There were some captivating minor characters such as senior Benny Clough as the Grinch, and sophomore Adam Kuester as Jojo.
The costumes were also great. The detail of the costumes for the group of five singing birds was excellent.
Overall, the production was a huge success and everyone involved with the play should be extremely proud of all their hard work that they put into this fantastic production.
Haley Lynch can be reached for comment at [email protected]