Music in Our Schools Month. Theatre in our Schools Month. Theodore Geisel’s (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) birth month. What better way to celebrate all three simultaneously than by producing Seussical the Musical?
Many of us grew up with the whimsical and and clever stories of Dr. Seuss and have taken delight in introducing the fanciful rhymes and illustrations to children in our lives. As a parent, many of my family traditions revolve around Dr. Seuss (“Grinch Punch,” anyone?), and reading the stories and watching the film adaptations has enabled me to relive moments from my childhood. It has been a pleasure to reintroduce our Stage 42 students to their childlike wonder and our hope is to do the same for you in the audience.
Our student technical crew took great pride in bringing this whimsy and nostalgia to life in their scenic design. Remarkably, aside from a small contingent of adults that guided them with construction projects, this set was completely designed and built by students. I am immensely proud of their vision — which I consider a character all its own — and dedication in bringing it to life. Love and gratitude to the entire technical crew for sharing their passion and talent to this production!
Seussical is not simply a musical that is bright, entertaining, and full of nostalgia - it also does what every great piece of theatre should do. It challenges the audience to think. Despite its roots in the works of the zaniest author known to literature, Seussical is saturated with valuable life lessons for audience members of all ages. Its creators, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, also share their knowledge and appreciation for the history and development of musical theatre. For example, the song, “Havin’ a Hunch,” pays homage to renowned musical theatre director and choreographer Bob Fosse both stylistically and lyrically, as many of Fosse’s characteristic dance moves were a result of his distorted hunchback posture. This show isfull of opportunities to expand our students in many ways — educating them on the history of musical theatre while exposing the cast to the many benefits in taking the stage.
The central theme of acceptance and the easily relatable nature of the characters has been a driving force in Stage 42’s vision. Our company members have connected with Gertrude’s feelings of inadequacy, Mayzie’s tendency to prefer play over responsibility, Jojo’s temptation to question authority and institutional practice, Cat’s ability to inject humor into uncomfortable situations, and Horton’s devotion in serving humanity. Through it all, the students have shown time and time again just how bright the future looks for this world. Through the inevitable adversity and stress associated with putting on a musical, these kids banded together to create a piece of theatre that drives a relevant and vital message home: “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” Sometimes it feels as though we live in a world full of neverending and divisive turmoil but we mustn’t lose sight of showing care for one another. You never know what someone is dealing with outside of these four walls.
The cast, technical crew, directors, and I truly hope you find joy, hope, and inspiration. Thank you for supporting our efforts in spreading this message of acceptance and strong “thinks.”
Sincerely,
Betsy Stambach-Fuller
Director
