Skip to content
Our Archives

A unique 'Seussical'

    by By Anna Rose Bedrosian, Springside - Chestnut Hill Academy, Inquirer
    Published 

A cat with a large red-and-white striped hat comes out and starts conducting an orchestra. A sudden ring breaks through the music and the cat answers it with "Hi, Mom". This is what marks the beginning of Sun Valley High School's production of "Seussical".

"Seussical" was written in 1999 and opened on Broadway on November 30, 2000 and closed on May 20, 2001 after 198 performances. Kevin Chamberlin was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2001. The musical was written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty and based off the stories of Dr. Seuss. The music was written by Stephen Flaherty, and the lyrics were written by Lynn Ahrens. "Seussical" is a combination of several of Dr. Seuss' stories including The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who!, Horton Hatches the Egg, Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories, and Green Eggs and Ham. The Cat in the Hat serves as a guide for the audience through the story, but focuses mainly on Horton the Elephant trying to save "Who", a planet so small that everything in Horton's world is a threat. Meanwhile, Gertrude McFuzz, a bird with a tail she feels is too small, is in love with Horton and struggles to get his attention.

Sun Valley High School's production of "Seussical" was unique in that they used actors from elementary school, junior high school, and high school. When the whole cast was on stage at once, the ensemble as a whole was energetic and powerful. All the colorful costumes attracted the eye, and it was entertaining to spot a character from a favorite Dr. Seuss story in the crowd. This production also used a dog from How the Grinch Stole Christmas and a baby that hatched from the egg Horton was forced to watch.

Tyler Campbell, who played The Cat in the Hat, stood out for his strong voice and comic relief when necessary in the play. Kevin Gane, who played Horton the Elephant, fit the character well and made the audience care about Horton and see his good nature.

Amy Eunson, who played Gertrude McFuzz, showed her great confidence through her vocal talents. Lindsay Ronaldson, who played Sour Kangaroo, had one of the strongest and most powerful voices of the bunch and dominated the numbers she was a part of. Zachary Workman (Mr. Mayor), Kristin Garrison (Mrs. Mayor), and Kaitlin McCombs (JoJo) were among the strongest vocally as an ensemble.

The colorful sets were fantastic in this production and provided an atmosphere reminiscent of many of Dr. Seuss' books. Although the sound system sometimes went in and out, the actors could be heard almost the entire time. The colorful costumes and makeup were each so unique and colorful and matched well with the sets.

Sun Valley High School's production of "Seussical" was beyond expectations in bringing together all age groups to create a strong show that appealed to all. This show will have you realizing "Oh the Things You Can Think!"