BWW Previews: SEUSSICAL at Old Opera House

By: Jul. 26, 2017
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You can join the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch, Thing 1 and Thing 2 and many other famous Dr. Seuss characters on an adventure this weekend as the Old Opera House presents Seussical: The Musical.

Seussical: The Musical focuses on the adventures of Horton the Elephant, who hears a noise coming from a speck of dust and discovers the entire world of the tiny Whos, who live in Whoville. Now Horton must convince his animal friends in the jungle that the Whos exist and that they need all the animal's help to work together and save Whoville. The cast in Seussical portray many famous Dr. Seuss characters and found unique ways to bring the characters to life for an audience.

"You find a happy medium between how you would like to play the character and how the character was originally written. There will always be minor differences. The challenge is being sure to reference the character depicted in the stories we all know and love" said Zac Gilbert, who plays the Cat in the Hat

"Many Dr. Seuss characters are easily recognized by the audience. Bringing characters that the audience already knows and loves to life creates an interesting dynamic" said Zach Cabbiness, who plays the Grinch. "I have a deep appreciation for Dr. Seuss and even though his rhymes may sound silly, it's always nice to have a laugh, young and old" said Logan Skyler Williams, who plays Gerturde McFluzz.


The cast had to work together to prepare the music that creates the fantasy world.

"This musical is very upbeat and requires a lot of hard work, energy and focus from the cast" said Williams. "The most challenging factor about preparing for this musical was learning the music and choreography. While learning individually is not too hard, coordinating as a group is more difficult" said Zach Cabbiness.

"Seussical is a fun show to be in because it has bright colors and is filled with energy. I am excited to be in my first production at the Old Opera House. JoJo is a fun character to play, and everyone involved in the show is great to work with" said Jillian Dugan, who plays JoJo.

All of the performers are ready to invite local audiences to experience the magical and musical world of Dr. Seuss this weekend.

"Seussical is fun, family-friendly, and full of catchy songs. You get to see the world of Dr. Seuss in a completely new way, while still getting to revisit classic childhood stories that everyone grew up with" said Katie Cisar, who plays a Bird Girl. "It is a fun, but surprisingly moving show that will appeal to all ages. While younger children will enjoy the relatively simple storyline and accessible music, adults will appreciate some of the more subtle nuances and humor in the show" said Cabbiness.

" It brightens up your day with fun music and all of the Dr. Seuss characters. It also has a good lesson that "a person's a person, no matter how small." said Dugan. "Seussical is a brilliant piece that's able to bring the whole family together to appreciate the works of Dr. Seuss. This musical takes Seuss's well known books and blends them into a combination of singing, dancing and laughing in a journey through the wild mind of Seuss" said Williams

"Seussical is packed, moment to moment with excitement, eccentric characters, and emotion. From beginning to end, it is a roller coaster of absolute wonder. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll walk out of the theater wanting to go home and re-read every Dr. Seuss book you own" said Gilbert.

The Seussical cast features Shannen Banzhoff as Mayze LeBird, Caroline Mae Brewer as Cindy Lou Who, Eric Carr as Who, Cadet, Isabellle Carr as Bird Girl, Autumn Carver as Thing 1, Charles Casey as Wickersham Brother #2, Harrison Casey as Who, Cadet, James Casey as Who, Cadet, Ed Conn as Horton the Elephant, Ripley Coode as Who Child, Tia Demedici as Who Mom, Leia Dozier as Cindy Lou's Friend Jillian Dugan as JoJo, Aiden Farabaugh as Wickersham Brother #3, Jen George as Mrs. Mayor, Ocie Grimsley as Who, Hunch, Alan Harner as Mr. Mayor, Mason Harner as Vlad Vladimir, Who Cadet, Savannah Harner as Who, Cadet, Addison Jackson as Who, Hunch, Isadora Johnson as Bird Girl, Erin Kelly as Bird Girl, Amelia Marino as Who, Hunch, Daisy Mason as Cindy Lou's Friend, Hagen McGowan as Wickersham Brother #1, Aislin Ogata as Bird Girl, Valorie Phillips as Sour Kangaroo, Julie Smith as Who Mother, Ciara Talbot as Who, Hunch, Emily Tester as Bird Girl, Kevin Tester as General Genghis Khan Schmitz, Madeline Tester as Who, Hunch, Allison Vance as Thing 2, Adam Venham-Carter as Who, Yertle the Turtle, Sarah Ward as Who Teen, Bert Whetstone as Who Father, Raegan Wills as Cindy Lou's Friend and Rene Zabel as Who Mother.

Seussical: The Musical runs Thursday, July 27 at 7:30 PM, Friday, July 28 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, July 29 at 2:30 PM and Sunday, July 30 at 2:30 PM at the Old Opera House, 204 N. George St., Charles Town, WV. Tickets are $22.00 for adults, $19.00 for senior and student tickets and $15.00 for youth tickets for ages 17 and under. For more info, please visit http://www.oldoperahouse.org/

 

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