Stagecrafters Youth Theatre Presents SEUSSICAL JR Musical Adventure at Baldwin Theatre

Travel into the magical musical world of Dr. Seuss and see the author's cherished characters bounce from the page to the stage. Stagecrafters Youth Theatre presents Seussical Jr. July 18th through 21st at the Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette in downtown Royal Oak.

Our narrator is the mischievous Cat in the Hat (Ryan Hurley of Huntington Woods). He tells the story of tender-hearted Horton the Elephant (Zachary Levine of West Bloomfield) who is faced with two very big challenges. He must protect the tiny Whos in Whoville, including JoJo (Madison Strachan of Troy) the smallest Who of all, from a world of naysayers and bad things. He must also guard the abandoned egg of Mayzie LaBird (Kendall Reid of Detroit), who is off seeking fun and frolic.

Other Seuss characters such as Gertrude McFuzz (Clare Parks of Bloomfield Hills), Sour Kangaroo (Christiana Perrault of Southfield) and the rascally Wickershams (Matt Harmon 0f Royal Oak; Kevin Mazur of Warren; Christopher Kaifesh of Troy) spark our imagination as they help bring this colorful adventure to life. As the story moves from the Jungle of Nool to Circus McGurkus and the invisible world of Whoville, some important lessons about helping friends, keeping promises and never giving up shine through. Audiences of all ages will enjoy this fast-paced production of colorful characters, a myriad of musical styles, and a fantastical set.

Director Jody Florkowski of Ferndale is very familiar with the show. "I have been involved with Seussical/ Seussical Jr. three times. I've directed it twice, and was actually in Stagecrafters' 2005 Main Stage production. Each time, I have been drawn to the magic of Dr. Seuss' illustrations and prose, and the opportunity to help bring them to life on stage. The truth is, there is no wrong time to do Seussical, or better stated, every time is a great time to produce this show. The stories on which the show is based are timeless. Dr. Seuss' first book was published in 1937, and the stories have been read to children ever since then. That means that there are so many people who have a soft spot in their heart for the stories. Furthermore, though Seuss never had a moral in mind when he started a book, his stories teach us so many important lessons. Seussical Jr. tends to focus on one in particular: Believe in yourself and believe in others. This message is always relevant, for children and adults alike," says Florkowski.

Florkowski recently directed Arsenic and Old Lace at Stagecrafters, but this is his first directorial stint with Stagecrafters Youth Theatre (SYT). "While this is my first time directing an SYT show, I have worked with SYT on several productions over the past four years. As always, I am thrilled to be working with such energetic, committed, and talented youth. We are also lucky to have many talented adults helping to coordinate and mentor these students in each of the areas necessary for a great show!" says Florkowski.

Seussical Jr. is the simplified version of Seussical - The Musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, based on the books of Dr. Seuss, that debuted on Broadway in 2000. Seussical is now touting that it's the most presented musical in America.

After intermission of the Friday, July 19th performance, Stagecrafters will be presenting their Jennifer DeRita Scholarship award to recipient Aaron Keteyian of Royal Oak. Graduating seniors involved with Stagecrafters Youth Theatre will also be recognized.

Advance tickets for performances are $8 youth and $12 adult. Tickets may be purchased online at www.stagecrafters.org or by phone at 248-541-6430using Visa and MasterCard. All seats are reserved. If shows have not sold out, tickets can be purchased at the box office one hour prior to the performance for an additional $2.00 per ticket. Advance purchase is highly recommended.

Show dates and times follow:

Thursday, July 18 7:00 pm Saturday, July 20 3:00 and 7:00 pm

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