STAGES St. Louis to Let Imaginations Run Wild with SEUSSICAL

STAGES St. Louis returns to the Playhouse @ Westport Plaza in Maryland Heights with a highly inspirational Theatre for Young Audiences production, Seussical. Join the Cat in the Hat and friends June 14th through July 2nd and celebrate the powers of friendship, loyalty, family, and community in the fantastical world of Dr. Seuss.

Let your imagination run wild on a magical journey through the Jungle of Nool to the Desert of Dreeze, the Circus McGurkus, and the tiniest planet in the sky, home of the Whos! Arrive early to enjoy exciting games and creative crafts at STAGES' pre-show experience. Then join the cast on stage for a photo opportunity at the conclusion of each performance during a special Seussian meet and greet.

Seussical boasts a triumphant score from Tony-winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty of Once on This Island and Ragtime. The duo wrote the original show in 1999, workshopping it in Toronto where it meT Loving reviews, then landing on Broadway the following year. While Seussical was initially created as a full-fledged two act production, it continued to transform over the years, yielding a Theatre for Young Audiences version as well as Seussical The Musical, Jr., made specifically for junior high school aged performers. Seussical has had many lives but it found true success in its paired down, more intimate reincarnations, becoming one of the most frequently performed shows today and a not-to-be-missed musical treat for the young and young of heart!

St. Louis Actor Ryan Cooper stars as The Cat in the Hat. Cooper returns to STAGES, having made his STAGES debut as the Mad Hatter in last season's Disney's Alice in Wonderland. Recently, Cooper has been a cast member in the long-running Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue and the short-lived Storybook Circus Giggle Gang shows at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Local credits include Fiddler on the Roof, Evil Dead: The Musical, and eleven seasons as Jack Frost with the St. Charles Christmas Traditions Festival.

Also starring is St. Louis Actor Colton James Kastrup as JoJo. Making his STAGES debut, Kastrup is a senior Musical Theatre major at Oklahoma City University. Regional credits include Peter Pan and Disney's The Little Mermaid.

Rounding out the cast in alphabetical order are Anthony Arpino (Horton The Elephant), Leah Berry (Gertrude McFuzz), Galyana Castillo (Sour Kangaroo), Sarah Larson (Bird Girl #1/Mrs. Mayor), Claire Logan (Bird Girl #2), Kyle Pollak (Wickersham Brother #2), Jacob Scott (Wickersham Brother #1/Mr. Mayor), and April Strelinger (Mayzie La Bird).

The creative team for the production includes: Michael Hamilton (Direction), Ellen Isom (Choreography), Lisa Campbell Albert (Musical Direction), James Wolk (Scenic Design), Garth Dunbar (Costume Design), Jeff Behm (Lighting Design), Stuart M. Elmore (Orchestral Design).

Complete biographical information is listed on STAGES' website at www.StagesStLouis.org. New York Casting is done by Scott Wojcik and Gayle Seay of Wojcik/Seay Casting.

Single tickets are on sale now and prices range from $18 - $24. Price includes pre-show activities one hour prior to start of the show presented by STAGES' Pre-Show Entertainment Partner, Dave & Buster's and additional craft support from Art Unleashed. The STAGES Theatre for Young Audiences productions perform in the intimate Playhouse @ Westport Plaza located at 635 Westport Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63146. For more information or to purchase tickets call 314-821-2407 or visit www.StagesStLouis.org.

STAGES St. Louis is the region's foremost not-for-profit company committed to preserving and advancing the art form of Musical Theatre through excellence in performance and education. In 2017, STAGES celebrates its 31st year of producing Broadway-quality theatre, presenting 140 performances from June through October to nearly 50,000 patrons.