The curtains open, revealing a dazzling show that transports you through the fictional worlds crafted by world-famous children’s author Dr. Seuss. Seussical, the musical, is loosely based on Dr. Seuss’s book Horton Hears a Who. Fan-favorite characters such as The Cat in the Hat and Horton the Elephant will be brought to life on the stage.

 On April 30th through May 2nd, the magic of Seussical will be performed at Lake Shore High School. While the production recently started development, the cast lists were set out disclosing the stars of the show. Students playing notable characters include Kenzie Myles as Cat in the Hat, Brielle Starks as Jojo, Max Bozarth as Horton the Elephant, Kayla Caramagno as Gertrude McFuzz, Maddie Petroff as Mayzie LaBird, and Antoinette Clark as The Sour Kangaroo. 

Lake Shore High School’s math teacher, Nicholas DeNault, and choir director, Kelsey Elkins, will be co-directing Seussical. While DeNault has directed musicals prior, Seussical will be the first musical Elkins has directed. 

Elkins explained, “I am a newbie when it comes to being in charge of the whole deal. I have experience being the music director of a musical but the rest is new territory. I have directed a few small one-act plays but this is on a much larger scale. DeNault however, is a pro and is definitely my guiding light through this whole experience. “

Elaborating on the plot, DeNault details, “In the jungle, Horton with his gigantic ears finds a flower with a dust speck that he FOR SURE can hear a whole civilization on! The problem is, everyone thinks he is crazy for hearing voices! So they try and TAKE the flower and destroy it!  Meanwhile, the ONLY person on the dust speck who is even aware that there is a larger universe out there outside Whoville is young JoJo! She can actually see and hear Horton because she believes in the fantastical. From the time they become aware of each other, they start to work together to prove that Whoville exists and that a ‘person’s a person, no matter how small!’  It’s a delightful fable that teaches us some fantastic lessons about the world, all with awesome songs, dances and fantastical sets!”

Ashleigh Devereox-Tucker, a senior at Lake Shore, will be taking on the role of Mrs. Mayor, mother to the character Jojo. Devereux-Tucker describes Seussical as, “Fantastical, exciting, a ‘musical extravaganza’. It’ll bring you back to your childhood and send important messages to all ages.”

Despite Seussical only being musical, it contains important life lessons through its magnificent music and story. DeNault expresses what inspired him to choose Seussical as this year’s musical, “Seussical is an awesome show!  It was important to me to pick a show that the whole family can enjoy and that the whole community can get involved in!  Everyone loves Dr. Seuss, and people will fall in love with the show when they see it! It was a great pick to be the first show I’m directing at Lake Shore and the first show for Mrs. Elkins as our new vocal music teacher!  The music in this show is fun, catchy, and has awesome lyrics that can really resonate with the world today. We tend to ignore people who don’t represent the majority in a way of thinking. The famous quote of ‘A Person’s a person no matter how small’ is akin to the idea that all journey’s start with a single step, or that the smallest ideas lead to the biggest of movements. Overall, just a fun show to be a part of!”

Attending Seussical will spark the same wonder and nostalgia as reading Dr. Seuss’s tales invoked. Whether you feel like a small speck of dust on a flower, or tend to stray away from the majority opinion, Seussical will provide truly miraculous experience for you.