The magical, colorful and sometimes offbeat world of Dr. Seuss will come to life this week when Festus High School students will present “Seussical the Musical,” which features a mash-up of characters from Theodor Geisel’s beloved children’s books.
The show will open at 7 p.m. today, March 14, at the Festus R-6 Performing Arts Center, 501 Westwind Drive. Other showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 15-16, before concluding with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, March 17.
Admission is $5 at the door.
William Borgmeyer, who has been directing plays at Festus High for 18 years, said “Seussical” will be a departure from the past two spring musicals, “Annie” and “Anything Goes.”
“I was looking for something more modern and fun,” he said. “Those two (previous shows) were 1930s period pieces. This calls for a great ensemble cast, with a lot of fun parts that will allow the students to stretch out a bit.”
Borgmeyer also has an affinity for Dr. Seuss, singing “Oh the Places You’ll Go” each spring to seniors to a tune he wrote.
“I have two copies of that book, and I took one copy to Lowe’s so they could match the colors of the paint for our set,” he said.
Borgmeyer said the cast of 38 students and 20 backstage crew members and tech hands have been working on the play since mid-January.
Fellow English language arts teacher and assistant director Erin Pruneau, who has been with the program for 15 years, said the timing of the play couldn’t have been better, following the Dr. Seuss Read Across America Week in early March.
“The young children who learned about some of these characters can now come out and see them in real life,” she said.
The show tells the story of Horton, an elephant who discovers a speck of dust that contains the Whos. Horton not only must save the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, but also he must guard an egg left in his care.
Festus High junior Wyatt Carter will play the Cat in the Hat, who narrates the story, and sophomore Kane Seitz will play Horton.
Saigel Mickan, 17, who plays Gertrude McFuzz, said she’s enjoyed being part of an ensemble.
“I like this role I play,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s high-energy and a good story. I think people are going to enjoy it.”
She said she plans to pursue a fine arts degree after graduation but hasn’t selected a college yet.
Senior Mackenzie Weston, 18, who portrays the wife of the mayor of Whoville, said she’s enjoyed playing opposite sophomore Alex Kester, who plays the mayor.
“He’s really patient with me, and easy-going to work with, sometimes when I may not be as easy to work with. But everyone – the cast and crew – have put a lot into this. We’re all excited about performing it, and I think the audience will tell that when we’re on stage.”
Weston said she plans to study business and music education at Southeast Missouri State University this fall.
Seitz, 16, who already has 10 plays under his theatrical belt, said he wanted the role of Horton, but noted that “Seussical,” which has very little dialogue but lots of songs, has been a challenge.
“Horton’s voice is lower than my normal speaking voice, so singing with that voice is a little more difficult,” he said. “But this is a great learning opportunity, and a lot of people will have a time to shine on stage.”
Carter, who’s acting in his second Festus High performance, said he’d recommend the experience.
“When I was little, I’d play around and act and sing all the time, but I was really very shy,” he said. “My mom encouraged me to go into choir and theater, and I began to notice that a lot of people I really liked were in them. For my junior year, I told myself, ‘Just get out and do it.’ And it’s been great.”
“Seussical” will mark the second-from-last Festus High play for senior Kaylie Grunow, 18, who is the stage manager this year after being involved in backstage crew since she was in eighth grade.
“The stage manager is the person who makes sure that everything backstage is where it needs to be, including all the props and the actors,” she said. “It’s a high-pressure job.”
Grunow said she hopes the ability to solve problems and demonstrate leadership will pay off down the road, as she plans to major in special education at Southeast Missouri State University this fall.
Other cast members include: seniors Connor Mooney, Lilly Besore, Mariah Waters, Audrey Staley, Sawyer Partney, Percy Knubley and Keaton Rubottom; juniors Mia Fjone, Annabelle Whitener, Mallory Burton, Levi Green, Kenzie Boehner, Jayden Box, Cale Huskey, Tobi Beck, Quin Sheerin, Gracie Kemper and Olivia Schweppe; sophomores Angela Moore, Anna Berezowski, Bella Micco, Darreon Box, Alex Perry, Avin Luo, Pixie Willis, Lilly Davis, Gabrielle White, Will Swofford and Courtney Cozine; and freshmen Kat Carr, Leon Roberts, Zach Caudill and EllieAunna Thompson.
The Support Our Stars (SOS) parents booster group will sell concessions, T-shirts and souvenirs at each performance.
In addition, the group will hold a party at 12:30 p.m. Sunday when children will have the chance to interact with characters, have photos taken with and play games with them. Admission to the party will be $5 or a souvenir purchased at a previous performance.