Musical brings childhood characters to life
As Utah Sate Theatre presents “Seussical the Musical,” one can only hope that Sam I Am will be satisfied with dining on his green eggs and ham in the Morgan Theatre of the Chase Fine Arts Center.
“Seussical the Musical,” written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, is a musical creation that combines 15 Dr. Seuss elements and characters, including The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant and an entire Whoville on a speck of dust. The result is a profound production that will entertain people of all ages, said director Vanessa Ballam.
Ballam graduated from USU and has been professionally acting for seven years. Prior to being hired as the director, Ballam performed in California in a professional production of “Seussical the Musical” as Gertrude McFuzz, a sparsely feathered creature in love with Horton the Elephant.
“The fun thing about ‘Seussical’ is it never ceases to delight and entertain me,” Ballam said. “It’s just such a smart show.”
The production features a full orchestra and six young performers from the community. Though she planned for only one, overwhelming community talent resulted in Ballam casting six young performers, including a boy in the title role of JoJo. The young performers behave like professionals and help to bring out the youthful, imaginative sides of the rest of the cast members, Ballam said. She said she hopes the young performers will help young audience members relate to the show.
Jason Craig West, a sophomore in theatre education, plays the Cat in the Hat and described the show as “a complex adult message simplified to be understood by children.” West said he enjoys the great deal of freedom his character has been given in terms of choreography and identified the Cat in the Hat as “a very important part in weaving the stories together.”
Both Ballam and Jared Daley, cast member and sophomore in choral education, said “Seussical the Musical” is not age discriminatory.
“It is entertaining and funny,” Daley said. “I think people of all ages will enjoy it. There’s a lot of heart in the show.”
“Seussical” is Daley’s first show, musical or otherwise. He plays an orange striped creature in the Jungle of Nool.
“What’s special and unique to this production is it’s really an ensemble show,” Ballam said. “Everybody has a story to tell in ‘Seussical.'”
And tell it they do, in rhyme and song ringing true to original Dr. Seuss.
“The music is so catchy, you’ll have at least five or six songs stuck in your head for the rest of your life,” Daley said.
Though a rhyming script may have eased memorization, the production did not come together without hindrance. Due to the ongoing installation of a new fly system in the Morgan Theatre, the cast was unable to rehearse on their stage until a week ago. A local opera company lent their rehearsal space to the cast, and through this agreement, stage manager Tyler Monker joined the ensemble.
“The show would not be what it is without his help,” Ballam said of Monker.
Ballam credits her inspiration for the set to that of a giant pop-up book. Ballam said she wanted the characters to appear larger than life, as though they were coming off of the stage. Details like trees and mountains are painted in styles characteristic of Dr. Seuss illustrations.
“You’ve never seen anything like this,” Ballam said.
Graduate student Andrea Lyman designed the set, which “adds so much character and life to the show,” West said.
The costumes, designed by Amanda Profaizer, are boldly neon and brightly feathered.
Daley called Profaizer “brilliant in every way possible”, and said people will be able to relive their own Dr. Seuss years while in the audience.
“This is childhood,” Daley said.
The Caine College of the Arts has turned “Seussical” into a community affair, with a Dr. Seuss-themed family carnival daily for the two weeks of the show. Details can be found on the Caine College of the Arts website.
“Seussical the Musical” runs in the Morgan Theatre Oct. 28-30 and Nov. 3-6 with a 2 p.m. matinee on the Oct. 30. Tickets range from $9 to $13 but are free with a student ID. Ballam encouraged getting tickets in advance as they are selling quickly.
“Everything is so brilliant and amazing on set,” Daley said. “It’s almost a shame that we only get to do it for two weekends.”
– noelle.johansen@aggiemail.usu.edu