Seussical: The Musical, a brilliant success

During three consecutive days starting on April 15, the cast of “Seussical: The Musical” brought the famous Dr. Seuss’ story “Horton Hears a Whoo!” to life. After weeks of rehearsal, hours of dancing and singing in the Flex Theater, MC students presented their work to the audience in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theater.

The show opened with the Boy walking on stage, intrigued by a white and red striped hat sitting on stage. Soon appeared the Cat in The Hat, who started telling the Boy about Horton. During this time, the whole cast was behind the heavy curtains and was getting ready to join the Boy and The Cat in the Hat for the first song “All the Thinks You Can Think.”

The audience saw for the first time all of the participants who performed during two hours. However, they are not the only ones who made the show as spectacular as it was. While the actors were rehearsing, a whole crew was working on costumes, props, instrumental accompaniment, advertisement, and stage preparation.

The costumes were rather simple but represented the characters very accurately. Horton was wearing a hat that had two ears, the Grinch was wearing an entirely green outfit and the birds were wearing feathered boas as wings and tail. The props also created a very compelling setting. Decors, an enormous hanging vulture, swords, clovers, UV reacting hands and fish and many other handmade elements were made for the occasion.

The musicians who accompanied the cast had only a few days to rehearse together before playing in the orchestra pit that was hidden from the audience. They played in harmony with each other but also with the singers, which is a very difficult thing to do, especially when actors and players cannot see each other. Their performance definitely added to the overall incredible talent of the actors.

The advertisement part of the shows was successful as well, which was evident from the packed audiences at each performance. Younger and older people all came together to enjoy a refreshing, funny and touching story. Many came to see the talent of their children, friend, or fellow classmate. It was an opportunity for children whom all know Dr. Seuss’ stories to see the characters of their books come to life.

One particular element that made the shows incredible was the positive energy that was coming from the stage. Indeed, during all of these hours of rehearsal, actors created strong relationships with each other. They could all count on each other for comfort, support and motivation. These friendships showed on stage and greatly contributed to making the show even more enjoyable.

Now that the production is over, you may still hear some members of the cast singing lines of the musical. They may make a reference to Seuss’ story during a meal or during a conversation with friends. This experience was tiring, but also very rewarding considering all the positive feedback they got from the public. “A person is a person no matter how small” still resonates in many heads, and memories of these wonderful performances will stick with both cast and audience members for a very long time.