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Reviewed by Aubrey Tarantino
Seussical is described as “a fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza” and CenterStage certainly delivers! What’s beautiful about this particular production, though, is the importance set on the message underneath. Our Director, Charlotte Taylor, ensured that we understood that Seussical is so much deeper than bright colors and catchy songs. This show is also about not allowing those who are so often pushed to the side to go unheard any longer. It’s about truly listening to those around us and providing space for people to be their most authentic selves. When we allow space for theatre to do more than entertain, we allow space for theatre to heal, connect, and grow. Only true theatre artists, though, could bring that sort of messaging through nuances in lighting and cats in hats.
One such artist who truly pulled people into this fantastical world was our very own Cat in the Hat, Thomas Schnaible. Mr Schnaible from the very beginning started our show with an abundance of energy and flair, which certainly set the tone for the whole first number which was energy packed, colorful, and had the young kids in the audience dancing in their seats. Our Cat in the Hat, Mr. Schnailble, was also so much fun to watch as he interacted with Thing 1 and Thing 2, played on this particular night by Ian Taylor and Mason Buehner. These three were acting in tandem, never truly missing a beat. They knew how to interact with the audience in a way that didn’t pull from what was happening on the stage, and that can be a tricky act to balance.
The Cat in the Hat offers us guidance, relief, and interaction on our journey, and prompts our Jojo, Audrey Murphy, into the imagination journey that is our show. Jojo is the son of the Mayor of Who-ville who thinks impossible thinks and has an imagination that is as wild as any child’s you will ever meet, and Ms. Murphy was perfect for this role – clearly fully committed with a high energy and beautiful singing voice that felt strong and sure.
As we meet Jojo and go on this journey of imagination with him, we are taken through many different stories, worlds, and characters. One character we meet early on is Horton the elephant, played by Nick Merritt. Horton is an elephant who lives in the “Jungle of Nool” with his neighbors who we’ll meet in a second. What was so engaging about Mr. Merritt was his ability to bring us into his world and his story and then keep us there. Part of what helped with that was his voice simultaneously feeling deep, yet light and flowing. When he sang, you truly wanted to sit there and listen.
Horton hears a speck of dust, figures out that what he’s hearing is “Who-ville” and that there are people on it, and decides to guard this speck with his life. Through this story we meet one of Horton’s neighbors who just doesn’t believe him about this speck, The Sour Kangaroo, played on this night by Katie Purdin. Ms.Purdin has an absolute powerhouse voice unlike any other and a wonderful presence on stage. Another beautiful presence on stage is Avery Murphy who played Gertrude, the bird is also one of Horton’s neighbors, but we quickly find out that she is actually in love with Horton. Ms. Murphy embraces this element of the plot brilliantly. Ms. Murphy was truly committed to every single moment, even when she wasn’t in the spotlight. Ms. Murphy had consistently high energy through the whole show and the kids in the audience responded well to it.
Another important character who is also a neighbor of Horton’s is Mayzie. Mayzie is also a bird, but is far less focused on Horton and what’s going on around her and far more focused on herself; living her best life like the absolute queen she is. On this night Mayzie was played by Asa Woo who was just born for this role. Ms. Woo has an amazing voice that demands your attention and acts in a way that makes you believe that she is that role itself. She delivered a colorful and impactful performance so flawlessly.
Through our imagination tour we also meet The Bird Girls, played by Allison Marshall, Noel Nieczyporowicz, Ellie Nunemaker, and Grace Philipbar. Their counterparts are The Wickersham Brothers played by Brutus Fowler, Matthew McGregor, Hayden Stewart, and Reid Vosberg. The cleverness of these two groups is that they are simultaneously storytellers and story makers. They all weave in and out of the narrative flawlessly. All eight have incredibly strong singing voices, acting skills, and this certain strength that is amazing to watch play out. They had so much fun and because they had fun, the audience did as well. What also made the audience so engaged were The Whos! Who-ville was packed with beautiful, strong voices and a commitment to seeing their own particular characters all the way through. Every ensemble member was fully present, thoughtful, and intentional when it came to how they interacted with one another and their roles.
Overall this was a colorful, fun, engaging, and interactive story that had all of the children in the audience enraptured and all of the adults in the audience thinking. There were many laughs, but that didn’t take away from the thoughtful moments that also occurred. The cast, directors, and crew did an amazing job, and I am thankful that Charlotte Taylor chose to take this moment to send a message of acceptance and inclusion that needs to be heard. I am also thankful that such a cast was assembled to deliver that message to us. It is worth noting that there are actually two different casts for this show in regards to name characters, so while this review is for one version of the cast I feel certain in my belief that the other version of this cast is just as talented and magical as the cast I saw.
Take this opportunity to see this fantastic production and these incredibly talented individuals with CenterStage Theatre Works! There are 10 performances July 21st-30th at Cox Playhouse in Plano! You can find ticket information at www.CSTheatreWorks.com
Accessible seating: Yes
Hearing Devices Available: No
Sensory Friendly Showing: No
Audience Rating: G – suitable for young children
Production Sound Level: Comfortable
Noises and Visuals to Know About: No
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