Photo by Lester Smith
Gertrude, played by Sara Kudas, sings sweetly as she worries that her one-feather tail may be unattractive to Horton, the very responsible elephant.
The colorful musical put on by the Suffield Middle School Drama Club near the end of February was totally delightful, if perhaps somewhat confusing, but the willing suspension of disbelief that is engendered by all good fables made it easy to appreciate, even without being a parent or grandparent.
Seussical, Jr. is a very musical musical, and it seems there are some excellent new voices to be heard in town. The staging, the bright, extraordinary costumes, the well-rehearsed ensemble choreography, the immense cast – all were just great.
The Cat in the Hat, mischievously portrayed by Sadie Hitchcock, helps keep us aware of what’s happening and mentors young Jojo (Bryan Tompkins), a very sympathetic youth who is accused of thinking too many thinks: “Oh, the Thinks You Can Think.” But the story thrives when Jojo thinks up the Jungle of Noor, where we meet Horton the floppy-eared elephant (Jack Burke). And although we can’t see the place at first, Horton discovers the world of Whoville in a speck of dust on a blade of clover.
Extravagantly costumed Amazing Mayzie (Abby Halasi-Kun: particularly great with her solo, “Feather by Feather”) is sometimes more trouble than help to Horton as he searches later to rediscover his friends the Whos. Lovely Gertrude McFuzz (Sara Kudas), though, is the one who melts our hearts and endears herself to Horton.
One notable number has Horton, from the Jungle of Noor, and Jojo, now one of the Whos, singing in an unusual separate duet, “Alone in the Universe,” as they discover their disparate friendship. They nail this tough, polyphonic piece quite well.
With a cast of characters selected from a number of Dr. Seuss’s popular books, the action becomes wildly and comically imaginative, and many scenes are enlivened by ensemble dancing, with appearances by three mischievous monkeys, a group of cadets from General Schmitz’s army, the Bird Girls, Yertle the Turtle, and other Seussian stars. A very nice bit was the underwater scene, with fishy dancers circulating smoothly through the throng on stage.
The audiences loved it, as did this reviewer; and so did the kids, if their enthusiasm on stage and their creative curtain calls are any indication. Congratulations to Director Tyler Wolfson and the roster of school staff and adult volunteers who made it all happen!