Avondale Theatre Company closes season with all things Dr. Seuss

The Avondale Theatre Company, Avondale High School’s award-winning drama troupe, is setting its sights high and imaginative as it brings down the curtain on the final production of the season, Seussical the Musical for a four-night, two weekend run, Fridays and Saturdays, April 21 and 22 and May 5 and 6.

Seussical the Musical is the whimsical mash-up of some of Theodor Geisel’s most beloved stories including Horton Hears a Who and Horton Hatches an Egg, along with a tongue-in-cheek cameo by Green Eggs and Ham, The Butter Battle Book, The Lorax, and more. With book, music and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Seussical promises a theatrical experience exploding with color, imagination, loveable characters, and a few lessons on life.

“It’s such an infectiously fun show,” explains Edmond Guay, Avondale’s theatre teacher and director, celebrating his 30th and final year with the school and company, “that it’s difficult not to come out of each rehearsal with a smile on your face, even as the production itself is one of the more challenging we’ve ever tried.” Guay adds that to ratchet up the reach to the community, over 50 middle and elementary school students have been included in the youth ensemble of the production, alternating performances as residents of Whoville and other Jungle of Nool characters. “We really wanted this final show of the season to be big…and it is! We’ve maintained our primary goal of making all the visual and artistic elements completely student designed and executed. But it’s proving a bit tougher than we had thought since Seuss allows the imagination to go anywhere – nailing it down to the practical has been a big challenge.”

Guay is assisted in the production by Avondale’s highly acclaimed musical department colleagues, Kevin Cornwell and Joshua Neuenschwander, who oversee the vocal and instrumental aspects of the show. Further, Julie Semones, Glenda Barr, and Alaina Vettraino add to the oversight as community volunteer mentors.

The main cast is a wide ranging collection of veterans and newcomers including seniors Antonio Vettraino and Meghan Gwilt who take on the roles of Horton and Jojo respectively, the two seeming outcasts of their communities who find solace and wholeness in their friendship. Taking on the challenging narrator role of The Cat in the Hat is freshman Gordy Gwilt. Rounding out the principal cast are juniors Rachel Jones as Gertrude McFuzz, Tess Chargo as Mayzie LeBird, Chloe Stark as The Sour Kangaroo; and sophomores Ricky Hall and Miranda Miller as the Mayor of Whoville and his wife. The playful Wickersham Brothers are played by juniors Danny Barr, Nick Christy, sophomore Zoe Williams, and freshman Jack Youngs, with senior Maggie Youngs, and juniors Annie Youngs and Lauren Andrus as the Bird Ensemble - the defacto Greek Chorus of the Jungle of Nool. Seniors Dominic Amatulli and Joey Mascorro make their stage debuts in the smaller roles of General Schmittz and Yertle the Turtle, with ATC veteran Chris Larson chewing scenery as The Grinch. The high school ensemble who portrays a myriad of characters including residents of the Jungle of Nool, the Circus McGukus, and other Seuss creations are seniors Lila Letica, Lauren McGhee, Geoffrey Steward; juniors Elena Blatt, Keva Cornwell, Elizabeth Dwelle, Meghan Parkinson, Mackenzie Tillison, Kat VanDeWater; sophomores Bella Javier, Shireen Kaakarli, Ashlyn Miller, Sonia Pinjarkar, Amarae’ Robinson; and freshmen Liaya Blueford, Shannon Freck, McKayla Major, Zach Pedigo, Rebecca Piepszak, and Thomas Snook.

The cast is overseen by student director junior Brendan Hart and junior Annie Youngs who serves as the show’s choreographer. Junior Chloe Stark serves as the show’s youth coordinator, guiding and mentoring the 50+ younger folks in the show.

Not to be outdone by their onstage counterparts, the backstage crew and band, which number over sixty, have the daunting task of creating a visual and aural world worthy of the label Seuss but still practical to be affordable, functional, and easily shiftable. Senior Nathan Clifton serves as the show’s stage manager, with sophomore Rachel Pastori as the producer, juniors Sophie Conant as the scene shop manager and Deven Queen as the assistant stage manager. Helming the individual crews are seniors Elena Semones (costumes) and Jackson VanHout (sound); juniors Seven Garrison (sets), Alex Holt (lighting), Kennedy Christl (scenic painting), Julia Gavulic (props); and sophomores Ramya Anbarasu (props) and Allie Magana (sound).

The music for the show is provided by the student orchestra including Ariana Badgero, Kevin Cornwell, Jonathan Dropiewski, Quincy Hamer, Cathy Javier, Bryon King II, Jack Letica, Zackery Levesque, Hope Lewis, Gabi Loche, Kat Medcoff, Aparna Sumanth, Noah Swart, Zofia Wagner, Rachel Yagley, Meher Yeda and Alex Zuehlk. In all, nearly 160 Avondale School District students from Kindergarten through 12th grade make up the cast, crew and orchestra.

Seussical the Musical runs Fridays and Saturdays, April 21st and 22nd, and May 5th and 6th with all curtains at 7:35pm. Performances are at Avondale Performing Arts Center in Avondale High School, located at 2800 Waukegan in Auburn Hills off Squirrel Road between South Boulevard and Auburn Road. Adult tickets are $10 and students (grades K-12) are only $5. All seating is reserved. Tickets can be ordered by phone by calling the ATC any time at 248-537-6210.