'Seussical Jr.' Comes to Life at Madison H.S.

When it comes to summer activities, some Madison kids prefer something that is a little bit more theatrical.

The Madison Recreation Department presented "Seussical Jr." at Madison High School on Friday night. The musical is written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, and is directed and produced by Madison resident Brian Lang. The cast will be putting on its second and final performance at Madison High School on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The cast, with an age range of 8-14, showed off its enthusiasm and talent on Friday night while presenting the musical based on some of Dr. Seuss's most beloved stories.

For stage manager Stephanie Litchfield, who is a recent graduate of Madison High School, this was a learning experience.

"I did theater for four years here, so teaching kids what I have learned throughout my experiences and from my directors helps reinforce what I have learned," she said.

The storyline follows three main characters. One is Horton the Elephant, played by Grace McCulloch, a resident of the Jungle of Nool whom finds a speck of dust. This speck of dust is home to tiny people known as the Whos. One Who Horton befriends is thinker JoJo, played by Lauren Emmerich, who is the daughter of Mrs. Mayor, played by Maggie Salko. Throughout the play Horton’s main goal is to protect the Whos from harm.

Horton and JoJo form a bond because they both feel “alone in the Universe.” Horton feels this way after being deemed insane by the other creatures of the Jungle of Nool for talking to a speck of dust and JoJo for being criticized by Mrs. Mayor for her constant thinking abilities.

The third main character is Gertrude McFuzz, played by Kathryn McManus, who is in love with Horton but feels that she cannot get his attention because of her lack of numerous tail feathers. When Mayzie LaBird (Jennifer Litchfield) suggests that she go see a doctor about her feather deficiency, Gertrude takes her advice and immediately goes to the doctor, portrayed by The Cat in the Hat (Suditi Rahematpura), who prescribes pills for her. Gertrude ingests too many pills and ends up overgrowing her tail.

Throughout the play the three characters try to overcome their struggles, find their purpose in the worlds in which they live, and ultimately accept themselves for who they are.

“My favorite part of this whole experience is becoming someone else in a show,” said 13-year-old Grace McCulloch, who on opening night looked forward to her “Solla Sollew” number the most because of its peaceful nature.

“You’re not yourself but a different person," she said.

This is the second performance this summer for 12-year-old Grace Van Cleef, who plays a number of roles in this production and was recently seen in the Madison Recreation Department and Playwright Theatre production of "You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown" as "Marcie."

“It’s interesting going from a high school production to a production with kids,” Van Cleef said. “There is a difference in maturities and these are both very different shows. 'Charlie Brown' is real life and this ... is 'Seussical.'"

Not only did the kids express their appreciation for the program, but the parents did, as well. Parent volunteer Louise Pierce, mother of 10-year-old cast members Ben and Cara, expressed her gratitude.

“It’s wonderful," she said. "They’ve loved the whole experience this summer. It has given them something to focus on this summer that requires concentration and commitment. They think it’s fun and they really enjoy doing it. It makes for great social skills as well.”

Many audience members gave praise to the performers and the production.

“I was excited to attend because I know how hard the performers rehearsed and I was not disappointed,” said Jennifer Porter, who traveled from Lyndhurst to see a good friend’s daughters, Maggie and Ruby Murad, perform. “The show was energetic, joyful, and entertaining.”

“High energy, lots of fun and a great story, outstanding cast, tremendous vocal talent,” Kathleen Munter said. “... Great community experience.”

“I know more than half the people in the show,” said 10-year-old Samantha Paske, who came to opening night to support her friends from Central Avenue School.

Tickets for Saturday night's show are $5 for students and $10 for adults.

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