By Richard Smith
Joshua Vern, left, Josh Pike and Austin Beggs are part of the cast of ‘Seussical The Musical.’
Theater Works, 8355 W. Peoria Ave., Peoria, will present the summer production, “Seussical,” July 14-30 at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts.
Plunging audiences, striped-hat-first, into Dr. Seuss’s whimsical world, “Seussical” takes over the Gyder stage with Dr. Seuss characters such as Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, lazy Mayzie and a little boy with a big imagination – Jojo.
The colorful characters transport the audience from the Jungle of Nool to Circus McGurkus to the invisible world of the Whos. The Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton, an elephant who discovers a speck of dust that contains the Whos, including Jojo, a Who child sent off to military school for thinking too many “thinks.” Horton faces a double challenge: not only must he protect the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, but he must guard an abandoned egg, left in his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird.
“We wanted give the families in our community something fun to do during the summer. It’s just another way we are working toward our vision of being a significant cultural resource for the West Valley,” says Chris Hamby, producing artistic director.
The 33-member cast will be led director Brett Aiken, musical director James May and choreographer Tina Khalil. This is the second production that will feature a youth ensemble as part of the cast, representing a collaboration between YouthWorks and MasterWorks. Audiences will see many returning faces as well as several new cast members.
“Seussical” will be on the Gyder Theater at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, 8355 W. Peoria Ave. Single tickets are $38; discounts for seniors, students, and groups. There is special pricing just for families: purchase two adult tickets and two student/youth tickets for $80, a $108 value.
Call the box office at 623-815-7930 or use promo code “Whoville” when checking out online. Or for information or tickets,
visit http://theaterworks.org/calendar/seussical
Editor’s note: Cate Hinkle is the managing director of Theater Works at Peoria Center for the Performing Arts.
