Seussical, presented last weekend at Wilde Lake High School, provided audiences the opportunity to break away from traditional high school musicals and watch a unique show based on the familiar Dr. Seuss stories. In the song "Oh, The Things You Can Think," everyone is invited by the Cat in the Hat (Carl Deffenbaugh) and JoJo (Olivia Nagel) to open their minds and imaginations to the world of Dr. Seuss. Carl is a superb Cat, playing the goofy and energetic narrator to a "T," while Olivia was an outstanding JoJo, whose vocal abilities shone in "It's Possible," among other songs.
Horton the Elephant (Elijah Martinez) finds a planet the size of a speck of dust called Whoville and decides to protect it by placing it on a clover. Elijah did well as Horton and made the character lovable. No one believes Horton, so he is left on his own to protect the citizens of Whoville.
Gertrude, the bird with one feather, portrayed by Judith Ingber, is the only one who believes Horton. This is because she has been trying to get his attention for some time, but she has had no luck. Judith nearly steals the show. Her beautiful voice comes through in "All For You," and her comedic timing is outstanding. Gertrude isn't noticed by anyone because she is living in the shadow of Mayzie (Marylee Adams), the bird with beautiful feathers. Marylee does well as the sultry Mayzie and displays her dancing and singing abilities in "Amayzing Mayzie."
There were many standout performances in this production. Zaire Gross played the hilarious Sour Kangaroo and impressed the audience with his voice. Amber Henry brought the house down as Yertle the Turtle in "The People vs. Horton the Elephant." The Bird Girls, an ensemble of Sara Trapnell, Joanna Grabau, Mira David, Carlynne Robinson, Alex Aber and Kyra Nader, were fantastic and sang beautiful harmonies in many songs. The costumes, makeup, and special effects were unique and well done. The chorus cannot go unnoticed; its energy, dancing and singing were needed in most numbers and was impressive.
Seussical is a high-energy show that is not easy to perform. Although some of the songs were difficult to hear over the loud (yet extraordinary) pit orchestra, Wilde Lake did well and brought the audience back to its Dr. Seuss days.
Elizabeth Stephens, a junior at Oakland Mills High School, reviewed "Seussical" for the Cappies of Baltimore, a program in which students review high school productions under the direction of their teachers and vote on awards for outstanding performances.
