Article and photos courtesy of Tom Ganser.
Looking for a no-fail way to escape the late winter blahs? Just take in a performance of Whitewater Middle School’s production of “Seussical JR” Mar. 22, 23, and 24 at 7:00 p.m. in the Whitewater High School Auditorium.
Admission for the Mar. 22 performance is “Pay what you can,” and tickets for the Mar. 23 and 24 performances are $5 for adults, $3 for students and senior adults, and free for children 5 years old and under.
Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, and all your favorite Dr. Seuss characters spring to life onstage in this, a fantastical musical extravaganza from Tony-winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.
Transporting audiences from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus, the Cat in the Hat narrates the story of Horton the Elephant, who discovers a speck of dust containing tiny people called the Whos. Horton must protect the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, and he must also guard an abandoned egg that’s been left in his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird. Although Horton faces ridicule, danger, and a trial, the intrepid Gertrude McFuzz never loses faith in him. Ultimately, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family, and community are challenged and emerge triumphant.
“Seussical JR” teaches us the power of being unique, and the importance of fighting for your beliefs.
Under the direction of Liz Elliott, 46 students display their talents as actors or crew members, with the assistance of 4 adults and 8 Whitewater High School students.
Jim McCulloch and Alyssa Orlowski serve as Assistant Directors, with Jim also working Costume and Light Designer. Kerry Ramsden is Scenic Designer and Head of Stage Crew, and Kat Dunham is Set Designer.
6th Graders include Cam Avila, Tybalt Barbosa, Storm DePorter, Tyrelle Griswold, Rayne Levasseur, Emma Maas, Yanet Palomec-Garcia, Cora Schimming, Emma Schultz-Majkrzak, Melody Smith, and Talon Wildermuth.
7th Graders include Ian Agen, Jocelyn Alcala, Caitlin Alford, Henry Brockwell, Anna Coleman, Peyton Comfort, Maya Davis, Kora Davis, Laken DePorter, Vivian Harris, Morgan LaHaie, Izzy Lawton, Ame Lin, Ruth Lopez, Jacob McLaughlin, Genevieve Miranda, Virginia Nelson, Sophia Noonan, Alistair Ophime, Teegan Patterson, Lia Ramirez, Kendra Serrano, Letty Trautman, Jaylynn Traxler, and Sophia Walenton.
8th Graders include Esteban Diaz-Gallegos, Jimmy Kinson, Maggie Maas, Josh Nygren, Payton Peacock, Kai Peterson, Hayleigh Pond, Josie Selby, Ava Van Daele, and Zoe Zei.
The Whitewater High School students serving in the production include Anderson Waelchli (High School Assistant Director); Matt Zingsheim (High School Assistant Director/Sound); Anders Clarksen and Ayden Clark (Choreographer); Alexa Cansina-Pena, Alejandra Diaz-Gallegos, Betzy Polomac, and Claire Tourdot (Costuming)
“What a spectacular cast and crew we are lucky to have for “Seussical JR,” reported Alyssa Orlowski. “Our students are beyond talented. Many of them are new to the stage, and have worked so hard!”
Tyrelle Griswold is a 6th grader cast in three roles, including camera man and circus animal. Griswold said, “My favorite part of the musical is being a fish for one of the songs.”
7th grader Ian Agen plays one of the leading roles as Horton The Elephant. Agen shared enjoying “Working on the set with all of my friends and even with the people I wasn’t familiar with who have quickly become close friends. The musical has also quickly become my favorite part of the day. Playing the role of Horton has been extremely fun and fulfilling. I love getting to sing solos in front of people and getting to increase my confidence as a person. I’ll see you from the stage!”
Kai Peterson, an 8th grader cast as a Wikersham in “Seussical JR,” said, “Working on the show has been really fun. The work can be tiring, but the payout is worth it. Personally, I like learning the dances the most, and singing – when you put a lot of emotion into it – can be really fun as well!”
