‘Seussical’ @ Outcry Community Theatre
Photos by Kathy Wright
—Carol M. Rice
Other than William Shakespeare, there is no one who can make up words and turn a phrase like Theodor Seuss Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss), and I dare say many of his characters are as well-known as the Bard’s. The Cat in the Hat was not his first children’s book; that honor goes to one of my favorites, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, but the mischievous feline definitely has become Dr. Seuss’s most famous creation.
In the musical Seussical, the character of The Cat in the Hat provides the impetus for the action, which is a clever mash-up of many of the stories of Dr. Seuss, primarily Horton Hears a Who!, Gertrude McFuzz, and Horton Hatches the Egg—but really, everything from How the Grinch Stole Christmas to Yertle the Turtle is thrown in for good measure. With music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, a book by Ahrens and Flaherty, and based on the works of the great Dr. Seuss, of course the show…fell flat on Broadway in 2000. What? But since then, it’s become extremely popular with schools and regional theatres worldwide. I know it’s one of my personal faves.
Outcry Community Theatre’s production is double cast, and if the other cast is anything like the one I saw, you’re in for a treat no matter which one you see.
As The Cat in the Hat, Dylan Cantu struck me as what would happen if Tim Burton had created the character. His facial expressions are a little on the scary side, plus his black bechained jacket and tight, ripped jeans contrast weirdly with the classic red-and-white striped hat; but, because Aubrey Blasingame’s JoJo is costumed very similarly, it becomes apparent that The Cat is really just an extension of JoJo—essentially a very big THINK. With their boundless energy, great voices, and exceptional dancing skills, Cantu and Blasingame work well together to tell the story.
Brady Beckley portrays Horton the Elephant as a sweet, lonely guy just looking for a friend, so when the Whoville dust speck floats into his life, he’s more than happy to befriend it. I loved Beckley’s interpretation of Horton, and he also brings strong vocals and great dance moves to the character.
Horton is, however, a little dim, as he never even looks Gertrude McFuzz’s way, despite her adoration of him. Brennan Barnes is simply adorable as the lovestruck bird with a one-feathered tail.
Amelia Racca portrays Mayzie La Bird with just the right amount of self-centered flair, and her stunning red dress is perfect for the character.
Micah Graham gives the Sour Kangaroo some bluesy depth, and they interact well with the cute-as-a-bug Adaline Dominguez as the Young Kangaroo. These two make a formidable pair as they try to destroy the speck of dust Horton has befriended.
As Mr. and Mrs. Mayor, Jason Johnson-Spinos and Loyce Pickett play the leaders of Whoville (and come frustrated parents too), who send poor JoJo off to military school because of all his big THINKS.
I have always loved the character of General Genghis Khan Schmitz, mainly because the war referenced in The Butter Battle Book is so ludicrous (as are all wars...but that’s another story for another day); Connor McMurray ratchets up the ridiculousness with not only his yellow camouflage uniform and GIANT mustache, but also because he plays the role with the utmost seriousness. McMurray also plays the eagle Vlad Vladikoff and despite the mustache, makes him different from the General.
The Bird Girls often help The Cat in the Hat tell the story, and they are played by Madeline Knoff, Maddie McInnis, Alexis Highsmith, Aly Dominguez, and Kate Illian. They make a nice group while still giving individuality to their roles.
The same can be said of the Wickershams: Kaz Hill, Allison Wright, Nate Oldham, Morgan Clark, Kensley James, and Annie Dominguez. In the book, the Wickersham Brothers are mischievous monkeys, but here, they are 1950s bobby soxers, each with a distinctive look and attitude.
I’ve mentioned the costumes in relation to most of these characters because they are all so good, but you also have all the Whos in bright yellow and green (there are SO MANY of them and none of them clash!), the Sour Kangaroos in cartoonish purple overalls with striped socks, Horton’s gray plaid shirt and trapper hat, the circus performers in red, white, and black stripes and polka dots...all of it is so much fun! Kudos must go out to costume designers Kathy Wright and Kristin Bell for their creativity and the sheer volume of amazing looks.
Becca Johnson-Spinos directs the large cast, with music direction by Cindy Johnston. Johnson-Spinos is the choreographer as well, and it’s clear that some fine work went into these numbers, both from a vocal and dance standpoint. Ms. Johnson-Spinos has expertly cast the show and utilized the large stage at the Lewisville Grand Theater very well.
The cartoon set design (complete with hidden cubbyholes and secret doors) is by Steve McMurray, Misty Blasingame, and Nathan Blasingame, aided by projections by Mr. Johnson-Spinos. The “clouds” that come down and have individual projections on them are especially impressive. Tyler Hester’s lighting design was equally impressive and made excellent use of the cyclorama.
Props for Seussical play an important part, and these are handled with apparent ease by Sherilyn Fox, Ingrid Rorem, and Holden James. My favorites were the pill berry bush and the huge amount of clover Horton had to look through.
Outcry Community Theatre’s production of Seussical is a delight. It is colorful and fun and perfect for summer. If you just take the show at face value, you’ll come away having had a great time and humming some of the tunes. If you look deeper, however, you’ll see that this goofy piece of fluff—like Dr. Seuss’s original books—goes much deeper than that. You may come away thinking about an elephant being bullied for thinking differently than those around him, or a bird who thinks her tail isn’t pretty enough to get noticed, a kid who’s misunderstood because he THINKS too much, or even war being made over trivial things. No matter how you view it, it’s still a great time at the theatre.
While Outcry Theatre serves the DFW area through professional productions, they began doing community theatre productions in 2024, and Seussical is their second of these shows involving actors of all ages. Their Outcry Reads program presents works in development by local playwrights, and the Outcry Youth Theatre program is for educating students ages 5-18.
While I’ve been in the audience for some of their professional shows before, this was my first community theatre production at Outcry, and I look forward to more.
WHEN: June 26-29, 2025
WHERE: Lewisville Grand Theater (Huffines Performance Hall), 100 North Charles Street, Lewisville TX
WEB: outcrytheatre.com
