The school performance of this year’s musical took place on Friday, April 13. Students put on a Dr. Seuss-inspired tale which is appropriately titled Seussical the Musical. The story follows Horton the Elephant from Horton Hears a Who! on his quest to save Whoville, played by senior Grayson Abend. The tale is also narrated by The Cat in the Hat, played by junior John Coffey, with a vast mix of other Dr. Seuss classics intertwined into the plot.

    This year’s musical was unlike past years. Mr. Nicholas Mayes, the musical director, explained that what made this year so unique was that Seussical is almost an opera, meaning the actors sang nearly all of their lines. Being Mayes’s first year as musical director, such a difficult performance was a surprising choice for this year’s musical.

    The performance was nostalgic and a delight to watch. The intricate plot was made easy to follow by the musical’s organization and strong main characters. Audience members were also able to connect to the musical more when characters spoke directly to the audience. Specifically when Abend, as Horton the Elephant, announced intermission while jumping in and out of character.

    The musical’s lead characters were obvious standouts on stage. Abend was clearly deserving of a lead role, which the audience was reminded of in each of his songs. Junior Aubrey Wright phenomenally portrayed Mayzie la Bird, a self-absorbed, sassy, and irresponsible bird hatching an egg. Junior Sydney Winslow was also a joy to watch as Gertrude McFuzz, a shy bird in love with Horton the Elephant.

    Seussical the Musical was refreshingly different from past years, yet with the same talent we’ve come to expect from the musical cast. The effort and dedication to the program was clear in the performance as well as the simple, but still beautiful set. Not to mention the turntable which clearly took a lot of ingenuity and cooperation from the backstage crew. As a senior, this is one school performance I was glad I didn’t sleep in for.