The cast of Wheatland-Chili’s production of Seussical rehearse a part of the show last week. The show is March 22 and 23. Photo by Amanda Petrella-Christ
You can meet the Cat in the Hat and other characters this weekend as Wheatland-Chili Drama Club is proud to present Seussical on March 22 and March 23.
The musical tale weaves several characters from the books of Dr. Seuss into the story of Horton the Elephant’s adventure to rescue the tiny planet of Who and protect the egg of a friend, in a nest, on a tree as well. Favorite Dr. Seuss characters including the Cat in the Hat are part of this show, which will be performed on the stage at the Wheatland-Chili High School/Middle School auditorium on Friday, March 22 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 23 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. This is the first production of the school that includes students in grades 6 through 12. Tickets are $10 adults and $8 students and can be purchased by going to the school district’s website or at the door.
Members of the cast are Bethany Bucher, Ella Cullum, Audrey Cullum, Autumn Davis, Kira DeBruyne, Brooklyn Desmond, Emma Ely, Elizabeth Fugle, Madison Gushue, Bella Hall, William Hitchings, Madeline LaVair, John Lewis, Evelyn McDougall, Kaitlyn Miles, Andreyaliz Miranda, Katalina Monnat, Zoe Muller, Addison Nelson, Derek Phillips, Madeline Russell, Jacob Spence, Adam Thompson Jr., Sandip Tiwari, Gabriella Trotto-Lattuca, Claire VanKuren and Colden Young.
“We chose this production because we wanted to engage the community and all ages,” artistic director Amanda Petrella Christ said. “All generations know the characters of Dr. Seuss. We have taught our kids through using Dr. Seuss books. Every library has Dr. Seuss books. The last few shows have been shows that are not necessarily understandable for little kids. The characters that Dr. Seuss wrote about in books, even little kids know them.”
Christ also noted that this show is also different from the one that the students performed last year, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
“We usually want to do something different year to year,” she said. “Last year’s show did not have much dance. This year, there is and we have a great core of dancers to bring the music to life. There are a lot of vocal parts and characters for many students.”
The 1 p.m. Saturday, March 23 matinee will feature a sensory-friendly experience for audience members. Following the performance, families are invited to visit the world of Seuss as created upon the Wheatland-Chili stage with a walk-through meet-and-greet with the characters.
“Sensory sensitivities are important,” Christ said. “Even though I am not a specialist, I have experience with children who are sensitive. So, we will have a bit more light in the auditorium and balance the sound. We are hoping that kids can come up and touch Horton’s nest and the tree and reflect on the different textures by touching the set. Those sensory experiences through touch include yarn, leather, felt and feathers.”
