‘Suessical: The Musical’ on the Tioga Central Stage; Shows set for January 24 and 25

‘Suessical: The Musical’ on the Tioga Central Stage; Shows set for January 24 and 25Provided rehearsal photo.

By Wendy Post —

The students involved with Tioga Central Drama Club have been busy preparing for their upcoming production of “Suessical: The Musical”, based on the works of Dr. Seuss. This year’s show is set for Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 25 at 4 p.m. at the Tioga Central Middle School Auditorium, located on 5th Avenue in Tioga Center, N.Y.

Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for children and seniors, and children under five are free. Tickets for the two-hour show will be sold at the door one hour before showtime. Doors open 30-minutes before show time.

‘Suessical: The Musical’ on the Tioga Central Stage; Shows set for January 24 and 25

Provided rehearsal photo.

Based on the works of Dr. Seuss, Seussical leads us on an adventure from the Planet of Who to the Jungle of Nool as Horton, hearing the planet of Who (a small speck of dust), promises to protect the Whos from trouble. Full of beloved characters, hilarious prose, and a rock-style score, this family friendly show is great for all ages.

Alex MacDonald, Drama Club director, shared, “This year we chose Seussical because it’s a quality script and score that challenges our students while still being accessible, something that is fun and interesting to our students, and a story that has something for all ages.” 

‘Suessical: The Musical’ on the Tioga Central Stage; Shows set for January 24 and 25

Provided rehearsal photo.

MacDonald added, “Our audience is primarily families, so we choose shows accordingly. Seussical fits that bill perfectly; one of its biggest challenges is that it is almost entirely sung through. It’s almost more ‘rock opera’ than musical.”

The few spoken scenes are all performed in Dr. Seuss-style prose, according to MacDonald, and the plot is based on “Horton Hears a Who” and includes references to characters from numerous other Seuss tales. 

Rehearsals, he MacDonald added, began in late October. There are over 30 students involved in the cast and crew of the show, in addition to another dozen adults on the production staff, including a number of volunteers.

‘Suessical: The Musical’ on the Tioga Central Stage; Shows set for January 24 and 25

Provided rehearsal photo.

“They are a focused and disciplined group to work with; they know how to work, how to rehearse and practice, and they always show up prepared,” said MacDonald, adding, “Everyone in our cast is a leader and that’s the secret sauce to great shows, everyone pulls their weight and does their job.”

This year the pit orchestra is made up of musicians from Tioga faculty, music teachers from two other school districts, and community players.

‘Suessical: The Musical’ on the Tioga Central Stage; Shows set for January 24 and 25

Provided rehearsal photo.

MacDonald concluded, “As an educator, the most satisfying outcome of a production like this is watching our young people grow as actors, musicians, and human beings. To wax philosophical, it’s inspiring to watch a group of young people commit themselves to a project that is bigger than any one person.”  

The Drama Club productions are open to all students, grades nine through 12, at Tioga Central High School.

‘Suessical: The Musical’ on the Tioga Central Stage; Shows set for January 24 and 25

Provided rehearsal photo.

This show is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. Visit www.mtishows.com to learn more.

Be the first to comment on "‘Suessical: The Musical’ on the Tioga Central Stage; Shows set for January 24 and 25"

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*