‘Seussical’ on Signal
The world celebrates Dr. Seuss’ birthday each March, and Skwalking Heads Productions is no exception.
This weekend, the performance company will present a cast of youngsters, ages 5-13, in four performances of “Seussical Jr.,” in which 15 of the whimsical characters dreamed up by the beloved children’s author will come to life, including Horton the Elephant and the Cat in the Hat.
“Many of the characters in ‘ Seussical’ have never met before, but in this play some fall in love, some get into trouble, and in the end we are reminded once again that a person’s a person no matter how small,” says director Collen Laliberte.
She describes “Seussical” as a true ensemble show “with music that makes you want to sing along.” Jessica Laliberte Bowman is the play’s choreographer.
The production began as the workshop play for the Skwalking Heads summer theater camp at Mountain Arts Community Center on Signal Mountain.
“The cast of kids did such a fantastic job with this show that we thought it would be a great idea to share it again with the community,” Laliberte says.
The musical comes from Tony Award winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty and is based primarily on Dr. Seuss’ “Horton Hears a Who,” “Horton Hatches the Egg” and “Miss Gertrude McFuzz.”
“The message from Dr. Seuss reminds us of things we all value, finding a true friend who believes in us, protecting the smallest of small, preserving the dignity and worth of each and every one of us,” Laliberte says. “His hope and belief in kindness shines through, and seeing that spirit reflected in the performers as they work together onstage makes this one of my favorite plays.”