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Seussical
by Starlight Community Theater 
THE SHOW: Dr. Seuss’s zany thinks created a trove of books that
inspired generations of children to learn to read, while also inspiring this fun
and engaging musical by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, Once On This Island). The story is based on Horton
Hears a Who and Horton Hatches an Egg,
intertwined with gazoogles of other Seuss books and characters, all as seen
through the eyes of a young reader who gets named JoJo and our narrating Cat in
the Hat who wears many hats throughout the show. It starts with Horton hearing voices, but are they real
voices or does he just think he hears them? The lives of all the Whos down in
Whoville depend on him believing in them and protecting them, as their
precarious existence on a tiny speck of dust grows more precarious by the moment
when the other animals of the Jungle of Nool decide Horton is nuts and that his
precious speck has got to go. Will Horton risk everything to save these tiny
people only he can hear and nobody can see? The loyalty of Horton and the
imagination of a young daydreamer named JoJo may hold the key as the lives of
the Whos hang in the balance, hovering just inches above a hot, steamy kettle of
beezlenut oil.
THE PRODUCTION: The team at Starlight Musical Theater starts drawing you
into the world of Dr. Seuss the moment you walk in the door, handing each patron
a colorful clover upon which a speck-sized planet full of whos may be nestled.
The colorful stage, sets, and Seuss-inspired background painting (Dorann
Matson, Glenda Matson, and Mike
Rippenkroeger) transports you further into the world. And as the show
begins, snazzy costumes by Ashley and
Yvette Gibbons, whimsical hair designs by Jean Tanton, Victoria
Fricker’s fun choreography that makes great use of the oft-crowded stage,
and imaginative directing by Christian
Graca and Susan Gibson filled
with clever touches, all combine to help take us on an immersive journey. That
includes the audience becoming the poppy field that a desperate Horton has to
weed through in search of the desperate whos.
That talented cast of whos and jungle animals clearly relish guiding us through the journey, led by the charismatic Savoy Graca as the narrating Cat in the Hat who can happily needle her fellow cast members one moment (amusingly testing Horton’s good-natured patience as a gravelly voiced lounge singer singing right in his sensitive ear) or comforting a sad JoJo with a feline head nudge. Fifth grader Malena Martinez shines as said JoJo with big vocals and even bigger awe at the crazy world popping up around her. That’s a world centered around Horton the Elephant, and Brandon Brown is perfect in the role – both lovably loyal, sincere, and subtly hilarious. Equally hilarious is the one-feathered-tailed bird secretly serenading Horton with a little more than four hundred love songs, with McKenna Kollman using a trifecta of voice, body language, and charming personality to create a totally endearing Gertrude.
Caitlyn Martinez
is a star as the vain and flamboyant Amazing
Mayzie, adding great humor throughout and a moment of pain when surprised by
her own sudden realization of loss as she leaves her egg with Horton. Kenzie
Brown and little Calista Quint
knock out sass and strong vocals as the Sour Kangaroo and her Young Kangaroo. Jesse Reed and Maya Lai,
the adorable Jane and Michael Banks from Starlight’s recent production of Mary
Poppins, reunite (and transpose genders) as entertainingly strained parents Mr.
and Mrs. Mayor. William Rippenkroeger
is a strict and mostly fearless General Schmitz to a group of amusingly
uncertain, sometimes petrified cadets. Falin
Ossipinsky and Hayden Miller are
busy and acrobatic as the Cat’s Thing 1 and Thing 2. Espen Lai is an enthusiastic mini-Vlad Vladikoff excited to get the
clover from the mean monkeys (Will
Rippenkroeger, Faith Brown, and Camryn
McCullers) and gleefully toss it into the audience. Guest Actor Christopher
Martinez is a gift as the Grinch, joined by his happy, trusty sidekick Jordyn
Fischer who is a rip as Max with endearing expressions and body language
(and sad frustration among her injured Who-ville friends when she’s fitted
with her canine cone of shame). Julia
Burks, Cambria Cascio Maynard, and Harleigh
Irizarry are terrific as our always saucy tour guide Bird Girls.
So many of the greatest scenes are the group numbers
delivered by the cast. The energetic opening number, the cheeky jungle creatures
giving Horton a hard time with Biggest
Blame Fool, the ridiculously cute whos politely introducing themselves, the How
Lucky You Are act one finale (nice reactions to sound effects of things
falling apart offstage as “things could be worse” get worse), a heartfelt
and beautifully sung Solla Sollew
lullaby, a passionate trial for the fate of the whos, and a finale filled with
the wonder and promise of new worlds still to be dreamt. Performed January 29 - February 13, 2016 Rob Hopper ~ Cast ~
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JoJo: Malena Martinez
Whoville-ians: 
