SEUSSICAL, featuring Bedford students, comes to Alexander Children’s Theatre School at Cary Hall in Lexington

The cast of SEUSSICAL includes several young actors from Bedford – Courtesy image (c) 2017 all rights reserved – Click to view larger image

Submitted by the Alexander Children’s Theatre School

Bedford actors taking part in SEUSSICAL: (front, l-r) Bella Panagiotou, John Mitchell, Adriana Panagiotou; (back, l-r) Molly Goldfarb, Ellie Mitchell and Sarah Wirth – Courtesy image, 2017 all rights reserved click to view larger image

Before Bedford High School’s production of Lynn Flaherty and Stephen Flaherty’s SEUSSICAL this March, you can see another local production from the Alexander Children’s Theatre School, featuring six Bedford students.

ACTS will perform SEUSSICAL on January 12, 13, and 14 at Cary Memorial Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington. Performances are at 7:30pm on 1/12, 2:00pm and 7:30pm on 1/13, and 2:00pm on 1/14. Tickets are available now at www.acts1.org or www.ticketstage.com/acts, for $19/$22 for adults and $17/$20 for students and seniors. Tickets can also be reserved by phone at 781-899-4467. Group seating is available.

The show is double-cast, meaning lead roles are played by different actors for different performances. Bedford fifth-grader John Mitchell plays JoJo, the boy whose “Thinks” make the story unfold, as part of Cast A on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. BHS sophomore Bella Panagiotou plays the Sour Kangaroo, whose sassy skepticism torments our hero Horton the Elephant, in Cast B on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. JGMS eighth graders Molly Goldfarb (Vlad Vladikoff/ensemble), Ellie Mitchell (Bird Girl), Adriana Panagiotou (ensemble) and Sarah Wirth (ensemble) play their roles in all four performances.

SEUSSICAL is an amalgamation of several stories by Dr. Seuss, including HORTON HEARS A WHO, HORTON HATCHES THE EGG, THE CAT IN THE HAT, THE BUTTER BATTLE BOOK, and OH THE PLACES YOU’LL GO. The story begins with The Cat, summoned to the stage by The Boy, who is later thrust into the story as JoJo Who, son of the Mayor of Whoville. The Whos’ perilous existence perched on a speck of dust is momentarily eased by Horton the Elephant, who alone among the creatures in the Jungle of Nool can hear the Whos’ cry for help. Horton vows to protect the Whos, but the Sour Kangaroo and her monkey cronies, the Wickersham Brothers, conspire to steal the dust speck and destroy the Whos.

Meanwhile, Horton’s love-struck neighbor Gertrude tries everything she can to get Horton to notice her—aided, sort of, by flighty showgirl Mayzie LaBird. Along the way, JoJo is sent to military school, run by the war-mongering General Genghis Khan Schmitz; Mayzie tricks Horton into sitting on her unintended egg for nearly a year, and Horton is sold to the Circus McGurkus. The show culminates in a sham trial of Horton’s sanity, presided over by judge Yertle the Turtle, before Horton, Gertrude, and JoJo collaborate to save the day.

SEUSSICAL is appropriate for all ages. The show is directed by Gillian Gordon, with music direction by Joseph Nuccio. Performers come from all over the Boston metro area. Cary Memorial Hall is handicapped accessible.