By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The fantastic world of Dr. Seuss tells of many amazing feats and fanciful places. Is any of that as wondrous as the Black Swamp Players managing to fit his fantastical world onto the small stage at the First United Methodist Church?
That stage is bursting with color, melody and dance as the Players, in collaboration with Horizon Youth Theatre, present “Seussical the Musical” Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. returning Feb. 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. in the church at 1526 E. Wooster St. Tickets are $15 and $12 for students and seniors from Grounds for Thought, 174 S. Main St., Bowling Green or online at http://www.blackswampplayers.org/ticket-sales/.
The show, by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, shapes a plot around several famous Seuss tales. As fun as it would be, this is not The Complete Works of Dr. Seuss (Abridged). Instead with The Cat in the Hat (Jeff Guion) as the Lord of Misrule, the script focuses on the adventures of JoJo (Maddox Brosius), a thoughtful kid from Who, the smallest planet in the sky, and the dutiful elephant Horton, who discovers Who on a puff ball. Among the three they tap into the key themes of the world of Seuss. Each is his own person at odds with society. The Cat in the Hat celebrates a sense of playful anarchy, and encourages JoJo, a boy whose great fault is he thinks too much, to be true to himself even if it means trouble for others. Horton is thoughtful in another way. Deeply empathetic, he cares for that world of people no other creatures can hear. He’s faithful despite the derision and bullying of most of the other residents of the Jungle of Nool.
“A person’s a person no matter how small,” he declares.
His only supporter, though he doesn’t notice, is Gertrude McFuzz (Sarah Buchanan). She’s a bird with a single tail feather, who wants more luxurious plumage. Her tale is another one about accepting oneself.
This mashup approach works well and serves to put characters barely glimpsed in the books in the spotlight. JoJo’s parents are Mr. Mayor (Nathaniel Naugle) and Mrs. Mayor (Cassie Greenlee). They dote on their son, but also worry that his “thinking” so often gets him into trouble. So they send him off to a military school run by General Genghis Khan Schmitz (Matthew Johnston) and he ends up fighting the Butter Wars that pit those who butter their bread on opposite sides of the slice against each other. That tale shows Seuss creator Theodor Seuss Geisel’s anti-war passion.
Mayzie LaBird (Allanah Lucas Reisling) plays a major role as the vain mother who entrusts, through deceit, Horton with her egg. Poor Horton now must care for the egg and the mote of dust on which Who resides. “An elephant is faithful 100 percent,” he says.
Logsdon’s Horton is a very sweet character, yet one unmovable even in the face of taunting and isolation. He bears all manner of abuse with dignity. His melancholy rendition of “Alone in the Universe” marks the second act’s turn toward more emotionally touching territory.
Not that anything can dampen the spirits of the Cat in the Hat, who is ever the mischief maker.
One of the joys of community theater is seeing people in unexpected roles. Katy Schlegel, familiar from so many Shakespeare in the park shows with Beautiful Kids and Lionface, shows off some serious singing chops as Sour Kangaroo. She really soars on “Biggest Blame Fool,” with nary a sour note.
And then there’s Allen Rogel, astronomy professor and chair of the Bowling Green State University Faculty Senate, making his stage debut as the Grinch. His son, Liam, is one of the many children in the cast of dozens that pack the stage.
With all those kids in the cast, I’d advise buying tickets in advance. What parent or grandparent, friend, or acquaintance, or just theater fan, isn’t going to want to make this visit to the wonderful world of Seuss?
