Crofton High School’s Cardinal Players brought their run of Funny Girl to a close, and less than a mile away, Crofton Middle School is preparing their show, Seussical the Musical. Seussical is a fun, upbeat musical featuring many of Dr. Seuss’ classics, like The Cat in The Hat; Horton Hears a Who!; Oh, the Thinks You Can Think; McElligot’s Pool; and more. 

The cast and crew of this musical are made up of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at Crofton Middle. There are also assistant helpers from Crofton High School who are graduates of the CMS program. The production team is made up of parent volunteers and other professionals. 

According to stageagent.com, “a musical perfect for the whole family, Seussical takes us into the world of Dr. Seuss, where we revisit beloved characters including The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie, and JoJo.” Stageagent said the show “teaches us the power of being unique, and the importance of fighting for your beliefs.”

Rehearsals for the musical typically run 2-3 times a week, with individuals rehearsing more often. When asked about rehearsal, Jay Santoro, an eighth grader who plays Horton the Elephant, said they rehearse “almost every day. I have a lot of lines and I really need to memorize them!” For Santoro, a typical individual rehearsal involves going into bed, listening to rehearsal tracks, and reading the script.

KJ Lark, a sixth grader who plays a Wickersham Brother, said a typical in-school rehearsal has, “a fair bit of talking. In vocal rehearsals we either get new music or review songs that we have learned. In Saturday rehearsals, we learn choreography for a new song, then we usually go over another song that we have trouble with, and lately we have been rehearsing songs in order.” Lark added, “There is probably no one else in the world that I have the same respect for as Ms. Vicki,” the show’s director, Ms. Vicki Smith. 

The cast all have their own reasons for joining the musical. Varsha Bhandari, an eighth grader who plays a Bird Girl, auditioned for the musical this year because of how much fun she had in CMS’s production of Beauty and the Beast last year. Santoro said, “I always loved musicals and doing school musicals can help me gain experience for my future, though I just love doing this stuff. I knew right when I got here that this is what I wanted to do!” 

Show dates for Seussical the Musical are as follows: Friday, March 17th at 7 pm; Saturday, March 18th at 7 pm; Sunday, March 19th at 2 pm; Friday, March 24th at 7 pm; Saturday, March 25th at 7 pm; and Sunday, March 26 at 2 pm. Tickets can be purchased at this link, which can also be accessed through the CMS PTA website. Attendees who purchase tickets on computers can also choose seats. Some shows are already sold out, so viewers should purchase tickets before the show.