OHS drama club to put on 'Seussical'
Rachal Pinkerton/Sun Tribune Horton the Elephant, played by Tony Gonzalez, talks to the residents of Who-ville during the musical ‘Seussical.’ The show is being put on by the Othello High School Drama Club this weekend. Performances are at McFarland Middle School.
Rachal Pinkerton/Sun Tribune Horton the Elephant (middle) is being harrassed by the Wickersham brothers during a rehearsal of “Seussical.”
Rachal Pinkerton/Sun Tribune Horton the Elephant, played by Tony Gonzalez, talks the egg he is hatching for Mayzie LaBird.
Rachal Pinkerton/Sun Tribune Jojo (left) steals The Cat in the Hat’s hat. Jojo and the Cat are part of the musical “Seussical” being performed by the Othello High School Drama Club this weekend. Jojo is played by Kassie Fletcher and the Cat is played by Parker Mills.
OTHELLO — The Othello High School Drama Club will be putting on the show “Seussical” this weekend.
“Seussical” is a play based on the works of Dr. Seuss.
“Jojo is a thinker,” said Tom Christensen, Othello High School Spanish teacher and Drama Club adviser. “It is all he thinks that Jojo has.”
The show incorporates a variety of stories, including “The Cat in the Hat” stories, “Horton Hears a Who,” “The One-Feather Tail of Gertrude McFuzz” and “All the Thinks You Can Think.”
“The Grinch even makes an appearance,” Christensen said. “It is a super fun show. It has lots of energy all the way through.”
Christensen said they chose “Seussical” because they knew there would be enough students to fill all the parts in the play.
“There are lots of opportunities for the kids to create their characters,” Christensen said.
The choreographer for the show is Amanda Ostler, an English teacher in the district. She took dance, mainly tap and ballet, from age 7 to age 21.
“This is my first time doing a play,” Ostler said.
The music director is Othello High School choir teacher Amber Johnson.
The musical has 30 cast members, including The Cat in the Hat, Jojo, Horton and Gertrude McFuzz. Seven of the cast members are seniors this year. Three of those seniors have been in drama club productions all four years of high school.
Tony Gonzalez, who plays Horton, is one of the seniors. He thinks his character will connect with the children in the audience.
“It’s fun to play Horton,” Gonzalez said. “You have to be innocent. Playing Horton brings a child-like attitude out of me.”
Of his four years in drama, Horton is the most challenging. In the past, he has played a grouchy old man and been an evil sidekick.
“Every year is extremely different,” Gonzalez said. “This role is a little out of my comfort zone. I like the challenge of acting like Horton.”
“Seussical” will be performed Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14, 15 and 16 at 7 p.m. There will be a Saturday matinee at 1 p.m. The musical will be performed at McFarland Middle School, 790 S 10th Ave. in Othello. Tickets are $13 for general admission. Children under 12, students with ASB cards and seniors are $10.
Rachal Pinkerton may be reached via email at rpinkerton@suntribunenews.com.