Backstage Conversations with Creative Team of NTC's SEUSSICAL, Opening 8/30

"Seussical" opens at NTC at 8:00 pm on August 30. This zany musical debuted on Broadway in 2000 and has been a favorite with children and regional theatres ever since. The music was written by Lynn Aherns and Stephen Flaherty, who also wrote "Ragtime," which Newnan High School performed this past spring. Below are interviews with the show's director, Dave Dorrell, and choreographer Emily Moore. (Interviews by Joan Doggrel.)

Interview with Dave Dorrell, director for "Seussical" and managing director for NTC

Why did you choose "Seussical" for your first performance of the new 2012-2013 season?

We wanted something that the whole family could come and see it. Plus we wanted children in the show. Our real little ones do a great job -- they're just a bit more work.

This show takes several of the Dr. Seuss stories and combines them. "Horton Hears a Who" and "Horton Hatches the Egg" carry the main plot line but several other Seuss tales are blended in as well.

Mayzie LaBird talks Horton into sitting on her egg and then disappears. Gertrude McFuzz is in love with Horton, who doesn't notice her, and she thinks it's because she has only a one-feather tail. So, on Mayzie's advice, she goes to a doctor who gives her some pills, and then she grows a tail so long she can't fly.

Yertle the Turtle is the judge at the end presiding over the court proceedings, which find Horton to be insane for talking to a speck.

Was it difficult to cast all those crazy Seuss characters?

We've made some creative changes to the original casting. For The Cat in the Hat, we cast a woman-KrystAl White, a tall, slender dancer. Izzy Robles is Jojo-a girl playing a boy. Jojo is a character in Seuss's "The Butter Battle Book." By the way, my daughter Ellen played that role when she was in Newnan High School.

We've doubled the number of Wickersham brothers – the monkeys that come in and wreak havoc – from three to six, and have done the same with Mayzie's Bird Girls.

Justin Jessel, who starred in "Epic Proportions" last spring, is playing Horton. We cast Ben Dell, who was Joseph in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," as Mr. Mayor. Melinda Copeland is playing Mrs. Mayor.

What is the music like?

It's real catchy. We're using recorded music, which presents a different set of challenges than live music. You can't make any adjustments-everything has to be timed just right for that next cue.

From what I can see of the set, it looks very two dimensional.

It's intended to look like the illustrations in a Dr. Seuss book. We deliberately made it very flat.

Interview with Emily Moore, choreographer for "Seussical"

You've never choreographed for NTC before. Tell us about your training and experience.

I have been dancing since I was three years old. I initially studied classical ballet, and travelled all around the country studying with wonderful names. Then I decided to go to college instead of pursuing a dance career, which I think helped me grow as a dancer. Recently I've been choreographing for kids, and now I teach for a musical theatre in Atlanta.

Does "Seussical" present any special choreography problems?

It's very challenging choreographing for this many people. A lot of the big numbers have the whole cast on stage and a mix of ages from six to all the way up. The adults, who know the choreography, were covering the kids! But Dave has been great about getting the kids up where they can be seen while putting the adults down in front doing the harder parts. Other than that, not too challenging.

It's all been a lot of fun.

"Seussical" is playing from August 30 through September 9 with both afternoon and evening performances. To make reservations, and for show and audition dates and times, visit Newnan Theatre Company's web site at newnantheatre.org. The theatre building is located in historic downtown Newnan at 24 First Avenue.

Pictured: KrystAl White stars as The Cat in the Hat in Seussical the Musical.

 

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