Cathy Rigby Stars as 'Cat in the Hat' in 3D Theatricals' SEUSSICAL, Beginning Tonight

Broadway Tony Award nominee and former Olympic Gold medal gymnast Cathy Rigby stars as "Cat in the Hat" in Seussical the Musical which officially opens the LA Ovation Award winning 3D Theatricals' (3DT) 2015 musical theatre season. This delightful, whimsical show has been set for ten performances at Fullerton's historic Plummer Auditorium tonight, February 7 - 22; and six performances February 28 - March 8 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.

Based on selections from the enormously popular works of Dr. Seuss, Seussical is directed and choreographed by multi-LA Ovation Award winner David Engel with musical direction by Allen Everman. T.J. Dawson serves as 3DT's Executive Producer and Artistic Director, along with Gretchen Dawson and Daniel Dawson as Producers. Jeanette Dawson is Co-Producer.

Based on the renowned works of Dr. Seuss, this Tony-nominated musical delivers a message about the power of imagination and belief in yourself through a charmingly, colorful story enchnaced by an uplifting socre and performed by such characters as the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie LaBird, and JoJo... a young Who from Whovillle, the tiniest planet in the sky. Warning: This musical is contagious and may tickle your fancy.

"The only thing more fun than reading a Dr. Seuss book is seeing a magical musical extravaganza live, onstage with the characters of Dr. Seuss!," says T.J. Dawson. The Cat in the Hat is the host and Horton the Elephant is the guide on a journey from the Jungle of Nool... to the Circus McGurkus... to the World of the Whos, as a little boy with a big imagination proves that a person is a person no matter how small. "And even though many of the good Doctor's characters are fantastical," adds Dawson, "it can easily be said that they have great heart and are inspirational to all of us... young and old alike."

THE CAST:

CATHY RIGBY* (Cat in the Hat) - The world first met the diminutive Cathy Rigby as a 15-year-old who became the first American woman to ever win a medal in the World Gymnastics competition. Performing at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City and the 1972 Games in Munich, she went on to capture the hearts of millions and popularized the sport of gymnastics in the United States. Rigby has earned 12 international medals, eight of them gold; and was named one of America's Most Influential Women in Sports by ABC-TV's Wide World of Sports. After the 1972 Olympic Games, she retired from gymnastics and embarked on a new career in entertainment. Studying acting and singing for nearly 10 years, she made her musical debut in 1981 as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Described as a "genuine theatrical talent" by Variety, she has since performed in the national tour of Annie Get Your Gun and productions of Meet Me in St. Louis, South Pacific, Paint Your Wagon, They're Playing Our Song and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Rigby's dramatic television movie credits include The Perfect Body, Hard to Read, The Great Wallendas and Triathlon. In addition to her theatre and television performances, she has headlined in Las Vegas and was awarded the George M. Cohan Award for Best Specialty Act. In 1990, Rigby appeared as Peter Pan on Broadway and later took the production on tour. She received excellent reviews for her performance and was nominated for a Tony Award. She played the role again in 1998-1999 She and starred in the A&E television production in 2000... later followed by a 2004-2005 tour that was billed as her farewell tour; and in 2008 and 2009 appeared in special engagements of the show in Pittsburgh, PA, and Branson, MO. More recently, the indefatigable Ms. Rigby decided to show audiences that she "won't grow up" despite being 60 years old at the time, and began another tour of Peter Pan in 2011 which continued through 2013. In April, 2013, Ms. Rigby confirmed that she would be leaving the role for good after the tour concluded. "We don't say goodbye," said Rigby, "because saying goodbye means forgetting and I'm not forgetting. I'm just going to find another adventure." *Denotes Member of Actors Equity Association

Ms. Rigby is joined by Kat Borrelli (Cindy Loo Who), Gary Brintz* (Wickersham Brother/Dance Captain), Brandon Burks (Ensemble/Wickersham Brother), James Campbell* (The Mayor of Whoville), Michael Cavinder (Ensemble/The Grinch), Daniel Dawson* (Ensemble/Wickerham Brother), Matthew Downs (Horton the Elephant), Richie Ferris (Ensemble/Jedge Yertle the Turtle), Justin Goei (Ensemble/Vlad Vladikoff), Brittany Rose Hammond* (Bird Girl), April Jo Henry (Ensemble ), Natalie Iscovich (Ensemble), Bren Thor Johnson (Ensemble), Kirk Schuyler Lawson (Ensemble), Donna Louden (Bird Girl), Adrianna Rose Lyons* (Bird Girl), Bear Manescalchi (Ensemble), Victoria Matlock* (Mayzie LaBird), Melanie Mockobey (Gertrude McFuzz), Julie Morgentaler (Ensemble/Grandma), Tracy Rowe Mutz* (Mrs. Mayor), Gregory North* (General Genghis Khan Schmitz), Jonathan Sangster (Ensemble), Amber J. Snead (Sour Kangaroo), Momoko Sugai (Ensemble/Marshal of the Court), and Grant Westcott (JoJo).

*Denotes Member of Actors Equity Association

THE CREATIVES:

Co-conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and Eric Idle, the book of Seussical was also written by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Aherns, as was the score (Stephen Flaherty/music; Lynn Ahrens/lyrics.)

Scenery design is by J. Branson with Costumes designed by George Bacon (both provided by Music Theatre Wichita.)

3D Theatricals Creative Team Members: T.J. Dawson is Executive Producer and Artistic Director. Producers are Gretchen Dawson and Daniel Dawson. Jeanette Dawson is Co-Producer. David Engel* directs with musical direction by Allen Everman. Sound Design/Engineer is Julie Ferrin. Lighting Design is by Jean-Yves Tessler. Tehcnical Director is Jene Roach. Musical Contractor is David Lamoureux. Additional costumes: Designed and coordinated by Kaszandra A. Liput. Aerial illusions are by Paul Rubin. Production Stage Manager is Donna R. Parsons*. Assistant Stage Manager is Terry Hanrahan*. Company Manager is David Jordan Nestor. Wigs are by Cliff Senior and Kat Senior. Box Office Manager is Jennifer Nelson. Martin Willis-Raymondo is Director of Development and Communications. Michael Sterling serves as Director of Public Relations.

PLUMMER AUDITORIUM:

201 E. Chapman Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92832.

Remote Box Office: 714 589-2770, Ext. 1. Hours: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday - Friday; 12:00 - 4:00 pm Saturday. Theater Box Office Hours: Two hours prior to performances at the theater.

Ticket Prices: Presale tickets are on sale now for $20.00-$65.00. Ticket Handling Fee: $3 per ticket. Online Ticketing: www.3dtshows.com. Group and Student discounts are available.

Performance Dates and Times: February 7 - 22, 2015

Saturday, February 7 - 8:00 pm (Opening)

Sunday, February 8 - 2:00 pm

Friday, February 13 - 8:00 pm

Saturday, February 14 - 8:00 pm

Sunday, February 15 - 2:00 pm

Thursday, February 19 - 8:00 pm

Friday, February 20 - 8:00 pm

Saturday, February 21 - 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm

Sunday, February 22 - 2:00 pm

REDONDO BEACH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER:

1935 E. Manhattan Blvd., Redondo Beach, CA 90278

Remote Box Office: 714 589-2770, Ext. 1. Hours: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday - Friday; 12:00 - 4:00 pm Saturday. Theater Box Office Hours: Two hours prior to performances at the theater.

Ticket Prices: Presale tickets are on sale now for $20.00 - $70.00 at The Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. Ticket Handling Fee: $3 per ticket. Online Ticketing: www.3dtshows.com. Group and Student discounts are available.

Performance Dates and Times: February 28 - March 8, 2015

Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center - Performances:

Saturday, February 28 - 8:00 pm

Sunday, March 1 - 2:00 pm

Friday, March 6 - 8:00 pm

Saturday, March 7 - 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm

Sunday, March 8 - 2:00 pm.

ABOUT 3D THEATRICALS - 3D Theatricals (3DT) is the newest professional, Los Angeles Ovation Award-winning theatre company in Orange County and the South Bay. 3DT is an enthusiastic young company and are proud members of the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce, LA Stage Alliance, and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre. 3DT is a non-profit public benefit corporation. 3DT has already been recognized by critics and patrons alike for providing a caliber of shows in comparison to National Tours and Broadway! 3DT hopes to provide inspiration for youth to explore the arts further, and see what heights it can take them to. 3DT has been establishing quite a reputation for bringing new and edgy titles direct from Broadway, and giving a fresh approach to the classics, offering something for the seasoned theatre enthusiast and the next generation of audiences.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride

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