Photo Flash: Walnut Street Theatre Opens SEUSSICAL JR. Today

Kids and their favorite grownups will love the WST for Kids' production of Seussical Jr. Based on the works of the one-and-only Dr. Seuss, this fantastical, magical, hour-long musical extravaganza will be performed LIVE at Walnut Street Theatre, today, September 21 and the 28th, 2013. Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action!

Oh, the places we'll go! Join The Cat in the Hat and Jojo as they ride the wave of a huge "think" adventure that takes them from Whoville to Palm Beach. The faithful Horton discovers Whoville, the home of Jojo, on a speck of dust and protects it with all his might until it is taken from him and lost. On his journey to find Whoville, Horton meets Mayzie La Bird and is asked to sit on her egg while she takes a vacation. Hunters capture Horton and the egg and take them to the traveling circus. Will Horton find the Whos? Who will take care of Mayzie's egg? This delightful musical combines many favorite Dr. Seuss's most popular stories and reminds audiences of the importance of faith and friendship.

Born in 1904 as Theodor Seuss Geisel, the author we all know as Dr. Seuss wore many hats during his career. He was a cartoonist for an advertising agency in New York, a political cartoonist, he made a cartoon-like instructional video for soldiers during WWII, he was a sculptor and, most notably, an author and illustrator of children's books. And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street was Dr. Seuss's first published children's book in 1937. He introduced the world to the The Cat in the Hat (The Cat in the Hat), the Grinch (How the Grinch Stole Christmas), Horton (Horton Hears a Who) and countless other memorable characters. Among the many honors Dr. Seuss celebrated in his life, he was awarded with two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, the Pulitzer Prize and a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Seussical had its Broadway opening in 2000 and was written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. This award winning team has worked together on several shows including Ragtime, Once on This Island, Lucky Stiff and A Man of No Importance. Seussical closed its doors on Broadway in 2001, which allowed Ahrens and Flaherty to revisit their work for life beyond Broadway as a touring production. After a few changes, the show was met with an overwhelmingly positive response, resulting in two successful national tours. The amateur rights were released in 2004 and Seussical Jr., an hour-long version, is now one of the most performed shows in America.

Director Ashley Kerns is excited to make her Walnut directorial debut with this imaginative production. Kerns has been Assistant Director to Malcolm Black for Walnut Mainstage productions, including Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband, Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap and Amadeus. As the Walnut's Assistant Director of Education, she has been instrumental in reaching over 120,000 students in the tri-state area with a variety of programs established to keep arts in education. The Walnut is delighted to have Eric Thompson as Music and Vocal Director, along with Samuel Antonio Reyes (Diary of a Worm, a Spider and a Fly; Alexander; A Christmas Carol) as Choreographer for this production.

From bright colors, to large shapes, to red and white striped hats, the creative team responsible for taking Seussical Jr. from the page to the stage is led by Scenic Designer AnDrew Thompson (Diary of a Worm, a Spider and a Fly; Proof). Joining Thompson are Sound Designer Jacob Mishler (Good People),Lighting Designer Shelley Hicklin (An Ideal Husband, Born Yesterday) and Costume Designer Amanda Wolff (Miss Nelson is Missing!).

The cast of crazy characters is all from the tri-state area and all students of the Walnut Street Theatre School. Sara Prendergast of Philadelphia, PA will play The Cat in the Hat alongside Kelly White of Moorestown, NJ who will play Jojo. Matthew Boyd of Medford, NJ will play Horton; Lauren Grajewski of Newtown Square, PA will play Gertrude; Cassandra DeMas of Chalfont, PA will play Thing 1 and Joanna Moles of Haddonfield, NJ will play Thing 2. The cast continues with Maria Brewster, Maura Hrynczyszyn, Madeline Juleskusky and Ayanna Woods of Philadelphia, PA; Gabriela Barrett and Sarah Root of Wynnewood, PA; Mary Kate Foley of Downingtown, PA; Gabbi Hanes of Morton, PA; Megan McCormick of Glenside, PA and Emily Rehmet of Doylestown, PA. Joining the cast from the New Jersey area are Justin Cade Accardi of Cherry Hill, Kirsten Hess of Cinnaminson, Skylar Raye Noyes of Moorestown and Lindsey Wesoly of Mount Laurel. Keelin Reilly joins the cast from Wilmington Delaware.

The Walnut Street Theatre for Kids Series is celebrated for its commitment to encouraging parents (and grandparents) to read to their kids. Families can read together, and then discover a whole new level of imagination when they see the shows live onstage. The Walnut takes pride in bringing families together through reading and the arts.

The 2013-2014 WST for Kids Season is proudly sponsored by PA Virtual Charter School. PA Virtual Charter School is a free public cyber charter school of choice chartered and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in 2001. The Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School serves more than 3,400 students throughout Pennsylvania from Kindergarten through 12th grade in a home-based setting. In July 2011, the Pennsylvania Department of Education renewed the school's charter for five more years. For more information, visit www.pavcsk12.org.

Seussical Jr. is an ideal outing for the kid inside of everyone with weekend matinee performances on September 21 and 28, 2013. Tickets are only $10-$16 with group discounts available for groups of fifteen or more. For tickets and information, call 215-574-3550 or 800-982-2787. Tickets can also be purchased online at Ticketmaster or by visiting the Walnut's website at www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org.

Photo Credit: Mark Garvin

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