Seussical overcomes bad weather, puts on great show

411-000-0000 never looked so glorious as when it appeared on every Hockadaisy’s  phone for four straight days.  From Feb. 1 through 4, Hockaday was closed due to severe winter weather.  The ice and snow made roads treacherous and transportation near impossible.

While many Hockaday girls enjoyed movie marathons and much-needed extra hours of sleep, the thought of make-up work lingered in the back of everyone’s mind. Schedules were flipped around and activities cancelled, but the greatest impact may have been on the production of the winter musical, “Seussical the Musical”.

Some of the cast members rehearsed at junior Megan’s house during the snow week. They worried that if school was to resume on that Thursday, the show would go on as scheduled over the weekend.  When it did not, the performances had to be rescheduled.

Originally planned for Feb. 4 and 5, the Hockaday/St. Mark’s theater program performed “Seussical” on Feb. 18, 19, and 20.

Ed Long, coordinator for all of Hockaday’s fine arts events, had a lot to take into account when picking a new date for the musical.

Balancing sports schedules was difficult for some musical performers, as spring sports season officially began on Feb. 14.

Sophomore Charlotte rows crew in the spring and experienced conflicts in her training and rehearsal schedules. “The new, or rather delayed, schedule has made retraining more difficult and delayed my return to club crew by two weeks.”

Juniors Avery and Kate had similar problems, as they both play lacrosse and could only attend one day of try-outs.

However, Charlotte as well as other members of the “Seussical” cast, found some good in the new schedule.

“As a member of the chorus, I feel the extra rehearsal time helped us perfect the show, leading to a cuter, more confident production of ‘Seussical’,” Charlotte says. “While the weather did push back our returning to other extra-curriculars, it gave us two more weeks to enjoy the show!”

Other performers had similar feelings.  “At first, I felt really bummed,” junior Regen comments on the change. “I know everyone really wanted to perform the musical as scheduled.”  So much work had already gone into production.

“I think the delayed performance was a positive thing because we got more rehearsal time which helped us out in the long run,” Regen comments. The extra two weeks of practice enabled the performers and crew to perfect even the smallest of details to make the musical the best it could possibly be.  Every part of the musical was perfect and well-timed: from the costumes, make-up, and hairstyles to the dance routines and musical numbers.

The Who’s bright yellow and orange costumes, along with the vibrant colors of the stage decorations. contrasted well with the “rival” Wickersham brothers, who dressed in neutrals and black.

Last weekend’s sunny weather and blue skies were far better suited to “Seussical”, a production spilling over with bright colors and vibrant patterns and bursting with stuck-in-your-head-the-next-morning songs.

St. Mark’s senior Christian’s silly, sexy, snarky Cat navigated the audience through the ins and outs of the imaginative plot. Senior Daniele, continuing a long-standing Hockaday tradition of playing boys, pushed the limits of cute as Jojo, a little who boy with outlandish “thinks.”

Bedecked (and sometimes woefully un-bedecked) in feathers, Laura and Briana, as Amazing Mayzie and Gertrude McFuzz, were the divas of the production, flaunting their feathers and impeccable voices.

Just as much as the performers, the sets of the musical played a starring role in the production and brought the signature Dr. Seuss illustrations to life. The musical was unusual in that the stage crew members performed as “Things”, dancing while moving the sets without traditional black-outs.

Since the musical was based on a collection of children’s books, it was much more of a family affair. The audience was filled with young chilren eager to see their favorite books brougth to life.  Parents were more comfortable bringing their children to this performance compared to last year’s musical, Mame, which was considered a little racy.

The cast and crew of “Seussical,  the Musical,” as well as the rest of the school, worked hard to get back on track. Nothing could stop the Suessical cast— not creeping hunches, taunting mokeys, doubtful Wickersham Brothers, Sour Kangeroos and yes, even snow.

—Nina