On May 2 and 3, the KHS auditorium will transform into the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss as the Drama Club presents “Seussical the Musical.”
KHS students will bring Dr. Seuss’s most famous characters to life throughout the show. Senior Talon Hawkins plays the Cat in the Hat, who serves as a narrator for the show.
“I’d describe him as a trickster or chaos god, but he always guides kids on the right path after he conjures chaos,” Hawkins said. “He also shows up frequently as different characters throughout the show, so that’s very fun.”
The Cat helps guide Jojo, played by sophomore Amelia Duncan, through her journey as she looks for help from Horton the Elephant, played by senior Sam VerLee. Even though Duncan is playing a young child, she can relate to her character.
“Jojo is a very playful and fun character and my personality is very much like that,” she said. “We both have creative mindsets.”
Theatre teacher Randi Weeks is directing the musical. Many factors played into choosing a show like Seussical.
“We have so many talented students, and we really wanted the opportunity for lots of them to be featured doing what they each do best. Small cast shows were not an option. We had to do something big,” Weeks said. “In addition, the story has to have a message that the directors think is worth teaching the students as we work through the show, and in turn a message worth sharing with the audience. Several themes revolve around things like perseverance, loyal friendships, kindness, especially noticing those that others overlook, and positive thinking when times get tough. Those are messages that these kids will carry with them beyond our time together.”
Even though this is Hawkins last show at KHS, he is excited to look back at how the Drama Club has grown during his time here.
“I don’t often think about it, but it is amazing that the show I started with was a small production with a few very talented people and a very impressive plant, but the show I’m ending with is everything Little Shop had but dialed up,” he said. “There’s a huge cast of talented singers and dancers, and the props are diverse, vibrant, and joyful. It’s poetic, in a way, to have watched our theatre program grow into something large after it was so small when I started.”
Weeks hopes the school and community will come out to support all of the hard work the students have put into the show.
“This group has been so committed – committed to rehearsing, committed to getting better, committed to each other, committed to the process. I really believe they are going to have an absolutely amazing show. It will be one the staff and students will not want to miss!”
