By Jackie Grigg
Clay Middle School is offering four different performances of “Seussical Jr.” this year, giving students an opportunity to perform for the understudy and primary casts. Miranda Susie, Clay Middle School choir director, is directing the show along with assistant director Ryan Snider and choreographer Nicki Presutti.
“Seussical Jr.” features the world of many beloved Dr. Seuss characters. The show is designed to teach audience members the power of being unique and the importance of fighting for your beliefs.
Maaike Mora, an eighth-grader, is playing the role of The ‘Cat in the Hat in the Clay Middle School’s production of “Seussical Jr.” Nov. 17-19. Mora said it’s a fun role because The Cat likes to stir up trouble.
“I especially love when we first run through the show onstage because that gives a sense of what the show is going to be like,” Mora said. “Musicals in general are just really magical because you’re acting for someone in the story and not acting like yourself.”
Charlotte Hunter, an eighth-grader, is playing the role of Mayzie La Bird.
“I like my role because I get to play a really confident, vain and funny character,” Hunter said. “I also like the songs that I sing. They are all really funny and I get to interact with a lot of different people on stage. Another thing I like is hanging out with my friends.”
For Hunter, the best part of the musical so far has been watching the show come together.
“I get to see what other people have been working on and how the story evolves,” she said.
Claira Keller, an eighth-grader, plays Gertrude McFuzz.
“The best part about working on the show is the amount of support and encouragement I get from my friends and even the people I don’t know very well,” Keller said.
Keller said she loves her character arc and the variety of emotions she gets to portray.
Tickets for the musicals are available online at Nov 17 Understudy cast: showtix4u.com/event-details/68473; Nov 18 primary cast: showtix4u.com/event-details/68474; Nov 19 understudy cast: showtix4u.com/event-details/68475 and Nov 19t primary cast: showtix4u.com/event-details/68476.
