'Seussical the Musical' set to entertain audiences at Galion theater

The fanciful world of Dr. Seuss will come alive this weekend and next when "Seussical the Musical" hits the stage of the Galion Community Theatre.

The comedy is based on a compilation of children's works written by the legendary author Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known by his pen name.

"It's got a lot of recognizable characters," said Rachel Jarvis, who is co-directing the musical with her mother, Amy. "It's really fun to watch — really bright and colorful and lots of fun numbers."

'It's mostly Horton Hears a Who'

Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased online at galiontheatre.org/tickets, by calling 419-468-2662, or by visiting the theater's box office.

Shows begin at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, then again July 29 and 30. A matinee will begin 2 p.m. July 31.

Doors open 45 minutes prior to each curtain time. Each show will run about two hours with a 15-minute intermission.

The theater has been decorated with covers of Dr. Seuss books, as well as wispy, whimsical trees and bright colors that are immediately recognizable and set the Seussical theme.

"It's mostly Horton Hears a Who," Jarvis said. "That's kind of the main track that we follow."

'It's been really fun'

The youth production consists of 30 cast members who are all between the ages of 10 and 20.

"I would say most of our cast are about middle-school aged," Jarvis said. "Most of our crew are 20 or under."

The young thespians have all been enjoying their summer of rehearsing Dr. Seuss lines, and making them come to life on the stage.

"Most of them are brand new," Jarvis said. "It's been really fun to watch them learn theater and how to be on stage."

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The Cat in the Hat is played by J Bishop, 20, of Galion.

"This is the last year I can do our youth show," he said.

He's been in about a dozen plays throughout his young career, and plans to continue acting once his final youth production is over.

Seussical is one of his favorite shows he's ever helped create.

"It's a bit of a mashup," Bishop said. "There's a bunch of different things happening at the same time."

He said two stories are going on at the same time, and there are main characters for each plot.

"The thing I like most is that it's not really structured," Bishop said. "It's a bit of a chaotic show, and I kind of enjoy that. If you're not paying attention, it's hard to follow. There's a lot happening all the time, and I like that."

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Will Rinehart, 12, of Galion, portrays one of the Wickersham Brothers.

"I'm a monkey," Rinehart said. "I'm a trickster. I'm very angsty. It's a lot of fun."

Seussical is his second play at the theater. His first was last spring, and he's known for the past year that he wanted to be in this summer's production.

"It's fun hanging out with everybody," Rinehart said.

He has recognized — and enjoyed — a lot of parts of the play from watching the movie "Horton Hears a Who."

The cast, crew and director all think the audiences will be able to say the same.

"It's a family show," Jarvis said. "I think there's something in it for everybody."

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: 'Seussical the Musical' set to entertain audiences at Galion theater