ORLANDO, Fla. – Oh, the thinks you can think! A musical from Little Radical Theatrics will take you through the world of Dr. Seuss starring some beloved characters from the children’s author, including The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie, and JoJo.
In “Seussical The Musical,” The Cat in the Hat takes the audience through The Jungle of Nool, where they meet Horton. The elephant discovers a speck of dust containing Whoville. There he meets a child named JoJo, who was sent to military school for thinking too much.
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Horton is tasked with the challenge of protecting the Whos from Whoville, while also restoring peace and unity to the Jungle of Nool.
“Seussical” combines a few stories from Dr. Seuss, while also focusing on the themes of friendship, loyalty and love. The musical teaches the power of being different and fighting for your beliefs.
“Seussical the Musical” stars 58 actors from ages 5 to 65 and up. The show even has three full families performing together.
Jonathan Barreto plays The Cat in the Hat. He said he started acting when he was 15 years old and funny enough, his first show was “Seussical The Musical.”
He talked about what it takes to play The Cat.
“The role of Cat can be a physically taxing role since he is beyond energetic and always bouncing all over the place. I have researched a lot about the role itself and I have spent countless hours watching some of my favorite physical comedians such as Katt Williams, Tyler Perry, Mike Myers, and Jim Carrey, just to name a few,” said Barreto.
You can expect each performance from him to be different, because his role requires a lot of improv.
“In order to keep my improv skills sharp, I read the room around me to get a gauge for what will land. I try to come up with stories on the spot and change them as I go. I also try to anticipate what the audience might say, so I know how to respond back to the situations” Barreto explained.
He said to get into his character’s headspace, he thinks back to when he was a kid and tries to see things through the eyes of a child, especially since there’s a lot of kids in the show.
“Kids tend to have this beautiful imagination, for example, while taking a break, some of our kids are making forts in the break space and coming up with full stories about the forts. I look at that and try to put myself in their shoes and remember what it’s like to be a kid,” Barreto said.
Ten-year-old Olivia Hill plays JoJo. She said she can relate to her character in some ways, while also seeing how they’re different.
“JoJo is a super imaginative and creative character and I really relate to that side of him. However, the difference is that he is being pushed by his parents to grow up and stop letting his imagination run wild,” said Hill.
She went on to say, “My parents, on the other hand, have always encouraged me to be creative and use my imagination. My mom is actually always telling me I should stay a kid for as long as I can and have as much fun as possible.”
Hill said using her imagination to create a character is one of her favorite parts about acting.
“There is nothing like seeing the reaction of the crowd while creating onstage with others who have the same dedication and love for theatre. Also, I love making new friends and just getting to sing and dance on stage.”
“Seussical The Musical” will be at Fringe ArtSpace starting this Friday and running through April 21. You can save on ticket prices by purchasing them in advance.