The Act Out Theatre Group has added an additional performance to cap off its monthlong run of “Seussical the Musical” at its performance space in Taylor.
Kalen Churcher, the show’s director, has dubbed the final show Seussical “Unhinged.” Since September, the Taylor theatre has been “Seussified,” with shows running every weekend. Though the show is described as having one large cast but different divisions that have led each weekend, the unhinged version is something very different.
The idea came from some of the performers in the adult-led production.
“Some of the adults were talking and suggested a truly combined version where the cast wasn’t driven by one particular age group,” said Churcher, of Plymouth. “We thought it might be fun to really change things up a bit, so we drew names from a hat as to who would play what part.
“We definitely have folks who had not previously worked closely with one another now being scene partners.”
Churcher said that no one is playing a new part. For example, Dan Pittman, Chase Richmond and Lennon Chmil-Allan all played Horton in their respective adult-, teen- and youth-led divisions. Ultimately, Richmond’s name was chosen to play the famous elephant who sits on an egg, in a nest, in a tree. Pittman’s name was drawn to play General Genghis Khan Schmitz, and Chmil-Allan will play a Thing.
Roughly 40 people will help bring the Planet of Who and Jungle of Nool to life.
“We have never done anything like this before,” said Pittman, who is also the theatre’s owner and artistic director. “We have a very talented cast, though, and I think they’re going to create something that is a lot of fun.
According to Churcher, the group has met once to discuss some logistics, but the cast will not formally rehearse the show prior to performing it on stage.
Miguel Rodriguez will reprise his role as The Cat in the Hat. He’s excited to offer the humor one last time.
“The Cat in Seussical is so exciting and hilarious to play,” Rodriguez said. “The cat has many jokes that anybody of any age could appreciate and love.”
The encore performance of Seussical will take place at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25, at the Act Out Theatre Group’s performance space at 802 S. Main St., Taylor. All tickets are $15 and can be purchased online. Additional tickets, if available, will be sold at the door for $18.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
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