Hempfield 'Seussical' brings students young and old to the stage

As students at Hempfield Area High School venture into a world of imagination this weekend with “Seussical,” a few Who-sized performers will be among their number.

The show, which kicked off Wednesday with its first performance and continues through Saturday, brings together a whopping 65 student actors to illustrate popular children’s stories inspired by the works of author Dr. Seuss.

A dozen of those students are elementary and middle schoolers, joining their older high school classmates onstage to contribute to the performance.

“Coming in, we wanted to do something that would be family-friendly and that we could involve a lot of kids in, and incorporate a lot of people who are already in the school,” director Linda Comm said. “We wanted to pull as many kids in from all different ages, so it feels less like a show and more like a school-wide event.”

The musical incorporates bits and pieces of beloved Dr. Seuss tales, including “Horton Hears a Who,” “The Cat in the Hat” and the Grinch.

“All of the kids of all different interests and abilities and ages respond to it,” Comm said. “It’s visually exciting, and it’s got fun tunes from a bunch of different musical styles.”

The show ties in a few additional activities around the district. Members of the cast have been visiting the elementary schools as their characters to promote the musical.

A Dr. Seuss birthday party will be held Saturday, March 11, before the matinee performance of the musical. Children will have the chance to make crafts, play games, decorate cupcakes, listen to a story, and meet and greet with characters from the show.

“I think it’s great for the older kids to be around the younger kids and vice versa,” Comm said. “They’re all good for one another, and it helps to build the program.”

Along with the 65 students on stage, 25 students serve as stage crew behind the scenes, and another 40 beyond that helped prepare the set and the costumes. Even more students contributed art skills and are helping on performance days as ushers. Including all cast, crew, and orchestra members, over 200 people are involved in putting together the performance, Comm said.

“It has been wonderful. I can’t overstate how good it feels to see all of those things happening, and the kids feeling good about themselves and feeling like they’re part of something,” Comm said. “Our goal is to teach them and give them an experience where they can learn about the value of teamwork and hard work.”