Riverland Community College Theatre concludes in 2016-2017 season with a musical that both adults and children alike will enjoy, Seussical.

Seussical lovingly brings our favorite Dr. Seuss characters to life, including Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, lazy Mayzie La Bird, and a little boy with a big imagination: Jojo. The colorful characters transport us from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus to the invisible world of the Whos. Dr. Seuss fans both young and old alike will be entranced by this fantastical, magical musical extravaganza.  Seussical is suggested for ages 5 and up.

Seussical features music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens.  The show was co-conceived by Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, and Eric Idle and is based on the works of Dr. Seuss.  Riverland Theatre Director Lindsey Duoos Williams directs and choreographs. Kaye Perry is the vocal director and Nathan Wradislavsky conducts the orchestra. The set and lighting designer is Mark Spitzer. The costumes are by Jennifer Wiebrand and Carley Carranza. The production is stage managed by Gabriel Cardiff.

“Seussical is one of those rare musicals that is equally entertaining for both adults and children,” said director Lindsey Duoos Williams. “The show is fast-paced, funny, and moving. It does a great job capturing the essence of what makes Dr. Seuss’s books so beloved.”

Seussical has a cast of 45 performers that includes Riverland students & alumni, local community members, and local elementary, junior high, and high school students.  The cast features Paulina Aguirre Quijano as Yertle the Turtle, Oyindamola Baruwa as a Jungle Creature, Hank Bell as a Who, Carrie Braaten as a Who, Morgan Cass as a Who, Chase Collins as a Who, Morgan Dickman as the Sour Kangaroo, Makayla Dokpodjo as the Young Kangaroo, Livia Dyke as a Jungle Creature, Kaiah Gibson as a Who, Chloe Guttormson as a Jungle Creature, Skylar Guzman as a Who, Harlee Harris as the Young Kangaroo, Denni Heimer as a Who, Austin Hodnefield as Horton the Elephant, Katie Hunerdosse as a Who, Cecily Jacobs as Cindy Lou Who, Henry Jacobs as the Boy/Jojo, Dathen Johnson as a Who/The Grinch, Lucas Johnson as a Who, Ashley Kasper as a Who, Travis Kasper as a Who, Glynnis Kunkel-Ruiz as Mayzie, Max Larson as the Boy/Jojo, Garrin Loveland as Mr. Mayor, Charli Martin as Mrs. Mayor, Lily Martin as a Who, Emily McAlister as a Bird Girl, Brianna Norman as a Jungle Creature, Claire Olson as a Who, Maurene Olson as a Bird Girl, CJ Pederson as a Jungle Creature, Kaye Perry as the Cat in the Hat, Will Peterson as a Wickersham Brother, Kalli Potter as a Who, Holly Ryks as Gertrude McFuzz, Momen Salama as General Schmitz/Wickersham Brother, Lawson Schmidt as a Who, Mandie Siems as a Bird Girl, Ray Wicks as a Who, Daryl Wilson as a Who, Maria Wilson as a Who, Adyson Wradislavsky as a Who, SarahLynn Zavoral as a Who, and Danny Ziebell as a Wickersham Brother.

Seussical will be performed April 21, 22, 27, 28, and 29 at 7 p.m. and April 23 and 30 at 2 p.m. at the Frank W. Bridges Theatre in Riverland Community College’s Austin Campus’ East Building.

“We had a huge turn out for auditions,” said Williams. “This is the largest cast we’ve had in a Riverland production in quite some time.  It’s a wonderful mix of current students, Riverland Theatre alumni with many shows under their belts and brand new, young performers.  In fact, we had so many talented kids audition that I ended up double casting two of the lead roles because I couldn’t choose!”

The role of the Boy/Jojo will be played by Max Larson on April 22, 27, and 30.  Henry Jacobs will play the Boy/Jojo on April 21, 23, 28 and 29.  The role of the Young Kangaroo will be played by Makayla Dokpodjo on April 22, 27 and 30.  Harlee Harris will play the Young Kangaroo on April 21, 23, 28 and 30.

Individual tickets to Seussical are $16 and currently on sale at www.riverland.edu/tickets 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The online ticketing system allows customers to choose their seats and pay by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. Tickets may also be purchased at the Riverland Box Office, located in room E107 in the East Building of the Austin campus. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and one hour before performances. Riverland students receive two free tickets to each performance with a valid student ID. Contact the box office at 507-433-0595 or by emailing boxoffice@riverland.edu.

Seussical is suggested for ages 5 and up. Riverland Theatre discourages parents from bringing extremely young children who may not be able to sit quietly through a 2-hour show. Riverland Theatre strives to provide quality productions that are entertaining and challenging to both the audience and the artists.  Because we reach such a diverse audience, some audience members may find some subject matter, language, or situations objectionable. If you have concerns about a specific production, we encourage you to become familiar with the material before attending the performance.

Riverland’s Theatre Department is a high-energy performance-oriented program. Plays produced vary from classical tragedy to modern comedy and from full-scale large cast musicals in intimate small cast plays. Students are encouraged to get involved in all areas of theatre production including, but not limited to, acting, stage managing, set building and painting. Strong academic offerings provide challenges in and out of the classroom.