The Kelly Critics is a joint program of the Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh CLO in which students of high schools entered in this year's Gene Kelly Awards review other school's musicals.

Pine Richland's "Seussical" Allows Audiences to Lighten Up

As the characters of Pine Richland High School's "Seussical" sprang to life with their high energy stage presence, it was clear that Dr. Seuss's stories were not only being reenacted but honored.

Between the strong vocals shown by the principles, from Jenna Panza as the Sour Kangaroo in "Biggest Blame Foul" to Lauren Gigliotti as Gertrude in "The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz," and the unique body contortions that several of the principle dancers brought to "The Circus McGurkus", I think it is fair to say that Seuss, who would have just celebrated his 104th birthday on March 2, would be pleased.

The story of the "Seussical" written by composer Stephen Flaherty and librettist and lyricist Lynn Ahrens is a collaboration drawing on over a dozen of Seuss's most popular works, from "The Cat in the Hat" to "Horton Hears a Who." They come together to emphasize the universal messages of keeping things in perspective, being loyal, and most importantly never letting anyone stop you from letting your imagination run free.

The plot line centers on Horton the Elephant's efforts to save the tiny people of Whoville while having his sanity questioned by all of the creatures in the Jungle of Nool. They believe that a little town could not possibly be located on a tiny speck of dust. Through the criticisms Horton fights on and remains loyal to his friends in Whoville.

The infectious music played nearly flawlessly by Pine Richland's Orchestra only adds to the excitement of this fast paced show. Seussical's plot shifts from the loyal, and sometimes taken advantage of, Horton (played by Francesco Salpietro), to Jojo (P.J. McMahon) the Mayor of Whoville's son who is constantly reprimanded for his unusual "thinks" which take him to places like McElligott's Pool and "Solla Sollew."

The two plots eventually intertwine and are ingeniously connected by audience interactive narration from Seuss's most famous feline, The Cat-in-the-Hat, played by Cody Hoellerman.

Along the way, a plethora of Seuss's characters add both flair and sincerity, such as the vibrant and sassy Mayzie LaBird played by Arielle Katcher, the serious yet laughable General Gengus Khan Schmitz played by Jake Maxwell, and Mr. and Mrs. Mayor (Derrick Chengery and Robin Hawbaker) who add depth to the superficially written characters with their precise vocal harmonies.

As a whole, the ensemble of this show was stronger than many other high school musicals, with every person on the stage looking well-rehearsed and excited to tell the audience the story of Seuss. Additionally, technical director Brad Oberg did a phenomenal job of making certain aspects of the show magical.

For instance, during the "It's Possible," anything really was possible with Mr. Oberg's motorized bathtub, or during "Havin' A Hunch," when the stage was illuminated with only backlight that made the white gloves of the ensemble glow. The brilliant lighting and set design along with technological surprises acted as the icing on the cake in this already very solid show.

Pine Richland High School's rendition of "Seussical" had a vocally talented, detail-oriented and well-rehearsed cast that was able to present a production that not only caters to children but also emphatically allows adult audiences to realize it's not a bad idea to lighten up a bit -- if just for a night.