On Friday, April 5, 2024, the newly established Becton Theater Company showcased their production of Seussical the Musical! The musical was a great success and closed on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Actors and crew members of the company shared their experiences as part of the production and were delighted to work in such an enthralling show.
Seussical the Musical is based on the works of Dr. Seuss, the notorious children’s book author. It merges over 14 different stories together such as Horton Hears a Who, Gertrude McFuzz, Oh The Thinks You Can Think, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and Horton Hatches The Egg– to name a few. The story has a variety of character types and ultimately conveys the message that every individual deserves to be treated with respect and kindness no matter how different they may be from the person next to them.
The three protagonists Horton, JoJo, and Gertrude all experience some form of rejection which fuels their extreme journeys over the two acts of the show, and the characters surrounding them soon realize that they are all more alike than they had previously realized. Horton the Elephant– played by Steven Borntrager– goes through everything he possibly can to protect a speck of dust on a clover, except it is no mere speck of dust. He was protecting a microscopic planet known as Whoville which inhabits all sorts of Whos. Most notably, he is saving Mr. & Mrs. Mayor, General Genghis Khan Schmitz, and of course the mayor’s daughter JoJo. Horton does all this while sitting on Mayzie La Bird’s egg while she enjoys herself in the sun on Palm Beach!
The primary antagonists, Sour Kangaroo and the Wickersham Brothers, poke fun at Horton and make the accusation that Horton is the “biggest blame fool” in their home, the Jungle of Nool! Synchronously, Gertrude McFuzz– played by Savannah Sarden– is trying to impress her love interest Horton but feels inadequate compared to the other Bird Girls. Instead of teaching her self-worth, Mayzie La Bird shows off how much more extravagant she looks and encourages Gertrude to change herself. By the end of the show, Gertrude learns she never had to change a thing about herself.
Moreover, while all of Whoville is hoping they’ll be saved, JoJo– played by up-and-coming actor Sara Pareja– is constantly being reprimanded for having such powerful, imaginative thoughts. She feels as if she is completely alone in the universe; however, her new friend Horton shows her that someone will always believe in her!
The play teaches students and spectators to stay true to themselves and to stand up for what they believe in! All of this occurs as the narrator Cat in the Hat– played by experienced performer, Abigail Large, is causing additional chaos and making fun references to different real-world topics, and people, such as capital cities and impersonating Louis Armstrong!
Over the last four months, the Becton Theater Company worked relentlessly to perfect the show for all to see! Spending almost every Saturday leading up to the show certainly sounds grueling, but the cast grew so close that they no longer felt like they were working.
Assistant director Ms. Olivia Wilson was very proud of the cast’s performance, noting that they were “dedicated” and “gave it their all.” In just twenty-seven rehearsals, she was impressed that the students were able to pull the entire show together.
She is also incredibly grateful for the stage crew, who without their hard work, would have been scrambling to get everything together.
Junior Abigail Large shares her experience with this show as she states, “I truly adored my character. I felt that it embodied my personality very well and helped me change some of my views on life.” She had many crowd interactions such as auctioning off Horton and found those moments to be the most joyous for her!
Fellow seasoned performer and sophomore Savannah Sarden divulged about playing Gertrude McFuzz. “I immensely enjoyed playing Gertrude McFuzz! She was very dynamic, and I had no boring moments on stage. Although we do not have similar personalities, I felt very connected to her once I started playing her.” She and fellow sophomore Sara Pareja agreed harmoniously that out of the three skills of performance (singing, dancing, and acting) singing came most easily to them. Pareja stated sweetly, “I sing almost every minute of the day, my mind is like a radio.”
On the contrary, first-time performer and junior, Julie Estrada, had a much easier time acting. She begins, “I have done a little bit of acting before, but never to this capacity, and although I love to sing and have taken a few dance classes, those skills are much harder for me.” She continued to share that she prioritizes acting because facial expressions and body language are what allows all diversities of people to understand a play!
The closing of the show is especially bittersweet for two outstanding seniors of the company. Talented singer Monica Rodriguez has had lots of experience performing at Becton and she has worked with all different staff for Becton’s productions. However, the Becton Theater Company is newly established, and the Montclair State University recruit professed, “I love the new management. I liked the changes and I appreciated that Mr. Liosi took the time to build us from the ground up.” She ended by sharing that she greatly appreciates everyone from the cast and crew. Moreover, fellow senior Veronica Isky was delighted to be back on stage after a brief break from performing since the Covid-19 lockdown.
One large hurdle for the theater company was coming up with a set design and the execution of it. The beautiful “Seussified” set was very colorful and intricate. Mr. Mitchell Martinez and two crucial members of the crew, Rheiana Maestro and Logan Malaret, worked endlessly during every rehearsal to make Mr. Liosi’s vision a reality. They certainly did not disappoint, and even though it was a lot of hard work, Rheiana declared, “It was super fun, Mr Martinez taught me a lot about construction and I loved painting with my friends.” She ended by saying she would certainly return next year either as a crew member or possibly as an actor!
Logan agreed that their hard work was worth it and expressed, “I appreciated seeing the final product and feeling so accomplished.” The cast was not able to ever practice with the set pieces and did everything on stage for the first time, yet they executed all their blocking seamlessly! Additionally, several students volunteered as stagehands to assist with props. Students Mya Polanco, Ben Gonzales, Kimi Tampadong, and Olivia Harrison were incredibly helpful to the directors over the weekend.
Furthermore, this is Becton’s first musical to have a pit orchestra live with the other performers!
Becton’s music and marching band director Ms. Caitlin Lennox was in charge of selecting the musicians for the live orchestra and conducting the shows. “As the program grows, I would like to include more Becton musicians into the pit orchestra, as well as on stage, to have as many in-house performers as possible,” she expresses. She praises the hard work and effort of all orchestra and cast members, noting that they “worked together to create such an amazing show.”
To any incoming Wildcats who may be interested in the program, she encourages them to give it a shot. “We are very focused on learning through each show and growing as performers while we do it,” she says. “There are many ways to get involved with theater, even if you do not want to be on stage.”
The familiar faces of former Becton Music Teacher, Mr. Thomas Sansone, and Faust Band Teacher, Mr. Jeffery Schweikardt, graced us with their presence and played the brass! They were joined by several other local musicians, students, and only one Becton student, Brandon Orozco, who specializes in playing the bass. Orozco was delighted to play for the musical and enjoyed the singing as much as playing the bass. He affirmed, “My favorite song to play had to be Solla Sollew, as the song has a very calm yet passionate feel to it and it allowed me to be very experimental with my bass playing.”
Many underclassmen came to join the program as well, and it can be assumed that the Becton Theater Company will be in good shape for years to come! Freshman Kayla Lynn Rivera and sophomore Matthew Perez agreed that they are delighted to return to the program in the coming years and had such a positive experience with this as their first show!
To anyone considering joining the Becton Theater Program, Ms. Wilson urges, “Come on down!” She states passionately that the program will only grow and improve as the years go on. She expresses that the performance was something she would have “never would have dreamed of when I was their age” and is so proud of everyone who participated.
Ultimately, this was a new experience for most of those involved, and performing is not easy. Still, the cast and crew would like to thank any faculty and members of the student body for coming to watch the show and supporting the program! The Becton Theater Company has a future of possibility and pink skies are the limit.
And don’t forget….that a person is a person no matter how small!
