Musical Theatre Masterclass speaks with director Kayla Smith and musical director Dane Marais about MTM’s upcoming musical production Seussical Kids. From the Jungle of Nool to Kalamazoo the students of Musical Theatre Masterclass hope to unlock the imaginations of Cape Town citizens as they bring Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie La Bird and other Seuss favourites to the stage at the Milnerton Playhouse Theatre this October.
What appealed to you about Seussical?
KS: I have loved the works of Dr. Seuss since I was a child. I grew up reading his books and watching the film adaptations of some of them. When I first heard about Seussical the Musical my first response was that I would love to be a part of that show one day and now I am lucky enough to direct the kids version. It is fun, colourful and showcases all our favourite Dr. Seuss characters in a way that any person, young or old can relate to.
DM: For me, Seussical is a pure expression of what a musical should be, where every song is either advancing the plot or expressing an emotion that the characters are feeling. The music is fun and brassy and the show is filled with endearing characters and relatable situations that we all experience in our daily lives.
How do you feel about directing this production of Seussical?
KS: This is only my second time in the director’s chair so it has been both challenging and rewarding. It has been a great joy to watch our kids journey from the beginning of the year up until now. They have fully emersed themselves into this poetic way of storytelling in order to convey the emotions of their characters and as their director I have encouraged and supported them to portray the character in a way that feels most comfortable to the student. We have tried our best to create a Seussian world that is ours and not a copy of what has been previously done. I am very grateful for the experience.
DM: Even though I’ve been exclusively working on the music for this production, it’s been a thrill being able to bring Kayla’s vision for this production to life. I’m a big believer in staying as true to the source material as possible, the power of this production lies in its simplicity and I feel like we’ve gotten off quite easy because Seussical is such a flexible show in terms of staging.
Do you feel you have a good team behind you?
KS: Absolutely! As the saying goes, “Team work makes the dream work”. Our production is the fruit of teamwork and collaboration from the set design, make-up and wardrobe etc. Dane and I are always sharing ideas and we always prioritise what is best for our actor’s and the production as a whole.
DM: Yes! Lots of credit to our director Kayla Smith who has done a wonderful job on this production and learning to delegate with parents and artistic creatives alike but of course in theatre there’s always a multitude of people working behind the scenes to bring everything together, most of whom I already knew, trusted and collaborated with on other projects and productions over the years.
Have rehearsals been all that you hoped?
KS: The rehearsals have evolved so much in structure since we first started and it has lead up to a place where everyone is on the same page working towards the same goal. I have grown as a director in the rehearsal room and I must admit it took me a while to find the right structure that best supported the kids and that was most productive. I am very happy to say that we have found our groove.
DM: It’s incredibly satisfying to work as a team to produce something amazing that depends on everyone playing their part. I’ve taken a step back from the leadership position this year and solely focused on producing and running the music of the show and for me personally it’s been such a rewarding experience and I am so proud of what the whole team has achieved especially the children.
How do you feel your previous experience has prepared you for this production?
KS: I’ve been a dancer and actor for most of my life and additionally I’ve taught drama for 5 years. As a performer myself, I am able to relate to what my students are experiencing in the rehearsal process and can encourage and direct in a way that is supportive of them in that specific moment. With each year of teaching, you are better able to communicate with your students and identify problems before they may arise in order to prevent or work through them.
DM: I’ve been involved in teaching and producing children’s theatre for six years now and I have worked with many people during that time, all of whom I have learnt something. Every experience has its success and failures that prepare you for the next production, for me this year has been a wonderful year of growth, educating and allowing others to carry what I’ve started at MTM.
Seussical KIDS begins with a young girl named JoJo (Emily Whitehead) who conjures up the Cats in the Hat (Alexa Drennan and Ella Buys) with her powerful imagination and is whisked to the Jungle of Nool for a fantastical adventure. There JoJo learns the plight of the tiny citizens of Whoville, who live on a planet the size of a speck of dust. Their sole protector is Horton the Elephant (Helen De Villiers), who is the only one with large and sensitive enough ears to hear them bipping and beeping and playing their oompahs. The small world is threatened by the Sour Kangaroo (Bailey Beckett) and her sidekick the Young Kangaroo (Liya Perkins), who is in disbelief that a world could be so small, they try to steal the dust-speck so they can cast it into a vat of Beezle-Nut oil. During all of this drama, Horton has not noticed that she has an admirer, Gertrude McFuzz (India Dixon). Gertrude blames her indifference on her one-feather short tail and endeavors to find a way to change her looks. Meanwhile, Horton’s friend, Mayzie LaBird (Jenna Perkins), is bored of perching on her nest, and convinces the watchful elephant to sit on her egg so she can take a vacation. The Cats follow all of these storylines and finally casts the girl into her own as the irresponsible daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mayor (Jack Boyes and Nia Baring) of Whoville, JoJo, who ultimately saves her whole tiny world with one big, imaginative “think”.
Musical Theatre Masterclass will present Seussical Kids at the Milnerton Playhouse from the 21 – 22 October 2022. Tickets are R180 and will be available through TIXSA at:
https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/seussicalkids
Discounted tickets will also be available for schools and teachers at R120 when using the coupon code: HORTON at checkout. Limited availability.
