Dr. Seuss-themed musical comes to KHS

May 2—A child's wild imagination will unleash the characters of Dr. Seuss on Thursday at Kokomo High School.

The Cat in the Hat will bring his mischievous nature, Horton the Elephant is convinced he heard something from a speck of dust, the Grinch will make an appearance and Cindy Lou will, too.

"Seussical" the musical opens at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Kokomo High School Auditorium. It is the final performance of the year for the high school theater department.

And they're going out with a bang.

Expect more than two dozen songs, colorful costumes and a set design that looks plucked from a Dr. Seuss book. The show features 80 students between the cast, stage crew and those in the pit orchestra.

"Seussical" follows Jojo, played by Amelia Duncan, who finds herself thrust into the world of Dr. Seuss with a little help from the Cat in the Hat. The musical incorporates many plot lines from Dr. Seuss books.

"Jojo is very, very creative," Duncan said. "She thinks non-stop, and that's what gets her into trouble."

The Cat in the Hat doesn't help matters. Played by Talon Hawkins, the iconic character pushes the story along.

"The Cat is a chaos god is how I describe him," he said. "He's the symbol of Dr. Seuss."

"He's kind of the worst side of me," Duncan added.

It's a fitting character for Hawkins who has thrived in roles requiring spectacle and physical comedy during his high school performing career. Obviously, he auditioned for the Cat.

"The dialogue is divine," Hawkins said. "I ensure most of the lines rhyme."

Duncan wanted her role, too.

"I think I'm a very fun person, and I like to be creative," she said. "That's what Jojo is all about."

Duncan is the younger sister of junior Noelle Duncan, who is also a member of the cast. She plays the Sour Kangaroo, the antagonist from "Horton Hears a Who!"

Noelle described her character as loud, sassy and queen of the jungle.

"I have a presence when I walk in the jungle," she said.

With 80 students involved, "Seussical" showcases KHS's entire performing arts department.

"They say it takes a village, and it does," said Nora Marden, who plays Mrs. Mayor. "And we have that here in Kokomo. I'm excited to see everybody pull this together."

It's a show worth seeing, according to director Randi Weeks.

"If they've ever thought, 'I think I might want to go to a Kokomo show,' they should go to this one," she said.

Noelle said it's a story all ages can connect to. The overall message of the story is about friendship and that everyone matters, no matter their size. Many characters go through some sort of character development.

"It's a childhood story and childhood memories come to life," Noelle said. "They get to reminisce one last time."

"There's also really sweet moments between characters," Marden added.

"Seussical" will have another performance at 7 p.m. Friday.

Spencer Durham can be reached at 765-454-8598, by email at spencer.durham@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @Durham_KT.