SEUSSICAL SOARS I n February, audiences of all ages enjoyed being transported by their favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie, and a little boy with a big imagination – Jojo, from the Jungle of Nool, the Circus McGurkus, to the invisible world of the Whos. The colorful set and set pieces were designed, built and painted by a creative team that included many, many students, parents, grandparents, and dedicated supporters of our program. The costumes, hair, makeup, and props were once again a collaborative effort, representing what makes MRA’s performing arts program so special. The cast, crew, and creative team of Seussical the Musical , featuring a cast of 59 students in grades 6-12, a crew of 10 high school students, along with 62 students in k5 – 5th grades, competed in the Memphis Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards program. The program is part of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, known as the Jimmy Awards, which is a program produced by The Broadway League that in- cludes over 40 programs from across the country. Modeled after the Tony Awards, the Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards recognizes achievements in all areas of high school musical theatre and brings to- gether hundreds of students from all over the region to share their talents and collaborate with one another. Each year, schools compete in a wide range of theatrical categories. This year, over 40 schools from all over the Mid-South competed in the Orpheum’s program!
MRA’s Seussical the Musical received a total of nine nominations and three wins! Sydney Holladay was awarded Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role as JoJo, Malee Davidson received the award for Outstanding Fea- tured Actress for her role as Mayzie, and Rayley Aven, who played the role of Baby Kangaroo, received the Bravo Award for young performers. The production also received nominations for Outstanding Show Poster, Outstanding Lighting, and Outstanding Artistic Element for Gertrude’s tail. Julia Kate White received a nomination for Outstanding Featured Dancer for dancing as the speck of dust, Hudson James for Outstanding Featured Actor for his role as General Ghengis Kahn Schmitz, and Audrey Holt for Outstanding Lead Actress for her role as Gertrude. In May, three students represented MRA’s performing arts program in Memphis, which involved several days and many hours of rehearsal and preparation. Hannah Forbes and Parker Anderson performed in the Opening and Closing numbers during the live awards show, and Audrey Holt performed as Gertrude during a medley performance number fea- turing other nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress. -Dawn Blanton 38
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker