OVERALL PRODUCTION
Everything your flyer says is true, ‘Seussical’ certainly is a fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza that brings favourite Dr Seuss characters to life. I thoroughly enjoyed your version and could see that you had all put a lot of work into the Production, the reward being that you enjoyed every minute of the performance too.

A strong principal line up revealed several ‘stars’ and a high standard was achieved.

The simple sets supported the action, the tall block on a reversible truck with window and balcony effect was ingenious. The technical input was excellent with some great lighting effects.

The costumes were imaginative and colourful, the mixture of ‘human’ outfits for some and subtle ‘animal’ for others worked well.

The choreography was lively and entertaining with some memorable grouping especially for the ‘Whos’ and for the ‘Hunch’ sequence, which also had the sensational UV masks.

I would just say that I was a little disappointed that there didn’t seem to be a prop for the baby elephant/bird!

There were many highlights; ‘Solla Sollew’ was one with the romantic, ‘All For You’.

The orchestra kept everything bubbling along at a fast pace for those exhilarating ensemble numbers.

This was an excellent choice for your company, congratulations on a memorable afternoon’s entertainment.

MUSICAL DIRECTION AND SINGING
The orchestra was obviously in very capable hands. The diction for the songs was commendably clear and, of course, essential for the success of the show. There were some outstanding voices amongst the young cast, which made certain numbers very special, such as, ‘It’s Possible’, ‘How To Raise a Child’, ‘Alone In The Universe’, ‘The One Feather Tale Of Miss Gertrude McFuzz’, ‘Amazing Mayzie’, ‘Amazing Gertrude’, ‘Notice Me Horton’, ‘Havin’ A’ Hunch’, ‘All Of You’ and the exhilarating finales. There were no weak links. The cast sang out with confidence and enjoyment and were slick and polished.

CHOREOGRAPHY
Excellent without being too ambitious for the chorus. Here again there were some outstanding soloists and I must mention Liam Brailsford as a Wickersham Brother, a special talent. I loved the bird girls with their glitzy glamour making such a contrast to some of the animal characters. The Production advice to resist complicated dance routines was sensibly adhered to, less is more! The exception being the Mayzie La Bird numbers which were dynamic and the brilliant Hunchies.

SET DESIGN
The imaginatively simple design accommodated the large cast and choreography. I noted the artistic backcloth of houses and the mountain. The stage blocks, particularly the high-rise reversible truck in the final scene was impressive.

I enjoyed the cosy inset of the mayor’s house and the symbolic circus.

The scene changes were seamlessly carried out. The unusual props were imaginative and amusing, particularly the baby kangaroo. I have already mentioned the lack of a baby elephant/bird.

LIGHTING AND SOUND
The technical input was a great support to the cast. The UV for the masks was a show stealer. The sound effect of guns for the military academy worked well. The final image of Horton in the lit window of the ‘high-rise’ truck will remain. The fish scene represented by gloves was magical.

COSTUMES
Another great asset to the show. The Wickersham Brothers were distinctive in their black and pale green tights and leotards. The Who’s in their ‘pink’ suits and skirts made a cohesive ensemble. General Schmitz was suitably costumed as a G.I. General, his yellow shirt reflected in the cadets. The fish gloves were brilliant for ‘It’s Possible’. The sophisticated dresses for Mayzie and Gertrude with feathers attached were glamorous and striking. I appreciated the cat’s feline black outfit and amazing striped top hat. The mask sequence was a real scene stealer. The |Sour Kangaroo was most imaginative in her golden hued outfit. The mix of costumes gave scope to the large range of characters, not forgetting the flavour of the circus McGurkis and the court judge.


INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES

The Cat
This cat ticked all the boxes and had the stage presence to propel the story forward at a cracking pace. The appearance was ideal for the pivotal role; movement, gesture and facial expressions captured the feline characteristics in the long-legged, black suit. The interaction with JoJo as they created the story together was convincing and spontaneous. A very pleasing vocal tone led the ensemble from the start, with, ‘Oh, The Things You Can Think’, ‘It’s Possible’ and ‘How Lucky You Are’ amongst others. ‘Havin’ A’ Hunch’ stood out, the energy needed for this mischievous ‘stirrer’ was maintained with obvious enjoyment.

JoJo
An endearing stage charm immediately engaged the audience as the situations and characters developed. The sincere interaction with The Cat and Horton carried through his imaginative ‘thinks’. I loved the sequence when becoming the son of the Mayor of Whoville and all his following vicissitudes.

A lovely singing voice did full justice to, ‘Alone In The Universe’ and, ‘Solla Sollew’. Body language and movement were very expressive.

Horton
This actor had an outstanding singing voice. The warm tonal quality and resonance were ideal for the sympathetic Horton. An immediately appealing stage presence convinced. Horton’s many set backs enthralled the audiences as we saw him being captured and transported from pillar to post, his generous nature trying to help other people along the way. His many songs were a delight. The interaction with the other characters convinced, the blossoming romance with Gertrude made a touching conclusion to the show. A stellar performance.

Gertrude McFuzz
Here again, a high standard of singing was projected with confidence. Gertrude’s journey into an unselfish future with Horton was romantic and a pleasing outcome after all her angst, ‘All Of You’ was an emotive highlight. Body language, facial expressions and dance ability made this an engaging performance. The interaction with Mayzie sustained the comedy regarding that short tail!

Mayzie Le Bird
This was a riveting performance. A strong singing voice and stage presence held the stage. Abandoning her egg so that she could escape for a vocation and later giving it up completely to Horton makes her the ‘femme fatale’ of the piece. This was carried through with uninhibited singing and dancing skills and a sense of comedy.

Sour Kangaroo
An interesting characterisation. I enjoyed her loud and bossy personality. The interaction with Horton was very funny indeed as she unexpectedly appears and kidnaps poor Horton taking him back to the jungle of nool and the trial. A very able singing voice and dancing ability were enjoyed.

Mr Mayor
The appearances of The Whos were always a highlight of the show. The cameo of the somewhat stern Mr Mayor was nicely drawn and complimented Mrs Mayor. ‘How To Raise A Child’ and ‘Here On Who’ were very successful.

Mrs Mayor
Another memorable character. The interaction with Mr Mayor did full justice to ‘How To Raise A Child’ and ‘Here On Who’. Dancing and singing ability was much enjoyed.

General Schmidt
The stereotype comedy GI General was fun, with the military academy scene and routine. The philosophy of make love not war came through by the end.

Wickersham Brothers
Their fast moving and proficient dances nearly stole the show with their expressive movement and monkey antics, particularly for the dance with the poles.

.Bird Girls
A delightful group with their scarlet, show girl costumes and headdresses. The dance numbers were dynamic.

Chorus
Other small parts and chorus gave one hundred percent to make this a sparkling show.


Thank you for an enjoyable evening and Kind Hospitality
Best Wishes for Future Productions
Linda Evans

A perfect choice for a youth group, the many characters give them a chance to show their talents, it requires a strong leading man and young girl and Pete had chosen well with Luke Burnell as the Cat in the Hat and Maisie Gregory as JoJo, the other members of the cast were also well cast, this group has a lot of talented actors and it is good that they can show their expertise in singing, dancing and acting, which this show provides.

SET
A simple but very effective set, constructed by Paul Rotten and Simon Garnett, the moving of the rostrum was left to the cast and it worked so well, each scene change was done smoothly and quietly, with the direction of Stage Manager Andy Millward

MUSIC
Musical Director Phil Dixon can always be relied on to rehearse his cast hard and also make sure that the orchestra is played at the right levels so that we can hear not only the music but the singing of the soloists and chorus.

SOUNDS
Richard Pomery and James Hartland made sure that the cast could always be heard clearly.

LIGHTING
Paul Lewis never fails to make sure that the lighting effects and lighting of the cast is spot on,

CHOREOGRAPHY
Congratulations to Donna Podesta and Sarah Bailey who made sure that the cast were always together in the many routines which together they had created, which the cast handled so well.

COSTUMES
The costume team had their work cut out with the many different costumes and they all looked right for the characters, especially the Wickersham Brothers and the Bird Girls in their sparkly outfits the only criticism was the costume for the Grinch, which looked a little large and his wig tended to hide his face.

THE CAST

THE CAT IN THE HAT (Luke Burnell)
This character is the host and MC, the conduit between the audience and performers, Luke commanded the stage as soon as he appeared and gave a natural performance, good comedy timing and a clear singing and speaking voice, good movement, and always in character, this was an outstanding performance, one of which you should be proud. Congratulations.

JOJO (Maisie Gregory)
This was for one so young a professional style performance, obviously following in her father’s footsteps. Maisie stepped on stage and exuded so much confidence and a clear voice good movement, at home on the stage, at all times staying in character, this was a performance that you could find no fault with, Congratulations and I cannot praise your performance enough.

HORTON (Jonathan Ainsworth)
Horton is the honest, faithful and kind character, who moves slowly even at his fastest pace, and Jonathan had captured all these attributes and gave a strong performance, you went through all the emotions so easily and we followed your progress. You have a clear singing voice and you looked at home on the stage and gave a convincing performance, you interacted well with the other members of the cast especially Gertrude and we were waiting for the moment when you realised that she was in love with you. Congratulations.

GERTRUDE McFUZZ (Emma Jones)
The main objective of Gertrude is to win Horton’s affection, you portrayed this character in all her facets, a quirky character which you won our hearts with, an offbeat performance you were Gertrude, you interacted well with Horton and we felt for you in your, at first unrequited love for him, you have a good voice which made sure we heard all your songs and dialogue clearly. this was an excellent performance.

MAYZIE LE BIRD (Maddie Walker)
Mayzie is the good time girl. Who enjoys being admired, and sought after. Maddie had obviously thought about the role and we were treated to that character who enjoys the spotlight, Good movement and singing, you encapsulated the characters many flaws perfectly. This was a first-class interpretation of the role, well done.

SOUR KANGAROO (Ava Manning)
This character is the queen of the jungle, full of attitude style and flair, and you brought out all the traits of the role, commanding the stage on your appearances, an outstanding voice, which needed no mic, you were the character completely, this was a performance to be proud of.

MR MAYOR (Tom Creswick)
As Mr Mayor, you must show that you are good leader and father, you like the world you live in to be tidy and predictable, and you achieved this so well, at all times you looked at ease and at home on the stage, never straying from the character you were playing. Good strong voice and you interacted well with Mrs Mayor and JoJo

MRS MAYOR (Gemma Walker)
You must create a character that is a good wife and mother, every action shows you are proud of your husband. You have a clear speaking and singing voice and you interacted well with Mr Mayor and JoJo. This was natural performance and you showed maturity in your role which you had created. Well done.

GENERAL SCHMIDT (James Bailey)
This character sees the world as a military campaign, you must have an intimidating presence. James achieved these things and we saw the military man to whom that world was everything, there was good interaction with the other members of the cast and JoJo. Good voice and command of the stage. Well done.

WICKERSHAM BROTHERS (Liam Brailsford – Kara Taylor - Josie Smith)
These three monkeys have to impress us with their strength and prowess, they are impulsive, characters who create havoc and fun, and you did just that excellent gymnastics and dancing, good voices you created just the right character, and full of energy and enthusiasm, at all times in character. This was an electrifying performance from all three of you.

BIRD GIRLS (Thalia Marriage – Megan Wingate – Tess Morris – Molly Barrett - Callie Broadbear – Chelsea Reed)
These six girls are like a Greek Chorus, each of you represent gorgeous and flamboyant hot jungle birds. Your movements were always together and you showed that you are capable of all types of dance, you are in effect back up performers to Mayzie. You all have clear strong voices, each time you appeared on stage you sparkled and lit the stage up, a first-class performance from all of you.

THE COMPANY
In any musical production, as well as well cast principals you need a first-class chorus who are capable of good singing and dancing, who are able to take on the smaller unsung roles. BAOS youth have an impressive group in their chorus, you all stayed part of the action at all times, your dancing was always together, there was so much energy and enthusiasm coming from you all. (I did notice that the Grinch made a brief appearance, and is not named, but I am afraid that you spoke your lines too fast that we missed all the dialogue.)
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I thoroughly enjoyed the show, there was so much enthusiasm from the whole cast, we were swept along with them. Congratulations to Director Pete Cottell, Musical Director Phil Dixon, Choreographers Donna Podesta and Sarah Bailey who had obviously worked the cast hard to achieve such a professional style show, also to the unsung heroes who are rarely seen on stage but work tirelessly in the background making sure that everything runs smoothly, but with all your hard work you have to rely on the cast to make it work, and with such a talented cast you couldn’t go wrong so you could sit back and enjoy it.

Thank you for your kind invitation and the warm welcome front of house, and I look forward to being invited to your next production.

Tony Winstone
NODA Representative – District 13