The ACS production of the Seussical, JR. musical drew over a thousand people to our school’s stage for three shows on November 18 and 19. A cast of 45 students from the 3rd-12th grades put on a spectacular performance — singing, dancing, and bringing to life the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, JoJo and the townspeople of Whoville, Mayzie LaBird, Gertrude McFuzz, and other wacky and whimsical Dr. Seuss characters.
Narrated by the Cat in the Hat, played by 12th grader Evan Power, the story in the musical centers on Horton the Elephant’s quest to save the people of Whoville, who live on a tiny speck of dust. Horton, played by 10th grader Joshua Kinch, lives with other interesting animals in the Jungle of Nool, including a plain bird named Gertrude McFuzz, played by 11th grade Ryleigh Martin, and Mayzie LaBird, a fancy, showy bird, played by 6th grader Sophia Gomez.
Horton places the speck of dust on a pink ball of clover, and as the story unfolds he builds a friendship with one of the youngest Whos, JoJo, who only he can hear speaking from tiny Whoville. No one believes that anyone is living on the speck of dust until JoJo, played by 5th grader Megan Connolly, gives out a great yell that everyone in the Jungle of Nool can hear. The iconic Dr. Seuss quote that becomes a recurring theme throughout the musical is — “A person is a person no matter how small.”
Director Genevieve Huff said the cast worked very hard and bonded over the 10 weeks of rehearsals — becoming like one big, happy family. A talented group of some 50 volunteers — including ACS teachers, staff, students, and parents — served behind the scenes doing set design, scenery, face painting, costumes, stage crew, and much more.
“I know the audience members felt like they were walking into a Dr. Seuss storybook and I’m very grateful for the countless hours that our volunteers spent to make the show visually spectacular,” Huff said.
ACS Art Teacher Sherry Mirakian led a team of volunteers who focused on the scenery — creating and painting the backdrop, the Pill-Berry Bush, glow-in-the-dark fish, and other props for the show. The student Set Design Club worked diligently on Thursdays during school and additional volunteers served after school and in the evenings for two weeks prior to the show.
ACS Computer Teacher Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney and Instructional Specialist Bethany Kiefer focused on costumes. Hahn-Chaney, who majored in fashion design in college and worked for several years at fashion houses in Manhattan, made the costumes for the six Bird Girls and the lead characters of Maizy LaBird and Gertrude McFuzz, and made the ears and tails for the six monkey-like creatures known as the Wickersham Brothers.
Thank you to Gail Crafton of AC Photo for donating her services to create these photo memories.
Opening night of our exciting production of the Seussical, JR. musical is just two weeks away — on Friday, November 18. The deadline to place an ad or booster in the show’s playbill has been extended to this coming Monday, November 7. Tickets are also on sale for all three performances. Don’t miss this opportunity to support a show that is sure to be a big hit and will put a smile on your face.
New Art Classroom Tables: Six new art solid maple tables were installed in Mrs. Mirakian’s art classroom, made possible by gifting of $4,800 from an anonymous donor. Over the summer, the art classroom was relocated to a larger room in a modular building to the right of the main school building. The new tables, which are 60-inches long and 42-inches wide, are more moveable than the prior tables that were very heavy and had surfaces well-worn from use. Mrs. Mirakian said she is thrilled with the new tables and with her larger space that allow her to configure the classroom in different ways. During the week of September 12, 4th grade students were among the first to begin using the tables as Mrs. Mirakian guided them in creating their art portfolio packets to store the artwork they create in the coming weeks.
New Stage Lighting and Control System: Just in time for our fall production of Seussical, JR., ACS has purchased and installed new stage lights and portable lights, along with a wireless control system, that replace a 12-year-old incandescent lighting system. The new $13,000 system was paid for by an anonymous donor in response to a Special Projects Appeal mailing sent to ACS families and supporters in August. Lee Martin, ACS parent and Director of Worship and Communication at the Ocean City Tabernacle, oversaw the installation, with assistance from ACS alumni parent and electrician, Mike Darragh, owner of Wire Wiz Electrician Services. The project involved installing 18 new LED stage lights, replacing 16 existing lights, and adding 8 portable LED lighting bars to be used for back lighting on stage. “These new lights and control system will be more reliable, use less electricity, allow us to add colored lighting, and has other features like zoom and strobe,” Martin said. The new lights will be used not only for the Seussical, JR. musical, but will be used for chapel worship time and school concerts and special events.
Upgrades to 10 Commandments Memorial Garden: New landscaping, concrete, and a brick pathway were part of a needed upgrade to the 10 Commandments Memorial Garden to the left of the main school building’s entrance. The facelift and new additions to the garden were carried out by ACS parent David O’Donnell, owner of O’Donnell’s Landscaping, and his team. The garden was first established in 2006 and its main feature has been a black granite sculpture depicting the 10 Commandments, donated by ACS grandparent Kathy Breunig. The project involved removing overgrown shrubbery, adding bluestone and river rock around the sculpture, installing bricks in a former gravel pathway, and pouring concrete over areas where grass was no longer growing or viable. Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen said the garden area is a busy place in the afternoons during student pick-up and the improvements were needed to better accommodate the large number of students who stand waiting in front of the school. Some $5,000 has been donated to this project and ACS welcomes additional donations toward the $9,000 remaining in project costs.
