OPA Presents “Seussical Jr” in Sisters March 27-29

The whimsical world of Dr. Seuss is leaping from the page to the stage as Ovation Performing Arts’ (OPA) Debut cast presents “Seussical Jr.” The zany musical of tongue-twisting childhood tales will take place March 27-29 at Sisters High School, 1700 W McKinney Butte Rd. This family-friendly production is a treat for all ages with high energy music and dance alongside timeless characters such as Horton the Elephant and Cat in the Hat. Tickets are $15.

“I’ll admit that I went in expecting a hodge-podge of mismatching props, musical styles, and main character species, but ‘Seussical’ quickly stole my heart,” said Director Jonathan Shepherd. “The (writers) brilliantly wove this chaotic Dr. Seuss world into a recognizable real-life fable of the preciousness of imagination, life and the elephant that’s faithful one hundred percent.  It’s fast; it’s fun; it’s unexpectedly hard by the end.  Seussical Jr. is the perfect sixty minute family musical package.”

Based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved stories, “Seussical Jr.” is an imaginative adaptation from Tony-winners, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty focusing on Horton the Elephant and the microscopic inhabitants of Whoville, to remind us that a “person’s a person, no matter how small.” The colorful characters come to life in a vibrant production that celebrates friendship, loyalty and family bonds crafted along the way.

“When your source material’s already got a bipedal tuxedo cat selling an elephant at auction as canon, you can’t exactly add anything else that ruins the lore,” Shepherd said. “Seussical kaleidoscopes together dozens of memorable Dr. Seuss characters in all their extravagance, all in Broadway costumes, colors, humor and hijinks, and nonstop songs and dances.”

As with every OPA production, the show is a deeply collaborative effort. Parents take on everything from set construction and prop design to painting, costumes, and backstage coordination. Even OPA’s teen actors have joined the ranks on their off‑show, keeping the production running with the same enthusiasm they bring to the stage. With what Shepherd describes as a “dream‑show playground”—a storyline that somehow weaves together African drums, giant Uno cards, bubble guns, electric guitar, a unicycle, and even a bear trap—none of which appear in the original script—he couldn’t possibly keep the fun to himself.

In addition to the show, souvenirs, raffle basket tickets and candy grams to send to cast members will be available in the lobby. The cast of nearly 40 youth hail from across Central Oregon, ages 6-13. Although traditionally a homeschool theater group, several children are participating from public and private schools in the area, as the only requirement is they be able to attend most rehearsals.

“[Here at OPA] We’re determined to grow to meet the growing demand,” Shepherd said.

Entering its second stint of producing four shows a year, OPA will quickly be flipping the script as auditions for the full-length Broadway “Frozen” take place March 17, with show dates planned for mid-June. That will be followed by a slew of summer classes and a fifth bonus show, the student-directed “Alice in Wonderland,” a new, flexible division dubbed “OPA Passion Project.”

For tickets or more information, please visit www.ovationpa.com.