Press Releases

Where: Algonquin Arts Theatre
When: Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 3 pm
Ticket Price: Adults/Seniors/Students-$15, Children-$12
Box Office: 732-528-9211 or www.algonquinarts.org

Presented by Theatreworks USA

Manasquan, NJ - Seussical, a musical based on the works of Dr. Suess, will be presented at Algonquin Arts Theatre on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 3 pm. This must-see performance, presented by Theatreworks USA, is a special way to celebrate Dr. Seuss�s birthday that recently passed on March 2nd.

�Oh, the thinks you can think� when Dr. Seuss�s best-loved stories collide and cavort in an unforgettable musical caper! Adapted from the Broadway version, Seussical is written by Broadway veterans Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Once on This Island, the film Anastasia). This production features twelve actors and enhanced production values and is Theatreworks� biggest show ever.

The Cat in the Hat is the host and emcee (and all-around mischief-maker) in this romp through the Seuss classics. When the sweet, good-natured elephant Horton hears a small cry for help coming from a small speck of dust, he promises to rescue and guard it because �a person's a person, no matter how small.� On that small speck of dust lives JoJo, an imaginative young Who. JoJo has astounding �thinks,� in which anything's possible, but his parents believe this creativity is inappropriate for the son of the Mayor of Who-Ville. Meanwhile, the one-feathered bird, Miss Gertrude McFuzz, desperately wants Horton to notice her. Maybe, she thinks, she just needs a more impressive tail. At the same time, the amazingly lazy Mayzie La Bird connives, cajoles and convinces Horton to sit on her egg while she goes off on a spree.

Will the planet of Who survive? Will Horton pay attention to Gertrude? Will Mayzie ever return for her egg? Dr. Seuss's beloved classic characters find themselves intertwined in an incredible crazy-quilt adventure, in which the power of imagination and the most miraculous �think� ever save the day!

Seussical includes music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, a book by Ahrens and Flaherty, and conception by Ahrens, Flaherty and Eric Idle (Monty Python), and was adapted from the works of Dr. Seuss. Ahrens and Flaherty�s first professional job together was writing The Emperor�s New Clothes for Theatreworks USA in the early '80s. The production is directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge. The scenic design is by Narelle Sissons and the costume design is by Tracy Christensen. This production is recommended for audiences age 4 and up.

Tickets to see Seussical are $15 for adults/seniors/students and $12 for children. To reserve seats or obtain more information, contact the box office at 732-528-9211 or [email protected]. More information can also be accessed at www.algonquinarts.org. Box office hours are Monday-Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. Algonquin Arts is conveniently located at 173 Main Street in downtown Manasquan, NJ.

Algonquin Arts was founded in 1992 as a nonprofit organization to provide cultural enrichment and educational enhancement of the highest quality for the residents of New Jersey�s central region. Programming of Algonquin Arts is made possible as a result of the continued philanthropic support of private citizens and organizations such as New Jersey State Council on the Arts, OceanFirst Foundation, New Jersey Cultural Trust, Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, PNC Foundation, Manasquan Savings Bank, Woman�s Club of Brielle, Bank of America, Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation, Investors Savings Bank Charitable Fund, Verizon Foundation, Janice & Jules Plangere III, as well as many generous individuals and local businesses.