Pictured: Riley Jerro as Jojo (left) and David Stein as Cat in the Hat (right). Photo courtesy of The Sarasota Players.

This week The Sarasota Players kicked off their 95th season with their opening production of Seussical the Musical. The family friendly musical comedy by Lynn Athens and Stephen Flaherty debuted on Broadway in 2000 and has become a favorite of regional theaters ever since. “We produced Seussical the Musical a little over a decade ago and we wanted to open this season with a big, flashy show that’s good for all ages. Everybody knows Dr. Seuss,” says Amanda Heisey, Marketing Director of  The Sarasota Players. “It’s a great show to bring the family to–it really talks about problems that are adult problems and problems that are kid problems as well. It’s also very multi-generational and features a multi-generational cast.”

Seussical the Musical, which is one of four mainstage shows in the company’s season, is a fairly ambitious production in both size and scope. A multi-generational cast of 19 actors portray a dizzying collection of characters from over a dozen Dr. Seuss stories, including The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who! and Green Eggs and Ham. The scale of the production, however, did not deter the team at The Players, who will present the musical in the round at their indoor performance space at The Crossings at Siesta Key.

“Any show for the most part can be done in a different, more creative way than what you’ve seen before. All it comes down to is core storytelling. We want to tell the story in the best way we can so that people understand and get the author’s message,” says Heisey. “I think it’s really important for theaters to not just copy off of what they saw on Broadway or in other productions. We’re working with local directors, local actors and we have to be more creative with our space. When people come to our shows, they’re going to see a production that they really wouldn’t see anywhere else.”

September 12 through 22, The Crossings at Siesta Key, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130, Box Office: 941-365-2494. 

Pictured: Riley Jerro as Jojo (left) and David Stein as Cat in the Hat (right). Photo courtesy of The Sarasota Players.