Seussical the Musical performances run Fri. & Sat, 7/26-8/3, 7:30 p.m., Sun. 7/28 & 8/4, 3:00 p.m.

By Sarah Opdahl

Oh the wonderful places you can go when you see the sweetest local production of Seussical. This weekend and next, the Congregational Church of New Fairfield (CCNF) will host a cast of forty players who are ready to wow their audience with a most fantastical musical.

This marks nearly the third decade since the CCNF musicals began with a production of Godspell in 1996. Hats off to Reverend Carl Anderson, who has directed all twenty-seven full-length musicals each summer—minus a break during the pandemic—and his wife Betsy, who choreographs the shows. Together they have created a summer idyll for scores of theater kids and their families. “Over the years we have seen how being in the shows has benefited many young people whether it be in gaining confidence, growing in their singing/acting or making social connections. Theatre is a place where everyone should be accepted and supported and we (the theatre team) strive to do that each summer,” Betsy said, going on to say, “Our favorite part is getting to do a production with a great big group of kids who also love theatre. We all have a lot of fun!”

This year’s musical is a hoot, with many of Seuss’s library of stories making an appearance. The Cat in the Hat narrates as Horton the Elephant discovers a speck of dust that houses the Whos. The audience simultaneously follows Jojo, a Who child who was shipped off to military school for thinking too many thinks. Yertle the Turtle, Gertrude McFuzz, and, of course, The Grinch all take the stage as well in delightful scenes.

CCNF has experience with the musical, having performed Seussical in 2014. Carl says, “We enjoy the creative process and keeping things fresh and exciting with each production so we have taken that approach again this year.” Open to young actors, from 6 to 24 years old, the show blends roles for both a senior cast, which assumes many leads, and a junior cast, whose charming performances draw a large amount of awes from the audience. There are twenty-four senior and sixteen junior cast members this year. Betsy reflected, “It’s fun working with the different actors and enjoying what they bring to the roles each time we do a production.”

Though the show is a fundraiser to support the church, the production and staging of it is a labor of love for the Andersons. “We’ve been building back since the pandemic and this year has felt like we are fully back so that has been wonderful,” Betsy said. “We have many new volunteers who are working hard to support the show and the kids and we are so grateful to them for all they do!” A lot of time is spent preparing for the production, with auditions being held in May and rehearsals steady throughout June and July.

“We always pick shows that have a great story and music so that both our cast and audience enjoy the show,” Carl says. In addition to directing, he also serves as the company’s piano player for every performance. He remarked, “This is such a fun show for both young and old! We are confident that our audiences are going to love it. We have a  lot of talented young singers in our lead parts and one absolutely adorable surprise at the end of the show that you don’t want to miss!”

A Seussical sneak peek? There will be lots of feathers. “Feathers everywhere!,” Betsy commented. The feathers will fly over the next two weekends, Fridays, July 26 and August 2 and Saturdays, July 27 and August 3 at 7:30 p.m.; and Sundays, July 28 and August 4 at 3:00 p.m. Groups are welcome to reach out! Purchase tickets by emailing tickets@ccnf-ucc.org. Please specify the performance and how many and what type of tickets you would like to purchase. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors, students, and children.