Horton hears a what? Why is the Cat in the Hat talking about Horton sitting on an abandoned egg? What's going on here?

For the first time since 2019, Solanco High School (SHS) will open its doors to paying audience members for its spring musical, "Seussical." Narrated by the Cat in the Hat, this imaginative and exciting family-friendly adventure takes the audience through well-known Dr. Seuss stories, including "Horton Hatches the Egg," "Gertrude McFuzz," and "Horton Hears a Who!" Written by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, "Seussical" was a Broadway spectacle in the 2000-01 season and completed a national tour beginning in 2002.

The cast features senior Lilia McHugh as the enigmatic Cat in the Hat, senior Aden "AJ" Jackson as Horton the Elephant, senior Samantha LaMonaca as Gertrude McFuzz, freshman Reese Zander as Jojo, and senior Nicole Arrowsmith as Mayzie La Bird. There are 33 additional cast members, with John Biles as director, senior Haleigh Bauer as assistant director, sophomore Michael Eisenberger as the student stage manager, and sophomore Lucia Eden as the assistant student stage manager.

"After everything that's been happening the last two years, I feel like this is a really good musical to get the community back together and get people interested and excited to see what's going on," said Samantha. "Everyone has that connection to Dr. Seuss, so I think it will really resonate with everyone no matter how old they are and they will enjoy watching it."

"People are so familiar with Horton and the Cat in the Hat, so I think it will give people a sense of normalcy within these COVID times where everything is crazy," stated Lilia. "And, for the little kids, it's going to be awesome to see the books come to life."

Live performances of "Seussical" will run from Thursday, March 3, to Saturday, March 5, with shows beginning at 7 p.m. in the SHS auditorium, 585 Solanco Road, Quarryville. To help celebrate the works of Dr. Seuss and to encourage families across the community to come see the show, the performance on March 3 is designated as Family Night. Special concessions and activities will be available before the show and during intermission free of charge. Audience members of all ages will get the opportunity to meet a few of the characters for pictures and autographs after the show.

"It's a show that encourages us to be the best people we can be," explained Biles. "Horton has a line in the show, 'A person's a person no matter how small.'" He continued, "We're all people, and no matter where our differences lie, we always have that in common. Horton treats people that he can't even see with dignity, and I think by extension, that's definitely something that we should be celebrating amongst ourselves. I think it's a show that's going to bring joy to us and that reminder that we're all in this together on our own tiny little planet."

Tickets for "Seussical" can be prepurchased by visiting http://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/60376.