Austin ISD Summer Musical Company opens with Seussical
Oh the thinks you can think! The Austin ISD summer musical company makes you think and wonder and dream
far and wide as you dare with its production of the family-friendly musical Seussical at Austin High School July
9-11 and July 16-18 at 7 p.m. Two Saturday matinees at 2:30 p.m. round out the eight performances of the allcity
company made up of over 25 students from middle and high schools across Austin.
Seussical, a re-imagining of the works of Dr. Seuss, reveals a world where anything's possible; from an elephant
in a tree, to a person too tiny to see, to a heroic child and dreams running wild. The musical – set in a magical,
melodic world where exploring the realms of your imagination, helping a friend, never giving up and keeping
true to a promise inevitably saves the day - was created by the Tony Award winning team of Lynn Ahrens and
Stephen Flaherty ("Ragtime" and "Once on this Island") and includes a musical score that includes showstopping
pop, gospel and R&B numbers.
“This incredible musical promises to stroke the imagination of people of all ages and will showcase the
exceptional talent represented in Austin ISD”, said Greg Goodman, Director of Fine Arts for Austin ISD.
The collaborative all-district musical includes directors and teachers from all fine arts disciplines from across
the district, including: Billy Dragoo, Austin High School; Marco Bazan, Bowie High School; Brad Heckler,
Paredes Middle School; Kristinia Hall, O’Henry Middle School; M. Scott Tatum, McCallum Fine Arts Academy;
and Greg Goodman, Fine Arts Office; Tommy Grubbs, Austin High School and John Spence, Travis High
School.
Ten years in the making, the AISD summer musical project has survived many starts and stops and incarnations
throughout the years. McCallum Fine Arts Academy piloted an all-city program the last two summers with A
Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum and RENT: School Edition. Goodman is excited about developing the project as an Austin tradition and hopes this will become an annual district-wide fine arts institution to entertain the
Austin community during the summer months.
“The fine arts staff is determined to build a tradition of excellence that will be the envy of all school districts.
The administration and board of trustees value the importance of fine arts in our schools and looks forward to
this new tradition. The fine arts staff believes that we should alter between family oriented shows and more
sophisticated works from year to year,” added Goodman.
Admission for Seussical is $10 for students and $15 for adults and can be purchased above . For more information, call 414-4489 or visit www.aisdfinearts.org.
For more information, contact Marco Bazan at 512-589-1396 or marco.bazan@austinisd.org. |
