Suessical The Musical To Be Presented By The Olympia School District Players

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olympia school district suessical
Choreographer Colleen Powers and Director Kathy Dorgan give feed back during a rehearsal

By Laurie O’Brien

This weekend more than 80 Olympia School District (OSD) employees and family members will take to the stage in Suessical the Musical, a show that ties together Horton Hears a Who and other classic Dr. Suess stories.  Shows run Thursday February 23 through Sunday, February 26 at the Olympia High School Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $12 and $15 and can be purchased on-line or at the door.  Proceeds go to the Olympia School District Education Foundation.

For cast and audience members alike, the “OSD Players” show has become something to look forward to each year. Teachers, administrators, and support staff from across the district have joined forces for sixteen years now to put on a family oriented show the entire community can enjoy.

The annual musical was the brain child of Colleen Powers and Beth Land.  The two OSD employees had collaborated on multiple student productions when, together, they  hatched the idea of producing a district wide musical using staff rather than students.  Powers has choreographed all but a few of the shows since then.  While Land directed the first few shows, Kathy Dorgan, the drama teacher at Olympia High School, stepped into that role a number of years ago and is at the helm for Suessical.

olympia school district suessicalBill Lahmann, Superintendant of the district, is proud of the rich tradition.  “It’s unusual. I’ve talked with my colleagues in this state and other states, and nobody knows of anywhere else in the country that has a musical that is put on by staff that has (been going on) this long.”

Hansen Elementary School teacher, Jon Halvorson, has participated in 10 shows.  Last year he played the lead role of Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, and he has been featured in The Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, Bye Bye Birdie and other productions.  This time around, he’s taking on a smaller part, but in many ways, he’s more excited about this show than any previous ones.  As the Mayor of Whoville and his wife, Jon and real-life wife, Chris, will be sharing the stage with their three daughters for the first time.  The girls are in the chorus and will appear as citizens of Whoville.

Emily, aged 10, and twins Hannah and Lily who are almost 8, are excited about being in a large scale production.  “My mom said we could be in it.  She didn’t say we had to be,” explains Hannah.  The sisters jumped at the opportunity, and dad doesn’t mind taking a bit of a back seat.

“All five of us getting to be together – it’s a thrill,” says Halvorson. “It is so fun to be up there with all of them.    You can really tell it’s not a mom and dad thing.  It’s a family thing.  They are totally invested in it.”

olympia suessical
David Rorem plays the Cat in the Hat and Dan Schwartz is Horton

The same holds true for the Schwartz family.  Dan Schwartz is the choir director at Olympia High School and has been  seen in six OSD productions, most notably as the Beast in Beauty and The BeastSuessical marks the third show that his wife, Heather, and their two daughters have joined him on stage.  Four years ago, eldest daughter, Kiley, played the part of Chip (the teacup) in Beauty and the Beast.  This time around, fourth grader Kayla is being featured as Jojo, a young citizen of Whoville, who  makes contact with the elephant, Horton.  Dan Schwartz is playing the role of Horton, and he and his daughter get to share a duet on stage.

Participating as a family “is the only way to do it because trying to do this on my own, or Heather by herself, it’s just pretty inconvenient,” said Dan Schwartz.  “We have to pick up the slack at home and do extra chores and things on the weekends, but it makes it more enjoyable being together.”   With a music educator for a father, Kiley and Kayla are natural performers.    “We work a lot at home.  We all sing at home.  Kiley plays the guitar and they sing quite a bit and just naturally harmonize together, so they’ve grown up with it.”

For the Halvorson and Schwartz families, it’s a chance to spend time with family members, participating in something they all enjoy.  For Lahmann, it’s fun, but it’s also an opportunity to get to the know the people who work for him.  “To me, it’s just been an absolutely wonderful experience because I get to know the staff better, and their families, and that’s really important to me.  I like to know the people I work with and these are just wonderful wonderful people to take time out from a busy day – teachers are busy people.  Bus drivers, cooks, custodians, I mean there’s everybody in here.  And we all come in here and we’re all equal.  It’s not ‘Bill’s the superintendant and the next down and the next down.’  When you’re changing costumes backstage with people, there’s no hierarchy.  It’s been a wonderful opportunity to get to know a large group of people and their families and connect with them.”

Suessical is the ninth OSD production Lahmann has taken part in.  “My first show I was a voice off stage.  They didn’t even put me on stage.”  He laughs and admits that although he can sing a bit, the dancing stuff has been a challenge.   In most shows he’s played cameo roles.  This time out he has a featured role.  “Slowly but surely they’ve moved me to the front, and now I’ve got a part!  I’ve got a solo!”  Just in time, too.  After eleven years as superintendant, Lahmann will be retiring at the end of the school year.   As a retiree he will still be eligible to participate, so “Back Row Bill” as he is called, may still make an occasional appearance.

suessical
Superintendent Bill Lahmann at a rehearsal for Suessical

About six years ago, the OSD Players partnered with the Olympia School District Education Foundation (OSDEF).  Lahmann says that prior to the partnership,  three to four thousand dollars a year would be donated to the performing arts departments of Capital and Olympia High School as result of the musical.  Now, on a good year, the Foundation clears between thirty and forty thousand dollars  Over the years, the OSDEF has provided funding for OSD programs such as:

  • Artist-in-Residence
  • Language enrichment
  • Math clubs
  • Musical instruments
  • Outdoor education at Camp Cispus
  • Principal’s Emergency Checkbook Fund
  • Science supplies
  • Services for homeless or at-risk students

Tickets for Suessical can be purchased at the door or ordered online.

 

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