What a year this has been for Gering High School musical theater! Last spring, we learned that the high school auditorium would not be available for the 2025-2026 school year due to HVAC replacement and renovation work. As a result, all GPS music performances for the upcoming school year would take place at the historic Midwest Theater in Scottsbluff. While the idea of producing a musical at a different location created some momentary uncertainty about what next year’s programming might look like, one fact was never in doubt - the show would go on.
But which show? The Midwest Theater is a beautiful space, but it was designed as a movie theater, not as a stage for large live-theater productions. A small stage? That meant we needed a show with a small cast. No backstage area? That meant we needed a show with only a few two-dimensional set pieces. Few set pieces? That meant we needed a show where the audience could be encouraged to use their imaginations. Soon, an idea started to emerge. “Oh, the ‘thinks’ you can think” when you have to problem-solve creatively! By October, we finally had a show that checked all the boxes for us. And that show was Seussical.
What is Seussical? Aside from being Mrs. Stobel’s college soundtrack, Seussical is a musical based on the works of Dr. Seuss. But, to quote the musical’s authors, “it isn’t just a string of [Dr. Seuss’s] stories set to music. And it isn’t just one of his stories. In fact, [Seussical] weaves together his most famous tales and characters in unexpected ways. The Seuss lexicon includes hundreds upon hundreds of wondrous characters, creatures, places, and things. Seussical incorporates elements from at least 15 of his books, as well as many of his best-loved and most familiar characters. Many of these characters had never met one another before. But they meet in our musical. And in the course of the evening, some will fall in love, some will have desperate adventures, and some will save the world. And they’ll all travel everywhere from the Jungle of Nool to McEligott’s Pool to Palm Beach.”
“Dr. Seuss believes in helping a friend, in not giving up, in keeping a promise. He believes in the value and dignity of others, in working to preserve the fragile sweetness of the natural world, and he believes that peace is the ultimate ideal, among nations and in every heart. He also believes in the pure power of the imagination. You will find all these serious concerns at the heart of Seussical.”
With that, please sit back, relax, and prepare to engage your imaginations.
We hope you enjoy the show!
