Oh the “thinks you will think.” As Mayor of Who-Ville, Matt Ward is making his local acting debut in the Fredericksburg Theater production of Seussical the Musical. The show opens June 19. Photo by Phil Houseal
Details:
Seussical the Musical, directed by John Phelps, runs June 19 through July 5 at the Fredericksburg Theater. Tickets are now on sale at the FTC Box Office, 306 East Austin Street, 830-997-3588, or online at www.fredericksburgtheater.org/tixpublic.
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Matt, the Mayor of Who-Ville
Phil Houseal
June 17, 2009
The reputation of the Fredericksburg Theater Company ripples far beyond McElligot’s Pool. So when recent arrival Matt Ward heard of the auditions for Seussical the Musical, he got ready to dive in.
“When I moved to Fredericksburg, I heard a lot about FTC,” he said. “You can’t not hear about that program when you live here more than six months. Everybody knows somebody who has been in a show.”
Even with his experience in varsity theater, debate, and choir, the young Texas A&M graduate took his time deciding to audition. He thought about trying out for last summer’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, but had concerns about trying to work in rehearsals around his full time reporter’s job with its random weekend hours.
But he couldn’t get it out of his mind. It all clicked when he went to see last season’s Love, Sex, and the IRS - twice.
“That put it over the top,” Ward recalled. “When you actually go, the experience is overwhelming. This is topnotch theater. I thought - I can do this; this is something I want to be involved in for awhile.”
But when auditions for Seussical came around, Ward was having second, third, and fourth thoughts.
“I was sitting on the fence whether to even audition for the first three days,” he admitted, remembering he had not auditioned for any part in seven years. He waited until the final night to try out. “I got there really early; I was the only one there; and I didn’t know anybody. But I said I have got to do this.”
Once he started warming up his voice, and the other actors arrived, he felt more comfortable. He checked off every male role. “I was willing to get in where ever I could,” he said. “I am just happy being involved in the show in whatever way possible.”
Ward - originally a political science major - ended up with the role of Mayor of Who-Ville. He joins 16 other actors, with an age range from 9 to 59. This variety in backgrounds is something new to Ward, whose previous experience was in high school casts where everyone was the same age. But he is slotting in well, everyone is welcoming, and “we try to feed off each other as much as we can.”
Aside from not being allowed to cut his hair until after the show (he usually wears a buzz cut), Ward has no regrets going out on a Truffula Tree limb to be in this show.
“What excites me most is being able to work one on one with the caliber of a talent like Jeryl Hoover,” he noted. “That in itself has been really special. He is so good - you feel better about yourself after working with him for just 20 minutes. I want to take his suggestions and bring in more things for my character.”
Music Director and FTC founder Hoover is always looking for new faces.
“We want to establish a company that is known as the opposite of being cliquish - that is the FTC culture,” Hoover said. “I love working with new faces, and there are several in this crew.”
Now that Ward has been bitten by the Bingle Bug, does he have his eye on future FTC roles?
“You never know.... this is not a one-shot deal, this isn’t like Broadway,” he said. “I want to continue to be involved.”
Ward is already learning roles for other plays this season. He hopes to show up in The Odd Couple or Man of La Mancha. For now he is Mayor of Who-Ville, master of all things Who, no matter how small.
“Kids will love this. Hey, it’s Dr. Seuss,” he said. “For adults, this show brings out the kid in you. There are good lessons, and adults will enjoy moments that the kids might not get. So it’s not just a kid’s show - but there’s a kid in everybody.”
Especially in a guy acting in his first FTC musical.