Dr. Seuss to visit valley

The first amateur production in Nevada of "Seussical the Musical" will be presented this month on two sides of the Las Vegas Valley. The production, based on the Broadway show hit, will premiere at Green Valley High School in Henderson, then will move to the stage at Palo Verde High School in Summerlin.

The Howard Hughes Corp. and the Summerlin Children's Forum are among the sponsors. Hughes executive Tom Warden said the show is an ideal match for both the corporation and the nonprofit organization, which he chairs.

"`Seussical the Musical' will reach a huge audience throughout the entire valley; it involves students from throughout the school district and it promotes literacy," Warden said. "We were happy to support such a worthwhile endeavor. Besides, who doesn't love `Green Eggs and Ham' and Dr. Seuss?"

Additional sponsors include Southwest Gas, MGM/Mirage, Nevada Arts Council. and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Produced by Nevada State Thespians, the Nevada chapter of the Educational Theatre Association, the show is part of a series of events in October to celebrate literacy, theater and 100 years of Dr. Seuss, who many consider the most beloved children's writer of the last century.

Carrie Vlaming and Jennifer Hemme, theater specialists at Palo Verde High and Green Valley High, respectively, are the directors.

"The production is sure to delight the very young, as well as the young at heart," Hemme said. "It's Dr. Seuss put to music, and it's even more delightful than his beloved books. The audience is sure to recognize famous Dr. Seuss passages and relate to some of his better known characters, including Cat in the Hat, Horton the elephant, Gurtrude McFuzz and Mayzie La Bird.

"(It) has been a colossal undertaking, involving more than 80 students from 15 schools throughout the Las Vegas Valley."

Among the student performers will be 10-year Summerlin residents Lauren, Catie and Michael Shaw. Their mother, Cynthia Shaw, is delighted her children have the opportunity to perform in the song-and-dance production with zany, colorful costumes.

"We are also especially pleased that The Howard Hughes Corporation and the Summerlin Children's Forum are supporting this production in a big way," she said. "It's just one more reason we love living in a community that values children and the cultural arts."

"Seussical the Musical" will debut at Green Valley High School on Thursday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. Additional shows are scheduled on Friday, Oct. 29 and Saturday, Oct. 30 at 2 and 7 p.m. both days.

Palo Verde High School will host performances Thursday Nov. 4 and Friday Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. Shows on Saturday, Nov. 6, will be at 2 and 7 p.m.

Tickets are $10 in advance; $12 at the door. A $2 discount will be given at the door with the donation of canned food or a new or gently used book, which will be donated to at-risk elementary schools.

Tickets can be purchased at Borders Books in Green Valley at 1445 W. Sunset Road; and in Summerlin at 10950 W. Charleston Blvd.

Summerlin, a Hughes Corp. development, ranked as the country's best-selling master-planned community for much of the last decade, according to independent surveys. It aligns the western edge of the valley and comprises villages.

Amenities include more than 100 parks, more than 100 miles of trails, houses of worship, shopping centers, medical facilities, cultural facilities, business parks and nearly 120 model homes.

Single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums are priced from the mid-$300,000s to more than $2 million. Custom-home sites are priced from the $500,000s. Monthly rent for apartments starts from the mid-$800s.

For more information, visit www.reviewjournal.com/real estate and click on the Summerlin link.

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