Fredericksburg, VA--Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, was singing and dancing and having a ball. The Whos in STEP VA Inc.'s staging of “Seussial Jr.” will be singing and dancing their way through the weekend of April 13 and 14, and shimmying their way through the numbers will be Daisy Head Maisy, played by Josie Blunkosky, and the first-daughter of Whoville, Sally Who, as played by Bridget Syed.
Blunkosky and Syed both are STEP VA veterans, having spent many a summer participating in the summer sessions offered by the local 501(c)3 nonprofit that “empowers people with disabilities and their families through creative expression and sensory exploration.”
Blunkosky made the jump to the big stage, joining the Spring Musical experience last year as a member of the Peanuts Gang in “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
“I love being in the spotlight with all eyes on me,” she said when asked what brought her back this year.
Though she doesn't have any favorite Dr. Seuss books and says the books are okay, going into the show she did like “The Cat in the Hat” and concept of Whoville.
“I like the song 'It’s Possible,' from the musical,” Blunkosky continued, adding that she found “memorizing my lines and choreography” were the most challenging part of being in a musical's cast.
Like many others in the cast, Blunkosky most looks forward to “being around friends and family of STEP VA,” but as she dons the daisy, she is also looking to participating in more STEP VA spring musicals in the performance space they currently call home.
“I’m enjoying the future performances at Courtland High School,” she said.
Returning to the spring musical this year marks Syed's third time in the show, second consecutive year.
In 2021, she played Stella, one of the friends on Zoom, in “A Special Covid 19,” the first musical STEP VA produced, written by fellow STEP VA veteran Noah Finch. Syed returned last year as Twin A in “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
For all her enjoyment of the experience, Syed—like a few others in the cast—finds the dancing element a bit challenging.
“The dance moves can be a little bit fast,” she explained.
It's a fair assessment. Syed's favorite song in the musical is the opening number, “All the Thinks You Can Think.” While the song changes tempo several times, on average, it is fast-paced for the better part of three minutes.
Yet, Syed and her cast mates have worked hard to master the choreography and she's ready to show the audience what she—and they—can do. When asked what she was most looking forward to with the show, in true STEP VA fashion, she replied, “Confidence in singing and acting.”
Don't disappoint Daisy Head Maisy and Sally. Come see them confidently rock their roles in “Seussical Jr.,” taking place at Courtland High School on April 13 at 6 p.m. and April 14 at 3 p.m. CLICK HERE for tickets or visit www.stepva.org for more information.
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STEP VA, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides sensory-based theater and arts programs for individuals with disabilities. Its vision is to transform the world by offering each individual the opportunity to flourish in the community.