DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Taylor Lang company based in Eastponte is hosting a special production of 'The Cat in the Hat' at Detroit's Northwest Activities Center this Saturday, July 13, at 4 p.m.
The production will be a unique twist on the classic Doctor Seuss Kids story.
"(This will showcase) the entirety of the skills of the kids that attend my program," said show director Taylor Lang. "So, not only are they just models, they’re singers. They’re dancers. They’re actresses. Some of them do imitations and things of that nature. Some of them are even designers. So, in this show, you’ll see kind of a little bit of everything. And, we are telling a story of Cat in the Hat through fashion and through performance.”
It's not a musical, or even a play. Taylor, who founded her namesake company, calls it a theatrical fashion show. She says this format is a great way to connect with her students while providing the audience with a new fresh perspect on a popular kid's book.
This is 11-year-old Zaya Johnson. She's the Cat in the Hat.
“It feels amazing," Johnson said. "I’m like super excited to play as the Cat in the Hat; as the role of the Cat in the Hat in the fashion show.”
14-year-old performers, Darian Primus and Elania Carmack, are Thing One and Thing Two.
“It’s really fun," Primus said. "Just getting to hang out and be ourselves and do what we love to do.”
“And, we learn a lot of things with each other and everything just working together," Carmack said.
6-year-old Nova Twitty in the orange plays Conrad Walden. 7-year-old Chante Slay Bella in green is Sally Walden.
“I love the show," Twitty said. "And, I love that I’m in it. And, I love that I’m Conrad and I make the rules. Yee!“
“I understand why she is Conrad because she has a lot of energy," Bella said.
9-year-old Detroit girl Rosie McKee will be the show host. Rosie recently went viral for recreating a scene from the movie 'The Color Purple', which got Oprah's attention. She was even invited by Oprah to the movie's Red Carpet Premiere.
There's so much talent in this upcoming production.
“I wanna take out like performing and signing, modeling, acting, combining them all together and just performing," Primus said. "I love to do that."
“I can be myself and get to know other people," Twitty said.
Lang specializes in cultivating and developing talented youth. She's proud of the show and the girls in the program.
“We are so busy into the performance and them actually, you know, performing at this large magnitude. But, we wanna make sure that they’re having fun. And, I think Cat in the Hat really elaborates on the importance living life and having fun."
The young ladies have practiced for nearly four months for this production, so they're certainly ready to showcase their hard work.
