Cast Announcement for “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
We asked the cast of The Grinch about their favorite holiday memories and traditions. Take a look below to see their answers.
Mabel Weismann (Cindy Lou Who)
“I really love when the whole family gets together and eats and eats and eats, until we all get full and all of the adults talk and talk and talk, but the kids just want to get to the opening presents part.”
Dean Holt (Old Max)
“Waking up Christmas morning and running downstairs to see what Santa brought, building a fire in the fireplace and putting Christmas records on the hifi.”
Dwight Leslie (JP Who)
“Going to my grandfather’s house and being under a really huge 12 ft tree 🌲 on Christmas 🎄”
Rajané Brown (Betty Lou Who)
What is your favorite holiday memory or tradition? My favorite holiday tradition is going to church for our annual Christmas morning service, then having a big breakfast at my aunt and uncle’s house. Later that evening my family and I go over to my grandparent’s house for dinner…it is literally the highlight of my year!
Calvin James Zimmerman (Who Boy)
“My favorite holiday tradition is helping my parents make fruitcake and shortbread cookies for my family and shipping them around the country.”
Payton Seacrist (Who Woman)
“Spending time with my family and going to my godmother’s house on Christmas Eve.”
Max Wojtanowicz (Grandpa Who)
“I’ve always loved going to my aunt’s house for her big Christmas Eve party — and singing Christmas carols as loudly and obnoxiously as possible on the way to the party with my sisters!”
Reed Sigmund (Grinch)
“Honestly, most of my favorite holiday traditions involve numerous pounds of sugar. I love baking cookies, and I love eating cookies. I also develop a month-long, insatiable craving for hot cocoa.
Apart from my sugary traditions I think my favorite holiday memory may be cutting down our Christmas tree last year. There was no snow, but there was a whole lot of sticky, watery mud. Our car got stuck in the stuff three separate times. We then trudged through a half mile of it, until we finally found the most magical of trees. I lay face down in the dirt-soup to cut down the tree, while our two exhausted and crying kids sat on my back. Then we trudged the muddy half-mile back to the car while carrying both the tree and a sobbing 3-year-old. Still, I’ll remember it forever, and I wouldn’t trade that memory for anything.”
Neah Williams (Who Girl)
“On Christmas Eve, my family and I were playing a game of white elephant. Every family member had to bring a gag gift and see who ended up with the worst at the end of the game. My cousin Jordan got stuck with a bag of horse poop! He hide it behind a desk (so he didn’t have to take it home) and my aunt/uncle didn’t find it for month later; ewww!”
Autumn Ness (Mama Who)
“My favorite holiday tradition is doing everything EARLY. Christmas shopping in June, Christmas music starting on November 1st, decorating the Christmas tree WEEKS before Thanksgiving! I also love using every inch of willpower to stop myself re-arranging all the ornaments that the kids put in a clump on one branch.”
Maddie Neal (Who Woman)
“My favorite holiday memory is going to an ugly sweater party that included lots of sledding and hot chocolate. It was the first time I had hung out with people from my middle school and now they’re some of my best friends.”
Natalie Tran (Young Max)
“Every year, we have a big Christmas Eve dinner with my grandparents and extended family, and then we sit in a big circle on the floor and take turns opening presents.”
Jay Soulen (Danny Who)
“When I was younger, nothing could compare to the magical feeling of waking up in my comfy bed on Christmas morning. And the gorgeous sight of all my holiday gifts displayed under the tree just made me smile every year. Good thing there was never a certain green monster there to snatch them away!”
Gerald Drake (Who Man)
“My brother (who is 3 years older) would come in the bedroom and whisper in my ear, “Jerry, it’s Christmas” at around 4am. We would run down the hall, around the corner and look at all the presents. I always said I would get up first but he usually beat me to it. As I got older, my dad and mom decided not to hide the presents anymore, so I would come home from school, open them, play with them and then (badly) re-wrap them. When Christmas came, I would pretend to be surprised.”
Greta Nackerud (Who Girl)
“One of my favorite holiday traditions is making and EATING lefse with my grandma.”
Will Spangrud (Mini Grinch/Who Boy)
Every year my cousins and I pick names to exchange gifts. Its always fun to see how well we know each other!
Symphonie Whitted (Who Girl)
“My favorite holiday memory was the first Christmas I was able to spend with my younger twin brothers. I couldn’t wait to finally meet them because I really wanted siblings and I got two of them at the same time.”
Austen Fisher (Who Man)
“Every year my family sits down on Christmas Eve and reads aloud the ending speeches from A Christmas Carol, Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus, and A Christmas Story.”
Christian Tesch (Who Man)
“My favorite holiday tradition is that on Christmas Day before we can open any presents we have to find a pickle ornament on the tree to determine who opens their present first.”
Mario Esteb (Who Boy)
“Doing Secret Santa with all the cousins.”
Sidney Whiteside (Tiny Who/Mini Max)
“My favorite holiday tradition is baking cookies with my family. We make lots of different kinds, but my favorite are ones that look like mugs of hot chocolate, complete with a pretzel handle and marshmallow bits on top.”
Cameron Schmalz (Who Man)
“My favorite holiday tradition is to go with my family to cut down a Christmas tree.”
Antonio De La Vega (Who Man)
“Performing in the Christmas program that my family puts on every Christmas Eve. It consists mainly of singing Christmas carols, performing Christmas-related musical numbers and playing games. My family and I have been doing it since I was around five, so it is very near and dear to my heart.”
Complete Cast List (Alphabetical)
Rajané Brown | Betty Lou Who
Antonio De La Vega | Who Man
Stella Ruth Murphy | Annie Who
Jerry Drake | Who Man
Mario Esteb | Who Boy
Austen Fisher | Who Man
Dean Holt | Old Max
Dwight Leslie | JP Who
Greta Nackerud | Who Girl
Maddie Neal | Who Woman
Autumn Ness | Mama Who
Sara Ochs | Grandma Who
Cameron Schmalz | Who Man
Payton Seacrist | Who Woman
Reed Sigmund | Grinch
Jay Soulen | Danny Who
Will Spangrud | Mini Grinch/Who Boy
Christian Tesch | Who Man
Natalie Tran | Young Max
Mabel Weismann | Cindy Lou Who
Sidney Whiteside | Tiny Who/Mini Max
Symphonie Whitted | Who Girl
Neah Williams | Who Girl
Max Wojtanowicz | Grandpa Who
Calvin Zimmerman | Who Boy
Don’t miss all the Seussian holiday fun running November 7 through January 7! Get your tickets to Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas now before it sells out!
