The 8-year-old will star in the theater production of 'Seussical Jr.' in West Virginia.
Naya Rivera and Ryan Dorsey’s son, Josey, is stepping into his parents' acting legacy by making his debut appearance in the theater production of Seussical Jr. in West Virginia.
The eight-year-old takes on the role of one of the Wickersham Brothers in the beloved musical, which brings to life the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss. The young actor's cast spotlight reveals his passion for performance, noting his recent move from Los Angeles to West Virginia and his family's background in acting.
Audiences attending the production will delight in seeing iconic Seuss characters like Horton the Elephant and the Cat in the Hat come to life on stage. The story takes viewers from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus, following Horton's journey to protect the Whos and care for a precious egg, all while navigating friendship, loyalty, and family bonds.
Seussical, which originally opened on Broadway in 2000, is the creation of Tony Award-winning duo Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. It has since enjoyed numerous national tours and become a favorite among community theater groups.
Rivera gained acclaim for her role in the hit musical comedy-drama series Glee, where she held a prominent role from 2009 to 2015. Her performance garnered several accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, along with two Grammy Award nominations
Dorsey played Earl in Justified in 2015, and in 2017 starred in Ray Donovan as Duquesne "Dime Bag" Baker. Additionally, he has starred in Pitch, Bosch, Yellowstone, Runaways, Stumptown, The Vampire Diaries, Nashville and Big Sky.
Dorsey and Rivera, who were married from 2014 to 2018, share Josey, who was four years old when Rivera tragically died in July 2020 after a boating accident on California's Lake Piru.
Last year, Dorsey opened up to ET about the ups and downs of navigating single parenthood.
"Some days are harder than the others and some days... I'm optimistic and some days I'm sad. I guess that's for everybody in life, but it's hard for me when Josey will say certain things and if he misses his mom or whatever it is or he'll bring up certain moments that obviously he'll never forget from the worst day of his life," Dorsey told ET.
"And there's not much for me to say except I just say, 'I know, buddy, and I love you,' and I just give him a hug. Just some human dad to son contact and rub his head and squeeze him because it's all I can do because I don't really have any answers," Dorsey continued. "I'm not one of those, 'Everything happens for a reason,' type of people. When I was younger I was, but then you get older and you see what's going on in the world, it's hard for me to get behind... that kind of mantra."
The proud dad added that Josey is "overall, a happy kid" with ambitious interests and hobbies.
"I'm doing the best I can," he said. "I'm trying to keep it together and provide a safe and happy life for him. He's doing really well in school and he has a lot of friends. He's such a social kid. Everybody loves Josey and he's funny."
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