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WINSTON-SALEM -- In his three decades of community theater, Lee Willard has been the comic relief and the dastardly villain. He has been a father, a prison matron, a couple of kings, and all manner of best friends.

What he hasn't been is the romantic lead.

That all changes Friday when the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem's "Seussical" opens and Willard gets the girl. Of course, she's a bird. But then, he's an elephant.

The two Dr. Seuss books forming the foundation of the 2000 musical are "Horton Hears a Who" and "Horton Hatches the Egg," and amidst the show's kaleidoscope of bright colors, vivid language and broad characters, Willard's character, Horton, provides a calm and earnest center.

"Even when he gets into situations that would personally make me mad, I can't let him look angry or mean spirited," Willard says. "I always have to put forth the sweetness that Gertrude McFuzz sees in him that makes her love him. He might be an elephant, but I have to scale him back because he's just not a larger-than-life character."

In addition to the hard reality of taking on a leading role - more memorization and time spent studying choreography and stage blocking -- Willard has also had to learn to pace himself in revealing Horton to the audience.

"With character parts, you pop in, maybe have a funny song, then you're gone again," he says. "I've had to be a lot more deliberate in putting Horton together, which is not necessarily a concern in an over-the-top character role. And my two big solo numbers are these sweet, slow, heartstring-tugging ballads that are very different from the fast and funny songs I usually do. I'm exercising a lot more restraint."

Restraint is something the show itself learned. After a short and critically panned run on Broadway, "Seussical" was overhauled before its national tour and became a hit on the road. The musical takes scenes and stories from 18 Seuss books to create its magical world of McElligot's Pool and Whoville and the Jungle of Nool , where the population includes the Grinch, the Lorax, Yertle the Turtle, and a host of other familiar characters.

The Cat in the Hat is the narrator/instigator, but it's Horton who defines the action, whether he's trying to save a world perched on a clover or being sold to a New York Circus while protecting an egg.

"I have such fond childhood memories of these stories," says Willard.

"Seussical" also reunites Willard with director Bobby Bodford and musical director Maggie Gallagher, whom he also knows as a former castmate. Of course in 30 years of community theater - he usually performs in one or two shows per year -- there's hardly any experienced actor or artistic staff member he hasn't worked with.

He's performed on just about every stage from Asheboro to Greensboro and Lexington to Winston-Salem.

For his first community show, "Oklahoma!" - at age 18, he played Ado - Annie's father.

"So I have been pegged for character roles for a long, long time," he says. "Playing sweet, lovable Horton as well as half of a romantic couple appealed to me because I so rarely get that kind of opportunity. Yet it's still an appropriate role for me."

Leslie Mizell is a freelance contributor. Contact her at LAMizell@aol.com.