Review: SEUSSICAL at The Carnegie

Every winter, The Carnegie in Covington, Kentucky puts on a classic, family friendly musical for all ages to come together. This year they have collaborated with University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s (CCM) musical theatre program to do Seussical, a show centered around the stories written by Dr. Seuss. The use of the “Seuss-iverse” in this show works well as the stories and characters cross over into each other, and the music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty (a CCM alum himself) and Lynn Ahrens bring a certain whimsy to tie it all together. Director Rachel Stevens brings together an exceptional cast and creative team to demonstrate a unique interpretation of Seussical.

CCM’s theatre programs are considered some of the most prestigious in the country, and seeing the talent the students brought to the stage during Seussical really proves the height of the college’s expectations. The three main men in the show, The Cat in the Hat (Joey Baciocco), Jojo (Carter Minor), and Horton the Elephant (Matthew Danforth) exemplify the power of using certain archetypes and features within different actors. Baciocco uses his lanky stature and expressive face to bring strong movements into the role, a stellar narrator popping in and out of various parts of the story. Meanwhile, Danforth shows his range as a faithful protector who will go to the ends of the earth to keep his promises, and Minor displays a certain innocence that comes with having strong values of creativity and exploration. On the other side of the cast, Monique Churchill and Sydney Short portray the birds Gertrude McFuzz and Mayzie LaBird respectively, giving a contrast as Gertrude has a sort of awkward sweetness, and Mayzie expresses herself more similarly to that of a flashy showgirl.

One of the best parts of this production of Seussical is its design visions, particularly within the costumes by Charlotte Campbell and scenery by Tyler Gabbard. Both use designs that are less literal to the context of the show. Instead, they allow them to appear more makeshift, as if a group of kids were putting on a show in the backstage of a summer camp, using what they have and their own imagination to make the story come to life. Considering the themes of the show focusing heavily on the importance of storytelling and unconventional thinking in ways that are more pure and straightforward, it is incredibly effective and brings about a new approach that may be unfamiliar to those who may have already seen the show in other productions.

Seussical is currently playing at The Carnegie through February 16th, 2025. To learn more about the show and to purchase tickets, visit thecarnegie.org or click on the link below.

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