"Seussical" Breathes Life Into Quirky Characters

Seussical

Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens

Book by Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty

Co-Conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, & Eric Idle

Based on the works of Dr. Seuss

Director, Grace Napier; Musical Director, Jonathan Goldberg; Choreographer, Laurel Stachowicz; Set Designer, James H. Williston; Lighting Designer, Scott Clyve; Costume Designer, Melissa Miller; Sound Designer, Roger Moore; Props Designer, Marjorie Lusignan; Production Stage Manager, Lindsay D. Garofalo

CAST:  The Cat in the Hat, Andrew Barbato; Horton the Elephant, Kamau M. Hashim; Gertrude McFuzz, Jennifer Beth Glick; Sour Kangaroo, Gamalia Pharms; Mayzie LaBird, Angela Williams; JoJo, Sirena Abalian; Mayor of Whoville, Gary Thomas Ng; Mayor's Wife, Jenna Lea Scott; The Grinch, Jane Staab; General Genghis Khan Schmitz, Peter A. Carey; Ensemble: Elizabeth Berg, Kerrin ElizabetH Clark, Claire Philippe, Brian Richard Robinson, Mark Linehan, De'Lon Grant, Ilyse Robbins, Tess Brenner, Ellen Peterson, Santio Cupon, Marlon Smith-Jones, Christie Millar, Alexandra Nader, Ali Pimental, Jessica Bodner, Nicholas Davis, Naree Ketudat, IsaBelle Miller, Christina Monnen, Emma Nardi, Emily Pinto, Lexi Ryan, Madeleine Snow, Jeremy Sutherland

Performances through March 1 at Wheelock Family Theatre, 200 The Riverway, Boston, MA

Box Office 617-879-2300 or tickets@wheelock.edu

Live theatre requires a great deal of collaboration and the Wheelock Family Theatre fields a strong team to present Seussical, a musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, based on the works of Massachusetts' own Dr. Seuss. With big, bold sets, colorful costumes, and unusual props, this is an eye-popping extravaganza of fun and imagination performed by a cast of all ages and many talents. The tone is established with the theatre's opening announcement about parking, cell phones, and concessions being recited in Seuss-like rhyme.

While I am more than a few decades removed from my own adoration of the infamous Cat in the Hat, it is reassuring to see that he still has what it takes to mesmerize an audience of young and old alike. From the moment he rises out of a manhole downstage, elevating his previously empty familiar candy striped hat in the spotlight, the cat (Andrew Barbato) is in command as the master of ceremonies, introducing all of the quirky characters and acclimating us to the Jungle of Nool and Whoville (Oh, The Thinks You Can Think). He is still a devilish anarchist, but who knew Cat was a song and dance man?

For the show that debuted on Broadway in 2000, its creators read all of the Dr. Seuss books aloud to each other for inspiration in search of a cogent tale and settled on Horton the Elephant (Kamau M. Hashim) and JoJo (Sirena Abalian), a Thinker, as the central players. Hashim makes Horton stand out as a standup guy, accepting responsibility to protect the tiny Whos and their speck of dust planet despite the derision he receives. Abalian has wonderful energy and stage presence, and she meets the challenge of playing a cross-gender role and nails it. (At first, I thought she actually was a boy!) Jennifer Beth Glick does a comic and touching turn as Gertrude McFuzz, Horton's avian admirer, and Gary Thomas Ng and Jenna Lea Scott as the Mayor of Whoville and his wife are sincere and delightful as JoJo's loving and well-meaning parents.

The Seuss books are rife with life lessons and messages, but they are cleverly veiled and lend themselves to the creation of a feel good story with a happy ending. The issues of war, discrimination, bullying, drug abuse, and unwed motherhood all crop up, but are overcome by magic, unconditional love, perseverance, and trusting one's hunches. Incorporating the trademark Seuss wordplay with original dialogue and lyrics, Ahrens and Flaherty engage the children of the audience on one level, and the adults on another. Each song advances the plot, defines the characters, and provides as much entertainment value as a barrel of monkeys. Speaking of monkeys, the Wickersham Brothers (Brian Richard Robinson, Mark Linehan, De'Lon Grant) are wonderful singers and dancers who are also deliciously devilish when they torment poor Horton. The Greek chorus of Bird Girls (Elizabeth Berg, Kerrin ElizabetH Clark, Claire Philippe) matches their talents.  Angela Williams (Mayzie LaBird) and Gamalia Pharms (Sour Kangaroo) have comic flair and tremendous pipes, and the ever dependable Peter A. Carey gives General Genghis Khan Schmitz just the right amount of bluster and pomposity, and cooks up a stirring Green Eggs and Ham.

The large cast can find plenty of places to climb, slide, and hang out on James H. Williston's cartoonish and oversized set. Melissa Miller costumes the birds in vivid colors and feathers, the Who Cadets in khaki and white camper outfits, the Who Adults in bright orange and gold, and the Grinch in nauseating green. Choreographer Laurel Stachowicz does a masterful job with so many people on stage simultaneously and manages to match dance styles with divergent types of music. There are lots of fun props (designed by Marjorie Lusignan), among them the simulated helicopter, the baby kangaroo, and the faux piano played by the Cat. Scott Clyve's lighting design authentically recreates day, night, storms, and the war zone.

Musical Director Jonathan Goldberg leads a six-piece orchestra that handles the wide range of musical styles with virtuosity. Unfortunately, on opening night, there were sound issues, from over-amplification to the loss of Abalian's mic for much of the first act. Despite her effort to project, she could not be heard over the band in her duet with the amplified Horton and her voice was Alone In The Universe.  She was plugged in for Act II and we could hear her loud and clear on Solla Sollew, another lovely ballad. The songs offer something for every taste, including rock, Latin, blues, and typical show tunes, and this cast has the voices to deliver them.

There is so much going on and at such a fast pace that sometimes I didn't know where to look. Director Grace Napier keeps all of the balls in the air so you'll see something dazzling no matter where your eye settles. It should be mentioned that this is the full-length version of Seussical that grew out of the trials and tribulations of the original Broadway show which tried out at Boston's Colonial Theatre in September 2000 and lasted only six months in New York. Having been simplified and streamlined, it is now one of the most performed musicals in America. In this estimable production, Napier and the company at Wheelock give us the chance to see why.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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