Seussical

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Seussical
Logo
Music	Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics	Lynn Ahrens
Book	Lynn Ahrens Stephen Flaherty
Based upon	The stories of Dr. Seuss
Productions	2000 Broadway 2002 First National US Tour 2003 US Tour

Seussical is a musical based on the books of Dr. Seuss that debuted on Broadway in 2000. The play's story is a rather complex amalgamation of many of Seuss's most famous books. After an unsuccessful Broadway run, the production spawned two US National Tours and has become a favorite for community and regional theatres.^[1]

Contents 1 Productions 2 Plot overview 3 Plot 4 Songs 5 Nominations 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Productions

After 34 previews, Seussical opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on November 30, 2000.^[2] Directed by Frank Galati with choreography by Kathleen Marshall, the original Broadway cast included David Shiner as the Cat in the Hat, Kevin Chamberlin as Horton, and Anthony Blair Hall as JoJo. It also featured Janine LaManna as Gertrude McFuzz and Michelle Pawk as Mayzie LaBird, with Stuart Zagnit as the Mayor of Whoville, Alice Playten as the Mayor's wife, Sharon Wilkins as the Sour Kangaroo and Erik Devine as General Genghis Kahn Schmitz also appearing. Throughout the run, there were many celebrity Cat in the Hats replacements, including Rosie O'Donnell and Cathy Rigby.

The production received lukewarm reviews, with critics focusing on the huge cast of characters and unsympathetic plotlines.^[3] The Broadway production closed on May 20, 2001 after 198 performances.^[2]

Following the Broadway production, there were two US National tours. The first, in 2002-03, starred Cathy Rigby, and the second toured in 2003-04.^[4][5]

The script for the first tour was extensively reworked after the poor showing on Broadway. The main alteration resulted in the Seuss world being a figment of Jojo's imagination. This resulted in the removal or reworking of several songs. It is this version of the musical that is currently rented by the leasing company, and has enjoyed some success in regional and children's theater companies across the country.

Music Theatre International (MTI), the current North American rights holder, has also created a one-act version of the show. The "Theatre for Young Audience" version contained significant changes, including reducing the cast to 12 actors, and removing the entire military subplot.

MTI also created another one act version of the show, "Seussical Jr", designed for performances by Junior High or Middle School students.

[edit] Plot overview

The overarching plot of the show mirrors that of Horton Hears a Who!, centering on Horton the elephant's endeavors to protect the people of Who-ville, who live on a tiny speck of dust. It also features characters and scenarios from many other Seuss books, including the Butter Side Uppers / Downers from The Butter Battle Book, Gertrude McFuzz, and some characters that never made an appearance in any of Dr. Seuss's books. The Cat in the Hat, an outside observer, acts as narrator and devil's advocate throughout the show, briefly leaping into the action on several occasions to create conflict and keep the story moving.

The following characters and their associated books appear in the musical:

• Cat in the Hat - The Cat in the Hat
• Horton - Horton Hears a Who! and Horton Hatches the Egg
• Jojo - Horton Hears a Who!
• Gertrude - Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories
• Mayzie - Horton Hatches the Egg
• Sour Kangaroo - Horton Hears a Who!
• The Mayor of Whoville - Horton Hears a Who!
• General Genghis Kahn Schmitz - I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew
• The Wickersham Brothers - Horton Hears a Who!
• The Bird Girls - Horton Hatches the Egg
• The Grinch - How the Grinch Stole christmas

In all, the following Seuss books have some minor characters and/or settings are incorporated into the show:

Horton Hears a Who! How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Lorax Green Eggs and Ham Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories Horton Hatches the Egg I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew McElligot's Pool The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz

Hunches in Bunches If I Ran the Circus The Butter Battle Book Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! The Cat in the Hat The Sneetches and Other Stories Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? Oh, the Places You'll Go! One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

[edit] Plot

This synopsis describes the 2003 tour starring Cathy Rigby.

Act I

("Overture") The story begins with a bare stage, save for an odd red-and-white striped hat. A small boy discovers it and imagines what it could belong to, finally conjuring up the Cat in the Hat {from "The Cat in the Hat"}. The Cat creates the Seussian world around him and the boy ("Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!"), and he acts as the narrator for the remainder of the musical, as well as playing some of the minor roles. At the Cat's encouragement, the boy thinks up the Jungle of Nool, where Horton the Elephant {from Horton Hears a Who} and "Horton Sits on an Egg"} is bathing.

Horton hears a strange noise coming from a speck of dust, and decides there must be someone on it. He rescues the speck and places it on a clover ("Horton Hears a Who") and decides to guard it. Led by the at-first-villain Sour Kangaroo, the other animals in the jungle mock him mercilessly, except for Gertrude McFuzz {from The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz}, Horton's next door neighbor, who admires his compassion and begins to fall in love with him ("Biggest Blame Fool"). Horton soon discovers the dust speck is in fact a planet covered with microscopic people called Whos. Led by their Mayor and his wife, the Whos introduce themselves and their community (such as their yearly Christmas pageant based on How the Grinch Stole Christmas), explaining their predicament. In addition to being unable to control where their dust speck flies, they are on the brink of war and all of their beautiful Truffula Trees {from The Lorax} have been cut down ("Here on Who"). Horton's resolve to guard the dust speck is strengthened.

At this point, the Cat in the Hat abruptly pushes the boy from the beginning into the story; he becomes Jojo, the son of the Mayor of Whoville. No sooner does he enter than he is roughly scolded by his parents: he has inadvertently been causing trouble at school by thinking (or rather, having Thinks), disrupting the class and horrifying the teachers. Jojo is sent to "take [a] bath and go to bed/And think some normal Thinks instead," but the Cat soon persuades him to "have a think in the tub." (Oh the Thinks You Can Think (Reprise)) Jojo imagines the tub is McElligot's Pool ("It's Possible"), distracting himself and accidentally flooding the Mayor's living room. The Mayor and his wife, aghast, wonder what they should do about their son ("How To Raise a Child"). After receiving a brochure from the Cat, they decide to send him to a Military school run by General Genghis Khan Schmitz {I Had Trouble Getting to Solla Sollew}, an over-zealous warmonger who is preparing to go to battle with those who eat their bread butter side down (from The Butter Battle Book)("The Military").

Meanwhile, Horton has been guarding the clover for "over a week", getting ridiculed by the Citizens of the Jungle. He then thinks about how no matter what others may say or do, he still has his dreams for adventure and a friend. He decides to chat with the Whos, and Jojo responds. They chat and discover they have found a friend in one another ("Alone in the Universe"). Jojo goes to sleep, only to be awakened by the Cat in the Hat. The Cat asks him what should happen next, and Jojo decides to focus on Getrude. Her feelings for Horton are stronger than ever, but she fears he doesn't notice her because her tail consists only of "one droopy-droop feather" ("The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz"). At the advice of Mayzie La Bird {from Lazy Mayzie and Horton Sits on an Egg}, whose tail is enormous and dazzling, Gertrude, goes to Doctor Dake by the Lake (played by the Cat), who prescribes her pills to make her tail grow ("Amayzing Mayzie/Amayzing Gertrude"). Gertrude is so excited by the dramatic and immediate results of the pills that she overdoses.

Horton is ambushed by a group of ne'er-do-well monkeys called the Wickersham Brothers ("Monkey Around") who steal the clover and run off with it. Horton gives chase, until the monkeys give the clover to a black-bottomed eagle named Vlad Vladikoff. Horton continues to chase the clover, until Vlad Vladikoff drops it into a large patch of identical clovers, 'one hundred miles wide' ("Chasing the Whos"). The Cat in the Hat abruptly freezes the action and delivers an ironically cheery tune to the audience ("How Lucky You Are"). Horton begins to look for the clover, hoping that the Whos are still alive, when Gertrude, who has followed Horton all this distance, catches up with him. Her tail is now gorgeous, if impractically large. She tries to catch his attention, but he is too busy looking for the Whos to notice her ("Notice Me, Horton"). She retreats to take more pills while he continues searching. After searching 2,999,999 clovers, Horton loses hope, and he sees Mayzie La Bird high in a nest. Apparently, she was in Fort Worth, when she met a nightingale named Tweet McFirth. After 'three weeks of bliss', Tweet left her with an egg. Mayzie then persuades Horton to give up on the search for the Whos and sit on her egg while she goes off for a vacation. Horton reluctantly agrees, and Mayzie flies off ("How Lucky You Are (Mayzie's Reprise)"). Horton waits on the egg for months, until finally he is captured by hunters. Gertrude makes an attempt to go after Horton, but the size and weight of her new tail prevents her from flying.("Horton Sits on the Egg") The Cat in the Hat, backed by the full company, sings a reprise of "How Lucky You Are" to finish off Act I.

Act II

("Entr'Acte") At the top of the act, Horton is transported to New York City and auctioned off by the Cat to a man from the circus ("Egg, Nest, and Tree"). Galled by his being forced to perform for "nuts", Horton laments all that has transpired, praying that Mayzie will soon return from vacation so that he might resume his search for the Whos ("How Lucky You Are (Reprise)"). Meanwhile, Mayzie is lazing about in Palm Beach, where she admits she tires of the monotony of sunbathing "day after day" ("How Lucky you are (Reprise)"). After receiving an advertisement from the Cat in the Hat, she decides to embellish her vacation with an outing to the circus, where she reunites with Horton and the egg. Horton, relieved to see her after fifty-one weeks of sitting on it, attempts to give the burden back to her. Mayzie, however, refuses, congratulating Horton for the fortune he has made taking care of it and "giving" it to him to keep forever. ("Amazing Horton") Alone with the egg, a sorrowful Horton vows to take nurture it himself. ("Alone in the Universe (Reprise)"). Determined anew, he sings the egg a lullaby about a magical world called Solla Sollew, a kind of Seussian utopia that he swears he will one day reach. At the same time, Jojo, lost in the clover field, writes his parents a letter from Military School, wishing they could all be in Solla Sollew as well, a sentiment shared by his parents ("Solla Sollew").

Jojo and his compatriots are sent out at last to fight in the Butter Battle. At the front lines, Jojo finally summons the gall to confront General Schmitz, lambasting the futility of the war and abandoning the army in rebellion. However, he imprudently decides to dash across a minefield, triggering the mines and causing an explosion. ("Green Eggs and Ham (Transition to Butter Battle)") Meanwhile, the Grinch is just finishing up his annual Christmas pageant in Whoville ("The Whos' Christmas Pageant"), after which the Mayor addresses his citizens, beseeching them to not despair and keep hoping that Horton will soon rescue them. Yet no sooner does his wife propose a toast to their "dear little son" than does Schmitz march in, announcing that Jojo has died in the war. Handing over Jojo's possessions, he leaves the Mayor and his wife to grieve, who assure themselves that their "perfect little boy" is in Solla Sollew. ("A Message From the Front/Solla Sollew (Reprise)") The Cat in the Hat, however, reveals to the audience that Jojo did in fact survive; now lost in some dark place far from Whoville and unaware of which way to turn. (Alone in the Universe(Reprise)). After an angry confrontation, Jojo forgives the Cat in the Hat for his perceived offenses, taking his advice and trusting his hunches to lead him back home. At last, he and his parents share a joyful embrace ("Havin' a Hunch").

Back at the Circus, Gertrude reappears and frees a bewildered Horton. After he inquires as how she managed to find him, she describes the arduous journey she underwent out of her love for him, including getting all but one of her tail feathers plucked out to allow herself to fly ("All For You"). What's more, she found Horton's clover! Horton, complimenting Gertrude for her efforts, takes it back at last and discovers to his delight that the Whos are all alive and well. Just as Horton promises Jojo and his parents that he will look after them, the Cat in the Hat returns and warns the boy that a happy ending has not yet arrived. All of a sudden, the Sour Kangaroo appears with the Wickersham Brothers and makes a "sour citizen's arrest", dragging him back to the Jungle of Nool and insisting that he be put on trial before Judge Yertle the Turtle. Gertrude and Horton make a stand at the case, but the verdict is clear from the beginning: Horton is to be remanded to the "Nool Asylum for the Criminally Insane," and the clover is to be boiled in a kettle of beezlenut oil. Aghast, Horton implores the Mayor to command every last Who to shout in order to prove their existence. Despite initial failure, Jojo saves them all by "thinking" up a new word, "YOPP," the shouting of which is just enough to make them heard ("The People Versus Horton the Elephant"). The court acquits Horton and the Sour Kangaroo repents, swearing that she will from then on help Horton protect the Whos. On Who, Jojo is celebrated for his achievement, honored by the Mayor as Thinker Non-Stop.

Suddenly, the egg hatches: to everyone's surprise, a tiny flying Elephant-Bird comes out. Horton panics, realizing he can't handle flying progeny, and asks Gertrude what he should do. She responds, "I have wings, yes I can fly...you teach him earth, and I will teach him sky." They agree to raise the child together.(Alone in the Universe(Reprise)) The Cat in the Hat appears one final time to sum things up ("Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! (Reprise)"). The scene dissolves, leaving only Jojo, now just a boy again, and the strange hat from the top of show. He walks up to the hat and pulls it over his head, causing a blackout. The curtain call is accompanied by a final number set to a verse of Green Eggs and Ham.

[edit] Songs

Act 1 Oh, The Thinks You Can Think! -- The Company Horton Hears A Who -- Bird Girls, Horton the Elephant and Citizens of the Jungle of Nool Biggest Blame Fool -- Sour Kangaroo, Horton the Elephant, Wickersham Brothers, Bird Girls, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie LaBird, Citizens of the Jungle of Nool, Jojo, and The Cat in the Hat Here On Who -- The Mayor of Whoville, Mrs. Mayor, The Grinch, Whos and Horton the Elephant Oh the Thinks You Can Think (Reprise) -- The Cat in the Hat and Jojo It's Possible (In McElligot's Pool) -- JoJo, The Cat in the Hat and Fish How To Raise A Child -- The Mayor of Whoville and Mrs. Mayor The Military -- General Genghis Kahn Schmitz, The Mayor of Whoville, Mrs. Mayor, JoJo and Cadets Alone In The Universe -- Horton the Elephant and JoJo The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz -- Gertrude McFuzz Amayzing Mayzie -- Mayzie LaBird, Gertrude McFuzz and Bird Girls Amayzing Gertrude -- Gertrude McFuzz, The Cat in the Hat and Bird Girls Monkey Around -- Wickersham Brothers, Horton the Elephant Chasing the Whos -- Horton the Elephant, Sour Kangaroo, Bird Girls, Wickersham Brothers, The Cat in the Hat, Vlad Vladikoff and Whos How Lucky You Are -- The Cat in the Hat Notice Me, Horton -- Gertrude McFuzz and Horton the Elephant How Lucky You Are (Reprise) -- Mayzie LaBird, Horton the Elephant and The Cat in the Hat Act I Finale -- Full Company

Act 2 How Lucky You Are (Reprise) -- The Cat in the Hat Our Story Resumes -- The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, The Mayor of Whoville, Mrs. Mayor, JoJo, General Genghis Kahn Schmitz, Cadets, Gertrude McFuzz and Bird Girls Egg, Nest, and Tree -- Sour Kangaroo, Bird Girls, Wickersham Brothers, The Cat in the Hat, Cat's Helpers and Hunters The Circus McGurkus -- The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant and The Circus McGurkus Animals and Performers The Circus on Tour -- Horton the Elephant Mayzie in Palm Beach -- Mayzie LaBird, The Cat in the Hat and Horton the Elephant Solla Sollew -- Horton the Elephant, The Circus McGurkus Animals and Performers, The Mayor of Whoville, Mrs. Mayor and JoJo The Whos' Christmas Pageant -- The Grinch and Whos A Message From The Front -- General Genghis Kahn Schmitz, The Mayor of Whoville, Mrs. Mayor and Cadets Alone In The Universe (Reprise) -- JoJo and Horton the Elephant Havin' a Hunch -- The Cat in the Hat, JoJo and Cat's Helpers All For You -- Gertrude McFuzz and Bird Girls The People Versus Horton The Elephant -- Horton the Elephant, Sour Kangaroo, Wickersham Brothers, Marshal of the Court, Judge Yertle the Turtle, Bird Girls, Gertrude McFuzz, The Mayor of Whoville, Mrs. Mayor, JoJo, Whos and The Cat in the Hat Finale / Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! -- Full Company

[edit] Nominations

• 2001 Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical -- Kevin Chamberlin
• 2001 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical -- Kevin Chamberlin
• 2001 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical -- Janine LaManna
• 2001 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Music -- Music by Stephen Flaherty

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Seussical at the Internet Theatre Database
• Seussical at the Internet Broadway Database
• Seussical at Music Theatre International
• Seussical: Theatre for Young Audiences Version at Music Theatre International
• Seussical Audition Advice & Show Information from MusicalTheatreAudition.com
• Theatre Durant (with Mike Wood Lighting & Production Services) (Seussical performances February 15, 16, 17)
• New York Times Article on the Theatre For Young Audiences version
• Whitehorse Musical Theatre in Melbourne presents Seussical The Musical in May 2008

v • d • e Works by Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) Selected bibliography And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street · The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins · The Seven Lady Godivas · Horton Hatches the Egg · Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose · If I Ran the Zoo · Horton Hears a Who! · On Beyond Zebra! · If I Ran the Circus · How the Grinch Stole Christmas! · The Cat in the Hat · The Cat in the Hat Comes Back · Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories · Green Eggs and Ham · One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish · The Sneetches and Other Stories · Fox in Socks · I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew · The Lorax · Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! · The Butter Battle Book · Oh, the Places You'll Go! · Daisy-Head Mayzie (posthumous) · My Many Colored Days (posthumous) · Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! (posthumous) Television adaptations Horton Hatches the Egg (1942) · How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) · Horton Hears a Who! (1970) · The Cat in the Hat (1971) · The Lorax (1972) · Dr. Seuss on the Loose (1973) · The Hoober-Bloob Highway (1975) · Halloween is Grinch Night (1977) · Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? (1980) · The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982) · The Butter Battle Book (1990) · The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (1996–1997) · Gerald McBoing-Boing (2005–2007) Film adaptations How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (2000) · The Cat in the Hat (2003) · Horton Hears a Who! (2008) Other adaptations Welcome (short film, 1986) · Seussical (musical) · Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (musical) · The Grinch (video game) Other work Private Snafu · The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T · Hejji · Society of Red Tape Cutters · Flit Related articles Seuss Landing · Beginner Books · PM · Geisel Library · Dr. Seuss National Memorial · Read Across America

v • d • e Works by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty Musicals Lucky Stiff · Once on This Island · My Favorite Year · Ragtime · Seussical · A Man of No Importance · Dessa Rose · The Glorious Ones Film music Anastasia