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Seussical Pleases Kids of All Ages
"A person's a person, no matter how small!"
So professes Horton the Elephant in the colorful and entertaining production of the broadway musical Seussical, continuing this weekend at The Red Branch Theater Company, located at Drama Learning Center in Columbia.
Seussical weaves together many of Dr. Seuss' most famous characters and stories, conjured up in the imagination of youngster Jojo, played by Alex Buell. The story is narrated by the delightfully subversive Cat in the Hat. Tim Grieb gives his audience-pleasing portrayal of The Cat a delightful blend of playful enthusiasm and edginess, stepping in and out of the narrative as needed and providing well timed comic relief when things get too dark for poor Horton the Elephant. Horton, you see, hears the tiny Whos (thanks to his oversized ears) who live on a spec of dust, and he decides to take on the task of protecting them, much to the mocking of his fellow jungle creatures. Kevin Cleaver gives the loyal Horton the earnest believability the part requires, with a sweet, tender singer voice to match. All the while, Gertrude McFuzz, Horton's hapless one-feathered bird next door neighbor, tries desperately to win his attention. Played by Stephanie Lynn Williams, Gertrude is convinced that if she only had more exotic plumage, surely Horton would notice her. Plumage like that displayed by Mazie Labird, portrayed with vampish guile by Sara Simpkins. Williams' understated portrayal of Gertude's frustration at her pharmaceutically enhanced plumage is one of the comic highlights of the show, made even funnier with some clever costuming.
Jojo, in the mean time, has been pushed into the story by the Cat in the Hat, and finds himself in Whoville, where his new "parents", Mr. and Mrs. Mayor Who (Jonathon Hutchinson and Jenna Balderson), begin scolding him, eventually sending him off to military school, led by General Genghis Khan Schmitz, played by Karice Parada. The Who parents are convinced Jojo can behave, if only he would "stop thinking so much". Jojo and Horton agree that they're both "Alone in the Universe," one of the show's more moving musical numbers, sung tenderly by Buell and Cleaver.
Horton continues to protect the Whos. Even after being tricked into tending Mazie Labird's egg, his loyalty never wavers. The audience is treated to visits from other Seuss characters, including The Grinch, Yertle the Turtle, Vladd Vladikoff, and the Sour Kangaroo, given a soulful voice thanks to the talents of Pam Ward, who fills the intimate Red Branch Theater with her powerful yet nimble voice. Eventually, as expected, the Whos get saved, the egg hatches, and, in a particularly tender moment, Gertrude gets noticed for all the right reasons. Jojo bids farewell to The Cat, and her adventure comes to an end.
"Intimate" is the right description of this hundred seat theater, and in this case it's the perfect venue for a colorful, engaging show like Seussical. Both the children and adults attending the sold-out matinee I attended clearly enjoyed being so close to the action, and director Danielle Drakes made good use of the space, bringing her characters out into (and sometimes even above) the audience. The singing was strong in this production, with special mention being deserved for the three bird girls, Paris McGrann, Emma Mountcastle, and Rachel Sandler for their tight harmonies throughout. Musical director Patrick Klink gets an impressively harmonious wall of sound from this cast, with members of all ages. The sets and costumes are evocative of Seuss' distinctive style, yet simple and practical in execution.
This is a production that will please anyone who has ever delighted at the imaginative world of Dr. Seuss. I'm told tickets are going fast for the final weekend, so be sure to reserve your seats. When you see this production, you'll surely think "How lucky you are!"
Seussical runs for one more weekend
October 22, 23, & 24 at 8 pm
Tickets
$18 - Adults
$15 – Students with i.d. and Seniors 65 and over
$14 – Groups of 10 or more
Reservations Recommended. Please call the box office at 410-997-9352.
(This article was edited to correct the listing of the actors playing the Bird Girls.)
So professes Horton the Elephant in the colorful and entertaining production of the broadway musical Seussical, continuing this weekend at The Red Branch Theater Company, located at Drama Learning Center in Columbia.
Seussical weaves together many of Dr. Seuss' most famous characters and stories, conjured up in the imagination of youngster Jojo, played by Alex Buell. The story is narrated by the delightfully subversive Cat in the Hat. Tim Grieb gives his audience-pleasing portrayal of The Cat a delightful blend of playful enthusiasm and edginess, stepping in and out of the narrative as needed and providing well timed comic relief when things get too dark for poor Horton the Elephant. Horton, you see, hears the tiny Whos (thanks to his oversized ears) who live on a spec of dust, and he decides to take on the task of protecting them, much to the mocking of his fellow jungle creatures. Kevin Cleaver gives the loyal Horton the earnest believability the part requires, with a sweet, tender singer voice to match. All the while, Gertrude McFuzz, Horton's hapless one-feathered bird next door neighbor, tries desperately to win his attention. Played by Stephanie Lynn Williams, Gertrude is convinced that if she only had more exotic plumage, surely Horton would notice her. Plumage like that displayed by Mazie Labird, portrayed with vampish guile by Sara Simpkins. Williams' understated portrayal of Gertude's frustration at her pharmaceutically enhanced plumage is one of the comic highlights of the show, made even funnier with some clever costuming.
Jojo, in the mean time, has been pushed into the story by the Cat in the Hat, and finds himself in Whoville, where his new "parents", Mr. and Mrs. Mayor Who (Jonathon Hutchinson and Jenna Balderson), begin scolding him, eventually sending him off to military school, led by General Genghis Khan Schmitz, played by Karice Parada. The Who parents are convinced Jojo can behave, if only he would "stop thinking so much". Jojo and Horton agree that they're both "Alone in the Universe," one of the show's more moving musical numbers, sung tenderly by Buell and Cleaver.
Horton continues to protect the Whos. Even after being tricked into tending Mazie Labird's egg, his loyalty never wavers. The audience is treated to visits from other Seuss characters, including The Grinch, Yertle the Turtle, Vladd Vladikoff, and the Sour Kangaroo, given a soulful voice thanks to the talents of Pam Ward, who fills the intimate Red Branch Theater with her powerful yet nimble voice. Eventually, as expected, the Whos get saved, the egg hatches, and, in a particularly tender moment, Gertrude gets noticed for all the right reasons. Jojo bids farewell to The Cat, and her adventure comes to an end.
"Intimate" is the right description of this hundred seat theater, and in this case it's the perfect venue for a colorful, engaging show like Seussical. Both the children and adults attending the sold-out matinee I attended clearly enjoyed being so close to the action, and director Danielle Drakes made good use of the space, bringing her characters out into (and sometimes even above) the audience. The singing was strong in this production, with special mention being deserved for the three bird girls, Paris McGrann, Emma Mountcastle, and Rachel Sandler for their tight harmonies throughout. Musical director Patrick Klink gets an impressively harmonious wall of sound from this cast, with members of all ages. The sets and costumes are evocative of Seuss' distinctive style, yet simple and practical in execution.
This is a production that will please anyone who has ever delighted at the imaginative world of Dr. Seuss. I'm told tickets are going fast for the final weekend, so be sure to reserve your seats. When you see this production, you'll surely think "How lucky you are!"
Seussical runs for one more weekend
October 22, 23, & 24 at 8 pm
Tickets
$18 - Adults
$15 – Students with i.d. and Seniors 65 and over
$14 – Groups of 10 or more
Reservations Recommended. Please call the box office at 410-997-9352.
(This article was edited to correct the listing of the actors playing the Bird Girls.)
Comment
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Comment by Dave Bittner on October 23, 2009 at 2:25pm -
Thank you for the correction, Sue. It was, indeed, the bird girls I meant to single out in the review for their tight harmonies, but I misread my program. And you are correct, the entire cast is to be commended for the strong voices throughout the show.
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Comment by Sue Williamson on October 23, 2009 at 7:11am -
Although Holly, Isabella and Shaelyn sang fantatically as Whos, I believe that the three bird girls, Paris McGrann, Emma Mountcastle, and Rachel Sandler provided the beautiful harmonies throughout. Hats off to the entire cast. It's a show not to miss!
© 2012 Created by Ilana Bittner.
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