Musical Madness
Oh, the places you’ll go.
Audiences at “Seussical,” the musical that opens Friday at the Spokane Civic Theatre, will travel to the land of Dr. Seuss’ imagination.
They’ll see the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz and Mayzie La Bird, among many others.
“The entire show is an ode to the imagination,” said director Jean Hardie. “The opening number is titled, ‘Oh, the Thinks You Can Think.’ “
Like a Dr. Seuss book, this show has no age boundaries. Hardie suggested that it is suitable for kindergarteners through adults, but then she mentioned that a 2½-year-old was enthralled by a recent run-through.
The show is concise and compact – less than two hours including intermission – but it is not strictly “children’s theater” either.
“It has some mature themes, in the manner of Dr. Seuss,” said Hardie. “There’s a real anti-war theme, if you’re paying attention. There’s also a strong ‘blended families’ theme – a theme that what makes a family is devotion.”
A blended family – that’s what happens when Horton the Elephant and Gertrude McFuzz fall in love.
The original “Seussical” had a short life on Broadway, and a fairly troubled one.
It premiered in November 2000 with high expectations. Not only did it have the beloved Seuss as source material, but the music was written by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, who wrote the smash “Ragtime.” Monty Python’s Eric Idle was one of the creators.
Yet the critics were brutal and the audiences were wary. The show was kept alive through celebrity appearances by Rosie O’Donnell and Aaron Carter, but closed after five turbulent months.
“I can’t imagine what happened on Broadway,” said Hardie. “The show is very charming, very sweet and has very broad appeal.”
It was extensively revamped for a national tour, and since then the critics and audiences have been far more accepting. The Civic’s production is a revised version.
The 23-person cast includes Max Kumangai-McGee as the Cat in the Hat, Greg Pschirrer as Horton the Elephant, Kendra Kimball as Gertrude McFuzz and Angela Snyder as Mayzie La Bird. Jordan Butler, 11, plays Jo Jo.
Gary Laing is the musical director, presiding over a five-piece combo that includes keyboards, guitar, bass, percussion and reeds. The musical styles range from ragtime to samba to military marches.
The show will have a Seussian look, but won’t necessarily be a copy of the Seuss drawings. Hardie said the costumes are colorful with lots of feathers and crazy hats. The characters will step out from behind large cut-outs of their Seuss drawings.
The show’s ringleader is, fittingly, the Cat in the Hat. He’s a troublemaker who appears in many guises, including doctor and TV anchor.
Because this is a family-oriented show, the curtain times are different from the usual Civic showtimes. Evening shows start at 7:30 p.m. and all Saturday and Sunday shows will be 2 p.m. matinees.