Dr. Seuss | The Sleepless Critic

REVIEW: Boasting a heartwarming and zippy soundtrack, a marvelous ‘Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical’ revels in the wonders of the beloved book

Posted on December 18, 2024 by The Sleepless Critic

Whether you like the Grinch or not, be sure to witness this remarkable version of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical. It is a humorous and dazzling way to spend 85 minutes taking in the holiday spirit with the family.

By sticking to Dr Seuss’ imaginative vision, the beloved book springs to life onstage in a vibrant and thrilling way. Past film adaptations have been overdone and bogged down with side stories and imagined history, but not this musical. As an avid fan of the book and the famous 1966 animated TV special, I was thrilled to see this musical firmly faithful to Seuss’ literary vision. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical expands parts of Seuss’ vision that already exists in the book for a heartwarming and interactive experience about the value of love and camaraderie.

James Schultz as THE GRINCH and the Touring Company of Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical. Credit_ Jeremy Daniel

With steadfast direction by co-directors Matt August and Bob Richard while Richard also navigates the musical’s energetic choreography, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical continues live and in person at Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Monday, December 23. Click here for more information and for tickets.

From the reflective perspective of Evan Blackwell as Old Max and Chamberlin Little as Young Max who both play their parts to perfection as Narrator and character respectively, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical is a musical comedy about a Grinch who claims to hate Christmas and feels he must stop Christmas from coming…but how?

W. Scott Stewart as Old Max and Xavier McKnight as Young Max in the Touring Company of Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical. Credit_ Jeremy Daniel

Greeting the audience with a white wreath on a red Who populated backdrop, this cheerful and interactive musical is the perfect length at 85 minutes with no intermission and brings to life the book in a way the padded film adaptations never did. Featuring a number of catchy and heartfelt numbers weaved through its rhyming dialogue, enhancing this tale into a musical is hardly a stretch because the Whos love to sing.

Boasting three dimensional illustrated moving set pieces directly from the book, John Lee Beatty’s innovative set design include an enchanting illustrated three dimensional tree lit with glowing white and red bulbs, the Grinch’s illustrated snow covered cave and the drawn fireplace mantel with colored stockings. It also offers glimpses of the animated classic in red and gold bulbs hanging across the ceiling adding bursts of color.

Craig Stelzenmuller’s playful lighting often follows the action and brings sparkle to an already bright and cheerful set design. Blue and green lights flash, glitter and move along like its own character in this wonderful tale as it also creates brief and foreboding shadows as the Grinch makes his grand entrance.

The Touring Company of Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical. Credit_ Jeremy Daniel

Boasting piled high hairdos, Sarah Smith’s festive, textured and Seuss-centric costumes in red, pink, white and green form wild shapes accessorized with oversized bows, bowties and elf shoes. However, the Grinch’s vivid green and furry costume with exacting makeup is ideal right down to his long and slender fingers.

James Schultz as THE GRINCH in the Touring Company of Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical. Credit_ Jeremy Daniel

Occasionally frightful but more often comical with his deep and versatile baritone voice, Matt Forbes is excellent as the cool and temperamental Grinch sharing gripping and amusing scenes with Little as Max as well as endearing ones with Trinity Vittoria De Vito as angelic Cindy Lou Who. De Vito’s chiming vocals and captivating demeanor impressively deliver the gentle and touching ballad, Santa for a Day as she interacts with Forbes with blind adoration. Little as Young Max is devoted and lovable with an expectant grin to the Grinch’s perturbed scowl and dastardly smirk as they join together for I Hate Christmas Eve with the Whos and in a playful rendition of This Time of Year with Blackwell as Old Max.

James Schultz as THE GRINCH, Sofie Nesanelis as Cindy-Lou Who and the Touring Company of Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical. Credit_ Jeremy Daniel.

Delivering the famous tunes you already know like Blackwell’s amazing rendition of You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch and Welcome Christmas, Mel Marvin also builds on famous excerpts from the book for original songs such as the warm Who Likes Christmas, thunderous I Hate Christmas Eve, and wild Whatamawho where the Grinch famously exclaims, ‘Oh, the noise, noise noise noise!’

With sing-along opportunities and thrilling special effects as Blackwell shares this classic children’s tale, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical holds its own to the book and the famous 1966 animated TV special live onstage reflecting on all the themes of the book such as materialism, bullying, and greed with a beautiful message and holiday treat fitting for the entire family.

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical continues live and in person at Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Monday, December 23. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Hingham Civic Music Theatre’s ‘Seussical the Musical’ is groovy, dazzling, and endlessly imaginative

Posted on October 24, 2019 by The Sleepless Critic

What a time to know Dr. Seuss. Not only was Dr. Seuss’s new book, Horse Museum, recently released from some of Seuss’s old manuscripts, but this month marked the Canadian debut of an immersive, interactive touring exhibition based on his legacy. “Dr. Seuss Experience” is expected to arrive in Boston later this year. After all this time, we are still celebrating Theodor Seuss Geisel who would have been 115 years old this year.

Hingham Civic Music Theatre (HCMT) found many reasons to celebrate Dr. Seuss with their family-friendly, brightly imaginative, and insightful Seussical the Musical continuing through Sunday, October 27 at Hingham Town Hall in Hingham, Massachusetts. Click here for more information and tickets.

The cast of Seussical Photo courtesy of Kerry Tondorf/Hingham Civic Music Theatre

From the introspective yearnings of Solla Sollew to the wise, multi-tiered significance of the number, How Lucky You Are, Seussical runs the gamut of silly, sorrowful, and thoughtful musical moments. The catchy, distinct, and clever soundtrack resonated through the live orchestra, newly situated onstage above all the action.

Directed by Victoria Kirichok-Pratt, Seussical is a musical adventure that strings together a few of Dr. Seuss’s most popular works while cleverly weaving in valuable life lessons along the way. What makes it such a wonderful musical is beneath its comical, brightly-lit fun lie universal truths for the young and old. Zany, imaginative tales unveil insights about vanity, war, sticking to one’s convictions, and just plain coping with life’s inevitable difficulties. Even the darker topics remain family-friendly as audiences delve deeper into Dr. Seuss’s vast and unique universe.

Paul Antico as Mayor, Jean Lyon as Mrs. Mayor and Marcus Myers as JoJo Photo courtesy of Kerry Tondorf/Hingham Civic Music Theatre

At the center of this universe is adorable, inquisitive, and charming JoJo Who, portrayed by Marcus Myers. With wide eyes and a sweet smile, JoJo is starting to learn that life is much more complicated and unpredictable than he ever thought possible.

Much like Dr. Seuss, this wildly dynamic cast is much more than meets the eye and with award-winning costume designer Kathryn Ridder, each character’s outward appearance certainly shines. The catchy opening number, Oh The Things You Can Think, reveals the brilliant and beautiful costumes which include some that look like they walked right off Seuss’s innovative books. Bursting with color, mismatched, madcap patterns and edgy, impossible hemlines deliver that peculiar Seuss quality. One character was even decked out as a Christmas tree. Bird girls shimmer, Wickershams strut in sunshades and fringe, and the Whos revel in vintage flair. There’s fine detail in each costume, like a hint of red glimmering under the tails of the Cat in the Hat’s black jacket.

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Wearing his signature top hat and “tails,” Michael Warner mischievously portrays The Cat and the Hat as part Master of Ceremonies, adviser, narrator, and occasional troublemaker. Warner bounces and glides along the stage, popping in to depict a variety of characters and reveling in the occasional chaos such as Egg, Nest and Tree and It’s Possible.

Justin Grankewicz delivers a sweet and sympathetic performance as ceaselessly faithful and compassionate Horton, who hears a mysterious sound from a speck of dust. Grankewicz’s earnest face and charming demeanor with JoJo, Gertrude, and the community make him easy to root for. Myers and JoJo deliver a heartfelt rendition of Alone in the Universe and Jessica DePalo brings unassuming, awkward charm to Gertrude who shines as an avid, amusing storyteller in All for You and Notice Me Horton.

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With a Cheshire grin, Carole Shannon struts and shimmers as self-involved Mayzie, showing great comic timing and chemistry among her girl birds and Gertrude. Sour Kangaroo, portrayed with a wealth of sass and quite the set of pipes by Katia Green, has plenty to say accompanied by her equally streetwise young sidekick Natalia Tsourides. They make quite the charismatic pair. In a robe and festive pajamas, Bruno Barbudo’s bearded Grinch is a creature of few words, but his priceless morose scowl makes a statement all its own.

Hingham Civic Music Theatre continues Seussical the Musical through Sunday, October 27 at Hingham Town Hall, 210 Central Street in Hingham, Massachusetts. Click here for more information and tickets and follow HCMT on Facebook for upcoming events and more.