Seussical

Infobox Musical
name= Seussical


caption=Logo
music=Stephen Flaherty
lyrics=Lynn Ahrens
book=Lynn Ahrens
Stephen Flaherty
basis=The stories of Dr. Seuss
productions= 2000 Broadway
2002 First National US Tour
2003 US Tour
awards=

"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. ["TIME magazine" reported in its May 26, 2008 issue, p. 51, that this musical ranked as the second most frequently produced musical by U.S. high schools in 2007.]

Productions

After 34 previews, "Seussical" opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on November 30, 2000.cite web |url= http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=12571 |title= Production Credits |work= Internet Broadway Database|accessdate=2008-03-10] 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 Hat 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. [cite web|url= http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/sanfran/s808.html |work=TalkinBroadway.com |accessdate=2008-03-10 |title= "Seussical" is a Charming Musical] The Broadway production closed on May 20, 2001 after 198 performances. 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. [cite web |url= http://www.playbill.com/news/article/72117.html|title= Rewritten and Ready, a New Touring Seussical Flies — Literally — Sept. 17 in Indy|accessdate=2008-03-10 |format= |work=Playbill |date= September 17, 2002] [cite web |url= http://www.playbill.com/news/article/82114.html|title= New Seussical Tour Launches Oct. 10 in a Town With a Name Worthy of Dr. Seuss: Yakima |accessdate=2008-03-10 |format= |work= Playbill|date= October 10, 2003]

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 contains 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.

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 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"

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 Hatches the 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 The Grinch who is 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 in 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 Gertrude. 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 "Horton Hatches the 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 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 LaBird 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 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 Schmitz marches 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 to 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. In Whoville, 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 a 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".

ongs

;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
* 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 and The Cat in the Hat
* Mayzie at the Circus/Amayzing Horton+ -- Mayzie LaBird 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
*Curtain Call / Green Eggs And Ham -- Full Company+Not On CD

Principal Characters

* The Cat In The Hat, a mischievous cat who is the "narrator" of the story.
* Horton, a kind, gentle and loyal elephant who believes that "a person's a person, no matter how small."
* JoJo, an imaginative Who, the son of The Mayor and Mrs. Mayor, he often gets into trouble for thinking.
* Gertrude McFuzz, the loyal bird-neighbor of Horton, she loves him.
* Mayzie LaBird, a pompous and show-all bird who tells Gertrude to take pills [a reference to steroids] so her tail will grow longer, forcing Horton to love her.
* Sour Kangaroo, the brash kangaroo who tells all that Horton is a fool for thinking there are people living on a dustspeck.
* The Mayor of Whoville, the Mayor of Whoville, the father of JoJo.
* Mrs. Mayor, The Mayor's wife, the mother of JoJo.
* General Genghis Kahn Schmitz, the General of an army of cadets that The Mayor sends JoJo to.

Other Characters

* The Bird Girls, a type of Greek Chorus of birds that are Mayzie's friends.
* The Wickersham Brothers, mischievous monkeys who steal Horton's clover from him.
* The Grinch, makes a small cameo in the song "Here On Who" as The Grinch.
* Judge Yertle the Turtle, makes a small cameo in the trial scene, as the judge.
* Marshal of the court, bailiff in the trial scene.
* Vlad Vladicoff, a black-bottomed eagle who takes Horton's clover.
* Cindy Lou Who, makes a small cameo in the song "The Whos Christmas Pagent"
* Max the Dog, makes a small cameo in the song "The Whos Christmas Pagent"
* Hunches, visual representations of Jojo's thoughts or hunches
* The Fish, the fish that Jojo imangines are in McElligot's Pool
* The Whos, all of the citizens of Whoville other than Jojo and Mr and Mrs.Mayor (ensamble)
* The Jungle Creatures, all of the creatures of the Jungle of Nool other than the principle cast (ensamble)

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

References

External links

* [http://www.theatredb.com/QShow.php?sid=s2277 "Seussical"] at the Internet Theatre Database
*
* [http://www.mtishows.com/show_home.asp?id=000229 "Seussical"] at Music Theatre International
* [http://www.mtishows.com/show_home.asp?id=000261 "Seussical: Theatre for Young Audiences Version"] at Music Theatre International
* [http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/seussical.html Seussical Audition Advice & Show Information] from [http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com MusicalTheatreAudition.com]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/13/theater/13seus.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5088&en=2f74353c043ce5af&ex=1341979200&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss New York Times Article on the Theatre For Young Audiences version]
* [http://www.whitehorsemusical.com.au Whitehorse Musical Theatre in Melbourne presents Seussical The Musical in May 2008]