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Seussical
by Westchester Broadway Theatre
Dr. Seuss’s zany thinks created a trove of books that
inspired generations of children to learn to read, while also inspiring this fun
and engaging musical by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, Once On This Island). The story is based on Horton
Hears a Who and Horton Hatches an Egg,
intertwined with gazoogles of other Seuss books and characters, all as seen
through the eyes of a young reader who gets named JoJo and our narrating Cat in
the Hat who wears many hats throughout the show. It starts with Horton hearing voices, but are they real
voices or does he just think he hears them? The lives of all the Whos down in
Whoville depend on him believing in them and protecting them, as their
precarious existence on a tiny speck of dust grows more precarious by the moment
when the other animals of the Jungle of Nool decide Horton is nuts and that his
precious speck has got to go. Will Horton risk everything to save these tiny
people only he can hear and nobody can see? The loyalty of Horton and the
imagination of a young daydreamer named JoJo may hold the key as the lives of
the Whos hang in the balance, hovering just inches above a hot steamy kettle of
beezlenut oil.
Would you eat dinner with a who? Would you eat it by McElligott’s Pool? Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford, New York makes
that an enticing option with their summer dinner theater production of Seussical.
Great casts that combine talented adults and youth, and excellent production
values, are a staple here. And their Seussical
continues the tradition. The adults include improvisational physical comedian Augie
Abatecola leading us through as a Cat in the Hat with limitless energy and
charisma, playing to the audience and with it, teasing his fellow Seuss
characters as well. Brian Krinsky is a gentle Horton the Elephant who also offers some
nicely underplayed humor. Joey Sanzaro
is a brilliant General Schmitz, a drill sergeant with original characterization
and expressions as he is disgusted by his wet-behind-the-ears regiment of young
soldiers. Several other adults typically play leads but have youth
understudies, and they graciously let their youth understudies perform the day
we attended. These included Tara Mazur
as an amusing and appropriately nerdy/awkward/self-deprecating Gertrude McFuzz,
the bird next door in love with Horton, delivering a great All
For You to finally get Horton’s attention. Lauren Moore is hilarious as “Amazing Mayzie” – a diva
extraordinaire shaking her self-lauded tail feathers with fantastic diva-ish
dancing, flair, and attitude. Shannon
Stout as the Sour Kangaroo belts out her taunts of Horton with great
attitude and use of voice.
Director John
Fanelli’s show has some nice humorous touches throughout, but also some
touching and mesmerizing ones including the solo dancer during the Solla
Sollew lullaby. Choreographer Lexie
Fennell Frare does a nice job with that and several other scenes including McElligot’s
Pool and the big opening number, Taylor Martin’s
costumes are lively and aesthetically pleasing, and Steve
Loftus’s set is both colorful and clever for some great staging of scenes,
as well as for the instruction book for how to raise a child – fittingly a
huge Dr. Seuss book. Performed June 16 - July 31, 2011 Rob Hopper ~ Cast ~
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The Show:
The Production:
The ensemble includes a group of cool, tough, and amusing
monkeys who find time in their taunting to flirt with the bird girls, with said bird
girls being a fun, dynamic, and saucy bunch of great singers and dancers. And the whos
are a good group of very young actors that completely get into their
roles whether they are living in fear (huddled together on an unpredictable dust
speck), thanking Horton for his help with a quirky salute, or fighting for their
lives in the big finale.