Downsized Seussical Revival

[musicalperson17]

Posted: 9/19/10 at 9:47pm

I think the show would be amazing if they put in a smaller theatre (walter kerr preferably) and downsized it like they did ALNM. One of the main reasons for the original production to flop was because they made it too big. If they went back to the original workshop material and worked from there, it would have amazing potential

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 9/19/10 at 10:12pm

A downsized revival on Broadway probably would not sell any better these days. Seussical has become one of the most licensed titles in MTI's catalog, so more and more audiences are becoming aware of it through their local high school and community theatre productions. These audiences are not going to want to come to NY to see something "smaller" than what their local theatre has already done. When they come to NY to see a show on Broadway they are expecting "bigger and better."
Updated On: 9/19/10 at 10:12 PM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/19/10 at 10:19pm

I only like downsized revivals when the book and score is strong enough to stand alone without an extravagant set design. This has worked for shows like Sweeney Todd, La Cage, and A Little Night Music. All of these shows have had revivals in which the set has been downsized so the story and music could stand out. I don't think Seussical is a strong enough show to stand alone with no big sets, And especially not on Broadway.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 9/19/10 at 10:58pm

Seussical won't come back to Broadway for a long, long time. The show makes waaaay too much money being licensed and performed by community theatres and schools for anybody to want to limit that income by putting it back up in a venue where it originally flopped.

Besides, the problem with Seussical on Broadway wasn't that the sets were too big, the problem with Seussical on Broadway was that it was an overblown mess of a show that ran 2 and a half hours had about 14 different plot threads running at once and yet was supposed to appeal to 5-year-olds, that it inexplicably focused more on Seussian D-listers like General Genghis Khan Schmitz and Gertrude McFuzz than actual icons like the Grinch and Sam-I-Am, and that it felt like one of those theme park revue shows, utterly devoid of any heart or inner life (a crucial component to any Dr. Seuss work).

About half of those problems were eventually remedied in the version of the show that can be now seen across America, but in my opinion Seussical will always be a muddled, unsalvageable mess for one simple reason - it will always attempt to be an amalgamation of every Dr. Seuss story. If the Seuss estate had just made musicals of ONLY Horton Hears a Who and ONLY The Cat in the Hat and ONLY How the Grinch Stole Christmas (well, they did that one and it worked out just fine) instead of trying to mash up every Seuss story like one of those "every-Simpsons-character" dorm room posters, they might have come up with a longer-term and more artistically faithful theatrical enterprise.

tl;dr: Seussical is utterly terrible and has become less terrible over the years.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/19/10 at 11:28pm

^ So true PiraguaGuy.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 12:18am

If NY is going to see a revival of Seussical I could actually see Stephen and Lynne putting their support into mounting an open ended Off-Broadway run of the production that Marcia Milgrom Dodge has created for Theatreworks. They've been very supportive of that production since it was produced at the Lortel back in 07, still attending final dress rehearsals for each new company when their schedules permit and catching it on the road if their paths cross.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 2:40am

I didn't get to see the Theatreworks production, but I like the recording. I definitely like the shortened version of the show a lot better without the Jojo going off to war subplot. I do miss the act one finale though.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 4:24am

Except for very rare productions, a show being revived on b'way does not take it off the market except withing a certain mile radius of NYC. However, we were denied rights to a show that was touring and coming to Boston within a few months of our dates.

IMHO, Seusical the JR version, works much better than the full length as it removed much of useless crap. I cannot stand to sit through the show -- but damn, it IS fun to work on.

[tourboi]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 4:52pm

I'm in the minority but I prefer the full length SEUSSICAL, with the plethora of Seuss characters (even the "D-listers"). It's a celebration of all things "Seuss."

I would love to see a revival on Broadway, especially if it went back to the original (and fantastic) workshop.

[musicalperson17]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 6:09pm

im glad you see my point i myself wasn't a fan of the original broadway production. i think they should rework it from there and not from what they have already.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 7:50pm

I think this show should just continue enjoying its life in community and regional theaters.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 9:08pm

I don't think Broadway will ever see a production of SEUSSICAL again. But the show is VERY successful -- it will be fine. It doesn't NEED another New York run. Is there more money to be made with it in NY? I don't think so...not even in 10 years...