Eric Idle was the original Cat in the Hat in Seussical?

really wow...very interesting. It would have helped the show stay longer.

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it also may have added a differnt elemnt to the show...

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Well, he was the original book writer and they threw* that out and so he probably felt that it was somebody else's baby at that point.

* thanks to SM2

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Updated On: 10/20/06 at 11:42 PM

Frank Gallotti was also the original director but was replaced out of town.

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How was he? I heard he wasn't that good.

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Idle wasn't the original Cat in any staged performance. He was just the book writer.

It's notable that SEUSSICAL had the "Green Eggs and Ham" call-and-response army msarching chant, and SPAMALOT did the exact same thing with the knoight's marching reprise to "I'm Not Yet Dead":

"Become a knight and you'll go far (repeat)
In suspemnders and a bra (suspenders and a bra???)*

* also a reference to the Lumberjack Song, of course.

Well, Eric did the first reading for the Cat then. Is there anywhere I can find more on his concept?

I never heard of Andrea in the workshop! She would've been great!

Cathy Rigby was most definitely the best Cat!

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I have a friend who was in the original first reading through the workshops and in the Broadway company. We had dinner one night and he said the original concept was much darker than what was seen on Broadway. They had a song for "The Lorax" which was cut out of town. It was too dark and depressing a song. They played it when I took my class on a field trip and it was kind of a dull song. The cat was more of an evil figure which was changed when they changed directors. They also knew that there were problems with the character of Gertrude McFuzz (when Janine Lamanna wasn't playing her, the character stood out like a sore thumb). There really wasn't much of a story for her. The original story is only a short 5 page story in the Yertle the Turtle book. I know parts of The Lorax song as well as other cut parts became the song "Here on Who". I do remember that when Rosie was doing The Cat, the box office was about 90%. Aaron Carter sold a lot of tickets but a lot were also sold through TDF. I saw all of the cats. I actually thought Bryan Batt was the best. But I also liked Cathy Rigby. The show closed when they didn't get any tony nominations (except Kevin Chamberlain)and couldn't get a celebrity to take the role of The Cat. It was mainly a Michael Riedel orchestrated move against The Weisslers. It came into NY with his badmouthing it in his column and never was able to build an audience. I went in expecting not to like it but ended up loving it.

If I remember correctly Andrea Martin dropped out because she lives in LA and her son was entering his senior year in high school and she didn't want to be in New York and miss his last year at home.

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How was David Shiner?

David Shiner was stiff. He was obviously uncomfortable. He was best at the physical stuff. (going up on the rope).

"Also if anybody knows where I can here a copy of The Lorax song can they PM me."

I don't believe there is any recording of The Lorax out. If you listen to Here on Who, the part about the truffula trees being cut down was taken directly from The song of the Lorax. Also if you listen to the old cartoon done in the 60s, it sounded a whole lot like the song from that.

Where did you hear the song?

as well as other cut parts became the song "Here on Who"

What other cut parts?

And what do you mean the original concept was a lot darker than what was on broadway?