Seussical

[kyleorlando]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 2:02am

For some odd reason, I've been discussing Seussical with a few people in regional/community theatres lately. Maybe they are tired of Joseph and his colorful closet this time of year. Invariably, I've forwarded those people this article I wrote for the now long defunct lostmusicals.com (thank you internet piracy... but I'm not bitter).

Anyhoo, maybe this will help some theatres in deciding whether or not to place Seussical on their season.



In September of 2000, Cats closed on Broadway. Just as New York was cats-free, Broadway was then visited by The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss's paragon of mayhem. And mayhem was what the long awaited Seussical would encounter on and during it's trip to the legitimate stage. Seussical began life as a child of Livent, the producers of Ragtime and the 1990's Show Boat revival. During the workshop period, The Cat In The Hat was played by actress Andrea Martin, who had won a Tony for her performance in My Favorite Year, for which Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty had written the music and lyrics. Soon after Livent's much publicized financial demise, Seussical was then taken on by Barry and Fran Weissler, who had produced the successful revival of Grease (much to dismay of their numerous critics), SFX Theatrical Group and Universal Studios. The musical, set in and around Horton's home, the Jungle of Nool, included elements and characters from the Dr. Seuss catalogue, created an expansive world where The Cat in the Hat was a kind of tour guide. Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie LaBird and a brief appearance by a reformed Grinch and others sang about home, love, family, loss and imagination -- all "the thinks you can think." Seussical made its pre-Broadway tryout at the Colonial Theatre in Boston, during which Rob Marshall was brought in to doctor the show (his sister Kathleen Marshall was the show's choreographer) after it got mixed-to-negative reviews in its September tryout.. After the tryout, and numerous changes - the Lorax sequence was cut and there were numerous costume and set design changes, Seussical opened to critical pans on November 30, 2000.

From the Reviews:

"ACTUALLY there isn't much wrong with the new musical "Seussical" that a comparatively small earthquake could not put more or less right. In fact, apart from its routine music, limp lyrics and diffuse book, it is really only the concept that goes grievously wrong. It puts whimsy where talent should be...The show, which opened cheerfully enough at the Richard Rodgers Theatre last night, is absolutely waterlogged with sheer vacuity...You can see all too painfully what the self-styled conceivers of the show - Lynn Ahrens (the lyricist), Stephen Flaherty (the composer) and Eric Idle (the Monty Python) - thought they were conceiving. - Clive Barnes, The New York Post

"Who knows? Perhaps those positive-thinking gurus who counsel pageant contestants were brought in for a little last-minute confidence buffing. The songs in "Seussical" were written by the gifted musical team Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty ("Once on This Island," "Ragtime"), who also share credit for the book; otherwise, it is now difficult to say just who is responsible for what in this force-fed hybrid of stories by Dr. Seuss, the eternally beloved creator of whimsical children's books." - Ben Brantley, The New York Times.

"Seuss fans... rest easy. Whatever its earlier problems, ``Seussical,' which opened Thursday at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre, doesn't make mush of the good doctor and his more than 40 children's books chock full of sense and nonsense. In fact, this ``Seussical' sings and dances with style and charm. What's more, it's fun, a quality scarcely found in these days of pre-Christmas bustle and post-election uncertainty." - Michael Kuchwara, AP Drama Critic

"The biggest blunder committed by the now-beleaguered creators of "Seussical" was probably the first and most forgivable: surrendering to the seductive but dangerous idea that the fantastical world of Dr. Seuss could be handily lifted from the page and transplanted to the stage. (The show began as a glint in Garth Drabinsky's eye -- perhaps not the happiest omen.) Of course anything's possible, as Dr. Seuss himself would cheerfully remind us. But the delicate, deceptively simple aesthetic of Theodor Geisel poses challenges for adapters that require an inventive and rigorously refined approach to match his own -- something far from the standard Broadway formulas applied, and in many cases reapplied, here." - Charles Isherwood, Variety

"It is a relief to report no discernible blood on the slick, candy-colored walls of the busily fanciful production credited to Frank Galati but reportedly completed by Rob Marshall. Alas, there also is little reason for anyone over the age of 10 to attend unless forced by a very young child or paid to do so." - Linda Winer, Newsday

"After a catchy, promising opening (“Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!”), and beginning with the “Biggest Blame Fool” number, there’s a forced gaiety about the proceedings, substituting busyness and volume for charm. This contributes to the show’s lack of sufficient narrative interest: As the first act concludes, we don’t care deeply enough whether or not Horton will be able to save the tiny world of Whoville, if JoJo will find his way back to Whoville, or if Mayzie will return to claim the egg she has relinquished to Horton. For too much of the time, especially in its first half, Seussical doesn’t manage to draw us into its world." - Ken Mandlebaum, Broadway.com

"It was probably a clever idea to turn the jingly rhyming stories of Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), much beloved of boomers and their kids, into musical entertainment. The gargantuan grosses of Jim Carrey's Grinch will attest to that.... But if families looking for their Seuss fix can get a Hollywood superstar and the latest in technology for the price of a movie ticket, what makes anyone think they'll be willing to shell out $85 (U.S.) for a no-name cast in something that might have trouble making the cut on a Disney cruise ship?" - Richard Ouzounian, The Toronto Star

"The good news is that they develop their idea as well as anyone could expect. The bad news is that it's not a very good idea in the first place... The problem for Ahrens and Flaherty is that it's hard to add anything to Dr. Seuss' books. They already function a bit like musicals. The drawings are the sets and costumes. The words are the book and lyrics. The rhymes and repetitions are the song and dance. So where's the added value going to come from?" - Fintan O'Toole, New York Daily News

Published critics weren't the only ones who had a voice in Seussical's demise. Over the past few years, quite a few shows have had their champions: Jeckyl & Hyde had it's "jeckies", Side Show had it's "freaks", Les Miserables has it's "mezzies" and Cats had its, well, detractors. Seussical was no exception in that its champions were the Seussies. These fans saw the show numerous times at a hefty Broadway ticket price. Seussical had, also, those who didn't like the show and made their voices heard on the internet. Frequently. Damningly. On-line chat rooms were abuzz about the Seussical from day one. On these forums, chaterri posted their often glib critiques of Seussical and Broadway felt the shudder. Perhaps in the first time since Broadway's first bow, word-of-mouth had never taken on such important role in a show's success. From it's first tryout performance, Seussical was labeled a "show in trouble" and it never recovered from those first painful blows.

Potentially, Seussical stood to be THE new "family entertainment" show for the 2000-01 Broadway season. However, musicals based on children's literature tend to have short life spans: The Wind in the Willows, Raggedy Ann, and Alice in Wonderland for example. During the run of the show, the Weissler machine went into motion. David Shiner, as the Cat in the Hat, went on vacation early during the run. His substitute was Weissler favorite Rosie O'Donnell, who had actively promoted the musical on her daily talk show. On performances without Rosie, the Cat was played by standby Bryan Batt. Eventually, the role would be played by Cathy Rigby, who had just come off a successful Broadway revival of Peter Pan. In a further move to stunt-cast the show, teen singer Aaron Carter was brought in to play JoJo, the Who boy who's thinks get him into trouble yet eventually save the Whos. When the Tony nominations were announced, however, only Kevin Chamberlin as Horton received a nod. He lost to The Producer's Nathan Lane. Seussical closed on May 20, 2001 after 197 performances and 34 previews.

Was Seussical a bad show? No. The cast album from the show is one of the most enjoyable from its season. There were worse shows on Broadway from previous seasons that had respectable runs. It was noted by Time magazine as one of the best entertainments that year. Seussical's problem may lie in the source material. Generations have grown up loving the works of Dr. Seuss. In an attempt to present them on stage, however, something was lost. In defense of Ahrens and Flaherty, they pulled no punches. Their work was true Seuss in it's style and they presented issues touched upon in original Seuss work that were disturbing in nature, yet never strayed from the heart of the show. However, in a season that also presented the stage versions of The Full Monty and The Producers, Seussical never stood a chance. Like Jane Eyre, A Class Act, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Seussical found itself just another failed musical come Tony-time.

Updated On: 11/20/08 at 02:02 AM

[CapnHook]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 2:35am

SEUSSICAL is one of my favorite shows.

I think the revisions made for the 1st Nat'l Tour were a VAST improvement from the Broadway production and THAT is the version which should have played Broadway.

A TV network, I think A&E actually, had planned to film the 1st Nat'l Tour but for whatever reason that didn't happen. It's a shame.

I would LOVE to have the opportunity to work with Ahrens/Flaherty on improving the show. I know just what to do to make it.

[kyleorlando]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 3:13am

I actually hated the tour version and left before the end of act one. It was the only time I ever left a show because I was just not interested any more.

At least the Broadway version had a train-wreck quality to it that held my attention.

At the time, I felt that Seussical was the new Carrie.

But then came Dance of the Vampires! I saw that twice in one week with my partner and friends! It was the only time I've ever paid full price for a Broadway house ticket that I didn't regret!

[kyleorlando]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 3:13am

Double post

Updated On: 11/20/08 at 03:13 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 5:35am

I don't particularly love Seussical either. It's too long and so to make it a full length show they added too many unneccessary stories.

Believe it or not the "junior" version is MUCH better as it removed the extraneous stuff.

I directed this show with my middle school last year....and it was a BLAST to work on. ANd the kids LOVED it.

[tourboi]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 5:45am

I prefer, and loved the Broadway staging to either of the two national tours. Boston was a train wreck, true, but I thought that Rob Marshall fixed the show by NY. My opinion is that with all the bad buzz, NY had its mind made up about the show before it even opened.

[dg22894]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 7:03am

I have done Seussical many times it is one of my favorites to do and community theaters love doing it. I have played horton 4 time and Jojo twice so it is just a great show.

[alterego]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 7:11am

Whatever happened to the revised version CD that was recorded some months ago? Why has it not been issued?

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 10:12am

I actually love Seussical and never understood why it got bashed so much. Show doctors other than the Weisslers could have done great things with it.

[Amneris]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 10:52am

I saw seussical on Broadway when I was younger and really enjoyed it. I loved Rosie as the Cat in the hat. I thought it was so much fun. I also had the pleasure of doing the show last year and I could not have enjoyed my experience more. The show brings smiles to so many peoples faces and that is all one could ask for.

[nshreeve]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 3:10pm

I prefer the Broadway staging. I felt that the additional sublot of the Boy/Jojo character of the tour completely over-complicated what was already a complex plot. I think the music makes the show, which is why its appeal is so strong.

[madbrian]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 3:25pm

I've effectively blocked any memory of Seussical from my brain. Two of the longest hours of my life.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 3:47pm

I really enjoyed Seussical on Broadway. It had one of the most joyous opening numbers I'd ever seen. Strong score, clever costumes and sets, though they were a bit inconsistent. And choreography that was alternately inspiring and laughable. The book was weak and probably should have been a revue. But the cast was absolutely amazing and they rose above the material and performed magic on the stage.

The tour was an absolute mess, however. It took the weaknesses of the Broadway production and exaggerated them. The "story" was less coherent and the book was a frayed quilt splitting at the seams with an even more convoluted plot that at times, even gave up on itself. And the once celebratory opening number was turned into dull robotic march performed by the cast dressed in white jumpsuits stuck inside a box (get it? think outside the box! it's not contrived, I swear!) which had nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the show either in staging, costuming or anything else. Same music and lyrics, but cringeworthy staging. And the go-cart bathtub with the black-lighting special-effect fish was just an embarrassment.

The differences between the Broadway and tour productions of Seussical was like Big all over again, though the Seussical changes in the tour weren't nearly as horrific as what happened to Big.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 7:18pm

I was working on the non-Equity Cinderella while the 1st National of Seussical was being prepped. I remember Ken Gentry, the chief executive officer of NETworks, coming to check on our show's tech right from Florida where Seussical was teching. His response when somebody asked him how it was going?

"There are seven trucks on that tour and I didn't see one g*d damned piece of scenery while I was there. Where the f*** is my money going?"

[wickedfan]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 7:58pm

Seussical is one of those shows that will never TRULY work. It has a wonderful score, however. Flaherty's music is what really makes the show. The design of Seussical on Broadway was a little confusing and not attractive, not to mention the direction and choreography were pretty dull (with the exception of a few numbers). The revised version of Seussical isn't very good, as Mister Matt said. The book revisions are pretty much for the worst. Seussical would be better as a revue. In fact, if you read Brantley's review, he even mentions that. His review wasn't so much of a pan as more of a "There's some great material, but it's not put together well."

[alterego]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 8:28pm

But what of the 75 minute version that seems to have been a success? This version was recorded (for CD) in its entirety back in May but hasn't yet seen the light of day, anyone know anything about its release?

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 10:48pm

I saw the TYA version of Seussical when it premiered at the Coterie Theatre in Kansas City. It is definitely tightened up for the better. The limitations of the TYA contract in terms of running time forced the writers to really cut away all the extra stuff that was cluttering up the show. It also got much better reviews when Theatreworks mounted it at the Lortel and it is now out on the road as one of their shows with a 12 person cast.

I believe that right now the CD of that version is only available as part of the perusal package that MTI sends out to companies interested in doing the show, but don't quote me on that.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 8:18am

What happened to "Big" on tour? I'd really love to hear more about this.

Anyway, the show's thriving in schools and community theatres. Turns out the show works better in that setting.