I loved Seussical. Yes, it's taken me over two weeks now to say so, but I did. I loved it. And from what I can tell, everyone else did too.
It was the biggest crowd yet at a BCPA Family Series event. Almost 900 people experienced 80 minutes of absolute charm. Simple staging, energetic performances, and music that I still find myself humming when I wake up in the morning.
Truthfully, I've been a fan of Seussical for years. And I've been a fan of its creators even longer. Ahrens and Flaherty's equally charming Once on This Island was a breakthrough hit in 1990. The versatile composer and lyricist then delivered two more equally interesting, and diverse tuners -- My Favorite Year (1993), Ragtime (1998) -- before penning Seussical in 2000.
Seussical won fans over quickly in previews, but received lukewarm reviews on Broadway. The songwriting team attributed the failure to the weightiness of the Broadway production. It was an economical production when it was seen in preview, with minimal staging and props -- a show that let the imagination fill in all the details. But it received the full treatment on Broadway, with big sets, big stars (Rosie O'Donnell and Cathy Rigby both had turns as the Cat in the Hat), and a big budget that led to the show closing after just 198 performances.
When Theatreworks took on the show, they brought the production back to the basics. They minimized the cast, made minor deletions to the storyline, cutting a drumbeats-of-war subplot taken from Seuss' "The Butter Battle Book," and made the costumes, sets, and props basic, so that the audience took its cue from the opening song "Oh, The Thinks You Can Think."
That said, the production was still the largest Theatreworks had ever mounted.
Critics nationwide have paid attention to the success of this version of the show. Composer Stephen Flaherty likewise called the show "One of the most fun-filled productions of Seussical I've ever seen."
It certainly lived up to my expectations. And everyone I talked to after the show, from seniors to my three-year-old son, were all given chills by the great storytelling and the memorable songs.
I'm sure I'll be humming them again tomorrow morning when I wake up. You too? Let us know what you think by sending me an email at jaalberts@artsblooming.org, and I'll post your comments.
It was the biggest crowd yet at a BCPA Family Series event. Almost 900 people experienced 80 minutes of absolute charm. Simple staging, energetic performances, and music that I still find myself humming when I wake up in the morning.
Truthfully, I've been a fan of Seussical for years. And I've been a fan of its creators even longer. Ahrens and Flaherty's equally charming Once on This Island was a breakthrough hit in 1990. The versatile composer and lyricist then delivered two more equally interesting, and diverse tuners -- My Favorite Year (1993), Ragtime (1998) -- before penning Seussical in 2000.
Seussical won fans over quickly in previews, but received lukewarm reviews on Broadway. The songwriting team attributed the failure to the weightiness of the Broadway production. It was an economical production when it was seen in preview, with minimal staging and props -- a show that let the imagination fill in all the details. But it received the full treatment on Broadway, with big sets, big stars (Rosie O'Donnell and Cathy Rigby both had turns as the Cat in the Hat), and a big budget that led to the show closing after just 198 performances.
When Theatreworks took on the show, they brought the production back to the basics. They minimized the cast, made minor deletions to the storyline, cutting a drumbeats-of-war subplot taken from Seuss' "The Butter Battle Book," and made the costumes, sets, and props basic, so that the audience took its cue from the opening song "Oh, The Thinks You Can Think."
That said, the production was still the largest Theatreworks had ever mounted.
Critics nationwide have paid attention to the success of this version of the show. Composer Stephen Flaherty likewise called the show "One of the most fun-filled productions of Seussical I've ever seen."
It certainly lived up to my expectations. And everyone I talked to after the show, from seniors to my three-year-old son, were all given chills by the great storytelling and the memorable songs.
I'm sure I'll be humming them again tomorrow morning when I wake up. You too? Let us know what you think by sending me an email at jaalberts@artsblooming.org, and I'll post your comments.
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