Seuss Tale Saved By Performances
The Canadian Premiere Of Seussical Shows Flaws In Show
A gigantic flop when it opened on Broadway, Seussical has found new life in children's theatre and in regional productions.
The show has been cut to 70 minutes down from two and a half hours, but even with those cuts, the show still has it's flaws, but thanks to some stellar performances from it's cast, the production that just opened at the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre For Young People is a delight for those young and old.
The creators have wisely cut the show to two Dr. Seuss stories - Horton Hears A Who and Horton Hatches The Egg. These two stories woven together offer us a new, fresh look, and have numerous important themes and morals for it's young audience that even adults won't roll their eyes at.
George Masswohl plays Horton, the kind, gentle elephant who hears a voice and takes care of a speck of dust, reminding us that "a person's a person, no matter how small". His performance along with his soaring voice is a wonderful to watch. Corrine Koslo turns in a fantastically funny performance as Gertrude McFuzz, and while she may not have the loveliest of singing voices, she makes up for it with her sense of timing and her comedic chops. Michael-Lamont Lytle has his moments as the narrator of the piece, Seuss' classic character, The Cat In The Hat. He brings energy to the role, but doesn't captivate us the way he should. The ensemble is strong, handling their roles nicely, and adding the right amount of comedy and struggle to the story.
Allen MacInnis has done an excellent job at handling the piece, and keeps the show moving along, despite the problems with score. His cause is helped by his strong cast.
The score is a minor problem, and the children in the audience didn't seem to mind the barrage of ballads stuck in the middle of the show. The lyrics do justice to the words of Seuss, and the tunes are generally catchy - though you won't leave the theatre humming anything.
At the afternoon performance I attended, the show was riddled with sound problems, which was the only technical problem to note, but was a big one. There were moments when the cast could not be heard, which is a problem when you're doing a musical, don't you think?
All that aside, Seussical - The Musical is a joy for audiences young and old, and pays homage to an essential literary figure who has played a part in influencing a generation to dream and to imagine the unimaginable, where an elephant can hear a who on a speck of dust, and a cat in a hat who causes mischief everywhere he goes. It's a magical world which is worth exploring at Lorraine Kimsa.
Seussical - The Musical
Lorraine Kimsa Theatre For Young People, Toronto
Directed by Allen MacInnis
Starring George Masswohl and Corrine Koslo
Now until December 31st, 2006
For show and ticket information, click here.
***1/2 (out of five)
