Thursday, May 22, 2008

Theater review: Seussical the Musical

By Rick A. Elina of North Dallas Gazette

Fun-tusical is a word that makes perfect sense after you’ve sat and listened to 80 minutes of song and dance based on the classic stories of Dr. Seuss. Only in the world of Seuss could such a ridiculously coined term have such a perfectly reasonable connotation. What other word could so completely describe the Seussical brand of fun, specially packaged for the young as well as the young at heart. The Teatro delle Muse production of Seussical the Musical will bring you back to that special time, no matter how long ago, when you dared to believe that a cat could wear a hat and an elephant could hear a Who.

Column Award winner Sarah VC Henderson takes a huge risk in directing 24 actors ranging in age from 4 to 16. The risk pays off. The charm of every single actor is infectious. After all, a person’s a person, no matter how small.

The talented cast is anchored by Cam Wenrich in the role of everyone’s favorite feline, the Cat in the Hat. The Cat is introduced when JoJo, a small boy, played by a lovely little girl (Hope Henderson), stumbles upon a rather odd looking hat. JoJo begins the show by asking, “What is that”? The question sets into motion one of the underlying themes of the musical. Curiosity lends itself to thinking outside the box. That’s quite an appropriate axiom for anything Seuss.

Immediately Mr. Wenrich and Ms. Henderson launch into song and dance. When Ms. Henderson later sings from a bathtub, you might wonder if it’s possible that such a strong voice can come from such a small person. Yes, it’s possible. Anything’s possible, as she sings a song of the same title. Be forewarned, you’ll be singing the same song to yourself long after the show ends.

Ms. Henderson’s diminutive stature plays well against Horton (Mitchell Montgomery), a large and sensitive elephant. Mr. Montgomery is mostly on the mark as the protective pachyderm trying to convince everyone that people can actually live on a speck of dust. Horton’s biggest ally is Gertrude McFuzz (Alexis Henderson). Ms. Henderson, no relation to the former Ms. Henderson, possesses one of the purest voices in the cast. Gertrude’s nemesis, the vampish Mayzie LaBird (Jennifer Sims) can hold her own vocally, as well. Leading the Whoville chorus is the Mayor (Brendan Legas). Mr. Legas has quite an impressive voice for a relative newcomer.

The artful set design by Ash Robbins fully complements the colorful costumes designed by Vee Henderson. Choreography by Brittany Stene and Brittany Lavera works well with this cast given such a wide diversity of ages.

The measure of a good show is directly proportional to how long one remembers it after the curtain falls. Rest assured, this adorable cast will stay with you longer than a plate a green eggs and ham.

Seussical the Musical runs this weekend only, May 23, 24 and 25 at the Arts Centre Theatre in Plano. Call 972.424.MUSE (6873) or visit MuseTheatre.com for more details.

Rick A. Elina is a playwright based in Plano, Texas and is the Theatre critic for The North Dallas Gazette.

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