By: centraljersey.com
But things did not go well for the show. Was it a smash? Well, the public and critics all said no. Life was short-lived for the play – it opened in November, and left town the next May.
OK, enough of that. Despite its Broadway bust, Seussical has become a popular choice among community theater groups, who with the right mix of talent and energy can offer their audiences a fun evening of theater. And that’s what the Pennington Players have done with their production running at Kelsey Theatre through Oct. 3.
Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens wrote the book and music, and they crammed dozens of Seuss characters into the show. The Cat in the Hat (Kyrus) serves as the narrator, a sort of Emcee of Whoville. The narrative mostly consists of Horton Hears a Who and Horton Hatches the Egg with references to dozens of other Seuss books thrown in.
Horton (Steven Anzuini) is an elephant who lives in the Jungle of Nool. One day, he hears some people crying out for help from a speck of dust. He vows to keep that speck safe because, after all, a person is a person, no matter how small.
But there are some real jerks living in Nool. Most of the other animals – a kangaroo and a trio of monkeys particularly – are determined to throw that speck away. And a bird named Mayzie tricks Horton into sitting on her egg, leaving him stuck while she lives high and free.
On the Whoville side of things, a boy named JoJo (Simon Hamilton) is admonished by his parents – the Mayor and his wife – for thinking and being too creative. The Cat assures JoJo that imagination is wonderful "Oh, the things you can think," he sings to the child.
The musical itself can try an audience’s patience, it’s crowded with characters and references to the Seuss world, and the tunes aren’t memorable. But this cast and crew makes the good stuff work. Director Laurie Gougher has done a great job of finding the right performer for each role.
Start with Kyrus, who guides the action as the Cat. He gets the laughs with physical comedy – like mimicking Ray Charles and joyously sneaking up on a sleeping JoJo – and with his delivery ("Oh how you lie," he tells Mayzie with a mix of amusement and nonchalance).
Kyrus also shines while ad-libbing. In one scene, the Cat holds an auction, seeking bids from the audience. On opening night, after someone bids $60,000, Kyrus quickly shot back: "You don’t have that kind of money, I know you."
The cast’s female performers include some terrific voices. Hilary Goldman brings some va-va-voom to the role of the flirty and flighty Mayzie, and while she didn’t quite nail her first number, "Amazing Mayzie/Amazing Gertrude," she took command with Act 2 songs like "Mayzie in Palm Beach" and "Amazing Horton." Aimee Robidoux was a powerhouse – wowing the audience every time she sang as the Sour Kangaroo.
Other standouts are Kim Cupo as Gertrude McFuzz (she harbors a crush on Horton, and has a funny bit involving a case of tail envy) and young Simon Hamilton as JoJo. William Mercado is perfect as General Genghis Kahn Schmitz, both in voice and in portraying an overzealous, but non-threatening, military man.
As Horton, Anzuini doesn’t have the strongest singing voice, but he has an earnestness that had me caring about Horton’s plight. His duet with Hamilton on "How Lucky You Are" is sure to touch your heart.
The sets are basic, pastel-painted platforms and props in an attempt replicate the look of Seuss’ world, but it’s far from a visual wonder. The costumes are colorful, especially the bright wigs of pink and blue, and the u-shaped ponytail of Cindy Lou Who. The best getup belongs to the Lorax – with his orange hair, leather jacket, tie-dye smiley-face T-shirt and yellow walrus mustache, he looked like a refugee from a Seuss world staging of Godspell.
Director Gougher has a few tricks up her sleeve, the best of which involves some glow in the dark elements, followed by a very funny reveal. Kristina Tuxhorn handles the choreography – the cast members can not only sing and get laughs, they can dance too.