Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
The Musical
Promotional poster
Music	Mel Marvin
Lyrics	Timothy Mason
Book	Timothy Mason
Basis	How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
Productions	1998 San Diego 2006 Broadway 2007 Broadway revival 2008 US tour 2010 US tour 2019 UK tour

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical is a fun stage show based on the famous 1957 book by Dr. Seuss. It's a musical that brings the Grinch's story to life, especially around Christmas time!

Bringing the Grinch to the Stage!

This musical has been performed in many places. It started in San Diego and later moved to Broadway. It has also traveled across the United States and even to the United Kingdom.

Starting in San Diego

The musical first opened at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. This happened in 1998. Since then, it has been a Christmas tradition there every year.

Jack O'Brien directed this first version. It included songs from the classic 1966 TV special. A young Vanessa Hudgens even played Cindy Lou Who in 1998 and 1999!

In 2007, three new songs were added. These were "This Time of Year," "It's the Thought That Counts," and "Fah Who Doraze." The last one was also from the 1966 TV special.

Grinch on Broadway

The musical then moved to Broadway in New York City. It opened on November 8, 2006, at the Foxwoods Theatre. This show was special because it offered 12 performances a week. That was more than most Broadway musicals at the time!

In December 2006, the Grinch musical became the top-earning show on Broadway. It even beat Wicked, which had been number one for a long time. The show closed on January 7, 2007.

Broadway Revival

The musical returned to Broadway on November 9, 2007. Patrick Page played the Grinch again, and John Cullum played Old Max. The show faced a challenge when a strike stopped many Broadway shows.

However, the Grinch musical was able to reopen on November 23. It even had 11 performances during the Thanksgiving weekend. This was very unusual for Broadway shows.

Grinch Tours the US

After its Broadway runs, the musical went on tour across the United States.

2008 US Tour

A tour happened during the 2008 Christmas season. It visited cities like Baltimore and Boston. Stefán Karl Stefánsson, famous for playing Robbie Rotten on LazyTown, starred as the Grinch. Walter Charles played Old Max.

2009 Los Angeles Shows

In 2009, the musical played at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California. Stefán Karl Stefánsson returned as the Grinch.

North American Tours (2010-2015)

From 2010 to 2015, the musical continued to tour North America. It visited many cities like Houston, Toronto, Chicago, and Denver. Stefán Karl Stefánsson played the Grinch for many of these tours. In 2014, Shuler Hensley took on the role of the Grinch.

2018 Madison Square Garden

In December 2018, the musical played at the Hulu Theater in New York City. Gavin Lee played the Grinch for these shows.

2019 UK Tour

The musical also traveled to the United Kingdom in 2019. It started its tour in November and visited cities like Glasgow, Cardiff, and Edinburgh.

2020 TV Special

In 2020, a TV version of the musical was made. It was called Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical Live! and aired on NBC. Matthew Morrison played The Grinch in this special.

Musical Numbers

The musical features many songs that tell the Grinch's story. Some songs were written just for the musical, while others come from the original TV special.

• "Who Likes Christmas?" – Citizens of Whoville
• "This Time of Year" – Old Max and Young Max
• "I Hate Christmas Eve" – The Grinch, Young Max and the Whos
• "Whatchama Who" – The Grinch and the Little Whos
• "Welcome, Christmas*" – Citizens of Whoville
• "I Hate Christmas Eve (Reprise)" – The Grinch
• "It's the Thought That Counts" – The Citizens of Whoville
• "One of a Kind" – The Grinch
• "Now's the Time" – Papa Who, Mama Who, Grandma Who, Grandpa Who
• "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch*" – Old Max, Young Max and the Grinch
• "Santa for a Day" – Cindy Lou Who and the Grinch
• "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch (Reprise)*" – Old Max
• "Who Likes Christmas? (Reprise)" – Citizens of Whoville
• "One of a Kind (Reprise)" – Young Max, The Grinch and Cindy Lou Who
• "This Time of Year (Reprise)" – Old Max
• "Welcome, Christmas (Reprise)*" – Citizens of Whoville
• "Santa For a Day (Reprise)" – Company
• "Who Likes Christmas? (Reprise)" – Company

(*Music by Albert Hague, lyrics by Dr. Seuss)

Main Cast Members

Many talented actors have played the characters in How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical. Here are some of the main actors who have been in the show: