Seussical facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Seussical
Music	Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics	Lynn Ahrens
Book	Lynn Ahrens Stephen Flaherty
Basis	The works of Dr. Seuss
Productions	2000 Boston tryout 2000 Broadway 2002 1st US Tour 2003 2nd US Tour 2007 Off-Broadway 2012 West End 2018 Off West End

Seussical is a fun musical comedy that tells a story mostly through songs. It was created by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. The musical is based on many popular children's stories by Dr. Seuss. The main parts of the story come from Horton Hears a Who! and Horton Hatches the Egg!. But it also includes characters and ideas from many other Dr. Seuss books.

The name "Seussical" is a mix of "Seuss" and "musical." When it first opened on Broadway in 2000, some critics didn't like it much. It closed in 2001 and lost a lot of money. However, since then, Seussical has become very popular. Many schools and local theaters love to perform it. It has also had two tours across the United States and a show in London.

Plot Summary

This part tells you about the version of the show that tours and is often performed by schools.

Act One: The Story Begins

The show starts with a simple stage and a strange red-and-white striped hat. A small boy comes out and sees the hat. He wonders who it belongs to. He then mentions the Cat in the Hat, who suddenly appears! The Cat tells the boy that his "Thinks" (his imagination) brought him to life.

The Cat then uses his magic to create the world of Dr. Seuss around the boy. He also brings the characters to life ("Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!"). The Cat explains that he will tell a story about someone who is just as imaginative as the boy.

To start the story, the Cat asks the boy to imagine the Jungle of Nool. Here, Horton the Elephant is taking a bath. Horton hears a tiny noise coming from a speck of dust. He believes someone must be on it, calling for help. He carefully puts the speck on a soft clover. Horton decides to protect it ("Horton Hears a Who").

Other animals in the jungle, like the Sour Kangaroo, make fun of Horton. They don't believe him ("Biggest Blame Fool"). But two bird neighbors, Gertrude McFuzz and Mayzie LaBird, are different. Gertrude likes Horton's kindness. Mayzie is more interested in herself.

Horton soon finds out that the speck is a tiny planet. It is home to tiny creatures called Whos. The Whos introduce themselves and their yearly Christmas show. They also say that they can't control where their planet flies. Plus, they are almost out of Truffula Trees ("Here on Who"). The Whos thank Horton and ask him to protect their planet. He agrees.

The Cat then makes the boy part of the story. The boy becomes Jojo, the son of the Mayor of Who-ville. Jojo often gets into trouble at school for having too many "Thinks." His parents tell him to "think some normal Thinks, instead." Jojo blames the Cat for his trouble. He tries to send the Cat away. But the Cat refuses. He convinces Jojo to imagine his bathtub is McElligot's Pool ("It's Possible"). Jojo accidentally floods the house. His parents wonder what to do with him ("How to Raise a Child"). The Cat gives them an idea. They decide to send Jojo to a military school. It is run by General Genghis Khan Schmitz. He is getting ready for a war with people who eat their bread butter-side down ("The Military"). At the school, Jojo meets Horton. They become friends because they both feel a bit alone ("Alone in the Universe").

Meanwhile, Gertrude has fallen in love with Horton. But she worries he won't notice her. Her tail only has "one droopy-droop feather" ("The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz"). Mayzie, who has a huge, shiny tail, tells Gertrude to take pills to make her tail grow. Gertrude gets too excited and takes too many pills. Her tail grows very long and heavy ("Amayzing Mayzie"/"Amazing Gertrude").

Horton is suddenly attacked by the Wickersham brothers. They are a group of mischievous monkeys. They steal the clover and run off ("Monkey Around"). Horton chases them. The Wickershams then give the clover to an eagle named Vlad Vladikoff. He drops it into a huge field of identical clovers ("Chasing the Whos"). The Cat reminds the audience how lucky they are not to be Horton ("How Lucky You Are"). Horton doesn't give up. He starts looking for the clover, hoping the Whos are still alive. Gertrude catches up to him. She tries to get him to notice her new tail. But Horton is too busy. She leaves to take more pills ("Notice Me, Horton").

Horton is about to search his three millionth clover when he loses hope. Mayzie, sitting in a nearby tree, offers to help him forget the Whos. She asks him to hatch an egg she's too lazy to care for ("How Lucky You Are (Reprise)"). Horton agrees, even though he doesn't want to. Mayzie then leaves for a vacation. Horton sits through months of bad weather. He tries to decide between the egg and the Whos ("Horton Sits on the Egg"). Then, hunters capture him and the entire tree. Gertrude tries to stop them. But her heavy tail makes it impossible to fly.

The Cat ends the first act with another song ("How Lucky You Are"). He then conducts the band during the break.

Act Two: Adventures and Discoveries

Horton is still hatching the egg. He is sold to the traveling Circus McGurkus ("Egg, Nest, and Tree"/"Circus McGurkus"/"How Lucky You Are (Reprise)"). At a show in Palm Beach, he meets Mayzie again. She tells him to keep the egg for himself before leaving ("Amayzing Horton"). Horton is sad about losing the Whos and Jojo. But he promises to protect the egg, since it's also alone ("Alone in the Universe (Reprise)"). He sings a lullaby with Jojo about a magical place called Solla Sollew. At the same time, Jojo's parents miss Horton and Jojo. They also wish for Solla Sollew ("Solla Sollew").

Jojo is with General Schmitz and his soldiers as the Butter Battle begins. Jojo runs away from Schmitz. But he runs into a minefield and disappears in an explosion. Schmitz thinks the worst. He goes to Who-ville to tell Jojo's parents that their son has died. The Cat acts out the dramatic scene. But Jojo has actually survived! He is just lost. The Cat appears to him with some Hunches. They encourage him to use his "Thinks" to find his way home ("Havin' a Hunch"). Jojo does this. He happily reunites with his parents. They forgive him for his "Thinks."

Gertrude sneaks into the circus to free Horton. She explains that she pulled out almost all her tail feathers to fly there. She tells him she loves him. She also reveals she found his clover! Horton is so happy to find the Whos alive ("All For You"). However, the Sour Kangaroo and the Wickersham brothers arrive. They take Horton back to the jungle.

In the jungle, Horton is put on trial. He is accused of "talking to a speck, disturbing the peace, and loitering... on an egg" ("The People Versus Horton the Elephant"). With Gertrude's help, Horton tries his best to explain. But Judge Yertle the Turtle finds him guilty. He orders Horton to be sent to an asylum. He also orders the clover to be destroyed in hot oil. Horton is desperate. He tells the Whos to make as much noise as possible to prove they exist. But the animals don't hear them. Finally, Jojo uses his "Thinks" to create a new word: "Yopp!" He shouts it loud enough for the animals to hear.

The animals are finally convinced. They say they are sorry and promise to help protect the Whos. Horton is found innocent. Jojo is accepted by his parents and all of Who-ville as "Thinker Non-Stop" for saving their planet. Horton's egg hatches into a tiny flying "Elephant-Bird." Everyone is amazed! Horton is worried about a flying baby. But Gertrude tells him they can raise the child together. They agree to do so.

With the story finished, the Cat returns to end the show ("Finale - Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!"). He then disappears with the scenery. Only his hat and Jojo are left. Jojo, now the boy again, picks up the hat, puts it on, and says, "Seuss!"

During the curtain call, the cast performs a song based on Green Eggs and Ham ("Green Eggs and Ham").

Cast Members

† For the Broadway show and the first US tour, two actors shared the role of Jojo.

Famous Broadway Actors Who Joined Later

• Cat in the Hat - Rosie O'Donnell, Cathy Rigby
• Jojo - Aaron Carter, Cameron Bowen, Andrew Keenan-Bolger

Characters in Seussical

Main Characters

• The Cat in the Hat – This character tells the story. The Cat also plays other small roles, like:
  • Doctor Dake
  • Louie Armstrong / Piano Player
  • Mr. McGurkus - the owner of the Circus McGurkus
  • Jose the Pool Boy
• Jojo – A young boy with a big imagination. He is often misunderstood.
• Horton the Elephant – A kind and determined elephant. He always tries to do what's right.
• Gertrude McFuzz – A shy bird who loves Horton and tries to help him.
• General Genghis Khan Schmitz – A general who loves war, especially the Butter Battle.
• Mayzie La Bird – Horton's neighbor. She is lively but also lazy and self-centered.
• Sour Kangaroo – The bossy leader of the Jungle of Nool.

Other Characters

• Bird Girls – Mayzie's friends, who often comment on the story.
• Mr. Mayor – The new mayor of Who-ville and Jojo's father.
• Mrs. Mayor – The Mayor's wife and Jojo's mother.
• The Grinch – A famous Who who helps with the Christmas show.
• Young Kangaroo – The Sour Kangaroo's child, often shown as a puppet.
• Vlad Vladikoff – A scary eagle with a dark bottom.
• Yertle the Turtle – The judge in the Jungle of Nool's court.
• The Hunters – People who capture Horton and sell him to the circus.
• Wickersham brothers – A group of mischievous monkeys.

Ensemble (Group of Performers)

• Whos – The tiny people who live in Who-ville.
• Cadets – Soldiers in General Schmitz's army.
• Jungle Creatures – The chorus and dancers in the jungle scenes.
• Hunches – Dancers who help Jojo use his imagination.
• Circus Animals – The animals performing in the Circus McGurkus.
• Fish – The fish in McElligot's Pool.
• Cat Helpers – People who help the Cat make Jojo's imagination come alive.

Musical Numbers

Dr. Seuss Books in Seussical

Seussical uses ideas and characters from these Dr. Seuss stories:

Productions of Seussical

Before Broadway

Before Seussical opened on Broadway, there were early versions. In one reading in New York City, actor Eric Idle played the Cat in the Hat. In a workshop in Toronto in 2000, Andrea Martin played the Cat. The show got a lot of good attention early on. This led to a competition among New York theater producers. Barry and Fran Weissler won the rights to produce it. The musical first played in Boston, Massachusetts, in September 2000 to test it out.

An earlier version of the show included a long part based on The Lorax. In this part, Jojo met the Once-ler and received the last Truffula Tree seed. This gave him courage to save Who-ville. Characters like the Lorax, Bar-ba-loots, Swomee-Swans, and Humming-Fish were in this section. But this part made the show too long. So, it was removed after the Boston tryout. Today, this "Lorax" part can be performed as a separate mini-musical.

Broadway Show

Seussical officially opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on November 30, 2000. Frank Galati directed it, and Kathleen Marshall created the dances. David Shiner played the Cat in the Hat. Kevin Chamberlin was Horton. Michele Pawk played Mayzie LaBird. Stuart Zagnit and Alice Playten were Mr. and Mrs. Mayor. Sharon Wilkins played the Sour Kangaroo.

The show received many negative reviews. In January 2001, to help sell more tickets, famous TV host Rosie O'Donnell took over as the Cat in the Hat for a month. This helped ticket sales for a short time. Later, young pop star Aaron Carter and former Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby also played roles for short periods. Because not enough tickets were sold, the show closed on May 20, 2001. It had played 198 times. The show lost about $11 million, which was a very large amount for a Broadway show.

Tours in the United States

After Broadway, Seussical had two tours across the United States. Cathy Rigby played the Cat again for the first tour. This tour ran from September 2002 to June 2003. A second tour happened from 2003 to 2004.

The script for the first tour was changed a lot after the Broadway show didn't do well. Some songs were removed or changed. The biggest change was about Jojo. He started as a regular boy before the Cat pulled him into the story. More talking parts were added. This updated version of the show is the one that schools and theaters usually perform today.

Off-Broadway Show

A shorter, 90-minute version of Seussical was performed Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2007. Theatreworks USA produced it. Marcia Milgrom Dodge directed and choreographed the show. This smaller version was also used for a National Tour that ended in 2014.

London Shows

Seussical opened in London's West End at the Arts Theatre on December 4, 2012. It was brought back in 2013. Another London show opened at the Southwark Playhouse on November 22, 2018, but it only ran for 7 performances.

South Africa Show

Seussical also opened in South Africa at the Lyric Theatre in Gold Reef City on December 20, 2019. It played there for the holiday season.

Shorter Versions for Schools

There are shorter versions of Seussical made for younger performers:

• Seussical Jr. is a one-act version of the Broadway show. It's part of a special series for junior high or middle school students. It usually runs for about 60 minutes. For Jr., some songs are cut or made shorter. Parts of the story about The Butter Battle Book and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! are removed. This makes the story easier for younger audiences to understand.
• Seussical KIDS is an even shorter version. It's about 30 minutes long. This version is made for a large group of very young performers. In KIDS, there are three Cats in the Hats instead of one. Some songs like "Biggest Blame Fool" and "Notice Me, Horton" are removed.

In 2004, Seussical was also changed into a "Theatre for Young Audiences" version. This version had only 12 actors. The story focused more on Horton.

Awards and Honors

Original Broadway Production

Original Off-Broadway Production

• Seussical at the Internet Broadway Database

See also

In Spanish: Seussical para niños