Suessical the Musical: A Bit Too Childish
November 20, 2009 • written by Samantha Hartfiel
As a child, many read the classic stories by the literary genius Dr. Suess. Children of all ages shared a laugh and witnessed the full extent of the imagination through Suess’s classic characters the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch, and Horton the Elephant. While Suess’s works ranged from ridiculous to completely imaginative, there was often a very virtuous message behind the seemingly simple work. Therefore, East Ridge High School picked the jocular Suessical the Musical as the opening play for the pristine school as a tribute to the man whose masterpieces were such a universal part of many childhoods.
Held at the expansive Loft Stage, the play featured characters from several of Suess’s most beloved works: including The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Horton Hears a Who, The Butter Battle Book, and many more. The cast of approximately sixty students consisted of a majority of freshmen and only featured one Park alumnus, Maria Durose. Suessical was extremely light hearted and included thirty three Suess related songs, ranging from slow ballads such as “Alone in the Universe” and “Notice Me Horton” to the upbeat songs “Amazing Mayzie” and “Oh the Thinks You Can Think.” Dylan Eike played a very convincing Cat in the Hat, jumping joyfully around the stage, just as the mischievous feline would do. In addition, Adam Mickelson, who played Horton the Elephant, stole the show with his crisp and booming voice.
However, some of the play seemed awfully infantile. While this production was on Broadway, the majority of the performance did not fit the incredible school in which it was performed. For instance, after seeing the extensive ten page program filled with actor biographies, the Suessical souvenirs sold outside, and the painted Suess character displays in the entrance, it would be expected that the costumes would be colorful and extravagant. However, Max, who is the Grinch’s playful dog in the beloved A Grinch Who Stole Christmas, was merely dressed in a brown sweatshirt with a paw print on the front. This effort seems to be the equivalent to drawing a stick person for an AP Art class; it does not fit the high expectations set and appears incredibly sloppy. Also, it was very difficult to understand what was being sung by the characters at many times, for the octave was too high for the students to sing coherently. The performers thrived much better when singing lower octave songs, for not only was it easier to understand, but the students sounded much less pitchy. Furthermore, the pit orchestra, which provided beautiful background music for the performance, played a little too loud, therefore making the storyline even more difficult to understand.
Unfortunately, the musical was not worth the eight dollars charged. At most times, it did not appear to have the quality that is come to be expected from a high school play. The theatre program would probably thrive much better as a high school by taking on a more serious and credited production. Suessical the Musical appears to be a show best left to be performed by junior high schools.
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