is a musical by
Lynn AhrensLynn Ahrens is an American writer and lyricist for the musical theatre, television and film. She has collaborated with Stephen Flaherty for many years...
and
Stephen FlahertyStephen Flaherty is an American composer of musical theatre. He works most often in collaboration with the lyricist/bookwriter Lynn Ahrens...
based on the books of
Dr. SeussTheodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
that debuted on
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 2000. The play's story is a rather complex amalgamation of many of Seuss's most famous books. After a Broadway run, the production spawned two US national tours and a UK tour. It has become a favorite for school, community and regional theatres.
Pre-Broadway
In a reading in New York City,
Eric IdleEric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
played the Cat in the Hat, and was credited at the time for contributions to the story line. In the Toronto workshop in 1999, coordinated by Livent Inc.,
Andrea MartinAndrea Louise Martin is an American and Canadian actress and comedienne. She has appeared in films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, on stage in productions such as My Favorite Year, Fiddler on the Roof and Candide, and in the television series, SCTV.-Personal life:Martin, the oldest of three...
played the Cat in the Hat. The musical had its out-of-town tryout in
BostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts at the Colonial Theatre in September 2000.
Broadway
Seussical opened on Broadway at the
Richard Rodgers TheatreThe Richard Rodgers Theatre, is a Broadway theater in New York City, built by Irwin Chanin in 1925. When it was first opened, it was called Chanin's 46th Street Theatre. Chanin almost immediately leased it to the Shuberts, who bought the building outright in 1931 and renamed it the 46th Street...
on November 30, 2000.
Directed by
Frank GalatiFrank Galati is an American director, writer and actor. He is a member of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, an associate director at Goodman Theatre, and a professor of performance at Northwestern University. In 2004, Galati was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame...
with choreography by
Kathleen MarshallKathleen Marshall is an American choreographer, director, and creative consultant.-Life and career:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Marshall graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School and Smith College. She worked in the Pittsburgh theatre scene when she was younger, performing with such...
; though uncredited, Kathleen Marshall's brother
Rob MarshallRob Marshall is an American theater director, film director and choreographer. He is a six-time Tony Award nominee, Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe nominee and four-time Emmy winner whose most noted work is the 2002 Academy Award for Best Picture winner Chicago.-Life and career:Marshall was...
was hired to direct the show when it returned from Boston to Broadway; the original Broadway cast included
David ShinerDavid Shiner is an American actor, clown, playwright and theater director.Shiner was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Francis Shiner, a computer programmer, and a homemaker mother. The lanky Shiner, usually donning a small dunce cap, started as a street mime, first in Colorado, and later...
as the Cat in the Hat,
Kevin Chamberlin- Life :Chamberlin was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and raised in Moorestown Township, New Jersey, moving there as a nine-year old. Chamberlin graduated from Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting.- Career :...
as Horton, and Anthony Blair Hall as Jojo. It also featured Janine LaManna as Gertrude McFuzz and Michelle Pawk as Mayzie LaBird, with
Stuart ZagnitStuart Zagnit is an American character actor. He has worked in all areas including Broadway, Off-Broadway, Regional, National Tours,television, films, commercials and voice-overs.-Theatre:*2011: The Merry Wives of Windsor - Brooklyn, NY - Sir John Falstaff*2009: How The Grinch Stole...
as the Mayor of Whoville,
Alice PlaytenAlice Playten was an American actress and singer.-Life and career:Born Alice Plotkin in New York City, Playten began her career in the Broadway musical Gypsy...
as the Mayor's wife,
Sharon WilkinsSharon Wilkins is an American actress.Wilkins hails from Newburgh, New York and makes her home on the Upper Westside of Manhattan. She has had a number of roles on Broadway and in film and does some commercial work. She is currently appearing in the National Tour of Xanadu The Musical...
as the Sour Kangaroo and Erick Devine as General Genghis Khan Schmitz also appearing. Throughout the run, there were many celebrity Cat in the Hat replacements, including
Rosie O'DonnellRoseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
and
Cathy RigbyCathleen Roxanne Rigby , best known as Cathy Rigby, is a former gymnast, actress and speaker.-Early life:Rigby was born in Los Alamitos, California in 1952....
.
The production received lukewarm reviews, with critics focusing on the huge cast of characters and unsympathetic plotlines. The Broadway production closed on May 20, 2001 after 198 performances and 34 previews.
US tours
Following the Broadway production, there were two US National tours. The first, in 2002-03, starred Cathy Rigby, and the second toured in 2003-04.
The script for the first tour was extensively reworked after the poor showing on Broadway. This resulted in the removal or reworking of several songs. The biggest change involves Jojo, who is initially an anonymous boy who thinks up The Cat in the Hat when he finds a strange hat at center stage. The Cat helps the boy create the Seussian universe and the rest of the story. The Cat later shoves the boy into the story, making him play the role of Jojo. There is also additional dialogue, as well as the deletion of some songs and their reprises.
It is this version of the musical that is currently rented by the leasing company, and has enjoyed some success in regional and children's theater companies across the country.
Off-Broadway
A 90-minute Off Broadway production was staged at the
Lucille Lortel TheatreThe Lucille Lortel Theatre is an off-Broadway playhouse located at 121 Christopher Street in New York City's Greenwich Village.The venue was built in 1926 as a 590-seat movie theater called the New Hudson, later known as Hudson Playhouse...
from July 19, 2007 through August 17, 2007 by
Theatreworks USATheatreworks USA is a professional, not-for-profit theatre for young and family audiences founded in 1961. The company is based out of New York City, but has touring productions that run through forty-nine states as well as parts of Canada...
, directed and choreographed by
Marcia Milgrom DodgeMarcia Milgrom Dodge is an American director, choreographer and writer for the stage. After working in regional theatre, off-Broadway and elsewhere for thirty years, Dodge directed and choreographed her first Broadway production, a revival of Ragtime in 2009...
and starring Shorey Walker as The Cat in the Hat. This production was downscaled from the first USA tour.
One-Act Versions
Another one-act version of the show, Seussical The Musical, Jr is designed for performances by junior high or middle school students, and part of the MTI "Jr." series. The Junior version of Seussical was changed from the full-length Broadway version to make it shorter, in one act, and more accessible for younger actors.
A one-act version of the show was reworked with the permissions of the playwrights in 2004. The "Theatre for Young Audience" version contains significant changes, including reducing the cast to 12 actors and removing the entire military subplot.
Seuss books used
The overarching plot of the show mirrors that of
Horton Hears a Who!Horton Hears a Who! is a 1954 book by Theodor Seuss Geisel, under the name Dr. Seuss. It is the second Seuss book to feature Horton the Elephant, the first being Horton Hatches the Egg...
, centering on Horton the elephant's endeavors to protect the people of Who-ville, who live on a tiny speck of dust. It also features characters and scenarios from many other Seuss books, including the Butter Side Uppers/Downers from
The Butter Battle BookThe Butter Battle Book is a rhyming story written by Dr. Seuss. It was published by Random House Books for Young Readers on January 12, 1984. It is an anti-war story; specifically, a parable about arms races in general, mutually assured destruction and nuclear weapons in particular...
, Gertrude McFuzz, and, in addition to a music number based on its original story,
The Cat in the HatThe Cat in the Hat is a children's book by Dr. Seuss and perhaps the most famous, featuring a tall, anthropomorphic, mischievous cat, wearing a tall, red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie. He also carries a pale blue umbrella...
also acts an "your host and MC" -- sometimes being an outside observer, a narrator and
devil's advocateIn common parlance, a devil's advocate is someone who, given a certain argument, takes a position he or she does not necessarily agree with, just for the sake of argument. In taking such position, the individual taking on the devil's advocate role seeks to engage others in an argumentative...
throughout the show, briefly leaping into the action on several occasions to create conflict and keep the story moving. In all, the following Seuss books have some minor characters and/or settings incorporated into the show:
- Horton Hears a Who!
Horton Hears a Who! is a 1954 book by Theodor Seuss Geisel, under the name Dr. Seuss. It is the second Seuss book to feature Horton the Elephant, the first being Horton Hatches the Egg...
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a children's story by Dr. Seuss written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author. It was published as a book by Random House in 1957, and at approximately the same time in an issue of Redbook...
- The Lorax
The Lorax is a children's book written by Dr. Seuss and first published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax, who speaks for the trees against the greedy Once-ler. As in most Dr...
- Green Eggs and Ham
Green Eggs and Ham is a best-selling and critically acclaimed book by Dr. Seuss, first published on August 12, 1960. As of 2001, according to Publishers Weekly, it was the fourth-best-selling English-language children's book of all time....
- Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories
- Horton Hatches the Egg
Horton Hatches the Egg is a children's book by Dr. Seuss, first published in 1940. The character Horton appeared again in Horton Hears a Who!, published in 1954...
- I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew
I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew is a 1965 children's book by Dr. Seuss. The story features classic Seuss rhymes and drawings in his distinctive pen and ink style.-The book:...
- McElligot's Pool
McElligot's Pool is a 1947 children's book by Dr. Seuss.It is a tale of a boy named Marco who is ridiculed for fishing in a small, polluted pool...
- Hunches in Bunches
- If I Ran the Circus
If I Ran the Circus is a children's book by Dr. Seuss, published in 1956 by Random House.Like The Cat in the Hat, or the more political Yertle the Turtle, If I Ran the Circus develops a theme of cumulative fantasy leading to excess. The overt social commentary found in the Sneetches and the Zax...
- The Butter Battle Book
The Butter Battle Book is a rhyming story written by Dr. Seuss. It was published by Random House Books for Young Readers on January 12, 1984. It is an anti-war story; specifically, a parable about arms races in general, mutually assured destruction and nuclear weapons in particular...
- Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!
- The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat is a children's book by Dr. Seuss and perhaps the most famous, featuring a tall, anthropomorphic, mischievous cat, wearing a tall, red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie. He also carries a pale blue umbrella...
- The Sneetches and Other Stories
The Sneetches and Other Stories is a collection of stories by Dr. Seuss . It is composed of four separate stories, unrelated except in the fact that most of the stories have important morals...
- Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
- Oh, the Places You'll Go!
Oh, the Places You'll Go! is a book written and illustrated by children's author Dr. Seuss. It was first published by Random House on January 22, 1990, making it his last book published before his death...
- One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish is a 1960 children's book by Dr. Seuss. A simple rhyming book for learner readers, it is a book with a freewheeling plot about a boy and a girl, and the many amazing creatures they have for friends and pets...
Due to the elimination of songs such as "The Military", "Havin' A Hunch" and "Message from The Front" and phrases and sections of other songs, "Seussical, Jr." only uses the books Horton Hears a Who!, Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, The Cat in the Hat, If I Ran the Circus, McElligot's Pool, Green Eggs and Ham, Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories, Horton Hatches the Egg, and I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew.
Plot
This synopsis describes the full length Broadway version.
Act I
("Overture")
The "The Cat in the Hat", acting as narrator, sits on a bare stage, save for an odd multi-colored circle background ("Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!").
In the Jungle of Nool, where Horton the Elephant is bathing ("Our Story Begins"), he hears a strange noise coming from a speck of dust. He rescues the speck and places it on a clover to guard ("Horton Hears a Who"). The other animals mock him, except for Gertrude McFuzz, who admires his compassion and begins to fall in love with him ("Biggest Blame Fool"). Horton hears the mysterious voice again, which belongs to the Mayor of "Who", a dust-speck planet covered with microscopic inhabitants called Whos. The Cat in the Hat zooms in on the dust speck as the Whos are revealed. The Mayor and the Whos reveal their planet is so small and fragile they are constantly threatened with death, and beg Horton to help protect. His resolve strengthened, Horton promises he will guard the dust speck ("Here on Who")
The mayor's son, Jojo, is scolded for thinking "thinks", imaginary thoughts which disrupt his school classes and anger his teachers ("A Day For The Cat In The Hat"). Although he tries not to think thinks, he starts to imagine his tub is McElligot's pool where his thinks soon spiral out of control ("It's Possible") and cause time to fly. Frustrated, the Mayor and his wife agree to "lay down the law" but are unsure of just how to discipline their son ("How to Raise a Child"). After receiving a brochure, they decide to send him to a military school run by a misguided warmonger named General Genghis Khan Schmitz, who is preparing to go to war with those who eat their bread butter side down ("The Military").
Horton meets Jojo, with whom he bonds as a fellow social outcast ("Alone in the Universe"). The next day, Gertrude (whose feelings for Horton are still strong) laments that her tail only has one feather, believing its sorry sight is the reason Horton is not noticing her ("The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz"). Mayzie La Bird, whose tail is enormous and dazzling, advises Gertrude to obtain pills from Doctor Dake, which Mayzie promises will make her tail "almost as amazing" as hers ("Amayzing Mayzie/Amayzing Gertrude"). Gertrude is so excited about her tail, she overdoses.
Horton is ambushed by a group of mischievous monkeys, the Wickersham Brothers ("Monkey Around") who steal the clover and
give it to an eagle,Vlad Vladikoff, who drops it into a large patch of identical clovers ("Chasing the Whos"). The Cat in the Hat freezes the action and delivers an ironically cheery tune about how fortunate the audience is not to be the Whos ("How Lucky You Are"). Horton looks for the clover, while Gertrude tries to attract his attention. Horton, however, is so intently focused on his mission he does not notice her, and a dejected Gertrude retreats to take more pills ("Notice Me, Horton"). Mayzie LaBird, who has just been abandoned by her lover and left with an egg, interrupts Horton's search and begs him to sit on it so she can take an afternoon off ("How Lucky You Are" (Reprise)). Horton reluctantly agrees, and Mayzie flies away, never to return. As winter approaches, Horton is captured by hunters. Gertrude makes an attempt to rescue him, but the size and weight of her new tail prevents her from flying ("Horton Sits on the Egg").
Act II
("Entr'acte")
("Our Story Resumes") Horton is transported to New York City ("Egg, Nest and Tree") and auctioned off to the circus ("The Circus McGurkus"), lamenting his sorry state ("The Circus On Tour"). Mayzie is lazing about in
Palm BeachThe Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
, where she admits she tires of the monotony of sunbathing ("Mayzie in Palm Beach"). She decides to attend the Circus, where she reunites with Horton and the egg. Horton pleads for her to take it back, but Mayzie refuses, and gives the egg to Horton to keep forever ("Amayzing Horton"). Alone with the egg, a sorrowful Horton vows to nurture it himself ("Alone in the Universe" (Reprise)) and sings a lullaby about a magical world called Solla Sollew
On Christmas Day, Jojo and his fellow cadets are deployed to fight in the Butter Battle. Jojo finally confronts General Schmitz, declaring his belief in the immorality of the war and deserting the army. However, he causes an explosion which is thought to have destroyed him ("Green Eggs and Ham" ("Transition to Butter Battle)"). Jojo's parents learn of his alleged death ("A Message From The Front") at the Christmas Pageant. The Cat in the Hat, however, reenacts the scene, so the audience sees that Jojo is actually alive, but lost in some dark place far from Whoville ("Lost in Whoville"). Jojo forgives the Cat in the Hat for his perceived offenses, taking his advice and trusting his hunches to lead him back home. He and his parents share a joyful embrace ("Havin' a Hunch").
At the Circus, Gertrude reappears and frees a bewildered Horton. She has swallowed her pride, got her tail feathers plucked, and flew across the world to rescue Horton and find the Whos' clover ("All For You"). Ecstatic that the Whos are finally safe, Horton begins to fall in love with Gertrude. However, their happiness is crushed as the Sour Kangaroo and the Wickersham Brothers drag Horton back to the Jungle of Nool, and put him on trial for the crimes of "talking to a speck of dust and loitering on an egg". Gertrude and Horton make a stand at the trial, but in vain; Yertle the Turtle orders the clover to be boiled in a kettle of beezlenut oil. Aghast, Horton begs the Whos to shout to prove their existence, which nearly fails until Jojo comes up with a "think": the word "YOPP" whose peculiar sound is just enough to reach the jungle creatures' ears ("The People Versus Horton the Elephant"). The court acquits Horton and the Sour Kangaroo repents, swearing that she will help Horton protect the Whos. In Whoville, Jojo is honored as "Thinker Non-Stop" and finally wins the appreciation of his parents.
The egg hatches, and a tiny "Elephant-Bird" emerges. Horton panics, realizing he can't handle flying progeny, but Gertrude promises him that as Horton "teaches him earth", she will "teach him sky". They agree to raise the child together ("Alone in the Universe" (Reprise)). The Cat in the Hat sums things up ("Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!" (Reprise)), "Green Eggs and Ham".
Songs
Act 1
- "Overture"—Orchestra
- "Oh, The Thinks You Can Think!" -- The Cat in the Hat and the Company
- "Our Story Begins"^--The Cat in the Hat & JoJo
- "Horton Hears A Who!"* -- Bird Girls, Horton the Elephant and Citizens of the Jungle of Nool
- "Biggest Blame Fool"—Sour Kangaroo, Horton the Elephant, Wickersham Brothers, Bird Girls, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie LaBird,Citizens of the Jungle, Jojo and The Cat in the Hat
- "Here On Who"—The Mayor, Mrs. Mayor, The Grinch, Whos, and Horton the Elephant
- "A Day for the Cat in the Hat" —The Cat in the Hat, Jojo, and Cat's Helpers
- "It's Possible (In McElligot's Pool)"* -- JoJo, The Cat in the Hat and Fish
- "How To Raise A Child"—The Mayor and Mrs. Mayor
- "The Military"—General Genghis Khan Schmitz, The Mayor of Whoville, Mrs. Mayor, JoJo and Cadets
- "Alone In The Universe"—Horton and JoJo
- "The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz"—Gertrude
- "Amayzing Mayzie"--Mayzie LaBird, Gertrude, and the Bird Girls
- "Amazing Gertrude"— Gertrude, and Bird Girls
- "Monkey Around"—Wickersham Brothers and Horton the Elephant
- "Chasing the Whos"* -- Horton the Elephant, Sour Kangaroo, Bird Girls, Wickersham Brothers, The Cat in the Hat, Vlad Vladikoff and Whos
- "How Lucky You Are"—The Cat in the Hat, Whos
- "Notice Me, Horton"—Gertrude McFuzz and Horton the Elephant
- "How Lucky You Are" (Reprise) -- Mayzie LaBird, Horton
- "Horton Sits on the Egg"—Full Company
Act 2
- "Entr'acte"^-Orchestra
- "Our Story Resumes"-The Cat in the Hat, JoJo, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, General Genghis Khan Schmitz, Bird Girls, and Hunters^
- "Egg, Nest, and Tree"* -- Sour Kangaroo, Bird Girls, Wickersham Brothers, The Cat in the Hat, and Hunters
- "The Circus McGurkus"^-The Cat in the Hat, Horton, and Circus Animals
- "Mayzie in Palm Beach"^—Mayzie LaBird, The Cat in the Hat and Horton
- "Amayzing Horton"-Mayzie Labird & Horton
- "Alone in the Universe" (Reprise) - Horton
- "Solla Sollew"—Horton the Elephant, The Circus McGurkus Animals and Performers, The Mayor, Mrs. Mayor and JoJo
- "The Butter Battle"^-JoJo, General Genghis Khan Schmitz, and Cadets
- "The Grinch Carved the Roast Beast"^- The Grinch, The Mayor, Mrs. Mayor, Cindy Lou Who, Max the Dog,and Whos
- "Havin' a Hunch"* -- The Cat in the Hat, JoJo, Hunches and Cat's Helpers
- "All For You"—Gertrude, Horton and Bird Girls
- "The People Versus Horton The Elephant"*— Company minus Mayzie LaBird
- "Finale" / "Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!"-- Full Company
- "Curtain Call" / "Green Eggs And Ham"—Full Company
- =Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and Dr. Seuss
^=Not on Cast Recording
Principals
(in order of appearance)
- JoJo, a thinker, the child of The Mayor and Mrs. Mayor, he/she gets into trouble for thinking. He and Horton bond over the fact that they are outcasts because of what they do (Horton protecting the Whos and Jojo's "thinks"). He is appreciated in the end.
- The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat is a children's book by Dr. Seuss and perhaps the most famous, featuring a tall, anthropomorphic, mischievous cat, wearing a tall, red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie. He also carries a pale blue umbrella...
, the mischievous, imaginative, comedic narrator of the show who also doubles as several other minor characters. He acts as a mentor to Jojo throughout the play.
- Horton the Elephant
Horton the Elephant is a fictional character from the books Horton Hatches the Egg and Horton Hears a Who!, both by Dr. Seuss. Horton is a kind, sweet-natured elephant who cares about other animals or people...
, a thinker, the outsider, caring, gentle, main character. He tries to protect the Whos and care for the egg Mayzie leaves behind even though the animals think he is crazy. He and Gertrude become the parents of the elephant-bird.
- The Bird Girls, a type of Greek chorus
A Greek chorus is a homogenous, non-individualised group of performers in the plays of classical Greece, who comment with a collective voice on the dramatic action....
of birds that are Mayzie's friends.
- Sour Kangaroo, the leader of the Jungle that tells all that Horton is a fool for thinking there are people living on a dust speck. She is always seen with her younger kangaroo in her pouch usually played by a puppet attatched to costume.
- The Wickersham Brothers, 3 mischievous monkeys who steal Horton's clover from him.
- Gertrude McFuzz, the loyal bird-neighbor of Horton, she loves him but is shy due to having only one feather for a tail. She becomes the mother of the elephant bird in the end and Horton finally falls for her.
- Mayzie LaBird, a bird who tells Gertrude to take pills so her tail will grow longer, forcing Horton to love her (Gertrude). She is the mother of the elephant-bird Horton and Gertrude adopt but she abandoned him and went to Palm Beach.
- The Mayor of Whoville
Whoville is a fictional town created by author Theodor Seuss Geisel, under the name Dr. Seuss. Whoville appeared in the books Horton Hears a Who! and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. There were significant differences between the two renditions.-Location:...
, the Mayor of Whoville, the father of JoJo.
- Mrs. Mayor, The Mayor's wife, the mother of JoJo.
- The Grinch
The Grinch is a fictional character created by Dr. Seuss. He first appeared as the main protagonist in the 1957 children's book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!...
, he tells his famous Christmas tale
- General Genghis Khan Schmitz, the general of the Academy, leads JoJo to war.
- Vlad Vladikoff, Hired by the Sour Kangaroo to get rid of the Whos
- Cindy Lou Who, Listens to the Grinch's tale.
- Max the Dog, Acts in the Grinch's tale
- Judge Yertle the Turtle, The Judge during the court scene.
Other
- Hunches, visual representations of Jojo's thoughts or hunches
- The Fish, the fish that Jojo imagines are in McElligot's Pool
- The Whos (ensemble)
- The Jungle Creatures (ensemble)
- The Hunters, They hunt and take Horton to the ship to the circus, sometimes doubled with the Wickersham Brothers.
- Circus Performers, these are the acts from "Circus McGurkus". They range from clowns to animals to gymnasts.
Missing Subplots
The Lorax is the only character to be removed from the show. He was in the first tryout of 27 August 2000. The Lorax had its own song and lines and its storyline from the book was also put in. The Lorax's part was after "Havin' A Hunch", where Jojo is left on his own after The Cat in The Hat leaves him. Then Jojo is surrounded by several black figures who tell the story about the Lorax. Jojo talks to the Lorax through a phone, first he has a croaky devilish voice in a sort of hut, but then shouts and jumps out in green and white clothing with an Irish clover in the middle. He then begins to sing and dance in an energetic song.
In Seussical Jr. The entire Military subplot was removed to make the story fit to children more, which resulted in the General Genghis Khan Schmitz character being completely removed. Because of this, the songs "The Military", "Havin' A Hunch" and "Message from The Front" were also removed. Also, Seussical Jr. is a one-act musical. Jojo is a smaller role in the Junior version since the military subplot was removed.
Awards and nominations
- 2001 Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
Best Actor in a Musical -- Kevin Chamberlin (nominee)
- 2001 Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
Outstanding Actor in a Musical—Kevin Chamberlin (nominee)
- 2001 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical—Janine LaManna (nominee)
- 2001 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Music—Music by Stephen Flaherty (nominee)
Lucille Lortel Award (2008)
- Outstanding Revival (nominee)
- Outstanding Choreography (nominee)
- Outstanding Costume Design, Tracy Christensen (nominee)
Drama League AwardThe Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing...
(2008)
- Outstanding Revival of a Musical (nominee)
External links