Horton Hears A Hit – A Review of Seussical The Musical at Kelsey Theatre

by Angela Robb

As an early childhood educator, I continually find myself returning to the works of Dr. Seuss. His stories are timeless and filled with playful language and memorable characters. Characters like Horton the Elephant, The Grinch, The Lorax, and The Cat in the Hat are recognized and beloved by multiple generations. While I have read Seuss’s works regularly as a child and shared them with countless children over the years, I have never seen Seussical the Musical until this past Friday night when the show opened at Kelsey Theatre through Theater To Go.

Seussical the Musical is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a family friendly musical that takes characters and plotlines from various Dr. Seuss books and combine them into a two act spectacle interwoven with help from The Cat in the Hat. The original Broadway run in the early 2000s was a box office flop receiving negative critical reviews and only ran for six months at a loss of about $11 million. However, after being made available for licensing it became a cult favorite among schools and community theatres and is in the top three most licensed titles from Musical Theatre International.

The show centers around a young boy named Jojo, the son of the Mayor of Whoville, who has been getting into trouble due to his out of control Thinks inspired by the mischievous The Cat in the Hat. He and the rest of the Whos live on a speck of dust found by the kind and loyal Horton the Elephant who lives in the Jungle of Nool. He is able to hear the Whos and vows to protect them, even if the other inhabitants of Nool do not. The only other person who understands him is his next door neighbor, Gertrude McFuzz, a bird with a small tail she is very insecure about, but Horton is so distracted he doesn't notice her. As more chaos unfolds through intervention from The Cat in the Hat including Jojo being sent to war by his parents to get him to stop Thinking, Horton being stuck looking after Mayzie La Bird’s egg that she abandoned after a one night stand, and Gertude overdosing on growth hormone pills it all ends up coming together in a way only Dr. Seuss can do.

The show is directed and choreographed by Haley Schmalbach. Even before the show started the vibe immediately screamed Dr. Seuss. The set was minimal but looked as though it was illustrated with Dr. Seuss’s classic style with thick black outlines and bright colors. The props were colorful and intentional. During “It’s Possible” while Jojo is in the bathtub the ensemble enhances the scene with fans adorned with blue scarves, long blue streamers, and fluffy fish. As we arrive at Circus McGurkus the ensemble brings balloon animals for the clowns, weights for the Strong Man, and scarves for the trapeze artists. Her choreography was incredibly well done. It was whimsical and perfectly suited to the imaginative world of the show. Schmalbach assembled a cast of strong dancers who executed the choreography with confidence, energy, and precision. What stood out most was her ability to create movement and acting moments that challenged both the adult and youth performers while allowing everyone to shine. Rather than simplifying the choreography for the younger cast members, she crafted numbers that maintained a high level of quality and artistry, resulting in an ensemble that felt unified and equally invested in bringing the story to life. It was honestly one of the best choreographed shows I have seen on the community theatre level.

Costumes, designed by Melissa Rittman, were bright, colorful, and flashy. Each member of the cast had a costume that immediately characterized them without losing the whimsy. As soon as you looked at them you knew who they were and what their character was like. For example, rather than dressing Horton in a full elephant costume he wore dark overalls and a gray trapper hat with the flaps symbolizing his ears. On the same note Mayzie wore a red strapless tight fitting dress to show her diva attitude with a fluffy train in the back for her large tail. Even The Bird Girls, four birds acting like a Greek chorus throughout the show, had costumes that showed they were birds but were still unique to themselves. Each character had their own color palate and a style of dress that showed their personality.

Sue den Outer served as Musical Director while also performing as conductor and keyboard player. Accompanying her in the orchestra were Aaron Allen on drums, Eric Ficarra on percussion, Steve Miller on guitar, Mike Wolf on bass, Laura Neville on trumpet, Terry Chesnovitz on trombone, and Jean Gould and Heather Poppell on reeds. Kelsey Theatre consistently features strong orchestras, but this may be one of the best I have heard there. At the start of the show, the orchestra overpowered the vocals making it difficult to hear over the instruments but the balance was quickly adjusted and the rest of the show continued seamlessly. The cast's vocals were equally impressive. The performers sang with confidence and strong vocal control throughout the production. What stood out most, however, was their commitment to characterization while singing. Rather than stepping out of character for musical numbers, the actors continued to develop their roles through their vocal performances, with several performers incorporating distinct character voices that added personality and depth to their portrayals.

One thing that I particularly loved about Seussical was the fact that it was truly an ensemble cast. Almost everyone played multiple roles and even the “leads” had a lot of time where their character wasn’t the focus. The Cat in the Hat, played by Erin Looney, served as both a narrator and instigator. The way the character was written reminded me of The Leading Player in Pippin. Looney brought a clown like energy to the role through expressive physicality and animated facial expressions. She balanced the character's mischievous nature with an underlying charm, allowing the audience to remain invested in and entertained by the Cat even when their actions created chaos for the other characters. The role of Jojo is shared by Rosalie Marin and Lorena Bueno-Looney, though at my performance I saw Marin as Jojo. Despite some opening-night nerves, Marin brought a spunky and hopeful energy to the character, fully finding her footing during the song “It’s Possible.” Marin possesses a beautiful voice that is remarkably polished for such a young performer. I look forward to seeing the places she will go!

Patrick O'Leary's Horton the Elephant was one of my favorite aspects of the production. From the moment he began singing, I was captivated. His voice was both powerful and gentle, making him an ideal fit for the kind-hearted Horton. He brought a warmth and sincerity to the role that made him the perfect Horton. Lucinda Fisher-Alvarez was equally well cast as Gertrude McFuzz. She brought a sweetness and vulnerability to the role while also finding plenty of humor in Gertrude's frustrations over her famously small tail. Vocally, Fisher-Alvarez was excellent, pairing strong technique with a distinct personality that made her performance feel authentic and memorable. As Mayzie La Bird, Sydney Broitman radiated diva energy. Through confident body language and stage presence, she fully embraced the character's larger-than-life personality. Broitman particularly shined during her musical numbers, but what impressed me most was her commitment to the role even when she was not the center of attention. Small details such as eye rolls, dismissive glances, and dramatic hair flips helped keep the character alive throughout every scene. I also have to commend Haley Schmalbach's casting choices. Every performer felt perfectly matched to their role, creating an ensemble that brought the world of Seussical to life with creativity and charm.

Roman Sohor and Jenny Weiner were a perfect pairing as Mr. and Mrs. Mayor of Whoville. The two shared delightful chemistry and played off one another effortlessly throughout the performance. Sohor's portrayal was particularly memorable thanks to his choice to channel the vocal style of Ed Wynn, complete with a distinctive lisp, which added an extra layer of humor and charm to the character. As Mrs. Mayor, Weiner convincingly portrayed a devoted wife and mother concerned about her child while also embracing the character's comedic moments. Her performance during Mrs. Mayor's drunken scene was especially entertaining. Another duo was Sour Kangaroo and Young Kangaroo, played by Jaylen Stanley and A'mazin Williams, respectively. I cannot say enough good things about Stanley's performance. Despite Sour Kangaroo being a relatively small role, Stanley made the character feel larger than life, stealing every scene they appeared in. Portraying Sour Kangaroo as a glamorous, unapologetic diva, Stanley commanded attention from the moment they stepped onstage. Their confidence, charisma, and stage presence made it impossible to look away. Williams complemented Stanley perfectly as Young Kangaroo, matching their mentor's sass and attitude.

The Birds, a Greek chorus that helps narrate the story throughout the show, were played by Hannah Barudin, Kacey Cavalieri, Ethan Shaev, and Aubrey Malakoff. One of the strengths of this quartet was their ability to function as a cohesive unit while still creating distinct personalities for each Bird. For example, Shaev brought a sharp sense of attitude to his character, while Malakoff stood out with her highly expressive reactions and physicality. Together, the group maintained strong chemistry and added energy and humor to every scene they appeared in. Another memorable group of characters was the Wickersham Brothers, played by Alex Search, Brian Wurtz, Anthony Wurtz, and Sean Gavin. As mischievous monkeys, all four performers fully committed to their roles. Whenever they took the stage, they brought an infectious energy through their physical comedy, constantly jumping, running, and moving about the stage and even the house. Their enthusiasm was impossible to ignore, and they added a playful sense of chaos.

Chris Schmalbach played the role of General Genghis Kahn Schmitz, an army general in the butter battle war. He perfectly combined the no nonsense energy of a general with a subtle sense of natural comedy that came out without breaking character. James Zimmerman played The Grinch and Vlad Vladikoff and though the role of a reformed Grinch was familiar I particularly found the chaotic energy and physicality he brought to Vlad Vladikoff to be positively hilarious. Brandon Grumet appeared as Yurtle the Turtle, a relatively small role that does not arrive until late in the second act. While I would have liked to see more of Grumet as Yurtle, he made the most of his stage time. Even when performing as part of the ensemble, he consistently brought enthusiasm and energy to the production, making him enjoyable to watch whenever he was onstage. Rounding out the company were the young performers portraying the Whos and the cadets in the Butter Battle: Ariana Nunez, Kennedy McMillan, Aadya Mehndiratta, Evelyn Braynor, Alisha Mehndiratta, Melody Weiner, and Charlotte Rasmussen. They worked exceptionally well together as an ensemble and remained fully engaged throughout the production. In shows featuring a large number of young performers, it is not uncommon to see lapses in focus or energy, but that was never the case here. Each performer remained present, in character, and committed to the action onstage from beginning to end. Their professionalism and enthusiasm really increased the quality of the production. Credit is also due to Haley Schmalbach, whose direction clearly encouraged these young performers to rise to the same high standard as the rest of the cast.

Another aspect of the production that I particularly enjoyed was its use of puppetry. Dekota Homer served as puppet coordinator and operated Max the Dog, as well as some other puppet appearances throughout the show. While I would have enjoyed seeing even more puppetry incorporated into the production, I appreciated the creative touch it added. The puppets enhanced the whimsical atmosphere and contributed to the zany world of Dr. Seuss. Kitty Getlik's lighting design further elevated the production. From the opening moments of the show, vibrant washes of pink, blue, purple, and green transformed the stage into a world that felt as though it had stepped directly out of a Dr. Seuss illustration. The lighting helped establish the playful tone of the production while adding visual excitement to many of the musical numbers. One scene that was particularly impressive was “Havin’ A Hunch” which was done completely in blacklight. Eric Collins' sound design was equally effective. Aside from a brief balance issue at the beginning of the performance, the microphones and orchestra were well mixed, allowing the audience to clearly hear both the music and dialogue. The sound effects blended naturally into the production and helped support the storytelling without drawing attention away from the performers. Stage Management by Dekota Homer, Zhi Sharpe, and Juliana Gonzalez-Najera kept everything moving smoothly throughout.

While Seussical may not have been a hit on Broadway, it is certainly a hit at Kelsey Theatre. This production embraces everything that makes the show special: its imagination, heart, humor, and sense of wonder. More than anything, it is simply a fun time at the theatre. One thing I was especially delighted to see was the amount of children in the audience, something that is often rare at community theatre productions. Seussical serves as a wonderful introduction to live theatre, inviting young audiences into a world of creativity while still being entertaining for the adults. In a world that can often feel overwhelming, there is something refreshing about spending a few hours in the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss.  The show runs through June 14^th and tickets can be purchased at https://tinyurl.com/3zaz8t8p