“Seussical” the Musical at Navy Pier

Highly Recommended *****Dr. Seuss is a name that every kid recognizes! From the books and the cartoons they have grown up on. In fact, what makes this very special is that moms and dads can share their own memories with their kids, so in many cases, three generations can recall the famed characters; The cat In The Hat, Horton, Sour Kangaroo,Mayzie La Bird, The Wickersham Brothers and of course the adorable Gertrude McFuzz. Now, for this summer’s Family production at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, your family can enjoy, “Seussical,the Musical”. Directed by Scott Weinstein with solid Choreography by Tommy Rapley and musical direction by Michael Mahler, these stories come alive in the Courtyard Theatre that is where the Shakespeare productions take place as well.

Written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty and based on the works of Dr. Seuss, this 75 minutes of magic will take you away from the real world and into a world of true wonder and awe as they intertwine the characters of Dr. Seuss ( his true name Theodor Seuss Geisel ) and themes from 14 of his classics; “The One Feather Tale of Miss Gertrude McFuzz ( played to perfection by Lillian Castillo), “Horton Hears a Who” ( George Andrew Wolff is an outstanding Horton the elephant) who says, over and over again, a persons a person, no matter how small” as he does his job in saving the people of Who who live on a ball of dust, and we have the amazing  Lisa Estridge taking on the role of Sour Kangaroo and the incredible Corey Goodrich as Mayzie La Bird, but the story revolves around one JoJo ( also the little girl) and her leader through the tales, The Cat In The Hat ( Alex Goodrich does an amazing job of creating this well known mythical character (he continues on this role until August 3rd) and the dynamite Emily Chang  who proves that good things come in small packages) is the perfect JoJo.

Over 20 musical numbers fill the 75 minutes with story telling supreme. watching the faces on the kids in the opening day audience brought back many memories of my kids and grandkids. As you know, when it comes to children’s productions, I am accompanied by grandkids so that I can bring you a kids view of what is on the stage. That certainly makes it easier for you to know if this is what your kids or grandkids will enjoy. Today, I had a problem as they had some other activities in the am and we were scheduled to visit East Dundee for a day at Santa’s Village , but as it turns out, weather made for some changes. Meanwhile, my daughter-in-law’s niece, Maya was glad to come with me and give me a nine year old’s eye for you. She was in heaven as she recalled the stories that her mom and dad had shared with her as a child came to life. From the play, she went on a train to the Suburbs to spend the week-end with her grandparents- here are the words of Maya  Bouchend’homme   “The show was great! I absolutely loved it, Just like the Dr. Seuss books, it taught lots of morals. My favorite character is the Sour Kangaroo. Her voice as the Sour Kangaroo is hilarious. She sang every moment, and it was funny how she made her joey talk. My favorite song is Biggest Blame Fool because I loved the part where they sing ‘talkin-to-the-speck’ and the gestures  they made with their hands. The theater seats are amazing and I hope I can go back and see another play there soon. There are no scary parts and you should definitely go see it!!!” – I know that she had a wonderful experience at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. In fact, she even learned something about the theater itself and of course, The Bard, who it is named after.

This production, an energy packed 75 minutes (no intermission) is a joyful look at the famed stories that we all know and love. This highly energetic cast is onstage or changing costumes (and characters) during the entire time. They go off one aisles and come right back on a different aisle as someone else, dressed differently. The stage is filled with color and the costumes(Theresa Ham, without the Green Eggs) are fantastic. Sorry about that joke Theresa. I could not hold myself back. Great job! The set by Scott Davis is another part of what makes this show special. The stage at CST is open on three sides so there are some limits and with the musicians on the stage, he had his work cut out for him. The sight lines are great, we never miss a beat. I found  could see actors from their head to their feet! ( oops. I did it again! I fell into the world of Dr. Seuss, didn’t I?).                    

If you are looking for something magical for the family this summer, I would say that Navy Pier is the place. There is Cirque Shanghai, next door to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and always other activities on the Pier, but from now through August 17th, take the family into the magical world of Dr. Seuss with “Seussical” the Musical . Performances are as follows:

Tickets range from $18-$28 and can be purchased by calling 312-595-5800 , at the box office or

online, visit www.Chicagoshakes.com

Parking discounts at Navy Pier and plenty of spots to eat as well.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com

go to Review Round-up and click at “Seussical” the Musical.