Owing to the area’s regional representative holiday commitments, I was invited to review the show Seussical, The Musical.
The musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty is based on the stories of Doctor Seuss and first appeared on Broadway in 2000 and at the Arts Centre in London in 2012.
This production featured 56 youngsters, with quite a few doubling up roles with parts being swapped during the interval. For this reason it is incredibly difficult to produce an individual report so on this occasion I have reviewed the production and commented on individual performances. I am sure that I have overlooked quite a few performers but that is not the intention and just because I have not mentioned you does not mean that you were not noticed. The ensemble piece was excellent, with many performers looking confident and enjoying themselves.
The overture started the show with MR & MRS MAYOR (NATHANIEL FAULLS, MIYA ASHBY) and JOJO (THOMAS COONEY) entering through the audience and miming out the action. Jojo started a little quietly, you need to be a little louder to fill the large auditorium. However, Thomas’s character was very well presented and his mannerisms befitted those of part of Jojo. The opening song, “Oh, The Thinks You Can Think” was energetically performed by the cast and very well sung by CAT IN THE HAT (CONOR QUINN). I enjoyed his dramatic entrance, a good promising start that set the energy level perfectly. I liked the idea of the chorus freezing and pointing to those who have a solo line – it gave focus and importance to those who were singing.
“Horton Hears a Who” was led by HORTON (GLEN SCOTT) who needs to show a little more confidence in his singing to match his excellent stage presence and well presented reactions and I am sure with more roles this will come. This song was very well supported by the other members of the cast.
I was very impressed with the vocal performance by ABBY DEARING as SOUR KANGAROO who produced an excellent performance of "Biggest Blame Fool". She commanded that song with excellent vocal strength and understanding. HELENA BURNS as the YOUNG KANGAROO displayed a pleasant singing voice.
"Meet Jojo the Who" and "How to Raise a Child" were agreeably sung by MR & MRS MAYOR.Miya had good volume and anger and delivered her dialogue with good, audible pace.
Thomas sung with assurance during his songs "It's Possible", "Oh, The Thinks You Can Think!" (Reprise) and again with "Alone in the Universe". He also showed good performance in his songs, acting out them out very well indeed.
GERTRUDE McFUZZ (HEATHER MALONE) displayed a very good singing voice, nice and clear and presented with some natural movements. Heatheralso displayed some lovely facial expressions (for example in the song "One feather tail"). The BIRD GIRLS and MAYZIE LA BIRD (LUCY ASHBURNER) sung and moved well in their roles in Act 1.DOCTOR DAKE (EVAN BEVIS-KNOWLES) was fun.
There was no official interval but a pause whilst costumes were changes, make up applied and the second cast took their main roles for the second half.
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The opening of the second half was just as energetic as the first with some fine enthusiastic performances.
MAYZE LA BIRD (REBECCA GRANT) showed great attitude when on her nest and she sung well in "How Lucky You Are"she was accompanied by CAT IN THE HAT (KINGSLEY DA COSTA) who stole the scene with his ‘over the top’ piano playing.Rebeccaalso impressed with her singing in "Mayzie at the Circus" but remember to keep your chin up and don’t look down so much as we want to see your face.
GERTRUDE McFUZZ (OLIVIA BRENNAND) sung well and ‘’Notice Me Horton’’ was wonderfully performed with HORTON (OLLIE McLAUGHLIN).Olliealso sung Solla Sollew beautifullyl. When she was looking for Horton Oliviaacted well and acted throughout her songs. The duets between Olivia and Ollie in particular were outstanding. Well done!
I was impressed with the strong vocals offered by HANNAH ALCOCK (SOUR KANGAROO) in "Egg, Nest, and Tree"and "Sold".JOJO (ELLIOTT CASTLE) had less to do in Act nevertheless established himself into the role quickly and sung very well.
I liked the curtain call, allowing both sets of principals to have the opportunity to be recognised and appreciated by the audience.
CHORUS
All the dances looked very well rehearsed and the use of levels meant it was interesting to watch. There was a good collective feel about the chorus – with very well defined moves, well executed entrances and exits.
I thought the circus scene was very good, lots of hustle and bustle, I was not quite sure where to look first – which I am sure was the idea. All of the small little units worked very well and the overall was very effective.
A small but important point – when you are supposed to be frozen, or still please remember to keep still as it does become a huge distraction, no matter how small the movement.
DIRECTION (ANN HERTLER-SMITH)
Overall this was a very confident performance that was very well defined by Annie and her team. Moves were well rehearsed, the roles were very well cast (and it was lovely to see so many people having the opportunity of performing a main part). There did seem to be a mismatch on accents. Some performers spoke in an American accent, some did not and all the songs were heavily accented. I would have preferred a little more consistency and perhaps drop the American accent as I do not think it really added anything to the show. The Gertrude transformation scenes looked a little odd and I wondered if the screen could have been held at ground height that way the audience could still see and hear her singing yet covering the changing of the tail (that unfortunately could be seen from my seat half way up the auditorium).
MUSICAL DIRECTION (ROY MATHERS)
All of the youngsters had worked hard on their songs. All of the principals knew their songs, looked confident and produced a good, confident sound. The chorus worked well together and again looked comfortable with their words. Given that they managed all of this in a week is a huge credit to those involved as I have seen some productions with months of rehearsal that are not as polished.
CHOREOGRAPHY (ANN HERTLER-SMITH)
The dance moves were very well thought out, interesting to watch and were very well rehearsed without any obvious glitches. There were some very good, interesting shapes in "Amazing Horton". In both acts a group of boys performed a very well as the WICKERSHAM BROTHERS. Theirdance breaks were quirky, well rehearsed and they all looked like they enjoyed themselves. Those involved in the STAR DANCE should be very pleased as this looked very effective, using the stage space very well.
STAGE MANAGEMENT (RICHARD KESSEL)
The stage was very well managed from start to finish with set changes being conducted quickly and efficiently.
PROPS (ERIC MARTIN assisted by ANNE FIELDING)
There were lots of props in this production and they all seemed to fit the concept of the show very well. I particularly liked the coloured microphones.
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SET (ALAN BAILEY)
The show started with closed blue tabs, sky blue flats with a painted hat down stage right and flowers and window down stage left. Bed down stage left which was also used for different level for some dances later in the show. Once the blue tabs opened, it revealed the red and white stripped hat stage centre and an elevated platform that was used to present some excellent opportunities for different levels and acting area. The backdrop had large painted shapes that gave perspective to the stage.There was a large, long snake winding its way around the small orchestra which was situated in frontof the stage.
Additional items were wheeled on, like the bath. All looked very well constructed.
COSTUMES (ANN HERTLER-SMITH, ANTHEA PROSSER, JOY CRAWFORD, SHIRLEY WRAY-BROWN)
The overall effect of the costumes was excellent, very colourful and all looked as if they fitted. I cannot believe that you not only managed to fit costumes for 56 cast members, but in many cases, found them two costumes! Those involved in the costumes deserve a lot of praise for their efforts in this production.
SOUND (NICK TAYLOR, HANNAH DEEBANK & JOSH HILL)
All the sound effects were on cue and at a sufficient level. The effects added to the production (for example, the sound of the bubbles). The balance between with orchestra and singers was very good and I heard every word that was sung and never felt that the orchestra overwhelmed the singers.
LIGHTING (JOHN CODE & ALI COE)
Overall the lighting enhanced the picture of the show. The background displayed a variety of colours denoting different scenes or adding texture to some of the songs. The follow spot on HORTON inALONE IN THE UNIVERSE was very well controlled.
I assume the nest was set in the wrong place as HORTONwas in the dark some of the times and perhaps the use of the spot light may have helped here? There were a few issues with some of the dancers being in the dark in Act two which may have been a setting issue. I did enjoy the wonderful change of lighting effects on the backdrop that helped add interest to the various songs and scenes.
The use of vibrant colours, like the orange wash for the circus scene, for example, was excellent.
I loved the “snow” effect – very simple but effective without being distracting.
PROGRAMME
The 12 page full colour programme was good value at £1.50. The photographs were clear and of a good quality. I would have liked to have seen who was singing the songs (and this would have helped my memory of who sung what). I felt the red text was difficult to read in the half light of the auditorium but overall the programme was of a very high quality and contained all the relevant information.
Considering that on the previous Saturday no-one knew which parts they were going to do, this company produced an amazingly polished show. Both casts did very well, and everyone involved in the production should take a pat on the back. I am amazed how well it all came together, the singing, the dialogue, the dances, the effects – well done.
Gordon Bird
NODA representative
London Region, District 14