The Centre in Vancouver (777 Homer Street) November 14-18, 2023
Tickets from $68 at 604-263-2314 or www.ticketmaster.ca
Posted November 14, 2023
On the highly unlikely chance your kids aren’t already vibrating with excitement as Christmas approaches, Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical might just do it. With cartoon-like set design by John Lee Beatty and pink, red and white costumes in stripes, polka dots, ribbons and ruffles by Robert Morgan, this touring show looks fantastic. Add snow and confetti and WOW! With the full ensemble of a couple of dozen performers on stage singing, “Fah who for-aze/Dah who dor-aze/Welcome Christmas/Christmas Day”, your heart would have to be two sizes too small not to find a silly grin on your face.
This musical sequel to the children’s book, written in 1957 by American writer and cartoonist Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991) – later simply known as Dr. Seuss, was commissioned by the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis in 1994 before moving on to San Diego in 1998. With book by Mel Marvin and music by Timothy Mason, it eventually landed on Broadway where it broke all box office records in the first week of December 2006. The writer for the New York Times wrote that the show is “100 times better than any bedtime story.”
But regarding that “bedtime story”, warning to parents: there are some scary bits and, talking to the mother of a two-year-old after the show, she said the child was crying and had to wait out the rest of the show in the lobby with his father. Her four-year-old was restless. So it begs the question: who is this show for? Best guess: 5-10 year olds and parents who are hoping to convince their kids that Christmas isn’t about the presents. Amusingly, in this show, the children of Whoville are initially okay with the theft of their presents, joining hands and singing so sweetly. But when the Grinch returns the stolen gifts, they go bananas! In fact, these kids are so wired you might find yourself sharing the Grinch’s grinchiness.
The story is told from the point of view of Max The Dog, now old and retired, looking back on the events of that long ago Christmas when his master came down from his icy mountain retreat to steal all the presents, Christmas trees and holiday food, including the “roast beast” from the Whos of Whoville. Max appears again as a young dog, somewhat abused by the Grinch and not keen on the whole idea but forced to wear antlers and join the Grinch, masquerading as Santa Claus, on his dastardly thievery.
Joshua Woodie as the Grinch, all feathery and green with long, long green fingers is superbly grinchy and has a terrific voice; old and young Max (W. Scott Stewart and Brian Cedric Jones) are charmingly doggy with white fluffy, wagging tails. Aerina DeBoer and Mélodie Rose Romano alternate in the role of Cindy-Lou Who. By publication time, I couldn’t confirm which of those I saw on the night I attended but she was a ringleted, adorable little girl with the sweetest voice and astonishing professionalism in one so young.
Credit: Jeremy Daniel
A full orchestra, more than a dozen songs, dazzling lighting effects and all that singing and dancing makes Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical a big, bright, colourful show. Most of the songs are not ‘tuneful’ or easy to sing but did we join in the singing of “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch”? Yes, we did.
Theodor Seuss Geisel (Ted Geisel aka Dr. Seuss) never had children of his own and is quoted as saying, “You have ‘em, I’ll entertain ‘em”. And entertain them he has, winning a Special Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for his “contribution over nearly half a century to the education and enjoyment of America’s children and their parents”. Since Broadway, Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! has been seen by 2.5 million theatregoers.
But here’s irony for you: for a story that is a plea for reducing materialism – especially at Christmas – and at ticket prices that makes the show unaffordable for many, someone is making a lot of money from a simple little, charming little children’s book written by Geisel back in 1957. And is there ‘merch’ in the lobby? T-shirts, stuffies? You bet! Go ahead, call me Ms. Grinch. I’m just saying.