Seussical the Musical

I went and saw Seussical last night and thought i'd give just a very general commentary on what i thought worked and didn't. Unfortunately a load of lights blew just before curtain so there were a few glitchs with things like microphones and people seen entering and exiting and props being moved or characters being in shadow but all in all i think the cast and crew did a great job dealing with it. most of the leads were superb, madeleine shawn (jojo), drew elliot (cat in the hat), alex mclennan (horton), kira morsley (mayzie) and my personal favourite vicki kirkman (gertrude mcfuzz). all these players showed off great voices and some very funny moments ensued... one thing, and i'm sure to be abused for this... the chorus (as a whole) needed to work a lot harder, from remembering choreography (which wasn't all that complex anyway...) to learning not to bump into each other... all in all a good night and i'm sure as the show goes on the glitches will be worked out and every night will hopefully be better than the last! goodluck!

I went and saw the seussical last night 22/4 and took teenagers and young children. We all thoroughly enjoyed the show. After growing up with Dr Suess stories it was fantastic to see the characters come to life. I highly recommend this musical production to everyone!

If I had to sum up my three year old's response to last night's performance it would have to be sensational! A two hour performance commencing at what was usually bed time held out the possibility that I might be nursing a sleeping body throughout the second act if not heading for home with the same at interval. But, apart from an occasional, momentary wilt during some of the quieter numbers, Felix was enthusiastically engaged throughout the performance. He greeted each number with energetic applause and, as the evening progressed, led a chorus of whooping for the items he particularly enjoyed. His favourite was Jane kangaroo and the Wickersham brothers, naughty monkeys, were a close second. There was plenty for adults to enjoy in this performance. The central Horton-Gertrude love story was engaging in its simplicity. For those looking for a little more challenge it was fun playing spot-the-seuss references. At the end of the evening Fox in Socks and One Fish, Two Fish were the only Seuss classics I was familar with that I'd not managed to tick a box for. The failure on my part to tick all the boxes for Seuss references might have been due to not hearing them. Plenty of comments have been made over the years about the challenges facing productions in Playlovers' venue Hackett Hall. Last night's performance, like others I've seen in the venue, suffered somewhat because of the dismal acoustics. Even the more seasoned performers were, to greater and lesser degrees, inaudible. The musical accompaniment, while very accomplished and not overly loud, conspired with the acoustics against the performers. I can't offer any advice that hasn't already, I'm sure, been offered: channelling some of the copious energy into careful attention to clarity. Perhaps with some other productions this might not have been a major concern, but much of the fun of Seuss and Seussical is the language and we needed to hear it more readily. Oddly enough the diction on some of the well coached younger members of the company, assisted by mikes, was occasionally clearer than that of the more experienced members of the cast. Well done! Neither could any summary of this production pass without making mention of the youth of the cast. The many school age (and one younger?!) members of the company were clearly relishing the performance and had obviously gained much from the opportunity to work with some of Perth's finest musical theatre performers. I'm not in the least familiar with the script or any other productions of Seussical and have no idea to what degree the staging may have borrowed from the same, but I've the utmost admiration for the seamless and inspired fashion in which director Kimberley Shaw and her creative partners realised the possibilities in each scene. Seuss set high creative and imaginative standards for himself that were reflected in the clever way in which so many of his favourite characters, inventions and stories were woven into the script and score. Any attempt to bring this world to the stage, particularly with the resources available to a community theatre company, was in danger of being an exercise in awkward compromise. And there were compromises brought on by vagaries of the venue and its hot water system. But Kim's team capitalised on the opportunities with inventive and effective staging that realised and complemented the richly imaginative material. While an immensely enjoyable production, looking back on the script I couldn't help escaping the feeling that it never quite delivered what it may have done. I read with interest the following review of the original 2000 production: http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9B03E6DC103DF932A35751C1A9669C8B63 I suspect Playlovers' was a later, leaner version of the script that had taken on board many of the criticisms levelled at the show in this review. But I felt there was still something unrealised in the Cat in the Hat <-> Horton the Elephant area. On the one hand, we have one of the purest expressions of anarchy in twentieth century children's literature, the Cat in the Hat; sheer, unbridled energy and voom. On the other, the staid and steady, dependable, reliable Horton: "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent!" Inevitably opposing forces, but they never face off against each other, the activity of each doesn't seem to impact significantly on the other and the role of each in an imaginative universe remains largely unexplored. If the reaction of last night's audience was anything to go by, I was probably alone with these imponderables. But I couldn't help wondering what Theodor Seuss Geisel might have made of it. Cheers Grant

I was at the Saturday April 22 performance of this show; I have to say with great trepidation. I don’t know this show, and really had no idea what I was in for. Suessical, the Musical is, as it sounds, based on the works of the great children’s author Dr Suess. Suess created an enduring style in his novels, using a fantastic rhyming system of language both real and invented and a visual landscape of vast imagination for children the world over. If you weren’t fortunate enough to be exposed to Suess as a child, make sure your children are. Suess was also a big fan of subtext, creating a world where children are real people, and where thinking and imagining are the stuff of heroes. (I’m surprised our illustrious PM hasn’t made attempts to get his books banned as seditious.) This is thankfully palpable in the musical. Statements like “A person’s a person, no matter how small” or “Oh, the thinks you can think” litter the dialogue, and many characters are joyful parodies of the stiff and unthinking of our world. This review is long and detailed (and knowing me- long-winded), so maybe get yourself a cup of coffee first! I have striven to be honest in my evaluations, so sensitive types should perhaps read carefully. I am splitting the review into- the venue experience, and the actual show itself. My wife and I, conscious of repeated advertising about sell-out performances bought our tickets from BOCS on Saturday afternoon. We arrived and let ourselves in (were there any ushers?) only to find our seats taken by people who’d bought their tickets at the theatre only minutes before. When sorting this out, we received no apology at all for the mix up and were informed it was BOCS’ fault. Whether it was or not was not of interest to us. We were left feeling we’d been a burden. Not great for my first audience experience of this organisation. I would not have been pleased to have spent $40+ and not had somewhere to sit. If you are ticketing through BOCS, more effort to ensure clarity/communication around sales is needed. I am sure this will be remedied post-haste. Ironically, there were plenty of seats around we could have shifted to. I bought the program to have some idea about the show I was there for. Unfortunately the program merely contained a list of musical numbers, castlist, and bio’s of all creatives. This was great (and some of the bio’s were hilarious), but where was a précis of the show, a history of the conception/writing, background, anything to assist me to understand what I was here to see? I also recommend all program writers put a person’s photo next to their bio and in brackets which character/s they are playing. It’s a small (but very easy) thing to do, that makes it much easier for an audience member to instantly study people ‘of interest’, particularly those without a major role. The seat- nothing can be said about the horror my bum went through on that seat. Even with the cushion (thanks heaps guys for that comfort though!). Finally- the marketing campaign. Why was Suessical described as “…certainly not aimed at kids”? If it was not aimed at kids, then Who(pardon the pun)?! There were a lot of children in the cast, and unfortunately I’m one of those crotchety b-----ds who isn’t inherently fond of children on stage, worried they’ll only be used for a ‘cutesy’ angle. But great if the show is 'for' kids. And as a complete aside- Why no matinees?! It’s school holidays, a show based on Dr Suess, and you’re not doing any matinees or aiming any publicity at youngsters? There were drawings by children all over Hacket Hall. Who drew these, and why were they all over the venue? There was no explanation in the theatre or program that I could find. Again, if it wasn’t a show for kids, then why was I going to an adults show thinking I was at my local kindy? It’s not that I didn’t like them, it just left me even more unbalanced about what kind of show I was there to see. OK. The review of the performance follows. It's the simple things stupid...

OK- now the show itself. Sets- these were spectacular and the highlight of the show for my money. Bravo to Martin Shaw and the team. They were bright, colourful, and full of the energy of Suess. The tree with the nest- genius. Costumes- These were another highlight. Congrats to Terry McAuley for these. They were vivid, bright and absurd. Suess would have approved I’m sure. My only concerns were a couple of costumes, particularly the kangaroos and jungle animals, where I was confused slightly as to what they were. Of course maybe this was the idea? These unfortunately failed to save the disaster of the evening which was the sound. I had several concerns. In a show based on Suess, the text is more than critical to the understanding of plot and character and humour. Most of the text of the night was muffled and difficult to understand. Some was completely incomprehensible. The house PA was poor quality with a poor mix for voice, and microphones appeared to be of poor quality in at least a couple of instances (particularly Mayzie). Also the choice of headsets rather than taping mikes directly to the body was perplexing. Most of the night was punctuated by bumps or scratches against the head sets, with the resulting splat or grunt coming through the system. I also got to see large black cables hanging out of costumes. The venue is patently atrocious for musicals, small stage, poor acoustics, and where do you put a band?! I’m also sure it’s a nightmare to amplify cleanly. This highlights the importance of using quality equipment in the first place. It must be said though that the band throughout were refreshingly gentle, rarely swamping the vocal sound. They were on their mettle throughout the show, with a clean sound and provided a solid base for the cast to sing from. The orchestration is I suspect a little larger than what was used, as there were moments where the scoring seemed emaciated. More instruments would have likely obliterated any chance of hearing the cast though. The lighting was interesting, but either some lights were simply not focussed properly, or cast were blocked poorly or not in the right spot. There was a few times where lights were highlighting not the lead character, but the 3rd monkey from the right. This added to the confusion of understanding the text. Some great ideas were used visually, for instance the bath bubbles scene was really effective and I enjoyed the UV light ‘Hunch’ number. I could also see out of the window to my left and see cast/crew moving outside throughout the show. This was a small but irritating distraction. The chorus- overall great energy from all. I would have liked a more blended sound in the full chorus numbers, but it was the only time text was clear to me. Some members of the chorus were really great, though I don’t know names of most. Miranda Macpherson was notable in a fully committed and energised performance, and others I noted were the blond curly haired boy next to her in the last number and the Who mothers. Choreography didn’t seem to necessarily be created with the space in mind. There were several times I saw clashes and near-crashes in an over-crowded stage area. Some of the work was very beautiful though. I would have liked to see and hear more precision from the chorus, both in dance and vocally. Overall it just needed to be tighter, especially in the tiny space. Characters: Kid/JoJo. As I’ve already stated I’m not usually fond of children on stage, and was especially wary noting the lead girl was the daughter of the director. Madeleine Shaw then proceeded to win me over with a performance worthy of any stage veteran. She was confident, energetic and a delight to watch. One question- was this character supposed to be a boy or a girl? I’m confused. The Cat in the Hat. Drew Elliot’s performance was full of hilarious moments. He brought to life the mischievous nature of the cat in his role as our MC, and kept me amused (despite mike issues at times). He needs to work on his vocal quality (mostly sounds support-based) to match his vocal talents with his obvious brilliance as a physical performer. The Bird Girls- These girls were the vocal highlight of the night. The best, cleanest, richest and most beautiful part-singing in the show came from these three. Bravo. Horton the Elephant- Alex McLennan’s performance was that of an assured and confident veteran. He convincingly portrayed the simple, caring and trusting nature of Horton, and his quiet strength and resolve in simply doing what he said he would do. (A real role model in our current blame and sue age.) I enjoyed his performance a lot. Sour Kangaroo- Breeanh Jones’ performance in this role was THE highlight of the show for me. The main protagonist of Horton and the voice of the great cynical mass, Breeahn gave us a belter. Some serious kick-ass sound and attitude made this role hers. The really great sound needs to be more consistent throughout her range, and more controlled, but wow! I must also mention a great performance from 4-yr-old Stephanie Shaw as young kangaroo. She was ‘cute’, but actually performed her role very well too, which earns her big points from me! Wickersham brothers- This was an inconsistent performance from these guys. Some shaky part-singing combined with movement that seemed to lack confidence in spots. I would have liked more ‘manic’ and insane from them, a little less held back! Gertrude McFuzz- The love interest for Horton (maybe it’s the inter-species nature of the show that makes it adult?!). Gertrude spends most of the show trying to change how she looks (bigger tail) to make Horton notice her, only for him to not. This must be a difficult role to perform and Vicki Kirkman does an admirable job. The desperateness to be liked by her neighbour Horton is palpable throughout, though Vicki’s voice was little too thin in spots for my liking. I was also mystified (with several other performers also) as to why she kept slipping into and out of a quasi-American accent. The show wasn’t set in America (was it?) neither did it appear to be an American character/creature. I am a believer in saving accents for where it is needed to help highlight the distinctness in a character. Mayzie La Bird. Kira Morsely does great in this role, highlighting the moral vacuum of self-importance of this character. However, a lot of what she sang was so muffled to be inaudible. If I didn’t see the headset, I would have sworn her mike was inside her bra. A little more confidence in the sexiness of the movement would help to take this character up another level. Mr and Mrs Mayor. Ron Seymour and Kristen Twynam-Perkins. While Ron is a decent singer, Kristen is clearly not. It was obvious she was more comfortable singing unison. Any harmony was painfully out, and maybe it would not hurt to remove any harmony singing from this role. That said, they were both excellent portraying the concerned, though misguided, parents- ‘Our JoJo is thinking too much!’. However, in casting this role, I am left wondering whether a conscious decision to employ a non-singer was made by the director, and if so, why some effort to alleviate the obvious vocal problems wasn’t made. The Who’s- were great!!!! I really enjoyed every scene with these simple creatures in it. Peter Knol was commendable bringing out the straight and unthinking nature of the war-lord General Genghis Kahn Schmitz. The obvious parody of the military, with his utter confusion at the concept that it doesn’t matter whether you eat your bread butter-side-up or butter-side-down, the entire reason for the war, is both hilarious and uncomfortable when mapped against many current world events. Andrew Wong as the judge conveyed the stodginess of the legal establishment well, but I feel even more effort to really enunciate his text is critical- especially as it is vocally very low. My apologies to any I didn’t mention. The actual script/music. Maybe the problems with hearing text added to this feeling, but I was often left a little lost by the show. There’s a lot of repetitive writing in the music, and some characters didn’t seem to serve a purpose, or were simply not developed enough. Vlad Vladikoff is one that immediately springs to mind. Overall I think some assistance in the program might have helped me a lot. Big kudos to the work put in by Kimberley Shaw the director, and especially Caroline Badnall the MD. This doesn’t seem to be a particularly easy show to prepare musically, and working with technical problems, a reduced band that was still constantly working to keep its sound small, and of course, playing piano while conducting the show (always a triumph of extreme coordination in my opinion), Caroline did a fine job. Overall I really had a good night out. I had fun, enjoyed the colour and spectacle of the performance, and would recommend you go see it. And funnily, I think kids would LOVE it! Just fix up those mikes please! It's the simple things stupid...

I feel stupid now. I started writing this this morning and then had to go to work, now I see I'm just re-iterrating what other people felt, but hey seems it was a general consensus in this case. As a fan of Dr Seuss, I was a bit wary of seeing the musical. But I have to say, the first impression I got from walking into the theatre was "Wow". Martin Shaw has designed and created a set that is taken straight out of the good Dr's works. The colours are many but muted as is Seuss's style and in this production, it means it doesn't steal the attention from the performances. Instead, it creates a perfect world for the actors to play in. The multi-levelled design was ambitious, however I must say performers on the upper level were hard to see unless they crouched down. But the use of mobile stairs was well co-ordinated and utilised. Staying on technical aspects, The costumes were fantastic. From what appear to be simple Monkey and Elephant suits to the circus performers, the co-ordinated Whos and the multitude of fish, birds and other creatures, a lot of work and thought has gone into producing the colour of the characters' exteriors. So much detail in some of them it did, at times, did draw your attention from the performances, such as in the song about McElligot's Pool. All the bubbles, the octopi, the fish and the hoop wearing creatures, it was hard not to be distracted. However, the costumes were all suited to the characters and worked well within the production. The lighting. Now I know this is a sore point at the moment for Playlovers, yet, despite the technical problems, the show was definitely moved to a higher level through the lighting and the lighting effects. It was perhaps a tad ambitious, thus the problem they were having with the power requirements, but all the same, it was effective and only at times did I find the outages a problem (Mainly Stage left) but most of the actors coped by trying to find the light. Now to the performances. Firstly, the band. Caroline Badnall is exceptional. I've worked with her in the past and have tried to enlist her talents for productions with my own company because she is a fantastic performer and a wonderful Musical Director. And the same could be said here. Her band worked well together and I didn't notice any mistakes within the show (Not surprising) They kept the show moving and created a fantastic musical backdrop for the show. As for sound levels, they were good, so no need to worry:) One thing about the band was it's positioning. In utilising it as a part of the show, as The Cat in the Hat did, it would have been nice to have seen the band. I know in previous shows the band has been placed on the floor of the hall to the side of the stage, but in this case, it would have been nice to have them integrated in the set. The stage is small, I know, but having them placed up the back underneath the upper level and on the side of the tunnel behind some gausse(as someone suggested to me) would have brought the audience closer to the show, rather than moving us back and made them a part of the performance on stage. Choreography. I would tend to disagree about the complexity of the choreography. Most performers in Community theatre have not had formal dance classes and, especially in the case of males, are not used to solid dance numbers. I feel that Claire French was being over ambitious with her work. The stage isn't large enough to cope with some of the numbers she was working with and in some numbers the lines could have been halved to allow for cleaner work. There also seemed to be too much going on at times, once again taking the attention away from the singers and their work. In numbers such as Havin' a Hunch, I don't understand why there was so much leg work if they weren't wearing white socks to see it all. The hands were effective, but got lost with the rest of the movement in some moments. The main thing that stood out with the dance was who had had training and who hadn't. No offense to those that hadn't, but it stood out considerably against the more precise technical work of the experienced dancers. Perhaps Claire should have been more selective and given the more complex routines to the more experienced and saved some box steps (Joke, but there are more simple moves to utilise) for the others. But the visual aspect of the dancing was diverse and well suited to Seussical. Ok, the performers. Drew Elliot's Cat in the Hat was wacky and wonderful. From his news casters to his beachside Hombre, his characterisations were fast, funny and well executed. The audience seemed to enjoy him as the MC of the night and he was suitably mysterious or rambunctious when he needed to be. Alex McLennon is a man of many talents. One of the stronger voices in the show, he is also one of the stronger actors. His characterisation of Horton the Elephant was endearing and spot on. It's nice to see him back on stage after his stints as director as he is always refreshing and entertaining with his portrayals. You felt sorry for this lonely little fellow and he never stopped acting on stage (and he was on stage a lot whether staring at a clover [Thistle] or sitting in a nest). As JoJo, Madeleine Shaw was entertaining to watch and has a voice that is developing well. For a ten year old, she maintained the energy required for the show the whole way admirably. Little Madeleine had a bit of trouble getting around some of the words at times, making it hard to understand but really shone in songs like Alone in the Universe. But she did a commendable job and I look forward to seeing how she develops as a Performer in the future. Breeahn Jones was a vocal powerhouse as the Sour Kangaroo. Her character’s bitchiness made her one of the most ferocious villains in the show. Her little offsider, Stephanie Shaw, was adorably cute as her Joey, giving Sour a much needed air of humanity for the children in the audience. Conversely, Vicki Kirkman’s demure portrayal of Gertrude McFuzz, the bird with one feather for a tail, was as likeable as Alex’s Horton. Her sweet voice was added proof she was perfectly cast as the shy neighbour who wanted Horton to like her. Kira Morsley as Mayzie La Bird had the spirit behind her character and a good voice to back it up. I felt her introduction to Gertrude could have been a tad more “tits and Arse” from Chorus Line, but felt that toward the end of the show, she brought Mayzie to a nice conclusion for her storyline. The two trios in the show, the Bird Girls and the Wickersham Brothers (Monkeys) were well assembled. The girls’ back up vocals had me thinking of the three ladies in Little Shop and they harmonised well. Whilst the Brothers did their best to contend with the physicality of their roles. Again, I feel the choreo could have been doctored to help the lads out. As an ex dancer myself, I thought only Clint Strindberg was really up to the necessary level and did stand out in the group vocally, physically and in characterisation. The gigantic Peter Knol was suitably larger than life, though his physicality needed a bit of work, his comical General Schmitz kept the audience laughing. And finally, for individual mentions, Ron Seymour and Kristen Tynam-Perkins were fantastic as Mayor and Mrs Mayor of The smallest planet. They worked well together and had suitably developed their characters. The children of the chorus were tremendous. Their enthusiasm was obviously contagious as when they worked, the adult cast members seemed to be re-invigorated. Special note to Miranda Macpherson who’s performance skills made her, like Alex, a joy to watch the whole way through her scenes and the young lad with curly hair doing the somersaults. He put his all into everything he did and in the finale, it was hard not to notice his vibrant dancing as he really got into the joy of the show. The adult ensemble that made up the rest of the show put the lid on the ice-cream. They really seemed to be enjoying themselves, which is what community theatre is about. They showed respect for each other as they performed, not upstaging the other performers but creating a suitable range of Whoville people, jungle animals and the like to help finish off Kimberley Shaw’s vision of Dr Seuss’ world. As a chorus, the songs were marvellous to listen to, the show was captivating to watch. Of the performances, one thing I couldn’t understand was the Accents. Everyone had adopted an American Accent. This really didn’t make sense to me. The world of Seussical should be somewhat ambivalent and though it makes mention of Palm Beach and New York, I don’t see why natural accents weren’t used or even a variety of different ones. It rings a little of people listening to cast recordings and learning the songs from them. Another point was diction. I will get onto the microphones later, but diction was a huge drawback in the show. Seuss is renowned for his made up words and worlds. People want to hear them, it’s part of the magic. Unfortunately, a lot of the words were lost to the audience. Part of this was due to the tempo of the musical itself, but in many cases, it was just a lack of clear diction. Notably so in McElligot’s Pool and Havin’ a Hunch. But it happened throughout. I didn’t even know what jungle the musical was set in until much later in the second act as it was the first time it was mentioned with clarity. Now, the Microphones. As I said, Alex was one of the stronger singers, yet his mic seemed to have a little trouble. In act one, he sounded hollow and distant, as did Kira. Several of the mics faultered in the opening number contributing to the loss of words. And as the Cat interviewed the audience, their answers were lost to everyone but the people sitting nearby. By second act, they had improved a fair bit on stage, however. Overall, the show was refreshing to watch, very entertaining and a fantastic piece of escapism. It is tremendous to see Playlover’s standard shooting upward and onward. And I truly hope to see them keep moving that way and get the support they deserve. Kimberley has created a world of Seuss that is respectful of his works, and in many ways so much more. And if what I hear is true, I hope the people of Perth get to see this show at a bigger venue once again. (Which seems to be a growing trend *wink wink*) So get your butts into gear, get over your trepidation and go see this wonderful show that truly is fun for the whole family. Have fun, Go Well with everything everyone and see you all in December.

Does anyone have anything else to add? I'm getting sick of rereading the same reviews... :)

Hmmm I actually wrote this straight after I got home from the show on friday but posted it in the wrong spot sorry. Amazing!!! I can not express to you how much I enjoyed this show! Broadway comes to Hacket hall. I admit I was sceptical at first and upon seeing just how young the majority of the cast are I considered going for another complimentary sherry. Oh how groundless my scepticism was, Kimberly Shaw has skilfully directed an enormous cast to produce a seamless show with wonderfully choreographed dances, good consistent singing, numerus sparkling imaginative costumes (that are often rather sassy)and a multi piece set that both sets the scene and inspires the imagination (Yay for Marty).All this is made even more special by the inclusion of a live band. I’m going to shy away from making any special mentions as I think all the roles big and small were done very well and when you go because you MUST you will warm to all the Dr Suess characters and make your own favourites. Sussical the musical runs for another week and if you don't go you are doing your self a grate injustice. Thank you to the entire cast for a wonderful night. Shenandoah Bruce

I just would like to say a congradulations to the cast and crew and particularly Kimberley Shaw. I watched the show last night and it made me want to be a kid again, to anyone with children I heartely recommend it. Just quickly a big pat on the back to the young Jo Jo (Madeline Shaw) she was absolutley brilliant! so talented for such a young age. When watching the production I noticed she had played Lucy in Narnia which is ironic because as I was watching her perform I was thinking how perfect she would have been as a young Lucy. The show had some faults (which already have been posted enough on) but I doubt any of the giggling children around me would have noticed or cared. A fantastic and fun adventure! Well done

SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL! Playlovers’ Seussical closed this weekend, Saturday May 6th, and I was in the audience for the fourth and a half time, lapping up the entertainment just as eagerly as I had at my first viewing. I first attended the production on Sunday, April 23rd. I so enjoyed the performance that, despite having tickets booked for early May, I attended the performance a second time the following Friday, before taking up my pre-booked tickets for my third viewing on Thursday May 4th. Friday and Saturday May 5th and 6th saw me assume front-of-house duties on the show…thus explaining my “half” viewing of the show on the 5th. As you can probably tell, I thoroughly enjoyed Kimberley Shaw’s production and am so grateful I was able to see it grow stronger and slicker with each performance. This review is thus based on the four (and a half) shows I witnessed. The show, by composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, My Favourite Year, Once on this Island), takes the majority of its plot from the Seuss book Horton Hears a Who, in which Horton the Elephant discovers Whoville, a tiny little planet located on a speck of dust, and endures much ridicule and misfortune in his quest to protect them from harm. Into this story are incorporated many of Seuss' characters, from the popular to the more obscure, such as the Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie LaBird, the Sour Kangaroo, Yertle the Turtle, General Genghis Khan Schmitz and Vlad Vladikoff. In truth, the musical's text does not withstand close scrutiny, but nor do I believe close scrutiny should be applied to what is simply a fun, lively, colourful show. The audience, both times I attended the show, contained representatives of nearly every age group who all seemed to enjoy the show equally. The technical aspects of the show were certainly much slicker on my second and subsequent viewings of the show. The lighting was not plagued by power problems as it had been on the Sunday, and the cues were much more accurate. The sound, too, became much clearer as the run continued, and some of the dodgier microphones were thankfully exchanged so that the voices of the talented cast rang out with little interference. While Hackett Hall, I found, is certainly not the most desirable venue for this sort of show, this never detracted greatly from my enjoyment of the show. In fact, thanks to the colourful set design by Martin Shaw and the decoration of the foyer and bar area, a bright, fun atmosphere was created that transformed the otherwise drab venue into a celebration of all things Seuss! The magnificent costumes also aided in the creation of this atmosphere. The principal performers were all vibrant and consistently energetic; it would be an impossible task to select a particular highlight. Drew Elliot's Cat in the Hat led proceedings as the show's "host and MC". Throughout the piece, he was required to take on a variety of characters, each of which he embodied flawlessly and with ease. Elliot's performance was witty, dynamic and always engaging. As young JoJo, whose incessant thinking conjures the Cat and the story into existence, Madeleine Shaw delivered an enjoyable performance, infusing the character with an appropriate amount of wonder and imagination and certainly holding her own among the more experienced principal players. It was refreshing to see a child performer with such a strong understanding of characterisation, interaction and overall stage business. Alex McLennan's Horton the Elephant was well-sung, well-acted, and a likeable hero. Throughout the show he was totally committed to protecting the tiny Whos...never have I seen an actor develop such a great onstage relationship with a dust speck on a pink clover! His jolly presence and jovial, good-natured attitude were well-suited to the part, and I cannot praise him enough for his ability to improvise during those moments of slip-up that no show can ever escape…his reaction to a Gertrude costume malfunction on the Thursday night was priceless, and such a brilliant cover that only the few who had seen the show multiple times noticed that something had gone wrong. Bravo. As Horton's neighbour/love interest Gertrude McFuzz, the bird with the "one feather-tail", Vicki Kirkman perfectly captured the shy and awkward mannerisms of the character, as well as demonstrating a superb sense of comic timing. Her quirky soprano voice was ideally suited to the part, and her frenzied, showstopping delivery of "All For You" late in the second act was hilarious and nothing short of brilliant. Her use of an American accent, which the entire cast employed, was completely justified in my opinion as the text, particularly in the case of this character, cannot be delivered any other way. Seussical is an American show written for an American audience, with American rhythms in the dialogue and many rhymes that don’t work outside of an American accent. All the cast sustained their accents for the entirety of the show, which I’ve surprisingly found to be a less-than-frequent occurrence in shows I’ve seen around Perth! Well done. Kira Morsley, as Mayzie La Bird, sported impressive plumage and made a suitably sultry showgirl with an adequate mixture of sex and sass. With her dry delivery she successfully established the character's been-there-seen-it-all attitude, while also incorporating a hint of vulnerability towards the conclusion of her storyline. Her vocal performance, which ranged from the brash, belty "Amayzing Mayzie" to a soft, cocktail-bar rendition of show theme "How Lucky You Are", was smooth, controlled and always pleasant to listen to, while her presence made her a constant delight to watch, especially as she went from strength to strength with each performance. Breeahn Jones belted to the rafters as the Sour Kangaroo, in a performance that was equal parts Aretha Franklin and the Wicked Witch of the West. Her loud, clear voice easily filled the hall and made her solo moments showstopping moments. She experimented vocally with pop mannerisms while staying firmly rooted in the world of musical theatre, and made an incredibly bitchy villain, with a hint of humanity added via the inclusion of her tiny, mimicking Joey, played by Stephanie Shaw. The two made a convincing mother and daughter, engaging in a charming double-act with the baby kangaroo emulating the larger’s movements. This made for some funny and adorable moments throughout the show. As the Mayor of Whoville and his merry wife, Ron Seymour and Kristen Twynam-Perkins were excessively cheerful and hilariously pantomimic. They worked incredibly well together, and it was amusing to watch these colourful and ever-so-slightly mad characters attempt to parent JoJo in a terribly misguided manner. However, there were also moments of very real emotion incorporated into the characterization of both; for example, it truly was a very sad moment when their son’s death (false alarm) was announced to them. Elsewhere on the planet of Who, Peter Knol’s General Genghis Khan Schmitz was a comical delight, from his rigid facial expressions to his well-timed voice cracking, a side-splitting military parody. A definite musical highlight of all the nights I saw the show was the Bird Girls - Rachael Somers, Lucy Belbin and Maree Cole. As a trio they worked spectacularly well together, their voices blending beautifully to create some truly magnificent harmonies. Their male counterparts, a band of monkey henchmen to the Sour Kangaroo called the Wickersham Brothers, weren’t quite as unified in harmony, but nevertheless burst with energy and commitment. The show’s ensemble grew stronger and stronger each time I saw the show. Their harmonies were good and their acting as a cohesive whole was superb. When I first saw the show, it seemed several of them were a little nervous of the choreography, but by my second viewing they appeared to have a much stronger grasp of the movement. Several standouts included Sally Rugg’s triumphantly ecstatic circus performer, Pia Meehan’s preening leopard, Montana Perrin’s court martial, Melanie Robinson’s high notes and Donna-Marie Gavin’s pretty-much-everything (including her program bio). Musically the show is a difficult one to mount – it is almost entirely sung-through, and the little stretches of dialogue that are included are mostly underscored. As such, much applause is due for musical director Caroline Badnall who simultaneously played in and conducted the band. The band was small and consistently had to alter its volume in the interest of the actors’ audibility; yet despite this they managed to sound full and fantastic. It is also a tribute to the skill of the musical director that the harmonies of the ensemble were so well-executed. And finally its time to heap neverending praise into the lap of director Kimberley Shaw. A truly fantastic effort! Kim has created more than simply a bright, fun, entertaining show - she has brought to life the world of Dr Seuss, within the confines of Hackett Hall. In her direction of the show she has demonstrated a remarkable sense of focus…in a show such as Seussical, with an episodic plot and dealing as it does with two different worlds, one big and one small which both share the stage at several points (!), it would be easy for an audience member to get lost among the loud colours and music. Fortunately, Kim made a very clear distinction between the two worlds which aided the spectator in staying abreast of the story. Her sense of focus also came in handy in numbers such as “Biggest Blame Fool”, where the audience focus stayed squarely on the Sour Kangaroo in spite of the many actors in garish costumes dancing through the background. Her placement of the actors onstage resulted in many frequent beautiful ‘stage pictures’; one that immediately comes to mind is in the climactic court scene, as the vicious jungle creatures close in on Horton and his precious clover, and also in the song “It’s Possible (McElligot’s Pool)”, with Madeleine as JoJo in a bathtub-turned-boat, towering above a sea of dancing fish atop a staircase (which was used effectively throughout the show). And, of course, the “Hunch” dance number (credit also to choreographer Claire French). Congratulations Kim…I think you are aware already of how much I enjoyed the show, and you can credit yourself with converting me from someone who at first heavily disliked the musical, and now quite love it thanks in large part to your production. I would heartily recommend people to see the show if it hadn’t already closed. Sigh. However, if several plans work out this mightn’t be the last we see of Seussical in Perth… Before I finish I just want to give a hearty thanks to the wonderful, welcoming crew at Playlovers. As an audience member I felt looked after and cared for, and it was also an absolute pleasure working alongside you. I will definitely be returning to support future productions. - Tyler Jones

Those who saw the 1 armed Vlad or were involved in the show from the 2nd wednesday onwards would probably know i was out of action due to a broken collar bone sustained on the wednesday night after the show. Tomorrow, Friday the 12th, i go under the knife at Freo to get it fixed in place and screwed together at its original length. I'd just like to thank those that helped me during those last 2 weeks, and hope you'll all be wishing me well for the day. Catch up with you all again soon at the video night, When Kim has time to arrange it :) All the best David