REVIEW: Oh, the Places You'll Go - HTI's "Seussical" is a Whimsical Delight for All Ages

Photography by: Joshua Arcari

Seussical the musical is a contemporary re-imagining of Dr. Seuss' beloved characters and their stories of friendship, integrity and love. The musical comedy shapes the witty, wild and whimsical world of Dr. Seuss and opens the doors wide for imaginations of all ages. The show has a rocky history of being known for its misdirected design elements, stunt casting, lackluster script and being one of the biggest Broadway flops of all time. With that reputation, it was difficult to imagine it would have life once it closed on Broadway. However, once the rights were available for regional, community and school productions, Seussical found life once again and is now considered an endearing, albeit flawed, part of the musical theatre catalogue.

HTI embraces the production with a high energy cast and a real love and respect for the world of Dr. Seuss and the stories we have all grown up with. From the deviously charming Cat in the Hat to the honourable Horton and the lovelorn Gertrude McFuzz, the cast is full of recognizable characters who come together and take the audience on a delightful romp throughout the pastel-infused jungles and beyond to help a small nation of Whovians be heard by all.

Director Joshua Arcari has made some fantastic design and casting choices for this production. The set design appears simple and straightforward but then the backdrop (built accordion style) changes as the scenes change. This is the first time I have seen this kind of design element implemented on a community theatre stage and it is truly magical to see it (literally) unfold. The set and several of the props are beautifully illustrated in the Seussian style with bright pastels and the keen eyes of the enormous painting team have transformed the stage into a world of whimsy and warmth. Likewise, the costume design by the trio of Hamilton Muses was impressive. Their combined efforts of creating functional yet unique costumes for each character really stood out in this production and helped coax the audience's imaginations to believe these actors were elephants, birds and more. Clever and creative work by all involved.

Arcari has also worked hard to ensure this large cast is utilized effectively and alongside his choreography team Katlyn Alcock and Erika Bennett, have created some great moments with unexpected acrobatics and lifts throughout. The ensemble, as per usual with HTI, supports and allows the more seasoned performers their moments to shine while never fading into the background themselves. From monkeys to birds to the delightful Whovian people, they are all there for one another on and off stage and that is what helps this production to translate from script to stage as well as it does.

Musically, the songs are nothing groundbreaking but they do carry the messages within them effectively. The band is led with great enthusiasm by Musical Director Jennifer Ferreira who worked with the cast to ensure the pacing and sound levels were not overpowering anyone on stage which did not go unnoticed. The music itself is energetic and flows well from one song to the next. The music artistry and talent at HTI is never lacking and this band is no exception.

The standouts in this production are hard to narrow down. Newcomer Emma Grace Stead portrays the young protagonist JoJo with just enough sass and charm to win us over immediately. Her vocals are strong and she showcases some great range in songs It's Possible and Alone in the Universe. She even surprises us all with her belting during The People versus Horton the Elephant. Craig Winterburn is a dedicated and empathetic Horton who we root for the entire show. He has some wonderful moments in both versions of Alone in the Universe and his melancholic lullaby Solla Sollew. Chantal Furtado raises the roof with her ability to riff and belt as the Aretha Franklin-esque haughty Sour Kangaroo (and her young Kangaroo played by Penny McKay, being the youngest cast member on stage, definitely shows real potential for a future in musical theatre).

Further standouts include Melissa Kuipers as Gertrude McFuzz who fully commits to her character and stuns us with her vocal range and, despite her character's timid portrayal, is truly captivating every time she is on stage (big tail or no!) The General (a commanding performance by David Gibel) was a force to be reckoned with and was one of the most enjoyable antagonists I have seen staged. The flirty, slightly antagonistic and irresponsible Mayzie LaBird is played with sass and confidence by Allison Dickson. Finally, the mayoral couple of Paddy Skinner and Alissa Jambrovic are equally charming and are delightful personalities on stage.

But what of the Cat? The Cat in the Hat? Portrayed with absolute joy, wit, and powerhouse vocals is Jacob Rushton. Rushton leads with over 15 years of theatrical experience and it shows. He engages us from the start and has several moments of hilarious audience interaction throughout (another clever decision to use audience participation to engage and delight the younger audience members). This is the role that truly makes or breaks Seussical, and Rushton makes this mischievous character his own while staying true to the Cat's classic antics. He is the very definition of what it means to be a lead and this production is elevated by his abilities and skills. Bravo.

Seussical is not a deep musical. It's not meant to be. Despite its script being simple, it manages to carry the morals of its original source material and provides great reminders to audience members of all ages that you should always be true to yourself, be honourable and, as was reiterated numerous times throughout, that a person is a person, no matter how small. Families will especially enjoy this outing to HTI (watching this show among several young people gave this reviewer some wonderful, unprompted insight into how enjoyable they found it) but anyone who loves these classic stories and characters will find the charm and whimsy of this production in spades. Oh, the places you'll go in Hamilton, Ontario! Don't miss it.

For tickets and more information, please visit:

https://hamiltontheatre.com/tickets/

Photography by: Joshua Arcari