Oh, the Thinks you can think
If you’re willing to try…
Think invisible ink! Or a gink with a stink!
Or a stair to the sky…
If you open your mind,
Oh, the Thinks you will find
Lining up to get loose…
Oh, the Thinks you can think
When you think about…
SEUSS!
And with that, we were launched into a madcap adventure of full to wacky characters and impossible situations that can only belong in the Seussian world yesterday evening at the premiere of Seussical The Musical!
While I myself have never been a huge fan of Dr Seuss — somehow I just rarely came across his books — my children absolutely love their Dr Seuss books. Especially my little Mei, who loves to pull out a title or two and clamour for it to be read at bedtime. Her favourites include The Cat in the Hat, Dr Seuss’ ABC and Green Eggs and Ham and these books have been very helpful in her reading journey, with their special blend of rhythm, rhyme and repetition. Green Eggs and Ham is in fact the first book that Mei read all on her own. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised by her love for Dr Seuss, considering she shares the same birthday as the man himself!
(If you’re looking for a good collection of Dr Seuss book, The Groovy Giraffe has an awesome Dr Seuss Classic Collection 20-Book Box Set for just $99.90! We have it and we love it! You can also use the GET5OFF code to get an additional 5% discount!)
Seussical the Musical takes the kooky world of Dr Seuss with its zany characters on to the stage in an entertaining mix of song and dance. When we stepped into the theatre, our attention was immediately captivated by the set, featuring Seuss-ish drawings, puffy little clovers, ropes and a fun slide. The kids excitedly asked why there was a playground on the stage!
From the get-go, the musical was a riot of song as the actors filled the stage with their colourful characters and energy. Pulling together elements from different much-loved stories of Dr Seuss, the main storyline borrows mostly from Horton Hears A Who and Horton Hatches An Egg. Together with courageous Horton, lovelorn but loyal Gertrude, vain and irresponsible Mayzie, the determined tiny Whos and the irrepressible Cat in the Hat, the audience is taken on an imaginative journey where all the thinks you can think can come to life. It also emphasised an important message — that a person’s a person, no matter how small. The music was something I really enjoyed and after the show, I still found myself humming certain tunes.
The Cat with the Clover.
The anxious residents of Whoville.
Who would have imagined an elephant in a nest up in a tree?
Gertrude finds Horton the Clover!
The Cat and checks in on Mayzie, who has convenient forgotten about her egg…
Mei is familiar with Horton and was able to follow along on his adventure, though she was initially a little confused since the animal characters were not obviously depicted as such. Also, this being a musical, most of the story is delivered in song, which can be a bit difficult for young children like my 4-year old to grasp and I had to explain and fill in some of the gaps in between. For this reason, this show is recommended for children 5 years and up, though I personally think it would be best enjoyed by audiences who are at least of Primary-school-going age. The show is also 75 mins long without an interval.
That said, it did make an impression on Mei, and she kept talking about the show after the show, telling me about the parts that she liked, like when Horton running around with the clover in his hand and the bit where The Cat In the Hat pretended to be a doctor, and the parts which she didn’t like the part of the story where Mayzie tricked Horton into sitting on her egg and he got captured by hunters.
She was also terribly thrilled to meet some of the cast members outside after the show. She got to shake some of their hands as they walked off the stage right down our aisle, and was asking and asking about where they went. And when we stepped out the doors of the theatre, there they were!
Pleased to meet the boy/Jojo and Mayzie!
Seussical the Musical is here for just a short run from Friday 6 Nov to Sunday 8 Nov 2015. With only five shows, grab your tickets today at Sistic!
Seussical the Musical
Ticketing and Show Information
Season: 6 Nov to 8 Nov 2015
Venue: Esplanade Theatre
Performance Times: Friday 5pm; Saturday 11am & 3pm; Sunday 11am & 3pm
Ticket Prices: $68 through to $108 ($58 for Restricted View)
Duration: 75 mins with no interval
Booking Through Sistic: http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/seus1115
Booking By Phone: +65 6688 8826
* We were privileged to have watched Seussical the Musical on a media invite. All photos except my personal photographs are courtesy of ABA Productions, and all opinions remain, as always, authentically my own.
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