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Health & Fitness

Seussical the Musical has something for everyone

Sometimes I think every child listens to Dr. Seuss stories from an early age because their parents love to read the books. We read our girls Dr. Seuss books until they were old enough to read the stories to us. When we were invited to attend Seussical the Musical at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, our girls pulled out the books again.

Seussical the Musical takes your favorite characters from 14 different Dr. Seuss stories and brings them into the Horton’s world. Horton, if you recall, is the elephant who sat on an egg until it hatched. He was supposed to watch the egg for a bit, but when the bird mother didn’t return promptly, Horton became the egg’s caretaker.

The characters maintain their original personalities in this story. The Cat in the Hat is mischievous. Jo Jo is always getting into trouble because she has a really good imagination. (In one storyline Jo Jo flooded the bathroom, which caused many parents to warn their children not to try that at home.)

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Seussical the Musical has great lineage. Tony Award® winning writers Lynn Aherns and Stephen Flaherty created colorful characters, clever songs and catchy music when brought the colorful world of Dr. Seuss to the stage. You may have heard of their other works such as Ragtime, Once on This Island and Rocky, the Musical. Monty Python’s Eric Idle co-conceived the musical.

One of the best parts of Seussical the Musical is that the story is expanded, but stays true to the book. After the egg hatches, Horton and Gertrude come together to from an unusual family. They decided that Horton would teach the baby about the earth and Gertrude would teach the baby about the skies. The saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” certainly come to life here.

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A day later our girls were singing, “A person’s a person no matter how small.” It was something Horton sang when he was trying to convince everyone that there were really people on his flower. Our girls talked about the way everyone worked together and how important it was for everyone to just be whom they were meant to be. While I’m glad they enjoyed the show so much, it’s was great that they also understood some of the lessons. Dr. Seuss was always a mix of whimsy and education. Seussical the Musical continues that legacy on the Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s stage through August 17.

Throughout the show’s run, there are special events to enhance the experience. Every Wednesday and Thursday the Chicago Children’s Museum staff and volunteers offer free, hands-on art activities in the lobby. July 26 is the American Sign Language Duo-interpreted performance.  August 16 is the audio-described performance and optional Touch Tour.

To learn more information these special activities or to purchase tickets to the 75-minute performance, visit www.chicagoshakes.com or call (312) 595-5600. Also, remember to get your parking validated before leaving the theater. You’ll get a 40% discount at Navy Pier parking garages.

 

Disclosure:  We did receive media passes to review the show. My words and opinions are my own.

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