Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot…
But the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did NOT!
The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
Well, thanks to a sweet and clever new musical by Mel Harris (music) and Timothy Mason (book and lyrics), camped out at the Hippodrome Theatre just in time to kick off the Holiday Season, we understand a little better. Colorful, joyous, and full of the Who spirit of Christmas, this fun and very family friendly expansion on the the legendary Dr. Seuss’ classic children’s book and annual TV event is just the right combination of nostalgia and nouveau to keep both parents and children entertained.
Mason’s book is delightful. Admirably employing Seuss’ classic AABB anapestic tetrameter (thanks, Sister Suzanne for the thorough AP English) throughout the entire 90 minutes of the show, his additions seamlessly blend with Seuss’ original 20-some minute recitation of the book. Mostly exploring the happy, heartwarming world of the Whos as they prepare with joy and tradition for the upcoming Christmas festivities, Mason creatively chooses as his narrator a present day aging version of Max, the Grinch’s enthusiastic pup. A most reliable narrator—he was there—his recounting is somewhat less condemning than screen legend Boris Karloff’s intimidating bass in the definitive animated TV special. Choosing Max to narrate gives the piece a more sympathetic and slightly forgiving view of his former master, which makes the show decidedly less dark for younger viewers live.
Harris, like Mason, also wisely chooses to expand on the original Albert Hague/Dr. Seuss’ iconic score from the TV special. He even bravely launches his opening number with the familiar strains of the Whos singing “Welcome Christmas” (you know, “Fah-who foraze, Dah-who doraze”) and slyly blend it into a catchy new possible classic of their own, “Who Likes Christmas?”. (I heard no less than six separate young ones singing the new song on the way out to our cars after the show.) And how do you compete with a theme song that has persisted as a holiday earworm for over sixty years. It doesn’t matter. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” stands out like a celebrity guest star at an otherwise strong showcase.
So he called his dog, Max. Then he took some red thread,
And he tied a big horn on the top of his head.
THEN He loaded some bags And some old empty sacks,
On a ramshackle sleigh And he hitched up old Max.
Nicholas Hambruch (Shrek, Jesus Christ Superstar 50th Anniversary Tour) is a warm and engaging Old Max who recites his tale with a twinge of nostalgia for a dog who clearly suffered abuse from his owner as a pup. But this keeps with Max’s ever faithful devotion to the Grinch (embodied here by Andrew Fleming his younger self). We see a hint of nostalgia and a wistful regret for days gone by when he interacts with Fleming (national tour debut) as well as a bit of wisdom and understanding for the Grinch. Fleming is an exhausting display of constant energy and athletic acrobatics, especially in the duo’s “This Time of Year” where he punctuates his singing with a finale of flips and leaps and handstands and cartwheels while keeping his harmony line with Hambruch—no mean feat. Fleming’s never-ending physicality is astounding. But it’s Hambruch who gets the daunting honor of singing the iconic song from the score, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”—with a fun audience sing-a-long reprise that you can literally bringing families together in their seats—and he hits the big shot with almost no regret of missing Thurl Ravenscroft’s iconic bass that punctuates every punchline beat perfectly in the original.
It could be his head wasn’t screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all,
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.
Cody Garcia (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Peter Pan) is hilarious as a modern day, updated Grinch. Less Boris Karloff voicing legendary animator Chuck Jones’ scowling TV creation, he’s more of a Grinch as if played by snarky comedian Joel McHale, and it works today. He’s alternately the requisite combination of nasty, maniacal, condescending, conniving, and darkly funny—could Karloff have landed aside salutes to Barbra Streisand or Carol Channing for the knowing adults?—but he also captures the soft side when the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes Christmas morning. Is he a nasty, wasty skunk? Of course, and the audience young and old relish in it. However, watch out when this new age Grinch steals his own show with a glitzy, showstopping song and dance solo, “One of a Kind”. Garcia delivers a self-fulling anthem.
He turned around fast, and he saw a small Who!
Little Cindy-Lou Who, who was not more than two.
The Grinch had been caught by this tiny Who daughter,
Who’d got out of bed for a cup of cold water.
But the gateway character for children of three generations so far has always been the unintentional heroine of the story, Cindy Lou Who, and in Khloe Saclolo (at this performance) in her national tour debut, they have a perfect innocent to draw them in. Saclolo is a natural charmer who knows how to hold center stage but has all the star quality of a veteran three times her age. It’s no wonder she’s key in melting the Grinch’s cold, frozen heart.
Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown,
At the warm lighted windows below in their town.
For he knew every Who down in Whoville beneath,
Was busy now, hanging a mistletoe wreath.
Technically, the team adheres to the visuals of Seuss’ original story book. Set Designer John Lee Beatty populates his stage with set pieces large and small that draw directly form Seuss’ iconic two-dimensional, hash mark shaded, black and white ink drawings, in a palate of black and white against red with a splash of Grinchian green. It’s comforting to see the familiar Seussian trees that look like tufts of feathers and all the buildings in their altered perspective and everything form the original book and TV show that we’ve all grown up with down to the classic Who delicacies of Who-pudding and roast beast, all blown up to scale but in faithful Dr. Seuss 2-D style.
I know just what to do!” The Grinch laughed in his throat.
And he made a quick Santy Claus hat and a coat.
And he chuckled, and clucked, “What a great Grinchy trick!
With this coat and this hat, I look just like Saint Nick!”
Costume Designer Robert Morgan contributes his ingenuity to the package with ultra faithful costumes that flesh out the bowling pin bodies and croquembouche hairdos of Seuss’ classic Who sketches. Always risky to limit the palate of a show to one color family (like the book, red, white, and pink), Morgan pulls it off effortlessly and draws us into the Whoville that Seuss envisioned. It’s all there: the furry grinch down to his long, extended, thin hairy fingers, the single antler strapped to Max’s head, the simple Santa jacket (however, glitzed up to the max), and a sweet touch that Old Max’s costume is exactly like Young Max’s black and white, but in shades of gray a few sizes larger.
Lighting Designer Craig Stelzenmuller, thanks to Beatty and Morgan, has the unenviable job of having to light a monochromatic show, which poses certain challenges. But Stelzenmuller’s lights are a third piece of the charm and combine and enhance their efforts. He also contributes a major part of Director Matt August’s clever staging of the Grinch’s perilous descent from his home atop Mount Crumpet to Whoville. The two deliver a deceptively simple effect that looks exceptionally dangerous.
As a Director, August keeps the show moving at a brisk 90 minute pace and implements many of the familiar visuals from the TV special, even contorting his actors into some of the exaggerated Seussian poses we’ve seen for 60 years. Credit him also for being the interpreter who blends two writers words into one seamless piece.
Choreographer and Co-Director Bob Richard adds jubilant dance numbers for the ensemble Whos, which is more than it seems when taking into consideration that Morgan’s costumes have thrown everyone’s center of gravity into Who-knows-where.
Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN’T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
Spoiler Alert: The Grinch couldn’t keep Christmas from coming, but he can’t keep in town for long. This is a fast five day run, even though it packs a full 8 shows in this weekend, so grab your Who-hash and carve the roast beast and get down to The Hippodrome before the week ends.
“It came with out ribbons! It came without tags!”
“It came without packages, boxes or bags!”
And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.”
“Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
And this is the reason the show works for both parents and children. At heart it’s the message of keeping the spirit of Christmas alive, even in a society that has become exponentially more commercial than it was when Seuss penned this immortal tale.
So, I leave you all with a final word for the holiday season from this poor man’s Dr. Seuss”
I give thanks to so many, for so many reasons
To the Hippodrome for the privilege to review such great seasons
To my readers, who inspire me to write and touch hearts
Happy Holidays to all, Love, Mark on the Arts
All photos courtesy of Jeremy Daniels
The show runs a perfect 90 minutes with no intermission
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas runs till November 30 at the Hippodrome Theatre in the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center at 12 N. Eutaw Street. For tickets call the box office at 410.752.7444. or purchase them online