Seussical Rhymes, Romps onto Imagination Stage

“From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere,” said Seuss.  And he must have been talking about Tony winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty bringing all of his most popular book characters to life at Imagination Stage.

“Oh, the places you’ll go…” now that Seussical — a fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza — has returned to the stage with a new production that will turn audience members into the residents of Whoville.

It goes a little something like this: The Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton, an elephant that discovers a village of Whos all living on a tony speck of dust.  On that speck is JoJo, a youngster sent to reform school for thinking too many “thinks.” And in this story, Horton faces a double challenge – he must protect the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers while also guarding an abandoned egg left to his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird!  He’ll face ridicule, danger, kidnapping, and a trial, but as Seuss forewarned, “[I] meant what I said, and [I] said what I meant, An elephant’s faithful 100%.”

“Seussical is one of our all-time favorite shows at Imagination Stage,” shares Artistic Director Janet Stanford. “The stories of Horton the Elephant and Gertrude McFuzz intertwine in a world full of Dr. Seuss’ whimsical characters. And the themes about loyalty and altruism seem especially poignant for the Holiday season.”

It’s a tale of falling in love, having desperate adventures, and evening save the world, where the powers of friendship, loyalty, family, and community are challenged, but ultimately emerge triumphant.