Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is no doubt a family holiday favorite - from the book, to the cartoon film, to the live-action movie with Jim Carrey.It also makes the perfect family-friendly holiday musical.
John Larroquette enters as "Old Max" retelling the story of when he was "Young Max" (portrayed by James Royce Edwards) and the Grinch (Stefan Karl) was up to his anti-Whoville holiday scheme. No need to retell the story most already know, but there are great elements that make this musical an enjoyable family experience.
The audience/show barrier is lifted often. Larroquette, Edwards, and Karl's character portrayals directly interact with the audience. Stefan Karl's performance as the Grinch is hilarious here, particularly in numbers where he's being quite the ham to the audience and both Old/Young Max alike warns us not to encourage him.
The stage is a holiday splendor of familiar Who-ville images seemingly lifted from Seuss' books into real life in all that musical stage spectacular. It's the perfect setting to bring the family into the beautiful historic Pantages Theatre.
And of course, the story is as heart-warming as ever - warmly lit by the singing of the Whoville cast, especially Cindy-Lou Who and her heart-changing interactions with the Grinch.
The show evokes the warmth of the holiday season for Human, Grinch, Dog, and Whoville citizens alike.
-Charity Tran
Usage of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! image and name is authorized. TM & ©1957, 2009 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.
No comments:
Post a Comment