Horton signs Norah’s program.
In our house The Cat in the Hat holds several places of honor. We have two well-read (over and over and over) copies of the book and the audio book on my iPhone. It never gets old. So going to see him live at the Seussical “show” was a thrill for my three-year-old, Norah. The cast of Theatre IV, The Children’s Theatre of Virginia, definitely delivered.
We bought the tickets on a whim without much research. So it wasn’t until the night before that we realized the plot of the show, while narrated by the Cat in the Hat, centered on the Horton stories. We hadn’t read either. So we did some quick online work and showed Norah some videos to give her the idea. (Note to future audience members: it would be even more fun if you know the Horton books before going.)
The big day arrived, and Norah decided only her Cinderella princess dress would be suitable attire to look fancy for the show. Once we arrived at the theater and saw the real stage and barrage of questions and excitement ensued.
Then off to the adventure. Seussical starts off with a bang with one entertaining musical number after another. The cast and costumes were exuberant, and the sets were fantastical. Everything channeled the energy and liveliness that makes us love Dr. Seuss in the first place. Through all the fun themes of loyalty, watching out for the little guy, friendship and character (over vanity) are woven in. And as always with Dr. Seuss, we were reminded that “anything is possible.”
Norah couldn’t have loved it more. Each song was followed by a whispered question of, “is there a lot more, Mama?” She didn’t want it to end. The good news is that the fun didn’t stop with the applause. Most of the cast lined up in a receiving line in the lobby so the children could meet them and get their program autographed. A really nice touch.
Anyone who loves the works of Dr. Seuss (and really, who doesn’t?) will love this energetic, rambunctious show.
p.s. We’re now proud owners of Horton Hears a Who and are reading it repeatedly.
Seussical
Theatre IV at the Sara Belle and Neil November Theatre
Through May 20
Katherine O’Donnell loves Richmond and promoting it to visitors during her job as Director of Marketing at the RMCVB. A North Carolina native, Katherine has lived in Richmond since her undergrad days at the University of Richmond. (Go Spiders!) She lives in the West End with her husband, Darby, and daughter, Norah.
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