YIPPEE BROADWAY FANS!!!! Just another day waking up with us New York Broadway Tours as we continue getting our spirits up for the The 95th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade just 19 DAYS AWAY. Between between now and Thanksgiving day is playing our favorite Musical Theater performances from previous telecasts on our TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN. It’s time once again for another musical showstopper that has happened live from New York’s MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. Truly a happy time especially with Live Theater now back in the Big Apple.
At # 19 on our countdown…. Wait!!! We just wanted to take a moment once again to see how incredible the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is being a family-friendly event for all ages. There’s so much that happens during the iconic march from Central Park all the way to Macy’s in Herald Square. Of course we got the floats, balloons, marching bands, celebrities but also some really fun characters from clowns, to explorers, and even some magical whimsical characters. Speaking of whimsical characters, we’ve even had an incredible share of them that have even taken center stage on the Great White Way. The greatest one was iconic characters that were created by the unique genius children’s book writer by the name of Dr. Seuss. This is Seussical The Musical!!!! The show features a score and book by Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty.
From the 2000 NBC telecast, Tony nominee Kevin Chamberlin as “Horton The Elephant” and the incredible gang of crazy characters from your favorite Dr. Seuss stories take over Herald Square with a performance of the show-stopping BIGGEST BLAME FOOL.
SEUSSICAL was conceived in 1997 by producing company Livent Inc. who secured the rights of using many of Dr. Seuss’ books in creating a full original Broadway musical paying tribute to his works. They immediately reached out to the perfect duo in mind to create the show. Following the success of their previous collaboration RAGTIME, they hired Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty to do the score and book. Because of Dr. Seuss books being so beloved, the pressure was on. The aim for this new musical was to make it fun, colorful, and a very feel good show. With several years of writing this Dr. Seuss’ show would go through various drafts. Finally in 1999, the show began a set of early development readings and workshop labs.. Reviews from the early reading were positive, setting off a bidding battle to have the show fully produced and go directly onto the New York stage.
Finally in the Fall of 2000, the show had its world Premiere pre-Broadway tryout in Boston, Massachusetts playing the Colonial Theatre. Early reviews were mixed to negative there. Following its Boston run, many parts of the show went through various changes with the storyline and songs.
A month later, SEUSSICAL finally made its Broadway debut at the Richard Rodgers Theatre where it ran for only for a complete total of 232 performances. Under the direction of Frank Galati and choreography by Kathleen Marshall, the cast was led by….
Kevin Chamberlin as “Horton The Elephant”,
David Shiner (later Rosie O’Donnell and Cathy Rigby) as “The Cat in the Hat”,
Janine LaManna as “Gertude McFuzz”,
Michelle Pawk as “Mayzie LaBird”,
Anthony Blair Hall (later Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Aaron Carter) as “Jojo”,
and more.
The reviews of SEUSSICAL, critics panned the production really harshly. However to keep attempting to raise ticket sales, SEUSSICAL began to have a full lineup of celebrity “Stunt Casting” which gave the production more horrible backlash. Apparently even with the “Stunt Casting”, the show continued to flop at the Box Office and closed right away. Following the final performance, the producers lost over $11 millions it failed to keep the ticket sales alive making it the worst financial flops in Broadway History.
It only received 1 nomination at the Tony Awards in 2001 for BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (for Kevin Chamberlin). However, the category was lost.
Following its short lived Broadway life, SEUSSICAL began a life touring all across North America and eventually a brief limited 90 minute abbreviated version Off Broadway by TheatreworksUSA at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2007. It later made its later arrival in London’s West End debut in 2012. Today, is a popular show performed in schools, community, and regional theaters around the world.
Who is feeling like a WHO or any of the notable SEUSS characters after that performance?
