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Seussical: Original Cast Recording, 2000, New York, NY: Universal Classics Group. 76 minutes.
Age/Interest Level: 4-12 years
Lexile Level: N/A
Awards: N/A
Reader Annotation: All the characters from the Dr. Seuss favorites appear on this cast recording for the Original Broadway Production. Horton the Elephant attempts to protect the citizens of Who-ville while the Cat and the Hat narrates.
Plot Summary: Most of Dr. Seuss’s works are mentioned within this show, in one way or another. The Cat and the Hat guides the show, commenting on the situation Horton the Elephant gets himself into as protector of Who-ville, which happens to be atop a small speck of dust. The Sour Kangaroo plots against Horton, though Gertrude McFuzz defends him and he bonds with JoJo, a child in Who-ville who’s always in trouble for thinking.
Critical Evaluation: The show itself has the problem of compacting too many characters into such a small a space. The creators had permission to use all of Dr. Seuss works, and they attempted that. However, the recording is great because the songs can be enjoyed individually, and some of the quite great. This is a great piece for showing how works can be adapted and as an overall beginning point on the discussion of theatre. Children love the high-energy number and the melodies tend to be very simple and easy to catch onto, making them nice for repetitive listening.
Why Included: This is one of the few professional cast recordings of a show which is appropriate for children. Children are its intended audience, and it makes a great conversation for what performance is and what it means to adapt works and chracters.
Age/Interest Level: 4-12 years
Lexile Level: N/A
Awards: N/A
Reader Annotation: All the characters from the Dr. Seuss favorites appear on this cast recording for the Original Broadway Production. Horton the Elephant attempts to protect the citizens of Who-ville while the Cat and the Hat narrates.
Plot Summary: Most of Dr. Seuss’s works are mentioned within this show, in one way or another. The Cat and the Hat guides the show, commenting on the situation Horton the Elephant gets himself into as protector of Who-ville, which happens to be atop a small speck of dust. The Sour Kangaroo plots against Horton, though Gertrude McFuzz defends him and he bonds with JoJo, a child in Who-ville who’s always in trouble for thinking.
Critical Evaluation: The show itself has the problem of compacting too many characters into such a small a space. The creators had permission to use all of Dr. Seuss works, and they attempted that. However, the recording is great because the songs can be enjoyed individually, and some of the quite great. This is a great piece for showing how works can be adapted and as an overall beginning point on the discussion of theatre. Children love the high-energy number and the melodies tend to be very simple and easy to catch onto, making them nice for repetitive listening.
Why Included: This is one of the few professional cast recordings of a show which is appropriate for children. Children are its intended audience, and it makes a great conversation for what performance is and what it means to adapt works and chracters.