'Seussical' for everyone

Seussical The Musical" broke the mold in its debut at the IU Auditorium this weekend. Though "family show" is a term that generally brings to mind sappy stories, screaming brats and unrefined musical scores, the show based on the works of Dr. Seuss entertained children of all ages. From the rhyming request for patrons to turn off their cell phones, to the green eggs and ham finale, "Seussical" had a level of energy and humor that made it stand out from its genre. The opening number assured that "this ain't Mother Goose," and indeed it wasn't. It maintained its childhood sense of wonder without being childish, as it whirled through the tales of Horton the Elephant, the town of Whoville and Gertrude McFuzz. Along the way, the audience was introduced to a soulful Sour Kangaroo, played by LaDonna Burns, a sassy Mayzie LaBird, played by Dawn Lebrecht, a deranged warmonger, played by Phil Olejack and other talented, endearing characters. \nThough the play was not based upon a single book, it maintained the unique style and character designs of the original author, Theodore "Dr. Seuss" Geisel. Children were treated to outlandish locales, while adults were offered socio-political commentary. As promised, the story had something for everybody. Horton's refrain of "a person's a person no matter how small" was an empowering message for children, while the representations of media circuses and mob mentality ("someone's thinking different from us!") held appeal for their parents. \nThe Cat in the Hat was the glue holding the generations together in their positive responses. Both naughty and nice, he thoroughly amused everyone. The Cat's physical antics had children in stitches, but it was his pop culture references to Mike Meyers' "Saturday Night Live" character Linda Richman and the "Can you hear me now?" guy that had adults rolling in the aisles. A few times, he even turned on the house lights to play with the audience -- one moment scolding whoever left their cell phone on (turns out it was him) and then asking the lady in the 10th row for a date.\nIn the end, the show received a well-deserved standing ovation. Unlike many "family shows," it delivered on its promise to provide entertainment for adults and children alike. The costumes were outrageously creative, and the music was a pleasing mixture of Latin beats, gospel, jazz and pop. Though the lighting was a bit heavy-handed at times, for the most part it was used to effectively illuminate the stage. Black light was used to illuminate special gloves and props to make up the bodies of the creatures "the Hunches." As promised by IU alumni John Armstrong, Charlie Mechling and Steve Morgan, the show also delivered an IU cheer that brought the house down.