One of my favorite mother-daughter outings was seeing A Year With Frog and Toad at the Coronado Playhouse last year with my daughter. We love the Frog & Toad stories, and the Playhouse’s creative and hilarious rendition of those classic books is something my daughter still talks about.
When I heard the Coronado Playhouse was putting on another children’s play, I immediately signed up to take my five-year-old daughter as well as my three-year-old son. This would be Gil’s first taste of live theater, and I didn’t know much about the show. A kind woman in the box office assured me it would be appropriate for his age level, and so on Sunday we skipped naps and headed to the 2pm matinee.
As always, the mood in the Coronado Playhouse theater was welcoming and anticipatory. The audience sits at tables, enjoying food and libations from the little shop in the back or, if you are of a certain age, enjoying a Dr. Seuss coloring page before the show. During the announcements, children were welcomed to sit on the floor in front of the stage to get an unobstructed view.
From the moment the show began and the Cat’s hat began to move magically up and down between the curtains, Seussical the Musical had my children’s full attention. The set design was pure Seuss, with bright colors and large shapes, and the live five-piece orchestra played on the stage behind the main set. Creative lighting, funny costumes, lively song and dance numbers — the whole show was a delight to children, young and old.
My son turned to me within the first few minutes, a huge smile on his face, and said in hushed tones, “I like it. I like the music.” His awe and wonder at his first live musical are something I never want to forget.
The dialogue was more advanced, however, than my little children could understand. Even I found it at times challenging to follow, and therefore I think that the play would best be enjoyed by elementary school children, and probably older elementary at that. The plot is familiar if you have read Horton Hears a Who, Yertle the Turtle, Green Eggs and Ham, and other more advanced Dr. Seuss books, as it combines the characters and plot lines of a few of these.
Preschool-aged children might find it more difficult to know what’s actually going on, however. The play also runs for two hours with one 15-minute intermission. That’s a long time for little people’s attention spans, but would be fine for slightly older children who can enjoy and comprehend a full-length movie.
As for offensive material for young children, the only thing I noticed was some suggested drinking and tipsiness in Act II. It is brief and would be hard for children to pick up on, though, I thought, and did not bother me or my children.
The themes that ran through the play were universally appealing, including imagination (“Oh the Thinks You Can Think!”), friendship (“How Lucky You Are”), and friendship (“A person’s a person no matter how small”). My daughter astonished me by suddenly singing one of the songs out of the blue over a week after the play. Those ditties and messages went deeper than I thought.
All the actors, young and old, performed their hearts out for this show. I especially enjoyed the Cat in the Hat (played by Jacob Sampson) with his dry humor, and earnest and determined JoJo from Whoville (played by Drew McMullen). Sophia Johnson played the character of Gertrude McFuzz, and her performance was particularly realistic and sweet. In addition, her quiet solo singing was a lovely contrast from the full-cast, upbeat musical numbers.
The show is delightful for both young and old, so take the children and grandchildren in your life while you can! Performances are every Thursday-Saturday night at 7pm as well as matinees at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. The show runs through October 9, 2016.
For more information, visit the Box Office at 1835 Strand Way or call 619-435-4856. Visit the Coronado Playhouse website for more information or to purchase tickets.
