THE CAT IN THE HAT Plays The Rose Theater, Now thru 10/19

When a tall, lanky cat wearing a red-and-white-striped hat steps through the door, one thing is certain: wild, wacky fun is about to ensue. The Cat in the Hat brings Dr. Seuss' classic tale vividly to life at The Rose Theater, today, Oct. 3-19. This energetic adaptation of the iconic children's book weaves all the silliness and charm of the original story into a playful production that will delight the entire family.

Bringing a beloved classic story like The Cat in the Hat to life involves juggling quite a few theatrical balls (and a fish, and a cake, and a rake) in the air - a job that director Kevin Ehrhart accomplishes with ease. Ehrhart acknowledges that The Cat in the Hat has inspired generations of young readers, many of whom can recite the story from memory. Ehrhart wanted to build on Dr. Seuss' story, illustrations and hijinks to create a dynamic world of imagination where anything can happen. "I can pretty much guarantee that this production will be different from any other," says The Cat in the Hat director Kevin Ehrhart.

The Cat in the Hat begins with what would seem to be an ordinary day. The curtain rises on two children, Conrad and Sally, watching the rain fall outside their window, expecting yet another average day. When The Cat in the Hat enters, the crazy creature transforms the children's world from drab and dreary to wacky, wild and wonderful.

One of the key challenges of The Cat in the Hat was how to transform a book that takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes to read into a 45-minute show. To help tell the story on stage, Ehrhart has worked closely with choreographer Sue Gillespie Booton to create energetic movement that closely resembles dance in a technique he calls "choreo-blocking." "Sue's dance and my staging are combined in a way I don't think any other theater would invent on their own. It is our way of celebrating important events in the show," he says.

Original musical compositions and sound effects by sound designer Kyle L. Toth add to the whimiscal feel of the show. Toth explains that many of his choices were influenced by Ehrhart. "Kevin has chosen some very fun and unexpected songs to be used in this production. I think audience members of all ages will get a kick out of the music," he says. The show incorporates very unusual sounds, ranging from giant bouncing balls to complicated whirlygig-style machinery. "I created a lot of custom sound effects for this show," says Toth. "The 'cleaning machine' I am particularly excited about. I took recordings of human-generated sounds, like beat boxing, and arranged them with sequencing software to create a rhythmic sound emanating from the machine. I also added in a few electric motor sounds for good measure. It gives the cleaning machine a life of its own, for sure!"

The Cat presents a wide variety of interesting activities to Conrad and Sally, and eventually introduces them to some new friends: Thing 1 and Thing 2. The Things know no boundaries and quickly make a mess of Conrad and Sally's house, much to their dismay.

"The entrance of Thing 1 and Thing 2 is probably my favorite part of the production. Everything gets insane and crazy," says Ehrhart. "We are actually creating a tornado where everything is thrown throughout the stage. Entire rooms of things will be flying beside the audience. It will be utter chaos."

Ehrhart feels it is this sense of chaos that keeps generations of children interested in the story of The Cat in the Hat and keeps the book relevant to a modern audience. As a parent, he feels a deep connection to the story and views The Cat's spirit as a mechanism for helping children develop confidence when facing challenging situations.

"This is a story that seems simple on the surface, but has a much deeper meaning," says Ehrhart. "It is a story about resilience. In life, things get crazy and then come out the other side. You just have to approach chaos with flexibility and joy. If you can have a little bit of fun during the wild ride, all the better."

The highlight of the show comes as Conrad and Sally stand amid the mess created by the Things and their mother can be heard approaching the house. As the children fear the incredible amount of trouble they will be in, The Cat appears once more to save the day.

"It will definitely be one of the highlights of the show, when the mess made by the Things needs to be cleaned up," says Ehrhart. "Sue and I have choreo-blocked the clean-up to some energetic music, and we expect the audience will find this to be one of the most enjoyable scenes."

In the end, The Cat restores Conrad and Sally's house to its original state just in time for the return of their mother, leaving the children (and the audience) to wonder about whether the story really happened, or was simply a figment of their imagination on a rainy afternoon.

"I think the moral of the story is this: even when you are faced with a gloomy day, don't let it get in the way of having a joyful life," says Ehrhart. "As The Cat says, 'Even though the sun is not sunny, we can have lots of good fun that is funny.'"

The Cat in the Hat is recommended for families with children ages 3 and up, and is 45 minutes long without an intermission.

The Cat in the Hat runs Oct. 3-19, 2014, with performances on Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Two additional shows are available Sunday, October 5 at 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 12 at 5 p.m. Interpretation for the hearing impaired will be offered at the 2 p.m. show on Saturday, October 11. A special "autism- friendly" show will be presented on Saturday, October 11 at 5 p.m.

Tickets are $18 per person. Discount ticket vouchers are available at all area Hy-Vee stores for $14 each. Members of The Rose receive four free tickets to the production.

About The Rose - The Rose Theater is one of the largest and most accomplished children's theaters in the nation, with a reputation for enriching the lives of children and families through top-quality professional productions and arts education. The Rose is committed to making the arts accessible to all children, providing opportunities for thousands of children throughout the community to attend shows and participate in classes each year.

About Dr. Seuss - Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss, was born in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He started using the name "Seuss" while publishing cartoons in his college's humor magazine in order to avoid detection by the dean. He worked in advertising after college, drawing illustrations for a variety of products before trying his hand at children's literature. His 13th book, The Cat in the Hat, perhaps the defining book of his career, developed as part of a unique joint venture between Houghton Mifflin (Vanguard Press) and Random House. He was asked to write and illustrate a children's primer using only 225 "new-reader" vocabulary words. With the release of The Cat in the Hat, Geisel became the definitive children's book author and illustrator. Geisel published a total of 46 children's books featuring imaginative characters, rhyme and whimsy. His works spawned numerous adaptations, including 11 television specials, four feature films, a Broadway musical and four television series. He passed away on Sept. 24, 1991 at the age of 87, in La Jolla, California.