Review: DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL at Palace Theatre
New musical adds little to the original
As a reviewer, I try to be fair, not too harsh, not too mean.
Grab a palette of words, paint a picture of what I’ve just seen
As HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS is familiar but new
I decided to channel the holiday spirit of the good Doctor Seuss
Despite artic winds that blew, THE GRINCH minions came
with or without children, yet they all looked the same
They came in green jackets, green dresses, green frocks
They wore Grinch sweaters, Grinch feathers, even Grinch socks
However in Section 126, Row Z, one disgruntled man sat,
With a scowl, and a frown and a “I HATE PEOPLE” hat
He sat there, arms folded, no one quite knows the reason
Perhaps a team from up North had torpedoed his season
He huffed, snuffed and guffed, nary a smile on his face
He shuffled and reshuffled to find a comfortable place
As the curtains opened, Grinch’s pooch Max made the audience swoon
But in this Seussian tale there wasn’t just one dog; there were two
Evan Blackwell was Max the old dog, Chamberlin Little played Max Young
They flounced, they bounced, and pounced as the Christmas classic had begun
Soon the Grinch (Matt Forbes ) appeared in his fluffy green suit.
He sounded like David Bowie. He dressed like a green Groot
The Grinch twitched his long fingers. He schemed, he slithered, he stuffed
As they turned a 26- minute cartoon into over an hour of sentimental fluff
Cindy-Lou Who (Lucianna Van Dette) saw through the Grinch’s villainous plot
She sparkled, she twinkled, she winked, she sprinkled. What an adorable tot.
The snow and confetti cannons roared as the Grinch changed his mind
He descended Mount Crumpet and returned the toys just in time
“Who Likes Christmas?” a chorus of Whos sang with such spirit
A crowd pleaser for sure but our Ebenezer refused to hear it
The adults and the children rose and screamed for more
But the man in the cap? He made a beeline for the door.
Dr. Seuss’s classic tale is best when it’s short
The more they add to it, the more they distort
But whether one loved this GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS may come down
To whether one came in happy with children or wearing a permanent frown
Dr. Seuss' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS: THE MUSICAL runs Dec. 3-8 at the Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad Street in downtown Columbus). For tickets visit www.CBUSArts.com
Photo credit: Jeremy Daniel
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