BWW Reviews: SEUSSICAL at Nashville Children's Theatre

If there is a more charming Cat in the Hat than Jeff Boyet, I can't imagine who it might be. In Nashville Children's Theatre's production of the Stephen Flaherty-Lynn Ahrens musical, Seussical, Boyet and a team of supremely talenTed Nashville actors deliver what may well be the definitive version of the wildly popular show.

So popular is Seussical, in fact, that you would have to work hard to avoid a production in the Middle Tennessee area this year. And if you had to choose just one version of Seussical to see, clearly this is the one to add to your already bulging holiday season schedule.

Directed with his customary flair and oh-so-obvious affection for the material by NCT producing artistic director Scot Copeland, it's one of the sweetest shows you'll ever witness. But Seussical's sweetness isn't of the cloying variety that sets your teeth on edge; rather, NCT's Seussical is slightly satirical and wonderfully warped (just as you would expect from a show based upon the writings of the time-honored Dr. Seuss) and is brought to life by an ensemble of performers at the top of their game.

The show's winning score and book by Flaherty and Ahrens (based on an idea conceived by the prolific duo, aided and abetted by Eric Idle of Monty Python fame) is witty and sophisticated, delivering a musical that appeals to audiences of all ages. Sure, the target audience for NCT's produciton is elementary school students, but there's so much to be found in the show to delight those of us for whom elementary school is a vague, somewhat foggy, memory.

Certainly, Dr. Seuss' indelible life lessons remain - as gently told and as sharply focused as ever - and the impact of these stories is underscored by the tuneful Flaherty/Ahrens score. Coupled with Copeland's sure-handed direction, the resulting Seussical (somewhat re-fashioned from the Broadway version to reflect more closely the team's original vision for theater for younger audiences) is, quite simply, theater at its finest, again exemplifying NCT's enduring status as one of the nation's leading purveyors of live theater for audiences of all ages.

Boyet displays his enormous range and versatility as the lynchpin of the Seussian world: The Cat in the Hat. Boyet uses every trick up his sleeve to create a memorable portrayal, singing with confidence, dancing with abandon and generally etching a unforgettable picture in your mind that is every bit as vivid as your earliest memories of Dr. Seuss' character.

Boyet is given superb support from the Copeland-assembled cast that includes the sweetly evocative Shawn Knight as Horton, the always amazing Rona McLaughlin as Lazy Mayzie, multi-talented Peter Vann as JoJo and the exquisitely warm Aleta Myles, whose beautiful voice may just knock your socks off. They are joined by Cori Anne Laemmel (in her NCT debut) as Gertrude McFuzz, Henry Haggard as the Mayor of Whoville, Marin Miller as the First Lady of Whoville, and Patrick Waller and Patrick James as two of the Wickersham Brothers (with Waller taking on the mantle of Yertle the Turtle and James bowing as The Grinch). You would be hard-pressed to find a more capable, more committed ensemble taking on the task of bringing Seussical to life.

Paul Carol Binkley's exceptional musical direction comes, of course, as no surprise (he's one of Nashville's most proficient musicians, after all, and as a composer himself he approaches any score with uncommon skill and ease) and Holly Shepherd's clever choreography makes this colorful show even more appealing. The production's scenic and costume design, which springs from the fertile and imaginative mind of the uber-talented Patricia Taber (who bases her work on the unforgettable images of the published works of Dr. Seuss), effectively captures the joie de vivre of his work and is absolutely delightful. Scott Leathers' gorgeous lighting perfectly illuminates the onstage proceedings and directs the attention of the audience to where it should be in an unforcEd Manner.

- Seussical. Music by Stephen Flaherty. Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. Book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Co-conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and Eric Idle. Based on the works of Dr. Seuss. Directed by Scot Copeland. Music directed by Paul Carrol Binkley. Choreographed by Holly Shepherd. Presented by Nashville Children's Theatre. Through December 19. For details, visit the company website at www.nashvillechildrenstheatre.org or call (615) 254-9103.

Rona Carter and Shawn Knight in Seussical.

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