Oh, the thinks you can think | Think and wonder and dream | Far and wide as you dare | When your thinks have run dry | In the blink of an eye | There’s another world there…~ Dr. Seuss.

High on the list of children’s literature (and some dare say even for adults) are the whimsical and allegorical works of Dr. Seuss. His attempts to create a fantastical never cease to stoke the imagination of the kids and stirs the conscience of the adults.

So, what’s better than a Dr. Seuss book? Well, the answer is a Seussical Musical! It brings together many of the famous Seussical characters and plots from 3 of his stories (namely Horton Hears A Who, Horton Hatches The Egg and Gertrude McFuzz) to life along with his trademark whimsical humor, puns and rhymes that got us riveted the moment it started, clapping and laughing along all the way and at finale, wishing it would not end!

Children and adults alike were kept highly entertained throughout the 75-minute production. The impeccably illustrated stage shouts Dr. Seuss (filled with whimsical shapes, bright colours and swirly designs) transported us instantly into the zany Seuss world. The Cat in the Hat and his animals friends (birds, monkeys, and an elephant!) in their myriad shapes, sizes and colours turned the stage into the Jungle of Nool, entertaining the young ones with their acrobatic antics as they swung, danced, skipped and somersaulted around the stage.

To up the excitement quotient of the musical is the plot. Narrated by the familiar top-hat sporting, The Cat in the Hat, the Musical tells the tale of Horton the elephant, who meets the Whos, a village of people from Whoville who live on a speck of dust, but none of the other jungle animals believe him.  Being a kind soul, Horton vows to save Whoville from extinction but along the way, he was also duped into babysitting the egg which belonged to the flamboyant Mayzie La Bird.

Despite all obstacles, Horton the Elephant kept to his promises. His jungle friends laughed at him for being a lunatic and there were times he felt so alone. Jojo, the mayor’s son from Whool Ville whose creative ideas often got him into trouble with his parents mirrors Horton’s loneliness and cry for acceptance.  The musical ends on an upbeat note, with many excellent take-home messages on friendship, integrity, kindness and personal identity for all in the audience.

The talented cast with their impressive vocals, perfect comic timing, big smiles brought the story to life through the clever puns and jazzy Broadway-style songs.  At the end of the day, while the entire theatre was filled with laughter, our hearts were filled with warmth.

This musical is easily one of the best children musicals ever to grace our local stage. It is happy, uplifting, entertaining, educational and yes, allegorical. Fully bearing the unmistakable mark of Dr. Seuss – we left the Esplanade Theatre feeling enriched, humming the theme song…with that little giggle in our hearts.  If you have kids 7 and up, don’t miss this excellent production with final two shows on Nov 8, Sunday!

Synopsis:
Seussical the Musical follows the adventures of Horton the Elephant who discovers a small world floating by on a tiny speck of dust. This small world is floating out of control through the universe and is the home of the Whos, including Jojo – a Who with “thinks” that defy all description. Between them, they must find a way to save Who from a world of naysayers and dangers.

But Horton faces a double challenge: he’s been left alone to guard an abandoned egg by Mayzie La Bird. Caught between a dust speck and his incubating egg, Horton is truly alone in the universe, but while he faces ridicule, danger, kidnapping and ends up on trial, little does he know that his friend, Ms Gertrude McFuzz never loses faith in him.

Seussical the Musical

Show Dates: Friday, November 6 to Sunday November 8, 2015 

Show Times: Friday 5pm; Saturday and Sunday 11am and 3pm

Venue: Esplanade Theatre (Address: 1 Esplanade Drive Singapore 038981)

Tickets priced from SGD58 and up are available from SISTIC Agent (list of agents), through Sistic Hotline (Tel: 6348 5555) or SISTIC Website.  

Special Discounts: Quote ABA2015 to get 10% off tickets as a Friend of KidsFest! or enjoy 10% Discount for Books Kinokuniya and PopClub Members. 

For more information, check out ABA Productions official website: www.aba-productions.com and  Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ABASingapore. 

Disclaimer: We were invited to watch Seussical the Musical for the purposes of this review. Photos are credited to ABA Productions Singapore and all opinions are, as always, ours.