Seussical Jr.

London City Music Theatre

Featuring a cast of over 60 young actors

London City Music Theatre (formerly the Imax Theatre)

Sept. 24-27; Oct.1 (two shows: 11 am., 8 pm.)

****/4

Seussical Jr. Rocks

There can be no greater pleasure in a darkened theatre than being bonded to and lifted up by the energy of a concentrated throng of young performers intent on using every ounce of their craft to communicate all the elements of the magically fantastical world of Dr.Seuss.

The exuberant young cast of this production is obviously relishing every moment due in no small part to the big heart and strong determination of executive producer Dale Henderson whose faith in making things happen can only possibly be paralleled by that of Horton the Elephant. "I meant what I said, And I said what I meant. An Elephant’s faithful One hundred percent." This familiar credo from the lyrics of the show clearly underscores every aspect of a production where those involved have worked hard to keep the faith. Seussical Jr. is a compilation of many of the classic works of Dr. Seuss but is centred on the challenges of Horton the Elephant who must protect the inhabitants of the minuscule world of Who while at the same time providing nurture for an abandoned egg.

Director/Choreographer Lanny Mitchell and Producer/Assistant Kathleen Henderson have done a brilliant job of moulding their large team of local youngsters into a sparklingly cohesive whole while showcasing a lot of outstanding individual talent. Their staging of the many musical numbers is clever and full of variety. The many chorus roles of exotic birds, jungle creatures and Whos are beautifully handled by ensembles that sing and dance with precision yet dissolve and hand over focus to something new in the bat of an eye. A troop of monkeys in a range of sizes and voices was a most entertaining example.

Our journey through a myriad of locations like the Jungle of Nool, the world of Who, or the Circus McGurkus, is guided by the Cat in the Hat who acts as a narrator and swing player for an hilarious selection of cameo bits. To suggest Spencer Higgins with his malleable voice and superb comedic timing was born for this role might be an understatement as his portrayal is outstanding. That is to take nothing away from the charismatic and most endearing Horton created by Michael Paylor who effortlessly carries much of the success of this story on his capable shoulders. The bird characters of Mayzie, the irresponsible prima dona, and Gertrude McFuzz, the wannabe in search of a more stylish tail, are both honed with great skill by Jessica Hilton and Sara Peters. Jojo, the Who who Horton hears (Justin Eddy) and his parents, the Mayor and Mayor’s Wife (Parker Sweet-Boulay and Alexandra Grant) are a delight as a tiny family with a thinking problem. The calibre of the production is certainly ratcheted higher by the spectacular acrobatic skills of the featured dancers like Geoff Masschelein and Danielle Jones who add so much to the circus style atmosphere.

Special kudos should go to the technical staff who have created the Seussical visual world with limited resources in place. A drop and wing setting with projections and brightly painted set pieces presents a wonderfully changing environment. Simple suggestive costumes and an even simpler lighting effect (when a character enters with a flashlight) might not cost a lot but they are one hundred percent pure theatre. Take a bow, Marvel. The Seussical look in hair adornment is terrific. Seussical Jr. is, without question, a joy in both its positive message and captivating presentation.

Dean Hall is an actor, director, and retired theatre educator with over 40 years experience on the stage.