Fahoo fores dahoo dores! Welcome Christmas bring your cheer!
Fahoo fores dahoo dores! It’s holiday time— and guess what’s here?
Oh goodness, oh gracious, Christmas in DC, how to celebrate in a pinch?
Consider bringing the family to The National Theatre to see that mean, nasty, green old Grinch!
Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical has arrived for just two weeks on stage!
You must get your tickets, and get them quite quick, this holiday musical is all the rage!
Featuring John Deluca and Bob Richard as the choreographers of dance
And Robert Morgan on costumes— from Grinch suit to striped pants
There’s Musical Direction from Peter Leigh-Nilsen and the band
Keys, reeds, brass, and percussion, will be heard through the land.
With Set Designer John Lee Beatty and Charlie Morrison on Lighting Design,
There’s a stage filled with wonder for the eyes, ears, and mind!
There’s singing and dancing, lots of book-style sketched sets and props filled with flare
All of the trapping of a true Grinchy Christmas, right on stage, like you’d expect to be there.
Now those costumes I mentioned, Robert Morgan’s fine frippery?
They’re swirly, and twirly, eye-dazzling, quite gleefully!
Morgan pays homage to both the styling of Dr. Seuss and the Christmas spirit
Some of those costumes are so busy and loud there’s no way you won’t hear it!
But truly they’re marvelous, a wondrous sight to behold!
With big bustling waistlines, pinks, reds, and whites, so bold!
Of course Morgan’s most impressive feat isn’t the costuming of the Whos,
But that furry green Grinch suit from the hair down to the shoes!
It’s everything you imagine when you picture the Grinch, all grumbly and rotten
It’s electric swamp green, like electrocuted lime cotton!
But enough about outfits, though they do much impress
The wonders of sets and props are tremendous I must confess!
That’s John Lee Beatty at work, with thick black ink-lines sketched around
Everything from the Christmas tree, the Roast Beast, the rooftops, and ground!
Why there’s tinsel and sparkle, and bright lights, and fog don’t you know
You name it, Beatty has it all in this production, why this set magician even makes it snow!
We’ve talked quite awhile now about costumes and sets
Let’s keep singing praises on all of the rest.
The singing, the dancing, the acting’s divine
It’ll put you in the mood for Christmas just in time!
There’s big bouncy energy in numbers like “It’s The Thought That Counts” and “What Cha Ma Who”
With Who-ensemble members cartwheeling, singing, and dancing straight through!
There’s a feverish pitch of joy and delight
Some of those choreographic routines will just make your night!
Now this stage show might differ, just a wee tiny bit
From the original book and TV program, but please, don’t have a fit!
All the characters are there, all the songs that you love
It’s a stocking-stuffer present sent from Santa above!
The show itself is narrated like a memory from the past
By W. Scott Stewart in the role of “Old Max.”
Max, the dog? The Grinch’s dog, you remember?
Starts this tale off on a cold snowy night in December.
He’s older, moves slower, talks deeper, but is still kind
As his memory of the night the Grinch stole Christmas he unwinds.
But the real delight of W. Scott Stewart’s performance isn’t his storytelling
It’s not his cute dog-movements, or his Grinch-reprimand-style yelling
It’s Stewart’s rich booming voice and when he breaks out into song
You’ll swear Thurl Ravenscroft has just come along
Sounding so much like the original song, he won’t make you flinch
When he boomingly bellows “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch!”
Now with Old Max comes ‘Young Max’ played by one Xavier McKnight
Whose energy is boundless and whose joy’s out of sight!
McKnight is a true puppy, barking and leaping about with glee
McKnight even does cartwheels, impressing to see!
When McKnight sings in duet as Young Max, with Stwart’s Max-the-Old
Their harmonious voices won’t leave you out in the cold.
Now onto the Whos! And in this show there are so many in town!
Just try and count them all, as they bounce all around.
There’s all the Who Children, Who Citizens, and then some
Of course the “Who Family” is just cute, quaint, and winsome.
There’s Grandpa Who (John Anthony Lopez) and Grandma Who (Christine Aziz), elderly and charming
Until Lopez’ Grandpa sings during “It’s The Thought That Counts”; why he’s alarming!
Lopez sings fine, lovely voice and smile so nice
But his lyrics are something else— they’ll make you think twice!
Now Papa Who (Eduardo Uribe) and Mama Who (Ashley Morton) are the parents of five
They mince-scoot, quibble, and they jump and they jive.
While Uribe’s Papa has facial expressions most animated and crazy
It’s Morton’s Mama Who, militaristic with Christmas, not lazy!
While these Whos are unique, and full of frenetic vibrations
It’s their calming quartet that will sooth overworked Christmas machinations.
It’s Mama, Papa, Grandma and Grandpa Who all singing together in quartet harmony and rhyme
With their lullaby-like tune, “Now’s The Time.”
We’ve talked all about the Who Family— or have we? Did we skip one or two?
Oh goodness, golly me! Nearly forgot little Miss Cindy Lou Who!
So precious and adorable, Sofie Nesanelis makes being cute a work of art
She’s got a wonderful voice, filled with joyous light and with heart.
Nesanelis is too cute for words and when she sings, she’ll melt your cares away
In this duet with the Grinch called “Santa For a Day.”
There aren’t enough rhymes to describe Nesanelis, but in reflection
One might say that she is Cindy Lou Who to perfection!
That just wraps it up, all the Whos and their toys
All their songs and their glees and their Christmas-time joys
So get your tickets to see— oh deary goodness gracious, someone just gave my arm a pinch!
I almost wrapped up without mentioning THE GRINCH!
He’s the star of the show— that big green furry monster man!
Trying to steal Christmas from all the Whos in the land!
James Schultz takes on the title role being Grincheriffic in every scene
He’s devious, he’s nasty, he’s downright just mean!
Of course, there’s more to playing the Grinch than a green-fur-suit and growling
With Schultz’ comical antics and timing, he has the whole audience howling
With laughter and giggles and shrieks of surprise
When he slides down the proscenium stage frame you won’t believe your eyes
There’s something indescribable about Schultz’ performance in this role
It makes you think Santa would fill his stocking with coal!
He’s got a boisterous voice and fierce mighty grumble
And when he starts singing, you’d swear the whole stage starts to rumble!
James Schultz is funny and scary (not too scary) and his Grinch, to the core is so rotten
That truly, most surely, he won’t soon be forgotten!
He’s everything you’d hope for when it comes to being The Grinch in this show
There’s even some Grinch-ly growth, and a soft side, don’t ya know!
That should cover everyone— from ensemble to leads— in this tour.
What else can I say? If you really want to know more
Then you’ll just have to get a ticket and take your chances to capture
A wonderful performance of this holiday rapture!
How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The marvelous musical wonder is here in DC
But don’t wait for tickets to show up under your tree!
It’s just here for two weeks, no more performances and no less!
So do hurry along and get your tickets and get dressed
In your festive Christmas outfits, this show is a see-must!
Come to The National Theatre in DC for How The Grinch Stole Christmas!
Running Time: Approximately 85 minutes with no intermission
Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical plays through Sunday December 5, 2021 at The National Theatre— 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, DC. For tickets call the box office at 800-514-3849 or purchase them online.
