Liza Mitchell
When was the first time you met Mr. Mean-Green, the Grinch? It was probably back when your pajamas had characters on them and the dazzling dreams of holiday ahead filled your innocent little brain. Now the story is simple enough for children with a grand redeeming message…even IRS agents deserve Christmas. Join all the Whos in Whoville for the Jacksonville premiere of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical Dec 1-6 at the Times-Union Center’s Moran Theater. Presented by the FSCJ Artist Series, this classic holiday musical will enchant adults and children alike.
“Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot . . . but the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville, did NOT!” Not since “’Twas the night before Christmas”, has the beginning of a Christmas tale been so instantly recognizable. No holiday season is complete without the Grinch, Max, Cindy-Lou, and all the residents of Who-ville, in this heartwarming story about the effects of the Christmas spirit on even the smallest and coldest of hearts. Like mistletoe, candy canes, and caroling, the Grinch is a mainstay of the holidays, and his story is the perfect gift for young and old. Audiences will find their hearts growing a few sizes along with the Grinch’s when they experience the magic of the beloved tale. The wonder of Dr. Seuss’ classic holiday tale comes to life on stage with the hit songs ‘You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch’ and ‘Welcome Christmas’ (written by Albert Hague and Dr. Seuss) from the original, animated television special.
The Grinch discovers there’s more to Christmas than he bargained for in this heart-warming holiday classic. Max the Dog narrates as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is two sizes too small, decides to steal Christmas away from the loveable Whos, an endlessly cheerful bunch bursting with holiday spirit. Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical features magnificent sets designed by John Lee Beatty and costumes designed by Robert Morgan, inspired by Dr. Seuss’ original book, while the Music and Book of Mel Marvin and Timothy Mason breathe new life into this timeless story. The production broke box office records for two consecutive years on Broadway during its holiday engagements at the St. James and Hilton theaters in New York. Since then, more than 1.2 million theater goers across America have been delighted by this heartwarming holiday musical.
Ted Geisel, famously known as Dr. Seuss once explained “I get all my ideas in Switzerland, near the Forka Pass. There is a little town called Gletch, and two thousand feet up above Gletch there is a smaller hamlet called Uber Gletch. I go there on the fourth of August every summer to get my cuckoo clock repaired. While the cuckoo is in the hospital, I wander around and talk to the people in the streets. They are very strange people, and I get my ideas from them.” Though many of his inspirations were mysteries to him, Seuss based two of his most famous characters on himself: the Grinch and the Cat in the Hat. In December 1957, just after How the Grinch Stole Christmas! appeared, Seuss explained the origins of the story to Redbook magazine:
“I was brushing my teeth on the morning of the 26th of last December when I noted a very Grinchish countenance in the mirror. It was Seuss! Something had gone wrong with Christmas, I realized, or more likely with me. So I wrote the story about my sour friend, the Grinch, to see if I could rediscover something about Christmas that obviously I’d lost. To accompany the article, he has drawn a self-portrait of Geisel looking into his bathroom mirror and the Grinch looking back. Seuss told many variations on this story, but he always mentions his identification with the Grinch, once describing him as a “nasty anti-Christmas character that was really myself.” Geisel’s license plate read “GRINCH,”
The 2015 production is directed by Matt August and choreographed by Bob Richard, based on the original choreography by John DeLuca and originally created by three-time Tony Award winning director, Jack O’Brien. Visit www.artistseriesjax.org or call 442-2929. The show runs Dec 1-6 at the Times Union Center’s Moran Theatre.
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