Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...while no one is about to declare Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens' "Seussical" a lost masterpiece, Eric Rosen's classy, midbudget, all-new, all-Chicago production (replete with stellar live band) is a very decent bet for your family's summer entertainment. This Chicago Shakespeare Theater endeavor is much cheaper than "Wicked" and more artfully conceived than "Cirque Shanghai," its similarly low-priced competitor on the tacky pier where Chicago Shakes is the only class act."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...this chock-full yet ideally condensed 75-minute version -- playfully directed by Eric Rosen, with spicy choreography by Suzanne Viverito, strong musical direction by Doug Peck and a slew of zesty performers -- is leaps and bounds beyond the Broadway edition and winning in its intimacy."
SouthtownStar
- Recommended
"...Seussical, The Musical, a delightful take on Dr. Seuss' rhyming whimsical tales, has been so perfectly tightened and polished that, in its revival at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, it is a lot better than its Broadway original."
Pioneer Press
- Highly Recommended
"...Just as adults can delight in reading your stories to their offspring, all ages will enjoy this new, 75-minute version of the musical that has evolved from them under the fine direction of Eric Rosen. Kudos to Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens for songs that do justice to this mosaic of 14 of your most celebrated tales, and to Suzanne Viverito for the exciting choreography."
Windy City Times
- Recommended
"...Sure, it bombed with a resounding thud on Broadway. But in its Chicago Shakespeare Theater incantation, Seussical the Musical is colorful, zesty and zany with a sly purpose, and it’s a delightful 80-minute romp for families."
Chicago Free Press
- Recommended
"...A condensed, 80-minute version of the Broadway musical, Eric Rosen’s exuberant staging for Chicago Shakespeare Theater teems with pop-up storybook fun and circus charm (despite occasionally incomprehensible lyrics). “Seussical” rejoices in winning work from Bernie Yvon’s plucky Horton, Mitchell Hollis as a courageous little Who, E. Faye Butler as the mischievous Cat in the Hat, Brandy McClendon as Horton’s adoring Gertrude McFuzz and, inevitably, the irrepressible Alexandra Billings as lazy Mayzie."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...the small victory here is that director Rosen and his ridiculously talented ensemble can see the flaw that even a team of the world’s finest theatrical surgeons weren’t able to fix in this show’s infamously extended development process. Like many Broadway musicals of late, the gold mine–intentioned Seussical is chillingly satisfied merely to remind us of fond childhood memories, but feels no obligation to create new ones."
ChicagoCritic
- Recommended
"...The show has a fine mixture of R & B, pop and Broadway style tunes with anthems, ballads and cute little ditties. This quick 75-minute musical has touching moments and a positive message. This well sung, energetic piece works with rich humor and its uplifting spirit that kids enjoy. The cast is having fun and so will the kids. Hey, an old kid like me had fun too!"
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Not Recommended
"...Unfortunately, the show is never as entertaining as it is meant to be, and CST's streamlined 75-minute version may be one of the greatest wastes of talent this season. The Cat in the Hat was designed as a sort of star-showcase emcee, guiding the young boy who also plays JoJo (the very engaging Mitchell Hollis) through the literary world of Seuss. "Oh, the thinks you can think," she implores him and us as the storybooks come to life. But even the deliciously frisky E. Faye Butler cannot find much humor in this bland narrator role."
