Seussical the Musical
Seussical: the Musical, which is based onDr. Seuss's beloved characters, made the news even before its Broadway opening, as tales of disastrous out-of-town tryouts multiplied and creative turmoil abounded. But the show has its fans--Rosie O'Donnell, for one, likes it so much that she jumped in to play the Cat in the Hat for a month while Roger Bart was on vacation. And guess what? As conceived byRagtime'sLynn AhrensandStephen Flaherty,Seussicalisn't nearly as bad as its reputation would suggest. While Junior digs the familiar characters, Mom and Dad will notice that "A Day for the Cat in the Hat" could be an outtake fromCabaret--if that show had been rated G, of course--while "It's Possible" suddenly turns into an Elton John-type romp midway through. Easy on the ear and very pop, this is a kid-friendly cast album that won't insult an adult's intelligence.--Elisabeth Vincentelli