Nelson Brown and Tina Traboulsi Photo by Jeff Thomas

Seuss's first published book "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street" hit bookstore shelves in 1937, so it's rather surprising it took until the 21st century for Broadway producers to turn his works into a musical–given that his oeuvre had been the source of TV specials and animated and live action films for years prior.

Enter Stephen Flaherty (music and book) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics and book), who took elements of several of Seuss's books and turned them into Seussical, a musical adventure that takes audiences on a journey–guided by The Cat in the Hat (Nelson Brown)–from the ordinary existence of a child, Jojo (Tina Traboulsi), to the Jungle of Nool and deep into the microscopic planet where reside the Whos, creatures so minuscule their entire world exists on a speck of dust. But if one listens very closely, as Horton the Elephant (Malik Charles D. Wade I) does, you can hear their tiny cries of "we are here, we are here, we are here!"

Spreckels Performing Arts Center is currently presenting this family-friendly show. The story is very simple: Young Jojo emerges from her homemade "think tank" to discover a hat that–at her interest in it–rises magically and then is captured by the Cat in the Hat, who encourages Jojo to "open your mind, oh the thinks you will find," and soon enough the drums begin to sound and Jojo finds herself in the Jungle of Nool, where Horton is unable to convince the other jungle residents that he actually hears something from a speck of dust.

Soon enough, the Cat sends Jojo into the world of the Whos, where she is now the daughter of the Mayor of Who-Ville (Ted Smith) and his wife, Mrs. Mayor (Katie Foster). But when Jojo's imagination runs away with her and she floods the house, she is sent off to a boarding school where she is to "learn to think some normal thinks."

"Subversive as hell," was how Theodor Geisel once characterized himself, and there are definitely elements of subversive thought scattered throughout the show. But the text ultimately lacks the depth of anti-authoritarianism one can discover in Seuss's original texts. Here, the Cat in the Hat functions more as a tour guide than as the force of chaos he is in the books. That said, there are plenty of solid morals to be found in Seussical. Horton believes, fervently, that "a person's a person, no matter how small." (As one might expect, the anti-abortion crowd attempted to hijack this slogan, but were thwarted by the Seuss estate.) Gertrude McFuzz (Molly Larsen-Shine) is embarrassed by her "one-feather tail" and, seeing her friend Mayzie LaBird's (Nicole Stanley) fabulous hind end, goes to the same doctor to get the pills that grow long tail feathers–just as some folks go for cosmetic surgery for "looksmaxxing." But the results aren't quite what Gertrude had hoped for. I would also like to have seen choreographer Karen Miles give her cast more Seussian movements, especially the Wickershams, a trio of monkeys whose moves feel more like human teen toughs than simians.

Despite rounding off some of the sharp edges in Dr. Seuss's works, there's still a lot to like here. The set, by Eddy Hansen, is marvelously Seussian, with soaring trees in various colors and buildings with nary a straight line, as was usually the case in the original books. The music is catchy enough–though I hate that the opening number, "Oh The Thinks You Can Think," ends its chorus with "when you think about Seuss," which takes us out of Theodor Geisel's world and into an odd sort of auto-promo. It's as if Blanche DuBois ended A Streetcar Named Desire with "I've always depended on the kindness of strangers," then tacked on "... and Tennessee Williams." There's also a terrific number that is reprised several times, "How Lucky You Are," that puts me in mind of Bobby McFerrin's huge hit, "Don't Worry, Be Happy." "Alone in the Universe" is a ballad that reminds us that not everyone always feels connected to those around them.

The performances are mostly solid. Nelson Brown's Cat in the Hat is appropriately physical, Tina Traboulsi exhibits a fetching wide-eyed childlike wonder, and Molly Larsen-Shine is perfectly charming as the love-besotted Gertrude McFuzz. Nicole Stanley has the best vocal chops of the cast, infusing her numbers with a gloriously bluesy feel.

All in all, it's an enjoyable evening, despite some odd choices by both the original writers and director Kim Bromley and choreographer Karen Miles, that is well worth bringing your family to.

Seussical runs through May 17, 2026, at Spreckels Performing Arts Center, Nellie W. Codding Theater, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park CA. Shows are Friday @ 7:30 pm, and Saturday and Sunday @ 2:00 pm. No Saturday evening shows. Tickets are $16-$44. For tickets and information, please call 707-588-3400, visit the box office 12-5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday or one hour before showtime, or www.spreckelsonline.com.