‘Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’: A Review

“Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” is playing at the Children’s Theatre Company from now through January 5. The 2024 production marks the twelfth time since the 1994 premiere of the show that the Children’s Theatre has put on this seasonal favorite. “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” (let’s call it “Grinch!” going forward) is a timeless, colorful play that is well worth revisiting for its aggressive comedy style, catchy tunes and overarching reminder of what the holidays are really about: presents*.

Most of us are familiar with the many iterations of Dr. Seuss’s Grinch and I’m happy to report that this production stays true to the book, serving us an anti-hero who was not bullied into his Grinchy ways. This Grinch just hates the Whos. He gets overwhelmed by the Whovian ruckus around the holidays and his temper is probably exacerbated by his canonically too-small shoes and too-small heart.

The character design of the Whos has shifted at CTC over the years. The current design has abandoned facial prosthetics, which allows audiences to more easily read the actors’ facial expressions — with the added bonus of the actors not having to sing around prosthetic noses. The design style is still as playful as you would like something plucked out of a Dr. Seuss book to be. Most of the Whos have some kind of padding under their costumes, giving them the cartoony dimensions from the books. Well-placed black lines are incorporated into the makeup and costumes, which gives a hand-drawn feel to the character design.

The entire set is a curvy winter wonderland that is ripped directly from the pages of Dr. Seuss and then stretched into a frosty, three-dimensional landscape. There are several well-staged moments that make the live-action theater feel like a cartoon. (For instance, when the present the Grinch threw up the chimney catapults through said chimney and into the wings of the stage.) Most magical for me was when Young Max and the Grinch flew across a darkened stage seemingly actually in midair with nary a harness in sight. I couldn’t tell you if that magic translated to every seat as effectively as it did to mine, but my nephew and I were shook.

The interactive moments of CTC’s “Grinch!” were incredibly fun. The brief singalong of “You’re a Mean One” at the top of the second act and the active audience participation in “helping” the Grinch steal Christmas was not only a blast but also noticeably helped kids settle down after the excitement of intermission.

Unsurprisingly, the actors involved in “Grinch!” are all talented. The young actors alternate nights between “Holly” and “Ivy” casts, which are clearly marked on the website in case you are trying to support a specific young artist.

Reed Sigmund, who has been a CTC Company Member for nearly 25 years and is returning to his role as the Grinch, clearly delights in the balancing act necessary to portray the Grinch. He is goofy and mean, crabby and silly, repelling the enemies of his character while hilariously vamping to the audience. Sigmund has mastered the oscillation between the implicit threat of Scary Grinch and the absolute whimsy of Funny Grinch and audiences love him for it.

All that said, Dean Holt was my personal favorite in this production. Holt has been a member of the CTC’s Core Acting Company since 1994 and this year he stepped into a dual role as both the production’s director (Holt’s extensive experience made for strong directorial choices) and its narrator. Holt’s friendly interpretation of the bespectacled Old Max was warm and nostalgic, and somehow — despite being one of the few characters who was decidedly not wearing anything Christmassy — he felt like the embodiment of the Christmas season.

Although “Grinch!” is multi-generational theater in that it is fun to attend with the whole family (from grandparents all the way down to children) — this is probably not a show I’d recommend for adults to attend without kids. This show is a blast with a kiddo at your side, but I don’t think I’d have the same kind of fun at “Grinch!” without one.

I recommend “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” for anyone who likes musicals, crabby protagonists and interactive theater.

There are plenty of opportunities to see “Grinch!” at the Children’s Theatre this year, but I recommend buying your tickets early as many nights already have limited availability. There are a few performances that include audio description and ASL, autograph opportunities, sensory-friendly performances and more. Those details are clearly marked on CTC’s website. Tickets start at $15 and are available at childrenstheatre.org/grinch or by calling the Ticket Office at (612) 874-0400.

*Sorry, not presents: quality time with the people we love.