By Sandi Masori
SAN DIEGO— it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around San Diego and no where is that more true than in Balboa Park. In this spirit, The Old Globe has brought back Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas for the 26th year in a row.
While for some it may be a longstanding holiday tradition to go see the show, but it was this reviewer’s first time.
As the curtains open you’re struck by the bubbliness (for lack of a better word) of the sets. Rather than being flat walls that are easy to pack up and get on a truck, these are puffy 3-D designs that are so curiously textured one almost wants to run up on the stage and feel them, to see if they’re concrete or inflatable, or something else. I was surprised that the color scheme for Whoville was black and white, rather than the bold colors I’ve seen in other film and tv productions of The Grinch, and at the Whoville village at Universal Studios Florida. I suppose this made it easier for mood lighting to color the houses when needed.
In case there is anyone unfamiliar with the rhyming tale by Dr. Seuss, the grinch’s heart is three sizes too small and he’s jealous of the holiday love and cheer he’s witnessing from up high on his mountain. And so he devises a plan to steal Christmas so everyone will be miserable.
Andrew Polec reprises his role as Grinch for the third time to the audience’s great delight. Other cast members have also been playing their parts for years, and in the program it tells about how they give out longevity awards every year at the closing night party. From the program I wasn’t able to figure out who had been doing it the longest though. One notable newcomer is eight-year old Arden Elise Johnson who was adorable in her role of Cindy-Lou Who. She held her own with the more seasoned vets, though there were a couple of times that the music overpowered her solos. Also notable was Tommy Martinez as the younger version of Max the dog. Steve Gunderson kept the action moving as Old Max, which was both dog and narrator.
The makeup and costume departments also deserve a shout out for a job well done. The grinch’s makeup was especially good.
Judging by the young audience members sitting next to me, the show captivated and delighted them. And when it came time for the song “You’re a mean one Mr. Grinch,” young voices could be heard joining in, almost unconsciously. The adults weren’t sure if it was meant to be a singalong and so were a little more restrained, until they brought out the cue cards with the words to the song, that is. That broke the fourth wall and the dam of reserve and the sold-out audience let their inner child come to play.
In all of this you’re probably wondering where my Jewish angle is… well I couldn’t find one. I guess the real answer here is that even though it’s a show that’s about a holiday we Jews don’t celebrate, theater is still fun and a good time can be had by all.
There’s still plenty of time to see the show as it plays all the way through Dec. 31.
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Sandi Masori is a food and theatre reviewer for San Diego Jewish World. When she’s not covering food or theatre, she helps authors self-publish, hangs out with her kids, and searches for the best sushi in town.