We Watched It: “The Cat in the Hat” at Kennedy Theatre

Dr. Seuss’ rhyming icon comes to life in an entertaining, if deliberate, performance.

Photo: John Wells/Kennedy Theatre

It takes me seven minutes and 22 seconds to read Dr. Seuss’ classic tale about his most iconic character. As one of the longer bedtime stories I read to my 3-year-old, I sometimes hide the book at the end of a tiring day. But it’s far too short for a stage performance.

So, how do you turn a 61-page children’s story into a 45-minute production? The answer is several sections of pantomime, physical comedy executed well by the cast of Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat at Kennedy Theatre at UH Mānoa.

The opening show of the 2018-2019 season brings Dr. Seuss’ third best-selling book of all time (scroll to the bottom to see No. 1) to black-, white-, red- and blue-colored life. The script is simply the story text, the set and props are done up in signature Dr. Seuss style and the costumes are charmingly authentic. The cast of eight has a sense of playful commitment to the scenario, painting a clear picture for kids and adults alike.

Here is one thing parents should keep in mind: I expected to see more of the frenzied action I feel in the storybook. The show feels slower. Instead of carefree and spontaneous, movements are exaggerated and deliberate. Cartoonlike sound effects are sandwiched between moments of well-executed but silent physical expression.

The Cat in the Hat, played by Donovan Oakleaf, has the grand presence of an orator. But his Cat is serious about creating fun. The entire cast pantomimes a tennis match, a racket turns into a guitar and props fly in and out of the set inspiring my daughter to exclaim, “Oh, it is getting funny!” And yes, the cat does a big balancing act on a (rather squarish, but we get it) ball complete with the cup, cake, fish, books and more.

The arrival of Thing 1 and Thing 2 kicks everything up a notch. These blue-haired creatures, played by Malia Wessel and Dylan Chace Lee are full-size, full-force destroyers. The only description I could come up with were shrieking monkeys, but the wild abandon they brought trashing the house was just unfettered fun. Anticipation made the destruction even better—watching smaller cat characters, who offer a fun pre-show and then act as stagehands, bringing on several rounds of furniture knowing that in just a few seconds it would all be tossed around. One unexpected moment of pause, which involved the Things referring to a checklist, made me laugh out loud.

The rest of The Cat in the Hat plays out as expected with a giant net, a chase through the audience and a big cleanup job. (One question that still goes unanswered—why does it take so long for Mother to get from the window to the door?) When it was finished, my daughter simply said she would definitely go again. That answers it all.

Our Four Tips:

1. Be in your seat at least five minutes early. The interactive preshow involving two cat characters, balls of yarn and the audience, was an unexpected delight. Also, we enjoyed the Dr. Seuss-style pre-performance reminders, i.e. turn off your cell phones, done all in rhyme.
2. Don’t be afraid to yell out. At one point, the Cat appears to forget the name of another Dr. Seuss classic. We didn’t know we could shout out the answer (after all, we watched a rehearsal with just about 10 people in the audience). But the theater says kids and parents should feel free to finish the title, call out the names of items being added to the Cat’s balancing act and more. That adds the true energy to the children’s show.
3. Be ready to talk your toddler through the beginning. After the preshow, the beginning of the performance is slow. The first few minutes have no dialogue at all, just Sally and her unnamed brother exhibiting boredom. You might want to quietly whisper to your kids, pointing out aspects of the set, or asking them what they think will happen next, to keep them from getting antsy.
4. Attend opening night for a photo op. The cast will be available for Cat in the Hat photos with families on Friday, Sept. 14 after the opening.

Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat runs weekends from Friday, Sept. 14 through Sunday, Sept. 23. Performances are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 2 and 5 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets range from $10 for kids 2 to 17 years to $18. Kennedy Theatre, UH Mānoa, 1770 East West Road, (808) 956-7677, manoahawaii.edu/liveonstage/cat/ 

As promised, Dr. Seuss’s top five best-selling books, according to Random House publishing in a story in People magazine:

5. Oh, the Places You’ll Go (1990). A graduation gift favorite.

4. Dr. Seuss’s ABC (1963).

3. The Cat in the Hat (1957).

2. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (1960).

1. Green Eggs and Ham (1960). Inspiring culinary coloring everywhere.