THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Old Vic’s spirited musical adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s THE LORAX receives an inspired In Camera treatment

In rehearsal: The cast of The Old Vic’s In Camera production of David Grieg and Charlie Fink’s stage adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s “The Lorax” (Photo courtesy of The Old Vic).

During the pandemic, The Old Vic in London was one of the few theater companies that I could depend on to deliver satisfying live-streamed theater, handily quenching my thirst for quality “live” theater time and time again. With its thoughtfully considered In Camera series, the celebrated theater company has been able to capture the intimacy of live performance, while following health and safety guidelines. Invariably, I never felt short-changed. The latest In Camera offering is a departure from its more somber, albeit exquisite, previous offerings (e.g., Duncan Macmillan’s Three Kings, Stephen Beresford’s Lungs, Brian Friel’s Faith Healer) – a stripped-down but spirited remounting of the 2015 musical adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s beloved children’s book The Lorax.

Happily, the adaptation by David Greig, which features an eclectic and infectious score by Charlie Fink, honors the spirit of the underlying ecologically-minded parable (complete with the author’s signature tickly rhyming couplets), while expanding the source material to fill an entire evening, as well as injecting it with just enough witty contemporary references to give it fresh pop. Indeed, it’s a scrappy, joyous production that successfully reconsiders Dr. Seuss’s classic story specifically for the stage by using well-worn tools like resourcefully crafted puppetry and whimsical theatrical satire. Overall, the stage adaptation compares favorably with major family stage entertainments such as Julie Taymor’s bold blockbuster vision of The Lion King, as well as Tina Landau’s exhilarating, vastly underrated Spongebob SquarePants (with which it shares many similarities). If The Lorax doesn’t quite have the visual wow factor of the aforementioned shows – given the live-stream’s necessarily downscaled staging (which makes inspired use of miniature handcrafted scenery instead of life-size sets) – the production’s heart is big and its message well worth spreading.

Although the staging has been downsized, the production, directed by Max Webster, is still one of the most elaborate to have been undertaken by the In Camera series. It employs a film technique that uses multiple cameras to simultaneously present performances within the context of a fully staged production (thereby ingeniously mimicking, in spirit, the sensation of looking into a proscenium), which has been a trademark of the series. Here, the editing technique reaches its apotheosis, resulting in a sort of kaleidoscopic ballet that’s unique and very fun to watch. Although The Old Vic uses Zoom, the ubiquitous platform’s clunky default “box” format is thankfully nowhere in sight. Last but not least, the performances and ensemble work by the committed and enthusiastic young cast was a joy to watch.

RECOMMENDED

THE LORAX
Musical / Live-streamed
The Old Vic: In Camera
Approximately 2 hours (including an intermission)
Through April 17

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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