Back when I was collaborating with a co-worker, we tended to use available literature as our sources. After the heaviness of Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies, we decided to lighten things up a bit with a set of “takes” on Dr. Seuss (1993). While the books themselves could provide plenty of material, I was interested in a few tangential ideas. What was Theodor Giesel like in school (Teddy Can Rhyme)? Is he telling stories in heaven (Doctor in the House) ? And the ultimate take on Dr. Seuss, what if, like me, you really don’t like Dr. Seuss (I Do Not Like Dr. Seuss)?
Of course we did stage a few classic Seuss stories: Cat in the Hat, Yertle the Turtle, and Fox in Sox. We ended the production with a tribute to the words found on many Seuss books, “I Can Read It All By Myself.”
A shorter version of the show was produced in 2023.
I appreciate your comments. Enjoy.
Songs: Only instrumentals at this time. Complete songs coming soon!
Teddy Can Rhyme (Instrumental): The beat, instrument sounds, and chords are all straight out of the Manchester Sound, particularly, The Other Two and You.
Cat In The Hat: Here, I took the word “cat” to indicate a jazz artist, a “cool cat.” The song is probably too long, but it gave some members of the cast the chance to perform without having to sing.
Doctor In The House: I like writing songs with a spiritual feel. DITH is about a child who has a dream that up in heaven, Dr. Seuss is telling stories, and everyone is listening.
Fox in Sox: Too long…kind of boring, this is not my favorite creative piece. As in an earlier song, the song allowed everyone in the class to participate without the need to sing.
I Do Not Like Dr. Seuss: So, if there are going to be songs that everyone can participate in, there should be some that feature the singers of the class. IDNLDS is very much in the form of many Beatles songs, verse-verse-b section-verse, with the title coming at the end of each verse. The song did not go over well, I think because I may be the only one who does not like Dr. Seuss.
All By Myself: A nice happy sing-along song. Typical for me, happiness is a triplet-shuffle beat with some nice desktop instruments.
Sean Breen 