Johnny McDonald | Exploring Balboa Park
The Grinch Steals the Show
Sixteen years ago, San Diego received a musical gift for the holidays and it has been reopened this time of year at the Old Globe ever since.
From Nov. 16 – Dec. 28, the stage will again be transformed into a land called Whoville to retell Dr. Seuss’ story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It was borrowed from the original book, then conceived and produced for the stage by then artistic director Jack O’Brien.
According to present artistic director Barry Edelstein, O’Brien realized he had something of great entertainment value, but after the 10th year he did make some minor adjustments and added a few lyrics. He even introduced it on Broadway in 2006 and 2007.
Edelstein will focus on major decisions while James Vásquez returns to direct the interchanging cast that features 34 Whoville folks.
Steve Blanchard, known for his Broadway performance in Beauty and the Beast, returns for his third consecutive season as the green villan who tries to rob Whoville of Christmas, while Steve Gunderson is back for the 11th year with the show as Old Max. Young Max is Jeffrey Schecter. The two Cindy-Lou Whos are locals Taylor Coleman (Carmel Valley) and Gabriella Dimmick (La Mesa). Other featured performers are Geno Carr, Bets Malone, Victor Morris and Eileen Bowman and an entire cast of veteran performers.
Edelstein, who came to the Globe a year ago, has been working with the summer Shakespearean plays, an assignment he relishes. Besides having directed in New York, he has lectured and written national articles about the Bard’s plays.
But he welcomes overseeing versatile productions.
“Going from Shakespeare to this family production is what makes my job fun,” he said. “Actually I saw the Grinch show for the first time last year. Most are familiar with the Grinch classic story that O’Brien started on our stage with the blessing of Dr. Seuss’ widow, Audrey Geisel, a longtime La Jolla resident.”
He said act changes involve an enormous amount of scenery to depict the snowy village surroundings, represented in the book.
Edelstein also said the cast will need about two weeks of rehearsals.
The Grinch “show facts”—The Globe reports that 500,000 people have seen the show. On Dec. 14 they’ll conduct a special show for autistic children, where lighting and sound will need to be readjusted … although book and lyrics are by Timothy Mason and music is by Mel Marvin, the show also has some additional lyrics by Theodor S. Geisel and music by Albert Hague. Choreography is by John DeLuca and Bob Richard, with some restaged by Vásquez. Before his Globe appointment Edelstein was most recently the director of the Shakespeare Initiative at New York City’s Public Theater. He oversaw all of the company’s Shakespeare productions, including its famous Shakespeare in the Park series in Central Park. Check The Grinch Who Stole Christmas! out on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage Nov 16 through Dec 28.
Elsewhere in the Park—Some of the world’s most significant aviation pilots, crew members, visionaries, inventors, aerospace engineers, businessmen, designers, spokesmen and space pioneers will be inducted into San Diego’s Air and Space Museum’s Legends of Flight, Nov. 16. Attendees at this black tie reception and dinner will meet members of the “Miracle on the Hudson” Flight 1549; Apollo 16 Moon Mission; NASA’s Mission Control Legends; Dean “Diz” Laird Navy Combat Ace; National Business Aviation Association, Red Bull Stratos Freefall From the Edge of Space … The Old Globe’s Gala, “A Magical Evening” on Sept. 21, netted more than $1 million for the theater’s artistic and educational activities.
After an award-winning, 38-year sports-writing career with the San Diego Union and authoring three books, Johnny McDonald now considers writing a hobby. He enjoys covering aspects of the port district, convention center, Balboa Park, zoo, and stories with a historical bent. You can reach him at [email protected].
