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THEATRE UNDER THE STARS • 2010/11 STUDY GUIDE
HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL
NOVEMBER 24–DECEMBER 5, 2011 • THE HOBBY CENTER
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THEATRE UNDER THE STARS • 2010/11 STUDY GUIDE
TUTS STAGEGUIDE
TUTS creates online study guides to further enhance students’ theatrical experiences. The study
guides contain various discussion questions, projects and activities that encourage students to
engage in literary analysis, historical research and personal reflection with parents and/or
teachers that will hopefully foster a love and appreciation of musical theatre.
A
grumpy creature
with a heart “two sizes
too small” is disgusted by the
Christmas celebrations in Whoville.
He decides to keep Christmas from
coming to the Whos by dressing up as
Santa Claus - with his dog, Max, as a
reindeer - and during the night pilfering
every bit of Christmas from their
homes. But when Christmas arrives
anyway, the Grinch realizes the
true spirit of Christmas “does
not come from a store.”
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COMING UP IN THE
2010/11 SEASON
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The
Musical is suitable for all audiences.
This study guide includes the following TEKS guidelines: 110.11 (2, 7, 14);
110.12 (2, 8, 18); 110.13 (2, 7, 17, 25, 26, 27, 30); 110.14 (1, 6, 18, 26, 27, 28,
31); 110.15 (4, 16, 25, 26, 29); 110.16 (4, 16, 25, 26); 110.18 (5, 6, 10, 15, 23,
24); 110.19 (6, 15, 10, 23, 24); 110.20 (6); 113.3 (17); 113.4 (4, 17); 113.5 (16);
113.7 (5, 22, 25); 117.11 (1, 3); 117.14 (3); 117.2 (3); 117.32 (1, 3); 117.35 (1, 3,
4); 117. 38 (1, 3, 4); 117.8 (3)
BILLY ELLIOT: THE
MUSICAL
FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 13,
2011
PG13
CURTAINS
MARCH 29 – APRIL 10, 2011
PG
ROCK OF AGES
MAY 31 – JUNE 12, 2011
PG13
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THEATRE UNDER THE STARS • 2010/11 STUDY GUIDE
ABOUT TUTS
Founded in 1968, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is Houston’s acclaimed
non-profit musical theatre company. Since its founding by Frank M. Young,
TUTS has produced more than 300 musicals including many local, national
and world premieres. As a way to continue the tradition of musical theatre,
TUTS’ Education provides barrier-free instruction and stage experience,
through the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre and The River program
for children with special needs. TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune
Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston’s high school theatre
programs. TUTS is now housed in the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.
Glance towards the sky before you enjoy a performance at the Hobby
Center; the fiber-optic ceiling keeps TUTS “under the stars” all year long.
TUTS is pleased to present the 2010/11 Sensational Season!
The Hobby Center. Photo by Leah Polkowske Photography.
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
SETTING THE STAGE: The Grinch’s story
FROM SCREEN TO STAGE
......... 4
THE GRINCH TEAM
......... 4
OPENING NIGHT: Who’s who?
5 ......... CHARACTERS
STANDING OVATION: Learning activities
6 ......... SONG LIST
LANGUAGE ARTS: POINT OF VIEW
......... 7
HISTORY: POLITICAL CARTOONS
......... 8
ART: ADAPTING A BOOK
......... 9
BEHIND THE SCENES: About Musical Theatre
10 ......... A BRIEF HISTORY
11 ......... PUTTING ON A MUSICAL
12 ......... SURVEY
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S E T T I N G T H E S T A G E : The Grinch’s story
From Book to Stage
“I wouldn’t touch you with a 39 1/2 foot pole!”
- You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
Originally, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was a children’s book.
Cover for the 1957 book. Image courtesy of wikipedia.org.
It was written and illustrated in 1957 by a man known as
Dr. Seuss. The book featured rhyming verse and simple line
illustrations with pink as an accent color. Nine years after the
book was published, Dr. Seuss’ friend and animator, Chuck Jones,
adapted the book into a TV special. Jones used full animation,
which was a time-consuming cel animation technique Disney used.
With full animation, a half-hour television program would require
approximately 25,000 drawings. It was during this time that
the Grinch got his coloring: green fur with yellow and red eyes.
The songs were a collaborative effort between Dr. Seuss and
composer Albert Hague. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! originally
aired on CBS in December of 1966. Since then, it has been a
holiday staple on TV. In 2000, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!,
starring Jim Carrey, became the first Dr. Seuss book to be made
into a live action movie. The only full-length feature film to be
written by Dr. Seuss was 1953’s The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.
Yes, there really was a Dr. Seuss. Theodor Seuss Geisel grew
up in Massachusetts in the early 1900s. After college, Dr.
Seuss drew political cartoons for newspapers and worked in
advertising. His first book, And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry
Street, was published in 1937. In 1943 Dr. Seuss joined the Army
and was commander of the Animation Department of the First
Motion Picture Unit of the United States Army Air Forces. He
made animated propaganda films, such as Your Job in Germany.
After the war, he and his wife Helen Palmer moved to La Jolla,
California. In the mid 1950s, Dr. Seuss started writing books with
a deeper meaning. He was approached to write a book teaching
early readers 220 vocabulary words in a fun way. The result? The
Cat in the Hat. Later, he wrote about environmentalism (The Lorax)
and racial equality (The Sneetches). His whimsical illustration and
witty rhymes make for books, movies, and musicals that adults
and kids alike can enjoy.
The musical production began at the Minneapolis Children’s
Theatre Company in November 1994. After various seasonal
runs, it came to Broadway in 2006. With book and lyrics by
Timothy Mason and original score by Mel Marvin, bringing
the Grinch to the stage is yet another great adaptation of this
wonderful Christmas tale.
Image courtesy of dartmouth.edu. Oil on canvas by Everett Raymond
Kinstler, 1982.
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O P E N I N G N I G H T : Who’s who?
Characters
“Who likes Christmas?
Whos like Christmas!”
- Who Likes Christmas?
CINDY-LOU WHO
A sweet little Who who teaches the Grinch that
Christmas doesn’t come from a store.
THE GRINCH
A creature with a heart two sizes too small. He is
annoyed by the Whos’ celebration of Christmas and
recruits his dog, Max, to help him steal it.
OLD MAX
Max the dog, who
narrates the show
looking back on that
fateful Christmas.
YOUNG MAX
The Grinch’s sweet
dog who helps him
steal Christmas.
Photo by T. Charles Erickson (2008).
MAMA AND PAPA WHO
Cindy-Lou’s parents.
The Grinch and Max images courtesy of Animationusa.com.
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O P E N I N G N I G H T : Who’s who?
Song list
“Christmas day is in our grasp
So long as we have hands to clasp.”
- Welcome, Christmas
Who Likes Christmas?
You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch*
This Time of Year
Santa for a Day
I Hate Christmas Eve
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
Whatchama Who
(Reprise)
Welcome, Christmas*
Who Likes Christmas? (Reprise)
I Hate Christmas Eve (Reprise)
One of a Kind (Reprise)
It’s the Thought That Counts
This Time of Year (Reprise)
One of a Kind
Welcome, Christmas (Reprise)
Now’s the Time
Santa For a Day (Reprise)
Who Likes Christmas? (Reprise)
* Lyrics by Dr. Seuss and music by Albert Hague.
Image courtesy of alexross.com.
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S T A N D I N G OVA T I O N : Learning Activities
Language Arts: Point of View
“The 3 words that best describe you, are as
follows, and I quote: Stink, Stank, Stonk!”
- You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
Stories are selective versions of reality told from a particular person’s perspective,
or point of view. In Dr. Seuss’ story we see the events of the day from the view of an
outsider standing with the Grinch.
POINT OF VIEW IN THE GRINCH
Who else appears in the story? We see the dog, Max; Cindy-Lou
Who, who comes upon the Grinch mid-theft; and the rest of the
Whos who wake up to find their gifts and decorations gone. Each
of them sees the day the Grinch stole Christmas in a different way.
...IN SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES
There’s a saying that goes, “If you want to understand a person,
walk a mile in their shoes.” This adage is a metaphor for putting
yourself in someone else’s place. In life, everyone grows up and
experiences things differently. It’s important to “walk a mile in
their shoes,” in order to accept them. Cindy Lou-Who was the
only Who who was willing to look past the Grinch’s fuzzy green
exterior and find a way to love him.
Photo by T. Charles Erickson (2008).
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Interview + Write
Learn + Rhyme
In teams of two, PRETEND to be Whos! One
person will be a newspaper interviewer. The
other person will pretend to be a character from
The Grinch. Then switch places. Each “interviewer”
should come up with five questions to ask.
Each “character” should put themselves in the
character’s shoes and answer from their point of
view. Be creative! When you’ve finished, WRITE
an article about the character you interviewed.
Dr. Seuss writes in many different kinds of
rhymes, including rhyming couplets. If you
were to label each set of rhyming words as a
letter, the rhyme scheme would look like this:
AABBCC. LOOK at the example below and find
the pattern. Then WRITE your own poem using
rhyming couplets.
The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
VOCABULARY
Point of view: how one
person perceives a story
or series of events.
Rhyming couplets: two
words that rhyme, along
with other pairs of
rhyming words.
EXAMPLE QUESTIONS
• What are your feelings on The Grinch?
• Whos love Christmas. What else do you love?
• What’s on your Christmas list this year?
It could be that his head wasn’t screwed on quite right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.
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S T A N D I N G OVA T I O N : Learning Activities
Histor y: Political Cartoons
“Welcome Christmas, come this way!”
- Welcome Christmas
There are many different ways people can share their opinions on what’s going on in the
world. Political cartoons, usually found in newspapers, are one way to share an opinion.
By changing the way we look at news, political cartoons offer a different perspective on
people and events.
DR. SEUSS AS POLITICAL CARTOONIST
Before Theodor Geisel wrote and illustrated
children’s books, he was a political cartoonist. At
Dartmouth College he was the editor-in-chief for the
humor magazine, Jack-O-Lantern and in New York
City he was the humor editor at PM magazine for 8
years. His political cartoons mainly satirized leaders
and events during World War II (WWII).
THE TRIPARTITE PACT
The cartoon shown on the right satirizes the
Tripartite Pact made by Imperial Japan, Nazi
Germany and Facist Italy in 1940 during World
War II. The Tripartite Pact said that if one country is
attacked, the other two will come to its aid and they
would not attack one another.
One of the first political cartoons
encouraging ratification of the Constitution.
Drawn by Benjamin Franklin in 1754.
Cartoon from June 20, 1941. Image courtesy of orpheus.ucsd.
edu/speccoll/dspolitic/Frame.htm.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Discuss + Create
Research + Compare
STUDY the cartoon above and read about
In groups, RESEARCH political cartoons using
library books, old and new newspapers and
the internet. Make sure you understand what
issue or person the cartoon is satirizing. Try the
following sources:
the Tripartite Pact. What makes this cartoon a
satire? Do you recognize Dr. Seuss’ signature
illustration style, even though he is depicting real
people? THINK of a local or national issue you
feel strongly about (like bike safety, poverty,
education, etc.) and DRAW a political cartoon
that satirizes some aspect of the issue.
TIPS ON POLITICAL CARTOONS
Political cartoons often rely on well-known
symbols. For example, a political cartoonist
would use a donkey to represent the Democratic
party, an elephant for the Republican party,
an eagle for the United States and a cowboy
hat for Texas. When drawing your cartoon,
keep it simple and try to use symbols that your
audience will recognize.
DR. SEUSS’ POLITICAL CARTOONS
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/
dspolitic/Frame.htm
VOCABULARY
Political cartoon: a
cartoon that makes a
satire out of current
events.
Satire: to purposely
poke fun at an event
or a person to make a
point.
CURRENT POLITICAL CARTOONS
http://cartoonbox.slate.com/index/
THE POLITICAL DR. SEUSS
http://www.pbs.org/
independentlens/politicaldrseuss/
index.html
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S T A N D I N G OVA T I O N : Learning Activities
Art: Adapting a book
“Fah who for-aze! Dah who for-aze!
Welcome Christmas, bring your cheer.”
- Welcome Christmas
It’s very common for books to inspire movies or Broadway musicals. A lot of family or
children’s movies started out as books, like the Harry Potter series and the Twilight series.
Most Disney movies were based on traditional fairy tales and many have been turned
into Broadway shows.
FROM BOOK TO MOVIE
When a book is adapted into a movie or television show,
there are many things to consider. If a book is very simple,
like The Grinch, more dialogue between characters or
narration might be needed. It’s also important to find the
perfect actors and actresses to make the story come alive.
In adapting the book/movie for Broadway, the creators
kept “You’re a Mean One, Mister Grinch” and “Welcome
Christmas,” but wrote additional songs. They also kept
the central theme of The Grinch alive: the importance of
the spirit of the holiday season. The Grinch learns that
Christmas is not about the presents or decorations, it is
about the joy of being with people you love and helping
others. Can’t get enough of the Grinch? He also makes an
appearance in Seussical the Musical!
Chuck Jones’ animation sketches. Image courtesy of animationusa.com.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Read + Watch + Compare
Research + Learn
Before you see How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
The Musical, read and watch the other
adaptations of The Grinch. First, read the book.
Then, watch the animated TV special and the
2006 live-action movie. COMPARE the original
illustration to the animation in the TV show and
the costumes and sets in the movie. Which is your
favorite? FOLLOW ALONG in the book while you
watch both the TV special and the movie. How
much extra dialogue was added each time?
Do Boris Karloff and Jim Carrey sound like the
Grinch you hear in your head when you read the
book? MAKE A LIST of the prominent characters
in each medium. After seeing the Broadway
show, DISCUSS with your classmates the changes
you noticed.
Animation in the 1960s was much different than it
is today. Chuck Jones, the animator and director
of How the Grinch Stole Christmas TV special, was
famous for cartoons like Bugs Bunny and Daffy
Duck long before he animated the Grinch. At the
library, RESEARCH the types of animation below
and give an example film for each. Then CREATE
a time line of major developments.
CEL ANIMATION
FULL ANIMATION
ROTOSCOPING
CLAYMATION
TRADIGITAL ANIMATION
VOCABULARY
Dialogue: the words
people speak on stage
or screen.
Animation: the act
of making drawings,
photographs, or models
move in a way that
brings them to life.
Rotoscoping: an
animation technique in
which animators trace
over live-action film
movements.
Tradigital Animation: a
technique that employs
traditional and computer
generated art.
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B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S : About Musical Theatre
A Brief Histor y
Live theatre is a unique experience that engages the audience
much more than movies or TV. Musical theatre is the only genre
of performance that fully utilizes acting, singing and dancing
together to further the development of the plot.
ORIGINS & FOLLIES
Musical theatre’s roots can be traced back to ancient times, where the
Greeks used music and dance in their tragedies and comedies. Next,
fast forward to the 1700s where comedic operas were popular in
Europe. In 1866, the first “musical” by modern definition, The Black
Crook, opened in New York City. In the 1920s, Florenz Ziegfeld’s
famous Follies showcased star actors and actresses with extravagant
sets and costumes but was mainly a musical revue of popular songs.
Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, and Ir ving
Berlin. Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org.
EARLY YEARS & THE GOLDEN AGE
In 1927, Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II’s Show Boat
premiered, which featured complete integration of book, music
and score to tell a story. During “The Golden Age of Broadway,”
famous composers and lyricists churned out hits, like George &
Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (1935), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s
Oklahoma! (1943), Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun (1947), Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s West Side Story (1957),
and Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate (1948).
CONTEMPORARY & MEGA-MUSICALS
The end of the 1960s saw changes in Broadway, like HAIR, one
of the first rock musicals. Unusual concept musicals such as Marvin
Hamlisch and Edward Kleban’s A Chorus Line and Sondheim’s
cynical Company led to big-budget musical operettas like ClaudeMichel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s international hit Les Miserables
and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. Well
known movie and literature favorites like Disney’s Beauty and the
Beast (which premiered at TUTS in 1994) and Stephen Schwartz’s
Wicked have been adapted into family-friendly, special effect
spectaculars. At the same time, in reaction to the rising ticket cost and
flashy spectacle of Broadway, shows like Jonathan Larson’s RENT
aim for a less polished, more personal theatre experience. TUTS
was a part of the production enhancement team that moved RENT
from off-Broadway to Broadway, and continues to benefit from that
association, presenting the original Broadway and film leads in a
special engagement in 2009.
ge
er. Im a
o a t p o st e d ia .o rg .
Show B
ip
ik
w
of
c o u rt e sy
West Side Story. Photos courtesy
of Theatre Under the Stars.
RE NT . Ph oto cou
rte sy of site for ren
t.c om .
WHERE ARE WE TODAY?
Innovative new musicals like the PG-13 “student” musical 25th Annual
Putnam County Spelling Bee and hip-hop musical In the Heights
have been attracting and pleasing younger audiences. These often
start off-Broadway and become so popular they switch venues.
There are also an increased number of revivals, often driven with
Hollywood star power like A Little Night Music with Catherine
Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury. But between movie and book
adaptations, revivals of past favorites and contemporary boundarybreakers, there’s no doubt the Broadway musical is here to stay.
Beauty and the Beast. Photo courtesy of Theatre
Under the Stars.
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B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S : About Musical Theatre
Putting on a Musical
Whether you’re a stage manager, actress, director, costume
designer or composer, when it comes to putting on a musical,
all roles are important. Here’s a roadmap for getting a
musical to Broadway.
•
GATHERING THE CREATIVE TEAM
The creative team includes the director, set designer, costume
designer, choreographer and music director/conductor.
Together with the producers, they discuss their vision for the
show and how they will bring it to life on the stage.
FINDING THE PERFECT MUSICAL
Producers must find a show that their audience will enjoy and will
want to purchase tickets to. They also need to plan the budget for
the production. Producers rent a theatre and pay royalties to the
composer, lyricist and writer of the musical’s book for the rights to
perform the show. One resource for discovering new musicals and
connecting with the world of musical theatre is the National Alliance
for Musical Theatre (NAMT), which was founded by TUTS’ Frank
Young in 1985. Please visit NAMT.org for more information.
•
• CASTING AND REHEARSAL
The director and choreographer will hold auditions for the parts in the
show. For most Broadway shows and tours, actors must be a part of the
Actors Equity association and have an appointment, but sometimes an
open call will be held. After the cast has been chosen, rehearsals begin.
Actors must memorize their lines, songs and choreography before dress
rehearsals and the show’s opening. For information about auditioning
for shows at TUTS, please visit TUTS.com or click here.
PERFORMING FOR AN AUDIENCE
If the show looks good after previews, it will open. Most
Broadway shows perform several times a week at night and
usually have a few matinees as well. Some shows have a
specific closing date; other shows will continue performing as
long as people are buying tickets.
•
VOCABULARY
Audition: a tryout for
performers.
Open call: a casting
open to anyone
without appointment
Dress rehearsals:
rehearsing in full
costume and full tech
as though there is an
audience.
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
Save snacks for
intermission.
Turn your cell phones
and electronics off
completely. No texting!
Arrive about 30
minutes before the
show starts.
Applaud at the end
of songs and scenes.
Otherwise, shhhhh!
Previews:
performances before
the show opens for a
limited audience to
test public opinion.
Matinee: an
afternoon or early
evening show.
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THEATRE UNDER THE STARS • 2010/11 STUDY GUIDE
TUTS STAGEGUIDE
thank you!
As a parent/educator, you are the only person qualified to determine what is
appropriate for your child(ren)/student(s), but we hope the information and rating
system in this guide were helpful. This was designed and written by Margo Sivin
and overseen by David Greiss, Mandi Hunsicker-Sallee and Jacqueline Martin.
Please feel free to copy and distribute. Printed in the United States of America.
First Digital Edition: July 2010.
share your thoughts.
Please visit www.tuts.com/studyguides/grinch/survey for our online survey. You
may also email any additional questions, concerns or comments to [email protected].
connect with TUTS!
Theatre Under the Stars • 713.558.2600
800 Bagby Suite 200, Houston, TX. 77002
www.tuts.com • twitter.com/tutshouston
www.facebook.com/TheatreUnderTheStars
Photo by T. Charles Erickson (2008).
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