On Dec. 6, I was fortunate enough to attend the dress rehearsal of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas at the newly restored Peabody Opera House.
As the host of Peabody Energy’s Christmas Party, my family and many other employers’ close ones gathered to celebrate the holidays at the Opera House. The venue had multiple ball rooms, two including smaller stages, where attendees were treated to a buffet h’orderves styled dinner. Alongside the dinner food were dessert stands with a variety of cupcakes, cake balls and hot chocolate.
Other than the food, I was pleased at how visually striking the Opera House was. Even after restoring many elements of the theater, every room remained in its original, ornate state from the 30s. My favorite detail was the ceilings, which were extremely rich in color and design.
My first complaint is the seating. Inside the theater, which I find gorgeous, the seats did not appear to be new. I was sure of that after sitting in them for the first 30 minutes of the show; my legs went numb. It was also very stuffy and close-knit.
Even though the seating was uncomfortable, the show made the numbness worth my while. The show included several special effects, which surprised me as I assumed the show wouldn’t be especially spectacular.
Stefan Karl, star of Nickelodeon’s LazyTown, plays the Grinch. In my opinion, he did an outstanding job with the character. What made his acting come across so well was his improve; the show had a personal element as Karl interacted with audience members throughout the play.
Like most non-regular play goers, I would assume the repetitive music becomes obnoxious during the play. While the “Whos” squeaky voices did get to be a little much for my taste, I enjoyed the production and its amusing sense of humor.
Attending Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas put me in the holiday mood for December and makes me excited to go back to the Peabody Opera House. I am looking forward to attending future productions.
