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November 8 – December 31, 2023
(Opening night: Sunday, November 12, 2023)
Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage
Old Globe Theatre
Conrad Prebys Theatre Center
Book and lyrics by Timothy Mason
Music by Mel Marvin
Original production conceived and directed by Jack O’Brien
Additional lyrics by Theodor S. Geisel
Additional music by Albert Hague
Original choreography by John DeLuca
Directed by James Vásquez
Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a wonderful, whimsical musical based upon the classic Dr. Seuss book. Back for its 26th incredible year, the family favorite features the songs “Santa for a Day,” “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” and “Welcome, Christmas (Fah Who Doraze),” the delightful carol from the popular animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Celebrate the holidays as the Old Globe Theatre, is once again transformed into the snow-covered Who-ville, right down to the last can of Who-hash.
Subscriber and donor priority pre-sale for Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! starts September 12, and single tickets for the general public will be available online September 20; and on September 22 by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE (234-5623) and in person at The Old Globe’s Box Office in Balboa Park.
Running time: One hour and 25 minutes. There is no intermission.
For Ages 3+: For Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, children under the age of three are not permitted. Each individual attending the show must have a ticket for admission.
Children under the age of three will be admitted to 10:30 a.m. performances only, which are open to all ages. At the 10:30 a.m. performances only, children under the age of two are free, but must occupy the same seat and sit on the lap of a parent or guardian in attendance. Regardless of age, each audience member, including babes in arms, must have a ticket to be admitted into the theatre. Free lap tickets for children under two must be obtained from the Ticket Services Department at (619) 234-5623. (Please note: free lap tickets are not available for three-year-olds.)
As in years past, The Grinch will be performed on Saturday, December 9 at 10:00 a.m. for children on the autism spectrum and their families, as well as other families with special needs that may appreciate the welcoming and supportive environment this performance provides. There will also be a free AXIS event before the performance for all to enjoy!
More on Sensory-friendly Performances
Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is supported by Major Production Sponsors Elaine and Dave* Darwin and Edelman, and Artist Sponsor George C. Guerra (for the actor playing The Grinch). *In memoriam.
Dr. Seuss Properties TM & © 1957 and 2023. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. All Rights Reserved.
Timothy Mason (Book and Lyrics) (1950–2023) The Old Globe: Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Broadway: Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Circle Repertory: Levitation, Only You, Babylon Gardens, The Fiery Furnace. Actors Theatre of Louisville: In a Northern Landscape. American Conservatory Theater’s Young Conservatory: Ascension Day, The Less Than Human Club, Time on Fire, Mullen’s Alley, My Life in the Silents, The Life to Come. Other titles: South Coast Repertory, Seattle Rep, Victory Gardens, Jungle Theatre, Royal National Theatre. Novel: The Darwin Affair, The Nightingale Affair (Algonquin Books).
Mel Marvin (Composer) The Old Globe: Tintypes, Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Broadway: Yentl, A History of the American Film, Tintypes (Tony nomination), Fascinating Rhythm, The Grinch, Cymbeline. Theatre: 11 Off Broadway shows, dozens of scores, from Shakespeare to Kushner, for America’s best-known regional theatres, including Lincoln Center, Arena Stage, Guthrie Theater, ART, ACT, La Jolla Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum (where he wrote the original music for the world premiere of Angels in America). Opera: Guest from the Future, Buwalsky, Truth and Reconciliation, Isolation. Other: Head Faculty Composer, Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.
Jack O’Brien (Conceived and Directed Original Production) The Old Globe: Artistic Director, 1981–2007. Broadway: Shucked, All My Sons, Carousel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Front Page, It’s Only a Play, Macbeth, The Nance, Catch Me If You Can, The Coast of Utopia, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Henry IV, Hairspray, The Invention of Love, The Full Monty, more. Other work: national tours, West End, Metropolitan Opera, San Diego Opera, PBS’s “American Playhouse.” Awards: three Tony Awards, six additional nominations, 2008 Theatre Hall of Fame inductee. Books: Jack in the Box, Jack Be Nimble: The Accidental Education of an Unintentional Director.
James Vásquez (Director) The Old Globe: Resident Artist; The Merry Wives of Windsor, Under a Baseball Sky, Hair, American Mariachi (world premiere), Hurricane Diane, Tiny Beautiful Things, Rich Girl (West Coast premieres), The Rocky Horror Show, Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Regional: Cabaret (Goodspeed Musicals), Damn Yankees (Marriott Theatre), Hair (Two River Theater), American Mariachi (Denver Center Theatre Co.), In the Heights (Dallas Theater Center, Moonlight Stage Productions), Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax (associate director, Children’s Theatre Co.), West Side Story, Cats (SD Musical Theatre), Pageant, Hedwig... (Cygnet Theatre Co.), Next Fall, Pippin (Diversionary Theatre). Education: The Juilliard School, Drama Division. jamesvasquez.com.
John DeLuca (Original Choreography) Film: The Little Mermaid (2023), Mary Poppins Returns, Into the Woods, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Nine, Memoirs of a Geisha, Chicago, The Terminal. Television: Tony Bennett: An American Classic, “The 75th Annual Academy Awards,” “The Kennedy Center Honors.” Awards: two Emmys, three Golden Globe Best Film noms, three AFI Top Ten Best Films, three National Board of Review Top Ten Films, four Critic’s Choice Best Film noms, BAFTA nom, Choreography Media Honors, two American Choreography, Hamilton Behind the Camera, Humanitas Writing, Chita Rivera Award. Theatre director/choreographer: Broadway, Off Broadway, City Center’s Encores!, The Public Theater, regionally.
Bob Richard (Additional Choreography) Broadway/tour: Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! for the past 15 years. Off Broadway: directed/choreographed Inventing Mary Martin: The Revue of a Lifetime (Joseph A. Callaway Award nomination), The Road to Qatar! As director: North Shore Music Theatre, Ordway Center, Theatre By The Sea, 5th Avenue Theatre, Theatre Under The Stars, Pioneer Theatre Company. International: Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo, London, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Awards: Footlight Award, Gypsy Rose Lee Award, Ivey Award, Ernie Award, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award. Coming soon: new national tour of An American in Paris, South Pacific.
Elan McMahan (Music Director) The Old Globe: Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax, As You Like It, Inherit the Wind, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Regional: Ragtime, In the Heights, West Side Story, Titanic, Big Fish, Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, 50 more productions (Moonlight Stage Productions), Sunday in the Park with George (CCAE), Forbidden Broadway (North Coast Rep), Into the Woods (New Village Arts). Education: B.Mus. in Piano Performance from Brigham Young University, M.Mus. in Piano Performance from St. Louis Conservatory of Music. Awards: San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Musical Direction (2012, 2015, 2017). Other work: associate faculty at MiraCosta College.
John Lee Beatty (Scenic Design) The Old Globe: The Underpants, Much Ado, Richard II, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Redwood Curtain. Broadway: 118 productions; Plaza Suite, Sweat, Disgraced, The Nance, Good People, Venus in Fur, Other Desert Cities, The Royal Family, The Color Purple, Rabbit Hole, Doubt, Chicago, Proof, A Delicate Balance, The Heiress, The Sisters Rosensweig, The Most Happy Fella, Burn This, Ain’t Misbehavin’,Talley’s Folly, Fifth of July, Crimes of the Heart. Off Broadway: The Whipping Man, Sylvia, The Substance of Fire, A Life in the Theater, Lips Together…, MTC, Circle Rep, Encores! Awards: Tonys, Obies, Drama Desks, Outer Critics Circles, Theater Hall of Fame. Education: Brown, Yale School of Drama.
Robert Morgan (Costume Design) The Old Globe: Associate Artist. Broadway: Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, The Full Monty, Imaginary Friends, I’m Not Rappaport, Sherlock’s Last Case. Off Broadway: Pride’s Crossing, Saturn Returns (Lincoln Center), The Loves of Anatol (Circle in the Square). Television: American Playhouse’s The Skin of Our Teeth, A Christmas Carol. West End: The Full Monty. Regional: Ahmanson, American Conservatory Theater, American Players Theatre, Denver Center, Guthrie, Huntington, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, McCarter, Milwaukee Rep, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage, Seattle Rep, Studio Arena Theater, Williamstown. Awards: two Drama Desk nominations, 12 Drama-Logue Awards.
Pat Collins (Lighting Design) (1932–2021) The Old Globe: Camp David, Twelfth Night, Cymbeline. Broadway: Orphans, Good People, Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Doubt (Tony nomination), Sight Unseen, Proof, A Moon for the Misbegotten, A Delicate Balance, The Sisters Rosensweig, Conversations with My Father, The Heidi Chronicles, I’m Not Rappaport (Tony Award), Execution of Justice (Drama Desk Award), Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Threepenny Opera (Tony nomination), Once Upon a Mattress, An American Daughter. Other work: Off Broadway, Lincoln Center, Mark Taper Forum, McCarter, Berkeley Rep, Seattle Rep, Hartford Stage, Alley, Center Stage, Long Wharf, Guthrie, Goodman, ART, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, over 100 international opera productions.
Melanie Chen Cole (Sound Design) (she/her) The Old Globe: The Merry Wives of Windsor, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Noura, Tiny Beautiful Things, The Imaginary Invalid. Regional theatre: Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Alley Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Dallas Theater Center, Denver Center, Geffen Playhouse, Goodman Theatre, Huntington Theatre, Indiana Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Milwaukee Rep, Northern Stage, PlayMakers Rep, South Coast Rep, Studio Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival. Education: M.F.A. in Theatre and Dance from UC San Diego. melaniesound.com, @melaniechencole.
Anita Ruth (Orchestrator) As orchestrator/arranger/musical director: over 150 musicals in the last 30 years. As musical director: Chanhassen Dinner Theatres (1968–1988). As freelance music director/orchestrator: Children’s Theatre Company, Bloomington Civic Theatre, Theatre Mu, others. Guthrie Theater: three Shakespeare productions (as arranger/music director), A Christmas Carol for many years (as music director). Other work: orchestrated two operas composed by Mel Marvin: one presented in Holland, one at Bard College (2004).
Joshua Rosenblum (Vocal Arrangements and Incidental Music) Broadway, as conductor: Miss Saigon, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Wonderful Town, The Music Man, Falsettos, Anything Goes. Off Broadway, as composer/lyricist: BUSH IS BAD, Fermat’s Last Tango, Einstein’s Dreams (Drama Desk nomination). As guest conductor: Brooklyn Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, American Repertory Ballet. As pianist: New York Pops (Carnegie Hall), City Center Encores! Faculty member: NYU (conducting), Yale University (composition). Music director: Pit Stop Players. Contributing writer: Opera News. Education: B.A. in Music from Yale (summa cum laude), M.Mus. in Piano from Yale School of Music. Wonderful family: Joanne, Julian, Phoebe.
David Krane (Dance Music Arranger) (he/him/his) Film/television: Best Picture Oscar winner Chicago, Nine, Into the Woods with Meryl Streep, My Week with Marilyn with Michelle Williams, Mrs. Santa Claus with Angela Lansbury, Cinderella with Whitney Houston, Annie with Kathy Bates, Mary Poppins Returns with Emily Blunt and the newlive-action The Little Mermaid with Melissa McCarthy. Broadway: 35 shows including Cabaret with Alan Cumming, Kiss of the Spider Woman with Chita Rivera, Victor/Victoria with Julie Andrews, She Loves Me with Laura Benanti. Original shows: Aspire, The Road to Qatar!; his latest, Goin’ Hollywood,premiered to raves in Dallas this past summer. goinhollywood.com, davidkrane.com, @davidkranemusic on Twitter and Instagram.
Caparelliotis Casting (Casting) The Old Globe: Exotic Deadly, Under a Baseball Sky, What We Talk About…, Dial M for Murder, Mala, Shutter Sisters, Hurricane Diane, Noura, They Promised Her the Moon, Tiny Beautiful Things, Barefoot in the Park, The Wanderers, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Skeleton Crew. Select Broadway: Grey House, Ohio State Murders, Macbeth, The Minutes, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, King Lear, Hillary and Clinton, Ink, The Waverly Gallery, Three Tall Women, Meteor Shower, A Doll’s House, Part 2, Jitney, The Glass Menagerie, Blackbird, Disgraced. Additional theatre: MTC, Signature, Atlantic, Vineyard. Television: “New Amsterdam” (NBC), “American Odyssey” (NBC).
Jess Slocum (Production Stage Manager) The Old Globe: Twelfth Night, Under a Baseball Sky, Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Dial M for Murder, El Borracho, Hurricane Diane, Noura, They Promised Her the Moon, Familiar, The Imaginary Invalid, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Love’s Labor’s Lost, tokyo fish story, In Your Arms, Bright Star, Othello, Water by the Spoonful, Pygmalion, A Room with a View, Robin and the 7 Hoods, over 30more. Regional: The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical; Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord; Indecent; Side Show; Ruined; The Third Story; Memphis (La Jolla Playhouse), Noura (Shakespeare Theatre Company). Education: Vanderbilt University.
Amanda Salmons (Assistant Stage Manager) The Old Globe: Cabaret, Destiny of Desire, Come Fall in Love, Life After, The Blameless, October Sky, Rain, The Metromaniacs, The White Snake, Inherit the Wind, over 40 more productions. Regional: Blueprints to Freedom: An Ode to Bayard Rustin (La Jolla Playhouse), Kiss Me, Kate (Hartford Stage), The Foreigner, See How They Run, The Rivalry (Lamb’s Players Theatre), The Gondoliers, The Pirates of Penzance, Candide, Trial by Jury (Lyric Opera San Diego). Education: UC San Diego.
Lyndon Pugeda (Associate Music Director) Part of The Grinch since 2014. Music direction: Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax, Picasso at the Lapin Agile (The Old Globe), Jesus Christ Superstar, Memphis (Moonlight Stage Productions), Gutenberg! The Musical! (Backyard Renaissance), Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings (New Village Arts). Associate: Benny & Joon (The Old Globe), The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical, Bhangin’ It (La Jolla Playhouse). Honors: Craig Noel Award nomination and three National Youth Arts Awards for Outstanding Musical Direction, 2020 Who-ville Hall of Fame inductee. Education: B.A. in Music: Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts from UC San Diego. @lyndonpugeda on Instagram.
