Instead of enjoying the holiday at home with his family of six, he’s been on the road traveling to seven different cities to bring this timeless story to
“For our family of six, Christmas is not about gifts,” Karl says. “Christmas is about the opportunity to be together, and that’s basically what the Grinch production has taught me. As long as we are together, and we have our cookies and hot chocolate and our tiny Christmas tree from CVS, that’s all we need.”
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical makes its grand finale in Fort Lauderdale at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts from December 15 through 28. Originally conceived in the mid-1990s by Jack O’Brien for the Minneapolis’ Children’s Theatre Company and directed on Broadway in 2006 by Matt August, it's been stretched into a 90-minute intermission-free extravaganza, with Albert Hague’s classic tunes “Fah Who Doraze” and “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” supplemented by less memorable additional songs by writer Timothy Mason and composer Mel Marvin."It teaches us that we can all live together in unity, whether you are a Who or a monster."
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Karl, who is originally from Iceland, was playing the character of Robbie Rotten in the children’s TV show Lazy Town when he got the call from his agent about playing the Grinch in the show eight years ago. He says he keeps coming back, year after year, because it’s such a great show to be a part of, and the message is so relevant for our time.
“This story was written in the '50s, but it’s as if it was written for today. That’s how relevant it is. It’s about family, it’s about being together and believing in the good in each other. That’s what Cindy Lou Who believes when she sees the Grinch. She doesn’t see the threat in him, she only sees someone she feels sorry for. Which is so different from what CNN and Fox News and all of the media is trying to teach us. They are trying to teach us to be afraid of something. Don’t go outside, don’t travel, don’t talk to people who look like this or that…don’t talk to green hairy people because they will steal your Christmas. And at the end of the day, we create distance between people. And I think Dr. Seuss creates the ultimate story that does the opposite. It teaches us that we can all live together in unity, whether you are a Who or a monster. It’s beautiful.”
Karl’s connection to the Grinch goes a lot further
“I wanted to create the Grinch that I saw when my dad was reading the story to me. So the exciting moment for me is to see people’s reactions to
Not only is Karl recreating his own image of the character in the show, but he and the rest of the cast are portraying the original concepts created by Dr. Seuss in the storybook. He affirms that this show is nothing like the Hollywood version Jim Carrey played in the movie. The set looks like a pop-up book and only uses the four original colors from the cartoon: black, white, red, and green for the Grinch. The heart of the story really shines through.
Karl says he still sees a lot of American greed today as he observes families in the shopping malls, and now that we have recovered somewhat from the economic downturn, we are like a person who has been in solitary confinement. “We just want to get out there and buy it all,” he says. “But if we want to change, we have to be that change, and that’s what Cindy Lou Who taught the Grinch, and taught the world. ‘Grinch if you want to
“At the end of the day, it’s a great hour and a half to spend with your family. I’ve done this show almost 600 times now, and I enjoy it so much that I come back year after year after year. I promise you will have a blast.”
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical
December 15 through 28 at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $35 to $85 plus fees. Visit browardcenter.org.