A Seussical Symphony

Do you like green eggs and ham?
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.
I do not like green eggs and ham.

For many the symphony can seem like a place that would put one to sleep. A place where many might say they do not like. “Songs with no words? Why would anyone listen to songs with no words?” As Rory has put it when hearing symphonic compositions on the radio.

The Virginia Symphony is very understanding in this “I do not like” perception and is providing a fantastic change of thinking with the PB&J Family Classic series. Their latest zany event was A Seussical Symphony!

So we gathered up our Onceler, two Truffula Trees, Thing 1 & Thing 2, and the Lorax’s grandmother (our dear Oma) and made our way to the grandest of grand events!

Some have two feet
and some have four.
Some have six feet
and some have more.

Where do they come from? I can’t say.
But I bet they have come a long, long way.

The musical petting zoo with violins and violas, horns and drums, provided a small taste before the musical extravaganza was to begin.

I don’t like to brag and I don’t like to boast,
Said Peter T. Hooper, but speaking of toast
And speaking of kitchens and ketchup and cake
And kettles and stoves and the stuff people bake…
Well, I don’t like to brag, but I’m telling you, Liz,
That speaking of cooks, I’m the best there there is!

The very best cook, uh hem, I mean conductor, was front and center of the musical show. Resident Conductor, Benjamin Rous wowed the crowd in his magical musicality by leading the musicians in all the audience could wish to wish a wish! He waved his hands with a big swish swish!

It is fun to sing
if you sing with a Ying.
My Ying can sing
like anything.

I sing high
and my Ying sings low,
and we are not too bad,
you know.

Rachel Holland, a spectacular soloist read The Sneetches between beautiful sounds of horns, strings, whistles, and drums (among some many other grand zany sounds). She then invited young Kurt Lannetti, who together they sang the battle of Sam I am convincing his friend to eat Green Eggs and Ham.

Rory thought the Seussical Symphony was great! “The instruments look cool. The drum and the trumpet were fun to touch. I like Ryder trying to cut me down since I was a tree and he was the Onceler. Oh, and the food was great after… the Mexican place that we eated at. I want to go there again with everyone! Especially Je!”

And now
good night.
It is time to sleep.
So we will sleep
with our pet Zeep.

Today is gone. Today was fun.
Tomorrow is another one.
Every day,
from here to there,
funny things are everywhere.

Thank you the Virginia Symphony and all the outstanding musicians. Thank you for seeing the magic in teaching young kids the wonder of music. A special thank you to Mr. Rous for teaching the Green Eggs and Ham beat, they have been singing it all week: “I would not like it in a house, I would not like it with a mouse, I would not like it in a box, I would not like it with a fox… I would not like it anywhere!”

Thank you to Chris for staying home as we knew that even the Virginia Symphony wasn’t ready for our Lorax. Thank you JeLeigh, Sarah, and Oma for adventuring with us and supporting the crazy Truffula Tree dancing in the aisles. We much enjoyed the extravagantly loud dinner afterwards with all of you.

Books referenced: Green Eggs and Ham, Scrambled Eggs Super, and One Fish, Two fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish all by Dr. Seuss.