The Christmas holiday season and the Grinch just go together! I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical thanks to Brave PR and Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta. I was gifted the tickets in exchange for sharing our experience on Instagram and this blog post is in no way sponsored – I just wanted to share our personal experience at the Grinch Musical and provide others with details on Dr. Suess’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical what to expect going into the event!
What Is Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical
The Grinch Musical is based on Dr. Seuss’s beloved Christmas classic book: How the Grinch Stole Christmas. If you’ve never had the experience of reading the book I highly recommend it prior to seeing any of the movies or the musical live on stage and the book would make an excellent surprise along with the theatre tickets 😉
In fact, I also think watching the animated version of the story (skip the Jim Carrey version, trust me) would also be wise prior to viewing the musical! This is one of those kinds of experiences where the audience is expected to be familiar with the general storyline and characters and having that base knowledge will only enhance your enjoyment of the performance.
Dr. Suess’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical is a live action version of the beloved tale of the town of Whoville, a precious little girl named Cindy Lou Who and a “mean” Grinch and his dog Max. The storyline itself is heartwarming and considered a beloved Christmas tradition.
Personally, I am not a fan of Dr. Seuss’s books (Gasp!) but I LOVE the animated movie and was very excited to see it performed on stage. Some children do find the Grinch rather scary so reading the book and watching one of the movies is a great way to prepare your children as well as gauge both their interest as well as ability to enjoy the show vs being scared too!
Where to See Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical
Our showing of Dr. Suess’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical was at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The Grinch Musical is a traveling performance with many locations and options to see the show near you! Just visit their website for more details. Visiting the website will also help little ones see what the Grinch on stage looks like to see if they will enjoy it too!
We live a few hours south of Atlanta so it was a perfect mini-road trip opportunity! When I got invited to the show I knew it’d be a wonderful surprise birthday gift for my oldest daughter, Britt, on her 10th birthday. She has been wanting to have more “older girl” experiences to set her apart a bit from her younger sister, Tess, and I felt like a big girl night in the city to see her first show at The Fox was perfect.
I also further surprised her by inviting her cousin, Elizabeth, along with my sister-in-law, Casey. Britt has been wanting a chance to bond closer with Elizabeth and it was a great opportunity for that as well!
Our showing was on a weekday (the day after Britt’s birthday actually so it was truly the perfect birthday gift!) so we checked the girls out of school early and made the drive to Atlanta – with a stop at Buc-ee’s of course!
Road trips are always SO fun and such great bonding opportunities and it got us all excited for the show.
Where to Stay when Visiting Fox Theatre Atlanta
I love travel but safety is ALWAYS my top priority. I researched a ton of options when it came to visiting Atlanta to take in the show at the Fox Theatre. The Fox is located in the HEART of the city which can be pretty intimidating for two mamas with young girls!
I decided to book our stay at Hotel Indigo and it could not have been more perfect. It was located directly across from The Fox Theatre so we had gorgeous views of the city as well as The Fabulous Fox from the window in our room.
Hotel Indigo was very safe with parking on site and staff at the desk 24 hours a day. The decor was modern with nods to the theatre as well! It really couldn’t have been a more ideal location and I’d highly recommend Hotel Indigo to anyone visiting Atlanta for a show at the Fox!
I grew up just outside of the Atlanta area so I tend to take the city for granted but the girls were in awe of the tall buildings and so excited to get to spend the night in such a “fancy” hotel. Britt was so thrilled about being so high up that she wanted to take all nine flights of stairs – I was glad I wore comfortable shoes 😉
The front desk even gave her a free cookie as a birthday gift at check-in!
Best Age for Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical
I have two daughters who both love experiences and making memories together. I recently took both girls to see the new Cirque Du Soleil Drawn to Life at Disney Springs and while we all enjoyed the experience I do think my youngest daughter, Tess, was too young to fully appreciate it.
Britt had just had her 10th birthday and I think she was the IDEAL age for her first theater production. Tess is 7 and I think she would have enjoyed the show but not appreciate it if that makes sense.
We saw a LOT of families at The Grinch Musical and I do think kids of all ages could enjoy the production. I would not recommend bringing young infants or toddlers as the running time is 85 minutes with no intermission. I know, without a doubt, there is no way my active four year old would have made it nor would it have been enough action to keep him engaged.
I personally think probably ages 8 and up is ideal to truly appreciate the entire experience. For just the show itself I think ages 6 and up would enjoy the production! The music is fun, the story is familiar, and it is quick-paced.
Our girls were both ten and they loved EVERY second of the entire night. The car ride, the hotel stay, the city, the theatre and the show!
Where to Eat Before a Show at Fox Theatre Atlanta
Again, safety was a top priority for me when planning out our special girls night in Atlanta. The hotel recommended Mary Macs’ Tea Room for our dinner as it’s a short walk from both the hotel and the theatre and is considered a must-have before a show.
It didn’t disappoint! The food was simple, but delicious. Casual but special. Quick but personal. Not overly priced either which was a plus for sure! We are southern girls who appreciate southern cooking and we all loved everything we ordered and had plenty of time to enjoy the meal without being rushed and had time to walk back to the show as well.
We saw LOTS of other theatre-goers at the restaurant and it’s a hot spot for pre-show dining so be sure to get there early! On the road trip the girls had watched Space Jam and they were super excited to see Charles Barkley’s picture on the wall!
What to Wear to The Grinch Musical
I wanted to make sure we had some festive flair for our outing to see Dr. Suess’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical. Casey and I knew the girls would love matching and we found them very affordable candy cane dresses from The Children’s Place.
Casey and I both wore festive colored sweaters. I purchased mine from Old Navy and added some festive Santa earrings to complete the outfit.
I loveeee a good theme and have done some cute ideas for Dr. Seuss dress up days in the past but didn’t really go all out for the show. We saw some full families in full on almost costumes for the event and it was ADORABLE.
Have fun with what you wear! Go festive! Get into it! It’s a great excuse to get some borderline tacky Christmas attire and rock it 🙂
We also saw plenty of people not dressed up at all, which is fine too. I’m just a fan of theming it up whenever the opportunity strikes. This is a theatre production so keep that in mind and I would, at minimum, wear “Sunday best” attire.
The theatre can be a bit chilly, even in warmer months, so bring a light sweater or jacket. We walked to the event from dinner so we had our heavier coats.
It may also be wise to bring along a small set of binoculars depending on where your seats are located, this way everyone can get a good view no matter what! Plus younger kids enjoy playing with them if they get bored 😉
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical What to Expect
We arrived to the Fox Theatre about 45 min or so before showtime. We had plenty of time to get photos outside, get through security, find our seats, use the restroom and explore the theatre a bit prior to the show starting.
Lots of people are outside of the theatre getting photos so do not be shy! A good trick is to always offer to take a photo for someone of their entire group and nine times out of ten they will also offer to do the same for you 😉
The energy before a show is always fun and exciting and everyone is in great moods and just looking forward to the event!
At the time of our visit masks were required upon entry into the Fox Theatre, however, they were very understanding in allowing them to be removed for photos etc. If you’re seeing Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical at The Fox it’s wise to review their security guidelines to know what to expect.
Be sure to look for the Tiny Door – a fun find when entering the theatre. Also be sure to use the restrooms – not only because it’s a good decision to go before the show begins, but also because it’s a very fancy bathroom and who doesn’t love that? 😉
Employees of The Fox love the theatre just as much as their guests and take a lot of pride in it. It is GORGEOUS and a must-visit for a show production at some point! Take the time to arrive early enough to explore and see the incredible ceiling from all angles as well as check out the orchestra area. Before The Grinch the pianist was playing holiday music during the seating time period which brought the holiday mood to life!
We were seated in the center (orchestra) area on the lower level about mid-way back from the stage. It was an excellent viewing location however when it comes to being short or having kids – it can still be tough to see! Thankfully the theatre has booster seats available on a first come, first serve basis (another reason to arrive early). Even I used one as even with it I still was just barely “taller” than my SIL who is 5’10” and I wasn’t blocking the view behind me but was able to see so much better 😉
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical is 85 minutes in length and does NOT have an intermission. I was very surprised that a show geared towards children and families didn’t have any sort of break and it’s another reason why I’d recommend getting a babysitter for little ones or waiting to take them until they are a bit older. 85 minutes is a long time in the life of a small child and their attention span!
There are concessions available but we had just eaten dinner and didn’t want to buy anything prior to the show and then didn’t have the chance to make a purchase since there wasn’t an intermission. The girls were totally fine not having snacks or anything as they were fully engaged in the show 🙂
After the show ends there is a LARGE crowd exiting the theatre. If you do want to make any purchases, I highly recommend slow rolling your exit. I wanted a picture of the girls on the stairs on our way out and by the time we made it over to the stairs and took the photo the entire lobby was pretty much cleared out!
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical Mom Review
The show was VERY engaging and fun. Lots of familiar songs and the storyline followed closely with the traditional book and feature films. The Grinch was very funny and silly in his quest to steal Christmas and the girls loved his humor – a lot of his little jokes were more geared towards current events and pop culture but they loved his TikTok reference as that’s something they hear a lot about in school from their friends (even though they are NOT allowed to have it themselves!). Of course the crowd loved when his heart grew three sizes by the end just like the original as well 🙂
The performance by Cindy Lou-Who was also incredible. She was adorable and so talented and both girls were totally blown away and impressed by her. The only real lacking character, in my opinion, was Max the dog. “Old Max” narrated the story which was a disconnect for me and his delivery just wasn’t cute or fun.
Overall the show was wonderful and a great twist on a classic Christmas tradition. The sets and stage were really neat and well themed and engaging and we all loved the entire production! The actors and actresses also did a great job of interacting a bit with the audience and we all got to sing along a couple of times which added to the warm fuzzy feelings 🙂
It’s also wise not to feel rushed when the show ends. Yes, we had an early morning the next morning to get up and head home to be able to get the girls checked into school but the energy is still very fun right after a show. People take their time leaving the theatre area so we joined the masses and just soaked up the festivities surrounding us in the beautiful city!
We crossed the street to see the huge Christmas tree on display and took our time walking back to the hotel for the night while looking at all of the lights and discussing our thoughts of the play and cast.
I think taking in the play could be an excellent way to kick off the holiday season fun in November. We saw the production at the beginning of December and it really helped to get us in the holiday festive spirit!
Our energy was all still super high after all the of fun and you know a girl’s night in the city can’t end too early! We headed back to the hotel to get settled in for silly girl giggles during the sleepover portion of the event.
The Grinch Musical Final Thoughts
We all got into pjs and the girls slept in one bed while Casey and I slept in the other and none of us could fall asleep until after 11. The girls played cards and told secrets and laughed while Casey and I caught up on life and just enjoyed the time together!
We both loved the opportunity to pour into our girls one on one. Britt is the older sister and Elizabeth is the younger sister and while their sister bonds are so, so special both girls are also at an age where it’s important to give them that individual attention and by providing them with special experiences like this one it really meant a lot to them!
It was also such a wonderful chance for Britt and Elizabeth to deepen their bonds as cousins – away from allllll the other kids and to have a shared experience to always remember and reflect on together.
It was perfect timing as we had several family events together over the holidays and we could see the difference in Elizabeth feeling more comfortable with the family unit as well as Britt feeling more confident in Elizabeth being her BFF Cousin 😉 Love both of these precious girls and so thankful for the opportunity to go and do fun things like this together!
We headed home the next morning with full hearts (and bellies thanks to a Chick-Fil-A stop for breakfast!) and memories will all always cherish!
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