The Touring Company of Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical. Photo by Jeremy Daniel

Since 1957, How the Grinch Stole Christmas has been a staple of the holiday season. Generations have grown up with the story of the curmudgeonly green creature who learns that “Maybe Christmas…doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!” Test your knowledge of the story with this trivia from Who-ville followed by fun facts that provide a bit more insight into this beloved classic.

Fun Facts

• Did you know, the Grinch didn’t turn green until he was animated in 1966. When the book was published in 1957, he was black and white with pink eyes. Rumor has it that the animator, Chuck Jones, was inspired to give the Grinch his recognizable coloring after he rented a car that was painted an ugly and unique shade of green.
• Seuss is the ninth best-selling fiction author of all time (estimated 600 million copies of work sold).
• At the time the book was written, Dr. Seuss was 53, the same age as the Grinch.
• Max, The Grinch’s dog, has only two lines in the entire 1966 TV special: “Yipee!” and “Raaaahhh!”. In our musical, he is a leading dog!
• The Grinch was named the fifth greatest cartoon character of all time by TV Guide in 2002.
• Seuss had a “GRINCH” vanity license plate.
• A Halloween-themed sequel came out in 1977, “Halloween Is Grinch Night”. The plot revolves around the Grinch frightening Whoville but this time doesn’t find redemption. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program that year.
• Only four of the 44 books Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated are written in prose. These 44 books have been translated into more than 15 languages.
• Seuss was not a doctor. He briefly studied English literature at Oxford after graduating from Dartmouth but instead became a cartoonist. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1955 by Dartmouth College.
• Boris Karloff is the animated TV special’s narrator but is also often miscredited as the voice behind the iconic song “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” In fact, it was Thurl Ravenscroft, who sang the song. (He was also the famous voice of Tony the Tiger.) Originally, because of an oversight, Ravenscroft was left off of the credits.
• Max was voiced by Dallas McKennon, a voice actor most famous for Buzz Buzzard in the “Woody Woodpecker” series and the safety spiel at the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disney, as well as a slew of animals in Lady and the Tramp.
• The lyrics to the song, “Fahoo Foraze,” were made to imitate classical Latin. After the special aired the studio received numbers of letters requesting a Latin to English translation from those who had mistaken it for real Latin.
• Seuss wrote all of the lyrics to the songs in TV special of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
• Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its “Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children.” It was one of the “Top 100 Picture Books” of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.
• The book debuted in December 1957, in both a book version published by Random House and in an issue of Redbook.  It has been said that the conflict between the Whos and the Grinch was inspired by how German immigrants in Dr. Seuss’s native Springfield, Massachusetts, were mistreated by the owners of the factories where they worked.

“How Well Do You Know the Grinch?” Trivia Game

Instructions:

Each question has four answer choices. Choose the one you think is correct. Answers are at the end!

1. What color was the Grinch in the original 1957 book?

A) Green
B) Black and white with pink eyes
C) Yellow
D) Red and white

2. What inspired the Grinch’s green color in the 1966 animated special?

A) A Christmas tree
B) A moldy sandwich
C) A rented car
D) A parrot

3. How many lines does Max the dog have in the 1966 TV special?

A) None
B) Two
C) Five
D) Ten

4. Who narrated the 1966 animated special?

A) Thurl Ravenscroft
B) Chuck Jones
C) Boris Karloff
D) Dallas McKennon

5. Who actually sang “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”?

A) Boris Karloff
B) Thurl Ravenscroft
C) Frank Sinatra
D) Mel Blanc

6. What was Dr. Seuss’s real profession?

A) Pediatrician
B) English professor
C) Cartoonist
D) Psychologist

7. What was unique about Dr. Seuss’s license plate?

A) It said “WHO-VILLE”
B) It was green
C) It said “GRINCH”
D) It had a picture of Max

8. What age was Dr. Seuss when he wrote “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”?

A) 33
B) 45
C) 53
D) 60

9. What is the name of the Halloween-themed Grinch sequel?

A) “Grinch’s Revenge”
B) “Halloween Is Grinch Night”
C) “The Grinch Returns”
D) “Boo to the Whos”

10. What language were the lyrics to “Fahoo Foraze” meant to imitate?

A) French
B) Latin
C) German
D) Italian

11. How many of Dr. Seuss’s 44 books are written in prose?

A) 4
B) 10
C) 20
D) All of them

12. What award did “Halloween Is Grinch Night” win?

A) Grammy
B) Golden Globe
C) Emmy
D) Oscar

13. What was Max’s voice actor also known for?

A) Mickey Mouse
B) Buzz Buzzard and Disney ride spiels
C) Bugs Bunny
D) Tony the Tiger

14. What year did the book How the Grinch Stole Christmas debut?

A) 1955
B) 1957
C) 1960
D) 1966

15. What inspired the conflict between the Grinch and the Whos?

A) A family feud
B) A dream
C) Factory mistreatment of German immigrants
D) A newspaper article

Answer Key:

1. B – Black and white with pink eyes
2. C – A rented car
3. B – Two
4. C – Boris Karloff
5. B – Thurl Ravenscroft
6. C – Cartoonist
7. C – It said “GRINCH”
8. C – 53
9. B – Halloween Is Grinch Night
10. B – Latin
11. A – 4
12. C – Emmy
13. B – Buzz Buzzard and Disney ride spiels
14. B – 1957
15. C – Factory mistreatment of German immigrants

DETAILS

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical

Dec 3-7, 2025 • Buell Theatre

Tickets