Notice Me, Horton Lyrics – Seussical

Song Overview

Review and Highlights

This duet is the heart-squeeze in Seussical’s Act I: Gertrude finally speaks her truth while Horton combs a field of clovers for the Whos. The writing stays simple and direct - a pop-Broadway ballad that lets character lead. Chamberlin sings with a steady, earthbound warmth; LaManna threads bright, slightly nervous lines that bloom into open vowels. It’s a love song, yes, but also a study in divided attention.

Highlights

1. Character-through-melody: Horton’s counting motif keeps tugging him away; Gertrude’s phrases reach and hover, then land with shy resolve.
2. Book/music weld: the number bridges “Chasing the Whos” and Mayzie’s entrance, so the dramatic stakes can tilt from romantic to ethical without losing flow.
3. Cast-album clarity: Decca’s production keeps the pit translucent - you hear the breath between pleas.

Creation History

Music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, orchestrations by Doug Besterman, produced for the cast album by Phil Ramone. The album street date hit retail on February 6, 2001 via Decca Broadway; AllMusic lists a release date of January 30, 2001. Recording session notes place the album date in December 2000.

Song Meaning and Annotations

Plot

As Horton combs clover by clover, Gertrude arrives - gloriously plumed after those notorious “pill-berries” - and tries to be seen. He doesn’t look up. She pleads. He counts. The scene sets up Mayzie’s entrance and the egg bargain to come.

Song Meaning

It’s a confession song about value - hers and his. Gertrude measures herself by feathers and proximity; Horton measures care by duty. The irony bites: she changed her body to earn notice, but what moves him is steadfastness. That quiet thread pays off later when she acts, not advertises.

Annotations

“Due to the troubled history of Seussical… in the original Boston run a different verse sat here.”

“There’s a new leaf… your neighbor’s turned over.”

“They both sing the same part but for different people.”

“At this moment the plot pivots from Horton Hears a Who to Horton Hatches the Egg.”

Style and rhythm

The duet moves like a pop ballad with theatre bones - clear verse/bridge build, supportive pit textures, winds flickering under sustained lines. The Seuss DNA shows up in the lyric’s easy anapestic sway, but the music avoids patter here and chooses breath.

Emotional arc

She starts tentative, grows braver, then steadies into plain speech. He starts focused, gets weary, nearly gives up. Two arcs crossing without touching - for now.

Touchpoints

The number sits between “How Lucky You Are” and Mayzie’s nest scene in most licensed scripts, with Youth/Junior variants compressing around it.

Key Facts

• Artist: Stephen Flaherty, Kevin Chamberlin, Janine LaManna
• Featured: Kevin Chamberlin & Janine LaManna
• Composer: Stephen Flaherty
• Lyricist: Lynn Ahrens
• Orchestrations: Doug Besterman
• Producer (album): Phil Ramone
• Release Date: January 30, 2001; retail street date February 6, 2001
• Recorded: December 18, 2000
• Album: Seussical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Label: Decca Broadway / Universal Music Group
• Track #: 17
• Length: ~1:37 on OBC issue
• Genre: Musical theatre duet; pop-ballad inflection
• Language: English
• Music style: moderate tempo ballad, lyrical strings/reeds, light rhythm-section pulse
• Poetic meter: anapestic-leaning lyric flow
• © Copyrights: © 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.; underlying Dr. Seuss material © respective rights holders

Questions and Answers

When did Stephen Flaherty release “Notice Me, Horton”?

It appears on the OBC album released January 30, 2001 (AllMusic), with a Feb 6, 2001 retail street date via Decca Broadway.

Who wrote “Notice Me, Horton” by Stephen Flaherty?

Music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.

Who sings it on the cast album?

Janine LaManna (Gertrude) and Kevin Chamberlin (Horton).

Where does it fall in the story?

Late in Act I, after “How Lucky You Are” and before Mayzie’s nest scene.

Is there another recorded version?

Yes - the 2010 JAY Records Original Off-Broadway Cast (Complete Recording) includes “Notice Me, Horton.”

Awards and Chart Positions

The track itself was not a commercial single and did not chart, but the parent album and production earned major recognition: the OBC album was Grammy-nominated for Best Musical Theater Album; the Broadway run received a Tony Award nomination for Kevin Chamberlin (Best Actor in a Musical, 2001) and Drama Desk nominations for Chamberlin, Janine LaManna, and Stephen Flaherty (Outstanding Music).

How to Sing “Notice Me, Horton”

Keys & range: commonly performed in E-flat major. Practical ranges: Gertrude around F?3–G5; Horton sits in a baritenor pocket, roughly F2–F4 depending on production.

Breath & pacing: don’t rush the opening confessional. Shape phrases as sentences; breathe where the thought turns. Horton’s counting bits should feel inevitable, not impatient.

Diction & color: Gertrude’s vowels open as courage builds; start with a slender, slightly nasal placement and let it warm. Horton’s lines stay grounded and centered - less shimmer, more ballast.

Acting beats: admit - offer - persist. Keep the body still until the “notice me” insistence requires motion; it sells the contrast between her inner sprint and his outer focus.

Ensemble awareness: listen for winds answering phrases; those replies cue breath resets and keep the duet conversational rather than operatic.

Additional Info

Notable recordings: Beyond the OBC cut, a popular cabaret capture reunites Chamberlin and LaManna at 54 Below singing “Notice Me, Horton.” The JAY Records Off-Broadway complete recording documents a different cast color and slightly different pacing.

Where it sits on the album: Track 17, right after “How Lucky You Are,” before Mayzie’s reprise and the Act I finale.