One Feather Tail Of Miss Gertrude McFuzz, The Lyrics - Seussical

Song Overview

Review and Highlights

I hear this track as the moment Gertrude stops whispering about Horton and finally lets the room in on her private ache. Musically it’s classic Ahrens & Flaherty: nimble rhyme-work perched on a buoyant Broadway two-step, woodwinds peeking through like side-glances, and a melody that keeps tripping upward as if trying to grow a feather or two of its own. The orchestration stays light and quick so the comedy doesn’t overheat, while Janine LaManna shapes the vowels with comic precision - each “doo doo” a little sigh and a setup.

Highlights

• Character snapshot: In under four minutes the song sketches a whole arc - a shy bird wrestling with envy, spinning it into charm.
• Craft: Internal rhymes and patter-like runs keep the text agile; the hook line lands like a wink rather than a button.
• Sound world: Pit winds, light brass stabs, brushed percussion - a bright musical-theatre palette that flatters comic storytelling.
• Staging-ready: The lyric’s props - curling, dyeing, puffing the tail - invite physical gags without breaking the flow.

Creation History

Written for Seussical (music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens), the number appears early in Act I and on the Original Broadway Cast Recording, where LaManna originated Gertrude. The album was issued by Decca Broadway in early 2001, with Phil Ramone producing the cast recording and the track slotted as cut 11 on most listings.

Song Meaning and Annotations

Plot

Gertrude sings about a tail so underwhelming it barely qualifies as a tail. She’s tried everything - curling, dyeing, puffing, floral camouflage - and nothing fixes the core problem: Horton still doesn’t notice her. The verse keeps looping back to the same self-portrait, which is the joke and the heartbreak. She doesn’t change her world here; she exposes the fuse that will. We understand why she’ll chase a feather-fix later.

Song Meaning

On the surface: vanity. Underneath: visibility. The tail isn’t just a fashion crisis; it’s a proxy for being seen by Horton. The harmony tilts upward when she names him, like the music itself blushes. The mood starts sheepish, grows frustrated, then settles into a small, defiant vow - if she can’t change Horton yet, she’ll change herself.

Annotations

This whole first paragraph is taken directly from Gertrude McFuzz, which is a story found in Yertle the Turtle. However, Gertrude actually exists in a book completely separate from Horton and Mayzie. She originally wants the pills in order to be prettier than Lolla.

Right - the writers lace in Seuss’s original setup so the theatre audience meets the same insecure bird from the page. The stage version repurposes that insecurity toward Horton rather than Lolla Lee Lou, which makes her tail-quest a love-quest and stitches her story into Horton’s.

Right before the song starts, Gertrude says, “Love song for Horton number 437”, which shows that she REALLY likes Horton which is why she is trying to do all of this stuff to impress him

That tossed-off line is crucial. It reframes the number as one variation in a long private song cycle. She’s been workshopping unrequited-love material offstage for ages. No wonder the meter scurries - her thoughts are already mid-stride.

Style, references, and subtext

• Rhythm & style: A tidy Broadway bounce with patter inflections - think comic solo tradition from Kristin Chenoweth-style fizz to classic 60s Seuss-y rhyme.
• Emotional arc: Starts self-mocking, pivots to plucky determination. The last refrain leans brighter, as if she believes the makeover might work.
• Cultural touchpoint: Direct lift from Dr. Seuss’s Gertrude McFuzz - an anapestic snap that the score mirrors. The musical reframes envy into romantic longing, keeping Seuss’s moral about self-acceptance waiting in the wings.
• Imagery: The feather becomes a symbol for worth. You can count it, curl it, dye it - it still won’t buy love. That’s the quiet sting under the joke.

Key Facts

• Artist: Janine LaManna
• Composer: Stephen Flaherty
• Lyricist: Lynn Ahrens
• Producer: Phil Ramone
• Release Date: February 6, 2001
• Album: Seussical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Label: Decca Broadway (Universal)
• Length: 3:28
• Genre: Musical theatre
• Language: English
• Track #: 11
• Instruments: pit winds, brass, strings, piano, percussion
• Mood: comic yearning, bright, quick
• Music style: patter-inflected show tune, light swing
• Poetic meter: predominantly anapestic lines in Seuss style
• © Copyrights: 2001 Decca Broadway/UMG Recordings, Inc.

Questions and Answers

When did Stephen Flaherty release “The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz”?

As part of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Seussical, released February 6, 2001.

Who wrote “The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz”?

Music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.

Where does the number sit in the show?

Early in Act I, introducing Gertrude’s insecurity and her crush on Horton; it sets up later songs (“Amayzing Mayzie,” “Notice Me, Horton”).

Is the lyric drawn from Dr. Seuss?

Yes - the opening image and conceit come directly from the short story “Gertrude McFuzz,” then re-aimed toward Horton in the musical.

Who originated the role on Broadway?

Janine LaManna created Gertrude in the 2000-2001 Broadway production and sings the track on the cast album.

Awards and Chart Positions

The track itself didn’t compete for awards, but the Broadway production that introduced it earned a 2001 Tony Award nomination for Kevin Chamberlin’s performance as Horton the Elephant. The cast album’s release helped preserve that original company’s sound in circulation even as the show’s run was comparatively brief.

How to Sing The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz

• Placement: Keep the tone forward and speech-bright; consonants tell the jokes.
• Tempo & breath: Moderate and bouncy. Map breaths around the patter so you don’t clip the internal rhymes.
• Color: Start a little self-deprecating, then let a hopeful shimmer in when Horton is mentioned.
• Range & tessitura: Typically cast for a soprano or high mezzo in legit-to-light-belt mix. Keep the top agile rather than heavy.
• Acting beat: Treat each “fix” (curl, dye, puff) as a micro-bit of stage business that escalates the comedy while fueling the insecurity.

Additional Info

On Broadway, Janine LaManna’s Gertrude played opposite Kevin Chamberlin’s Horton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The album track commonly runs about three and a half minutes; many productions pair this moment closely with “Amayzing Mayzie” to propel Gertrude into her risky feather plan. If you want to dig into the page-to-stage lineage, read Seuss’s original - you’ll hear the anapestic bounce the score gently echoes.