Rounding out its 2024 summer season, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera’s “Seussical” opened Tuesday night at the Byham Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh. With its bright colors and whimsical songs, the show will undoubtedly be a hit with the next generation of theater lovers who are just being introduced to live performances.

As the name suggests, “Seussical” is based on the works of renowned children’s author Dr. Seuss. The show, with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and a book by both Ahrens and Flaherty, opened on Broadway in 2000 and remains popular with local theater groups. At a brisk 75 minutes, it’s a handy diversion — or an accessible way to show kids the magic of the stage.

The plot is a bit of a puzzler. It is a curious mix of many Seuss stories, mainly following the sagas of Horton the elephant (“Horton Hears A Who!” and “Horton Hatches the Egg”) but with elements of many other beloved tales thrown in. At its heart, it’s a musical about imagination and the power of the “thinks” that we all think.

And the yarn that it spins takes a backseat to its many extravagant musical numbers. The large ensemble cast is kept busy singing and dancing in a parade of dazzling costumes with eye-catching choreography — and catchy tunes to boot.

The cast is large — and larger than life. Acting as an emcee of sorts within the story of the show, Beth Malone play the Cat in the Hat, with plenty of fun gags and a few moments of earnestness. Malone is a Broadway veteran and Tony nominee for “Fun Home,” and her professionalism and experience radiates from the stage, especially in her interactions with young actor Henry Thomas.

Thomas, 11, is a student at Pittsburgh CLO Academy with a bright future. As the dual characters of JoJo and The Boy, he easily kept pace with his co-stars and showcased impressive vocal ability. Hopefully, he’ll grace the stage for years to come.

Also getting plenty of stage time was Jacob Keith Watson as Horton the Elephant. Watson, with a big voice and a big heart, he was a pleasure to watch onstage. Susana Cordón, playing Gertrude McFuzz, Horton’s love interest with a cute side plot of her own, has a lot of pluck (pun intended) and lent her beautiful voice to some of the standout songs of the show. Other highlights of the cast include Kate Loprest as Mayzie LaBird, whose swagger and humor won over the audience, and Darius Harper, who made for a hilarious and enchanting presence as Sour Kangaroo.

Director Michael Heitzman’s vision brought all of the disparate parts of the show together into a scintillating spectacle — every technical aspect of “Seussical” was on point.

The show’s best attribute was its variety of costumes, thanks to costume designer Leon Dobowski, George Bacon (original designer of some costumes) and Ryan J. Moller (additional costumes designer). From 1950s-style swing dresses for the Whos to glittering Day-Glo fish to a Cat in the Hat with circus ringleader flair, every character stood out in their outfits and every look evoked Seussian colors and shapes.

Jeff Knaggs’ hair and makeup design was a big part of making each actor pop onstage. And for some added fun, puppet designer Lisa Leibering brought new dimension as well.

Choreographer Robbie Roby sure had some impressive tricks up his sleeve. His flashy musical numbers included a lot of lively dancing, and each group of characters, from jungle animals to the Whos, was unique in their movements. Some acrobatics even made an appearance.

Scenic designer J Branson, lighting designer Paul Miller and sound designer Greg Brooks really ran with Suess’s aesthetic and brought his bizarre and magical world off of the page and onto the stage. The roving, carnival-esque spotlights during the overture were an especially exciting touch.

With so much of the show’s runtime taken up by songs, music director Catie Brown was busy. But the Pittsburgh CLO Orchestra was in rare form, especially the brass section. The musicians didn’t disappoint this season, and this was a fitting finale for them.

“Seussical” is bright, bold, shiny and often silly. While kids may appreciate it more than adults, it would do well for everyone to live in this world of whimsy for a while. Even the curtain call was full of fun.

Pittsburgh CLO’s “Seussical” will run through Sunday at the Byham Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh. To learn more or get tickets, visit pittsburghclo.org.

Alexis Papalia is a TribLive staff writer. She can be reached at apapalia@triblive.com.