Breaking News: CATS to Return to Broadway This Summer; Andy Blankenbuehler Joins Team

[Rob]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 8:15am

Click Here to Read Breaking News: CATS to Return to Broadway This Summer; Andy Blankenbuehler Joins Team

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 8:20am

Great news! I think this musical is unjustly looked down upon. I'm glad it's making it's way back to this side of the pond. I hope Nicole Scherzinger gets to play "Grizabella".

[madbrian]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 8:21am

Ugh.  I'd love to see Scherzinger on Broadway, but her talents deserve something much better than this.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 8:23am

Ugh.

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 8:24am

....and the CATS bashing has begun! That didn't take long! lol!

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 8:32am

Cats is a terrible, terrible musical, although I'm willing to give this revival the benefit of the doubt. New material, new stars, new choreography, world class Broadway production values. Plenty of middling shows have been improved the second time around.

 

I won't write it off until I actually see it.

[tazber]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 8:46am

I never understood the hate for this show.

 

It's just a collection of poems set to music and choreographed.

 

The music is lovely and the staging is often clever. There's not a lot to legitimately hate about it.

 

I can see some people being bored, or preferring more story-oriented shows but for what it is I think Cats is very well done.

 

I'm looking forward to it.

Updated On: 1/21/16 at 08:46 AM

[JM226]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 8:52am

it became a huge international phenom. any show that becomes one is always going to receive a lot of hate. like Wicked and Hamilton. not my cup of tea but who cares.. welcome back, CATS.

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 8:52am

Seconded, Taz.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 8:52am

I echo everything that Taz said. 

I'm excited for this!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 8:55am

Saw the original. Did not care for it. To those who like it Enjoy.

[evic]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 9:19am

Detest the show.  Anything will be better than Gillian Lynn's original choreography.  But will Andy turn it into "Hip Hop" CATS? Will not see it but there are many who will.  Enjoy.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 9:21am

If Andy Blankenbuehler is new to the team, who was the choreographer in London? Or did they just use the original choreography?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 9:26am

I'm glad that some people have found something to like in this....entity....known as Cats. I'm a firm believer that it's always better to like find pleasure in a show than to hate it (and I really mean that). However, neither can you claim that our hate for it is "unjust." You have to understand that while you my find the music "lovely" and such, there are many reasons that so many of us think it is one of the worst pieces of trash to disgrace the Broadway stage. 

 

Having said that: Memory is catchy, the show as a whole can be fun to laugh at while watching it, and Andy Blankenbeuhler is an excellent choreographer. So I may end up seeing this anyway. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 9:38am

Not my favorite show.  Nowhere near my least favorite show.  I think it's "hate" just came from it getting so quickly out paced by what came after it.  When it first broke it was unique, odd, and "artsy".  As a young, doe-eyed, young performer, I thought it was transforming.

 

I'm not sure how high on my list to see this will fall, but my curiosity is piqued.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 9:41am

Oh no.  Poor Hello, Dolly!

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 10:03am

A very unusual show that I have always loved as well. It relies heavily on the performers and performances since it's hardly plot-driven. A mood piece, and almost "fringe theatre" that somehow made its way to Broadway and became one of the longest running shows in history.

 

I'm glad it's coming back, but a lot will depend on the concept (are they gutting the Simon?), choreography (how much is "based on" the original), lighting, costumes, and makeup as to whether or not it will succeed here (again). All of the elements lined up last time.

Updated On: 1/21/16 at 10:03 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 10:06am

 

Maybe they could set it in an insane asylum.

 

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 10:08am

Is it me or does the preview period seem short?

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 10:09am

Maybe they could set it in an insane asylum.

 

"Crazy Cats!"

 

Where they play all the instruments. Right.

[evic]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 10:13am

It is appropriate that it takes place in a garbage dump -just where it belongs.  Even if they cut the 5 worst numbers...it will remain garbage.  As a friend of mine said "it is more fun to be in that to watch from the audience"..

[JM226]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 10:15am

that is a valid opinion., just as is the one that praises the show for its artistry. its all subjective 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 10:16am

so out of the blue they decided to bring this in a year earlier than originally planned & have it open during the same season as MISS SAIGON. Weird & very odd. So we already have in terms of revivals for the 2016-17 season: CATS, MISS SAIGON, HELLO, DOLLY!, FALSETTOS, MOTOWN, SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE & SINGIN' IN THE RAIN.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 10:16am

Unfortunately the original simply didn't age well. Like so many other shows that have long runs, the original cast was great, but the longer it ran, the more pedestrian it became. It was no longer a novelty. The choreography became dated, the sets were no longer impressive and the casts became bored. I was surprised how lazy it looked when I saw it years after the opening cast.

I'd say the same thing about Phantom. The original production was thrilling with Maria Bjornson's glorious sets and costumes, but when I took someone years later, it seemed dusty and boring. The cast seemed to be going through the motions.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 1/21/16 at 10:17am

worst Broadway revival news of the week by far. Who do they think wants this???