CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Reviews- Page 5
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Reviews
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#100
Posted: 5/3/26 at 10:06pm
i was there today.
ive never been so Of Two Minds re a show. this isnt for me. it felt very long. they make an announcement about traditional broadway folks who dont like people screaming and talking throughout the show--thats me. im just not the audience for this, and i knew it going in, and thats how it played out. I have never seen any iteration of CATS because it always struck me as so incredibly stupid, and i was right. the content here is just....bad (memory is a nice song, i guess theres some hummable stuff here and there but its about literally nothing).
AND YET, how does this not win Best Revival? They took a horrible cheesy borderline insane story and turned it into something new, fresh--its brilliant. The ball culture fits perfectly, and it elevates otherwise painful material. And the sheer joy of the performers and the audience--it reminded me of Buena Vista Social Club, or how Fiddler must have felt when it premiered so soon after WW2. A culture/community just bursting onto the stage, so talented and so proud. What a feat.
The ensemble/group was outstanding but no one stood out in terms of performance (dancing aside--the physical movement was unreal). I thought Nora Schell and Sydney James Harcourt commanded the room most powerfully.
Lots of empy seats in rear orchestra and more than a few people disappeared during intermission. Wonder how this plays out once the core audience for it has seen it. But man are these guys working hard and earning the wild applause.
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#101
Posted: 5/4/26 at 12:50am
Ummm...PipingHot.....Fiddler opened almost TWENTY YEARS AFTER the end of WW2
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#102
Posted: 5/4/26 at 12:58am
PipingHotPiccolo said: "i was there today.
ive never been so Of Two Minds re a show. this isnt for me. it felt very long. they make an announcement about traditional broadway folks who dont like people screaming and talking throughout the show--thats me. im just not the audience for this, and i knew it going in, and thats how it played out. I have never seen any iteration of CATS because it always struck me as so incredibly stupid, and i was right. the content here is just....bad (memory is a nice song, i guess theres some hummable stuff here and there but its about literally nothing).
AND YET, how does this not win Best Revival? They took a horrible cheesy borderline insane story and turned it into something new, fresh--its brilliant. The ball culture fits perfectly, and it elevates otherwise painful material. And the sheer joy of the performers and the audience--it reminded me of Buena Vista Social Club, or how Fiddler must have felt when it premiered so soon after WW2. A culture/community just bursting onto the stage, so talented and so proud. What a feat.
The ensemble/group was outstanding but no one stood out in terms of performance (dancing aside--the physical movement was unreal). I thought Nora Schell and Sydney James Harcourt commanded the room most powerfully.
Lots of empy seats in rear orchestra and more than a few people disappeared during intermission. Wonder how this plays out once the core audience for it has seen it. But man are these guys working hard and earning the wild applause."
I still don't get why people want a group of poems set to music, a cantata, to have a "story".
The only insane / ignorants are the ones always wanting a story out of everything. Shows how far the art form still needs to go with more sophisticated approaches to the performing arts.
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#103
Posted: 5/4/26 at 3:24am
im sorry I hurt blaxx's feelings with my wildly "insane/ignorant" take that.....CATS is pretty horrible, but yes, guilty as charged. If youve got no story to propel something fwd AND the songs/artistry is lacking, you've got nothing to write home about. i am pretty sure this is almost exactly what the critical reaction to CATS has been for roughly 40 yrs, but, again, not liking CATS is now unacceptable (even as I praise this production's ingenuity), so I truly do apologize.
and yeah, less than 20 years after the Holocaust, a musical celebration of Jewish culture exploded on the stage. i imagine it was quite a welcome catharsis for many theatergoers at the time, which is the comparison i am drawing to a piece that celebrates Cuban or ballroom or any other less-represented culture.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#104
Posted: 5/4/26 at 5:23am
PipingHotPiccolo said: "im sorry I hurt blaxx's feelings with my wildly "insane/ignorant" take that.....CATS is pretty horrible, but yes, guilty as charged. If youve got no story to propel something fwd AND the songs/artistry is lacking, you've got nothing to write home about. i am pretty sure this is almost exactly what the critical reaction to CATS has been for roughly 40 yrs, but, again, not liking CATS is now unacceptable (even as I praise this production's ingenuity), so I truly do apologize.
and yeah, less than 20 years after the Holocaust, a musical celebration of Jewish culture exploded on the stage. i imagine it was quite a welcome catharsis for many theatergoers at the time, which is the comparison i am drawing to a piece that celebrates Cuban or ballroom or any other less-represented culture."
Still no point, the original won the Tony for Best Musical and ran for almost two decades. Not bad for pretty horrible.
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#105
Posted: 5/4/26 at 7:55am
PipingHotPiccolo said: "im sorry I hurt blaxx's feelings with my wildly "insane/ignorant" take that.....CATS is pretty horrible, but yes, guilty as charged. If youve got no story to propel something fwd AND the songs/artistry is lacking, you've got nothing to write home about. i am pretty sure this is almost exactly what the critical reaction to CATS has been for roughly 40 yrs, but, again, not liking CATS is now unacceptable (even as I praise this production's ingenuity), so I truly do apologize.
and yeah, less than 20 years after the Holocaust, a musical celebration of Jewish culture exploded on the stage. i imagine it was quite a welcome catharsis for many theatergoers at the time, which is the comparison i am drawing to a piece that celebrates Cuban or ballroom or any other less-represented culture."
I’m actually with you on this (despite our experiences being very different, as I’ve become a major fan). I was one of those people who LOATHED Cats having only seen the two filmed versions. It made no sense to me and to take as long as it did to resolve was vexing. What Zhailon and Bill did here in their reimagining was look for the central themes and weave them through the lens of an underground culture that was historically maligned by society, which created an actual throughline that otherwise didn’t exist before.
Even some of the cast members were skeptical. Ken Ard (the original Macavity, now DJ Griddlebone) said in the extended cut of the CBS Sunday Morning interview that the 2016 revival was “a museum piece” and that when he was invited to see it off Broadway, he was “what could they possibly do with CATS”? And he was moved by it and seized the opportunity to join the cast when it came along
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#106
Posted: 5/4/26 at 9:50am
Yeah, I think I made it pretty clear how impressed I am with the production DESPITE the inherent flaws of the material, so we are left with someone rattled by the notion that CATS is trash, which I genuinely thought was an accepted fact many decades ago. To each their own, I'm not mad at anyone for liking it, and wish the best to those upset with those of us who don't.
(and i checked- my point about there being zero story and not much else to back it up music wise is exactly what the NYT wrote at the time- im not saying anything new here but that should be obvious to most).
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#107
Posted: 5/4/26 at 11:18am
Asking out of genuine curiosity: I could be wrong, but it appears from the press clips that the Jellicle Ball cast has many many cis-women in key rolls. This strikes me as a major departure from the community primarily of trans women and gay men for whom Ballroom was always their safe space.
Am I wrong? Is it insensitive of me to even question a performer’s gender in this context? I’ll finally see the show myself in late May but would love to know what y’all think.
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#108
Posted: 5/4/26 at 12:32pm
Cis women have been walking categories since, at least, the early 90s. Ballroom is really expansive and inclusive, and as long as you're talented, an ally, and respectful of the culture, most won't have a problem. For example, Baby Byrne (who plays Victoria) has been walking balls long before The Jellicle Ball was conceived.
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#109
Posted: 5/4/26 at 1:09pm
Thanks Peppa, really helpful info to this gay guy who never knew that. From my standpoint, it had seemed a little like the straight-girl hen parties that often fill gay bars near me in West Hollywood. Glad to know cis girls are a part of the Ball tradition going way back.
Updated On: 5/4/26 at 01:09 PM.jpg?format=auto&width=200)
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#110
Posted: 5/4/26 at 1:47pm
Yeah, the gender element is a valid question with how ballroom has been presented in media like Pose and Paris is Burning. I remember the reality show Legendary made it a point to cast one all cisgender female team (and a team comprised of the House of Ninja, at that) in the first season so they could discuss their role in the history of ballroom. Regardless of gender, this cast is doing excellent work performing in these vogue and ball styles.
And yeah, another not-fan of Cats here. I really enjoyed this production and think the ballroom framing elevated the material. I don't need a plot--love a good song cycle or concert or revue--but I'm not exactly leaving the theater humming Skimbleshanks, the Railway Cat or The Old Gumbie Cat. The new beats and orchestrations were cool and really allowed the dance vocabulary to fit the concept. Loved the costumes and runway. And, yeah, seeing an audience encouraged to essentially cheer on the performers really adds to the whole ballroom concept. This is a tight revival.
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#111
Posted: 5/4/26 at 1:50pm
Someone in a Tree2 said: "Asking out of genuine curiosity: I could be wrong, but it appears from the press clips that the Jellicle Ball cast has many many cis-women in key rolls. This strikes me as a major departure fromthe community primarily of trans women and gay men for whom Ballroom was always their safe space.
Am I wrong? Is it insensitive of me to even question a performer’s gender in this context? I’ll finally see the show myself in late May but would love to know what y’all think."
I feel like its a bit silly of a complaint when the cast is not just (VAST) majority gay, but Queer, black, and brown. It's an amazing feat for them and this casting agency has done EXTRAORDINARY care for who they brought into the production. No decision was done with lack of intent behind it. Victoria is literally supposed to be "The White Girl" of Ballroom lol.
I'm hoping after the nominations drop tomorrow we can get some official word on cast recording. We need to get cracking on that.
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#112
Posted: 5/5/26 at 10:07pm
So two swings have left the show already? Donte and Sherrod T. Williams?
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#113
Posted: 5/6/26 at 6:21pm
I did not know Sherrod T. Brown had departed but it looks like it on Playbill Vault as of Sunday. Not sure what’s going on there, but I know they’ve been actively auditioning for new covers and haven’t found who they needed. I know Bryce Farris is working his ass off basically in a new track every few days - though he’s in the midst of a two week stretch as Tumblebrutus. (Primo is out with a bad injury).
André had called out for the matinee today and Phumzile Sojola made his Old Deuteronomy debut this afternoon with about 3 hours notice. He has a BEAUTIFUL voice, but you could definitely tell he was more restrained in what he did in terms of choreography and engaging with the cats and the costumes were mostly functional as opposed to opulent. With three hours notice, I can’t complain. Good for him!
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#114
Posted: 5/6/26 at 6:58pm
I splurged on a stage seat for their first post-Tonys performance. It seemed like the show to be at that Tuesday.
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#115
Posted: 5/6/26 at 8:08pm
quizking101 said: "I did not know Sherrod T. Brown had departed but it looks like it on Playbill Vault as of Sunday. Not sure what’s going on there, but I know they’ve been actively auditioning for new covers and haven’t found who they needed. I know Bryce Farris is working his ass off basically in a new track every few days - though he’s in the midst of a two week stretch as Tumblebrutus. (Primo is out with a bad injury).
André had called out for the matinee today and Phumzile Sojola made his Old Deuteronomy debut this afternoon with about 3 hours notice. He has a BEAUTIFUL voice, but you could definitely tell he was more restrained in what he did in terms of choreography and engaging with the cats and the costumes were mostly functional as opposed to opulent. With three hours notice, I can’t complain. Good for him!"
Sherrod Brown —the former US senator now running for re-election —is also a swing in JELLICLE? Who knew! No wonder he’s so tired!
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#116
Posted: 5/6/26 at 8:22pm
quizking101 said: "
André had called out for the matinee today and Phumzile Sojola made his Old Deuteronomy debut this afternoon with about 3 hours notice. He has a BEAUTIFUL voice, but you could definitely tell he was more restrained in what he did in terms of choreography and engaging with the cats and the costumes were mostly functional as opposed to opulent. With three hours notice, I can’t complain. Good for him!"
We do definitely gotta work on the understudy costumes cuz his Curtain Call look... 😬😬
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#117
Posted: 5/6/26 at 8:24pm
Kad said: "I splurged on a stage seat for their first post-Tonys performance. It seemed like the show to be at that Tuesday."
Oh hey, me too! Stage left, front row. In the Sydney James Harcourt humps you seat.
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#118
Posted: 5/7/26 at 8:10am
kurtal said: "Kad said: "I splurged on a stage seat for their first post-Tonys performance. It seemed like the show to be at that Tuesday."
Oh hey, me too! Stage left, front row. In the Sydney James Harcourt humps you seat."
I mean, that entire section could arguably have that same experience.
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#119
Posted: 5/7/26 at 10:11am
Do we think a cast album is coming?
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#120
Posted: 5/7/26 at 12:25pm
If my sources are correct - one of the stars of the recent COLOR PURPLE revival is judging tomorrow night (Friday 5/8) and next Wednesday matinee (5/13) will have one of the current stars of OH MARY.
I also didn’t mention that yesterday afternoon, we had Corbin Bleu and Tracey Ullman.
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#121
Posted: 5/7/26 at 10:34pm
Cats was fun
I sat on 2nd to back row of the Mezz (great sight lines, not so great leg room)
The main Andre guy was off. The understudy/standby was maybe ok until The Addressing of the Cats where he blew the roof off!
I really enjoyed this but it was bleak from the back. I bet this was phenomenal off broadway, way up in the gods it struggled.
I don’t think this will ever transfer to the London (it doesn’t need to). If it did it would work brilliantly as a run at the Young Vic. London has its own Cats at the Open Air (totes going) and it’s touring after so this is years away from London (if ever)
In conclusion I’m glad I saw it, I wish I had seen it closer, it won’t transfer to London
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#122
Posted: 5/7/26 at 11:21pm
Sabrina Carpenter was there tonight… was she one of the guest judges?
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/22/03
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#123
Posted: 5/8/26 at 1:22am
EDSOSLO858 said: "Sabrina Carpenter was there tonight… was she one of the guest judges?"
Guest judges were Helen Shen and Andrew B. Feldman.
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Review - 1 Minute Critic#124
Posted: 5/9/26 at 10:30am
quizking101 said: "If my sources are correct - one of the stars of the recent COLOR PURPLE revival is judging tomorrow night (Friday 5/8) and next Wednesday matinee (5/13) will have one of the current stars of OH MARY.
I also didn’t mention that yesterday afternoon, we had Corbin Bleu and Tracey Ullman."
Danielle Brooks was one of the judges last night.
Also, Ken Ard made his Old Deuteronomy debut last night and is supposed to be in both shows today. I hope André is okay, but Ken is an underrated legend in his own right and I’m super excited to see him tonight (and I’ll have collected all three ODs much faster than anticipated)
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