'CATS: The Jellicle Ball' at PAC reviews- Page 10

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 7/10/24 at 10:40pm

I felt like “Sydney James Harcourt is a Grammy®-winning multidisciplinary artist” was a lot since it makes it seem like he won a Grammy on his own, but I guess the guy should be proud of himself and be his own cheerleader. He was great in the show.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 7/11/24 at 12:04am

Andrew Lloyd Webber was there tonight.

 

And I cannot believe I’m saying what I’m about to say but: this was one of the most joyous nights I’ve ever had at the theatre. Ever. 

[Markie27]

Posted: 7/11/24 at 12:37am

TotallyEffed said: "Andrew Lloyd Webber was there tonight”

 

wow!  I never thought he would actually come.  Does this mean that they maybe really considering a transfer to Broadway?  I really love this show.  Could there be two competing Lloyd Webber Best Musical Revival come Tony time?  How exciting that we would again witness another Lloyd Webber Vs Sondheim for the top (revival) award?  It has only been after a month since the Tonys and I’m already excited for next year’s!

[Wick3]

Posted: 7/11/24 at 12:42am

I was at the performance this evening (Wed evening Jul 10th) and didn't realize ALW was there! Ahhhh! We did see Jane Krakowski in the audience and they also had an ASL interpreter on house left orchestra. From instagram, there were members of House of LaBeija and Royal Haus of Silk in the audience too.

I hope ALW enjoyed it!

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 7/11/24 at 12:48am

I haven’t read a single comment in this thread so forgive me if I’m repeating anything anyone has already said. Looking forward to going back and reading all your comments.

 

I feel certain this will come to Broadway, hopefully Circle in the Square. The show finally…. makes….sense? What an absolutely inspired, entertaining, moving night of theatre. And this is coming from someone who really disliked Cats and thought this idea sounded absolutely horrendous. I am a big fan of ballroom culture and its history and I truly loathed Pose. This production brings ballroom to life, pays homage to the legendary children, and truly gags the audience. I am highly impressed and I hope to see it again. It would be foolish for anyone to miss this.

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/11/24 at 1:49am

TotallyEffed said: "I haven’t read a single comment in this thread so forgive me if I’m repeating anything anyone has already said. Looking forward to going back and reading all your comments.



I feel certain this will come to Broadway, hopefully Circle in the Square. The show finally…. makes….sense? What an absolutely inspired, entertaining, moving night of theatre. And this is coming from someone who really disliked Cats and thought this idea sounded absolutely horrendous. I am a big fan of ballroom culture and its history and I trulyloathedPose. This production brings ballroom to life, pays homage to the legendary children, and truly gags the audience. I am highly impressed and I hope to see it again. It would be foolish for anyone to miss this."

The show always made sense; understanding poetry set to interpretative dance perhaps was way too ahead of its time.

Basic patrons always looking for a "plot" within an abstract commentary of members of society through the analogy of felines should be so basic, yet too sophisticated for the regular theater goer who likes their entertainment to be spoon-fed.

Now watch how now everyone suddenly "loves Cats" because the same commentary goes from characteristics of Victorian life to those of a celebrated modern culture.

It's not ALW's Cats that people loved to hate, it just always flew above their heads. It needed a new treatment for it to land.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 7/11/24 at 2:08am

blaxx said: "TotallyEffed said: "I haven’t read a single comment in this thread so forgive me if I’m repeating anything anyone has already said. Looking forward to going back and reading all your comments.



I feel certain this will come to Broadway, hopefully Circle in the Square. The show finally…. makes….sense? What an absolutely inspired, entertaining, moving night of theatre. And this is coming from someone who really disliked Cats and thought this idea sounded absolutely horrendous. I am a big fan of ballroom culture and its history and I trulyloathedPose. This production brings ballroom to life, pays homage to the legendary children, and truly gags the audience. I am highly impressed and I hope to see it again. It would be foolish for anyone to miss this."

The show always made sense; understanding poetry set to interpretative dance perhaps was way too ahead of its time.

Basic patrons always looking for a "plot" withinan abstract commentary of members of society through the analogy offelines should be so basic, yet too sophisticated for the regular theater goer who likes their entertainment to be spoon-fed.

Now watch how now everyone suddenly "loves Cats" because the same commentary goesfrom characteristics of Victorian life to those of a celebrated modern culture.

It's not ALW's Catsthat people loved to hate, it just always flew above their heads. It needed a new treatment for it to land."


Huh? The show was a massive global smash and ran for years. It was clearly loved and understood by millions.

Maybe I’m an unsophisticated, basic philistine, but I always found Cats way too flimsy to support an evening of theatre that long. But I’ll rephrase if you have an issue with me saying the show didn’t make sense. The show was finally, to me, not mind-numbingly boring. Besides the opening number and Memory, I always found the show a bloated, pointless, and pretty silly slog to get through. This production flew by and I found it wildly entertaining, joyous, and moving. Staging it in the ballroom scene really brought it to life for me.

[bigbelterbaby]

Posted: 7/11/24 at 2:51am

What if they put the Jellicle Ball in the Edison Ballroom :D 

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/11/24 at 3:59am

TotallyEffed said: "blaxx said: "TotallyEffed said: "I haven’t read a single comment in this thread so forgive me if I’m repeating anything anyone has already said. Looking forward to going back and reading all your comments.



I feel certain this will come to Broadway, hopefully Circle in the Square. The show finally…. makes….sense? What an absolutely inspired, entertaining, moving night of theatre. And this is coming from someone who really disliked Cats and thought this idea sounded absolutely horrendous. I am a big fan of ballroom culture and its history and I trulyloathedPose. This production brings ballroom to life, pays homage to the legendary children, and truly gags the audience. I am highly impressed and I hope to see it again. It would be foolish for anyone to miss this."

The show always made sense; understanding poetry set to interpretative dance perhaps was way too ahead of its time.

Basic patrons always looking for a "plot" withinan abstract commentary of members of society through the analogy offelines should be so basic, yet too sophisticated for the regular theater goer who likes their entertainment to be spoon-fed.

Now watch how now everyone suddenly "loves Cats" because the same commentary goesfrom characteristics of Victorian life to those of a celebrated modern culture.

It's not ALW's Catsthat people loved to hate, it just always flew above their heads. It needed a new treatment for it to land."


Huh? The show was a massive global smash and ran for years. It was clearly loved and understood by millions.

Maybe I’m an unsophisticated, basic philistine, but I always found Cats way too flimsy to support an evening of theatre that long. But I’ll rephrase if you have an issue with me saying the show didn’t make sense.The show was finally,to me, not mind-numbingly boring. Besides the opening number and Memory, I always foundthe show a bloated, pointless, and pretty silly slog to get through. This production flew by and I found it wildly entertaining, joyous, and moving. Staging it in the ballroom scene really brought it to life for me."

My point is, for those who claim the show now "makes sense" - the issue was never the source material. Even the orchestrations remain pretty faithful in this staging.

It's how it's framed that speaks to you now. And I wasn't criticizing your point of view, but the show has been trashed heavily in the past couple decades. I know you haven't read much of this thread, I was pointing out that the material is of high calibre and I'm glad others who loved it found a new approach to it that makes them look at the piece from a fresh perspective.

I really never thought I'd see Cats with no cats in my lifetime, yet here we are.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 7/11/24 at 8:53am

Here's ALW with the cast last night:

Updated On: 7/11/24 at 08:53 AM

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 7/11/24 at 10:59am

Antwayn Hopper has video in his Instagram Stories of Webber meeting with the cast after the show and telling them it was great.

https://www.instagram.com/stories/antwaynhopper/3409582148254497502

 

From Zhailon Levingston's page:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9SMRMVO_q9/

Updated On: 7/11/24 at 10:59 AM

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/11/24 at 11:35am

Cats, to me, has always made sense. I didn't need the Jellicle Ball to do that for me. What THIS show did was give it more of an emotional punch and a humanity that your typical Cats production lacked. You're seeing PEOPLE performing poetry and it becomes much more symbolic than the literal that is usually is.

[sorano916]

Posted: 7/11/24 at 12:28pm

If anyone is interested/curious to see the "cats" with their names, PAC's IG is posting videos- This is Part One:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9ScWNVuqU6/

[RW3]

Posted: 7/11/24 at 7:23pm

sorano916 said: "If anyone is interested/curious to see the "cats" with their names, PAC's IG is posting videos- This is Part One:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9ScWNVuqU6/"

Sydney James Harcourt is so f*cking hot. Like, it’s unreal how attractive he is. 

[MezzA101]

Posted: 7/12/24 at 6:25pm

'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' Is Giving New Life to the 'Cats' Musical

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/cats-the-jellicle-ball-musical-play-1235729344/

[quizking101]

Posted: 7/13/24 at 3:28pm

RW3 said: "sorano916 said: "If anyone is interested/curious to see the "cats" with their names, PAC's IG is posting videos- This is Part One:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9ScWNVuqU6/"

Sydney James Harcourt is so f*cking hot. Like, it’s unreal how attractive he is."

Where I’m sitting along the runway today, there was a good 2 minutes in the beginning where all I had was his perfectly prepossessing posterior in my face.

The ONLY time a cat waving their hindquarters in my face has ever been acceptable. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 7/14/24 at 3:15pm

Apparently today’s matinee was cancelled due to cast illness 15 minutes before curtain.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadway/comments/1e39riv/cats_the_jellicle_ball_performance_cancelled/

Updated On: 7/14/24 at 03:15 PM

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/14/24 at 3:43pm

quizking101 said: "Apparently today’s matinee was cancelled due to cast illness 15 minutes before curtain.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadway/comments/1e39riv/cats_the_jellicle_ball_performance_cancelled/"

They have a lot of covers, so I'm surprised they have to cancel. Feels like the tours of CATS later on that needed over a dozen swings due to all of the illnesses and injuries that would frequent the tours.

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 7/14/24 at 4:00pm

quizking101 said: "Apparently today’s matinee was cancelled due to cast illness 15 minutes before curtain.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadway/comments/1e39riv/cats_the_jellicle_ball_performance_cancelled/"

Yes I was there… unfortunately 

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 7/14/24 at 4:40pm

Seeing the matinee on Saturday if someone is going this week can you please post the understudies that are on. Looking forward to seeing Andre. Thank you

Updated On: 7/14/24 at 04:40 PM

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 7/14/24 at 6:37pm

The understudies can be found here: https://pacnyc.org/whats-on/cats-the-jellicle-ball/ (under Production Credits)

and here: https://understudies.org/show/cats-the-jellicle-ball

I believe each role only has one understudy, and the understudies cover multiple roles, so it wouldn't take too many people being ill to make it impossible to perform the show.

Updated On: 7/14/24 at 06:37 PM

[Wick3]

Posted: 7/14/24 at 7:13pm

I hope the cast members get better soon.

A few weeks ago I saw Garnet Williams perform as Grizabella and she was amazing! I heard people sobbing around me and audience gave her a standing ovation after she sings Memory in the second act.

One thing that was a bit confusing for my friends is when is the curtain call and is it ok to videotape it? I've seen youtube videos of curtain call but a friend went this past week and told me when she filmed the curtain call of Shelby Griswold (understudy who performed that night) one of the ushers gave her the flashlight. She kept on videotaping since what can ushers do at that point other than point a flashlight? Eject her out? The show is over. Plus other people throughout the performance space were recording. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 7/14/24 at 7:22pm

To my understanding, they were much stricter about it during previews because the production was still working things out and didn’t want anything really spoiled before it frozen/opened. (Some of the cast’s social media mentioned this). 

They seem to be more lenient now, but also…why does someone need to film the curtain call? Just clap and have a ball instead (pun intended)

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/14/24 at 7:30pm

quizking101 said: "To my understanding, they were much stricter about it during previews because the production was still working things out and didn’t want anything really spoiled before it frozen/opened. (Some of the cast’s social media mentioned this).

They seem to be more lenient now, but also…why does someone need to film the curtain call? Just clap and have a ball instead (pun intended)"

I'll be honest, since the production never did any B-Roll of the show I appreciate any of the footage we are able to get out of it. It's very visual and It'd be horrible for that to not be able to be seen in ANY regard once this production closes and if it doesn't go to Broadway. The least intrusive means of that is The Curtain Call that can give you a small taste at least so I'll take it.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 7/14/24 at 7:47pm

I got in trouble for filming the finale lol