Cats Previews — Page 8

I really did not want to like it. I didn't. And I loved it. The scenic design, the lighting design, the sound design, the choreography. Jess LeProtto. Eloise Kropp. Tyler Hanes. I'll admit I was not impressed with Leona in act 1 and I was worried about act 2. She sounds wonderful but her acting is subpar.

Updated On: 3/24/17 at 12:23 AM

Anyone have any more info about the lottery, like where the seats are, what are the chances of winning?

My lotto seat was in the rear mezz on the side. I heard a couple of people behind me saying they had also won the lottery. The view was fine.

Can't tell you the chances of winning, but I will tell you I won on my 5th try. Also, I entered for a single ticket. I have always had more lottery luck when entering for a single than when I enter for 2. My last 4 digital lotto wins were all for 1 ticket, even though I do frequently enter for 2 with my roommate.

I caught the show a few days ago and overall liked it quite a bit, with two caveats.

The show is faithful to the original and for all the huffing and puffing in the press about Blankenbuehler adding to Gillian Lynne's choreography, I thought he approached the new bits with love and respect, much like Reinking did with Fosse's Chicago choreography. The dancing was often spectacular and for an early preview this dancing ensemble is on fire.

I'm a cat lover (have two Bengals who are regular Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazers themselves) and have always seen the show as cats taking the on the personalities and habits of their owners. (Of course, if my cats really were acting like me they would probably be two little Skimbleshanks, but in this case they're the ones rubbing off on me and not the other way around!)

The two stumbling blocks I found with this production were the deletion of Growltiger and Leona Lewis, who was so thoroughly mediocre in the role that it makes absolutely no sense for Old Deuteronomy to select her at the end. My friend remarked at the end that since she's so underwhelming that they should allow the audience to vote Drood style on who gets to go the Heavyside Layer. I bet Ricky Ubeda would be selected more often than not for his exciting turn as Mistoffelees.

I know Grizabella has never been a dancing role, but you still have to move like a cat. You still must have some feline embodiment, and Lewis walks and moves with such stiffness that you hope she sees a chiropractor after the show. I've been around real life old, sick cats and they still move like cats. Her singing is subpar; she's serviceable in her big moments, but after decades of knowing what some actors can do with that song, the show deserves better. Her acting is weak and quite frankly I thought she brought the show to a halt whenever Grizabella appeared.

It's interested that Carolee auditioned and Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner (among others) and they went with such a bland option.

Overall though, Lewis isn't enough to bring down the show and I think this has a chance of being the first musical hit at the Neil Simon since Hairspray.

Can someone familiar with the show and has seen this new one explain to me how they moved around the Rumpus cat bit into where Growltiger was?

What role does Gus now play in this scene, has he taken over doing what Munkistrap use to do?

How is this done in relation to his character? "I once played Growltiger, etc, etc, is it now I once saw a fight with some dogs? Surely Gus is not now playing the Rumpus cat? IS there still even a Rumpus Cat? and do they still have his entrance through a star trap?

I know it might be spoiler heavy but still, any imput would be appreciated, thanks

WhizzerMarvin said: " I know Grizabella has never been a dancing role, but you still have to move like a cat. You still must have some feline embodiment, and Lewis walks and moves with such stiffness that you hope she sees a chiropractor after the show. I've been around real life old, sick cats and they still move like cats.

"

This is precisely what Gillian Lynne was huffing and puffing about - that the emphasis would not be on felinity and that the cast would not be taught the proper way to move like a cat.

And for those keeping track, the Cat Eyes in the overture are now in this production.

Could very well be, I haven't seen it and I trust your judgement.

I still don't understand the removal of Growltiger. If they didn't want to use the original version for fear of causing offense it would have been very easy to remove the majority or all of the Siamese lyrics and still have a successful pirate in love story line. They could have skipped the verse about him hating cats of foreign race, jumped to the aria or the ballad after the "sentimental side" lyric, and then staged the battle with music rather than describing the Siamese swarming the ship. They wouldn't even have to be Siamese cats at that point just a rival pirate gang. It could have been done.

Unless the critics are honest this time around, you can bet that CATS will indeed be here forever. The Times gave the original production a very large pass. It is a one-song score (and I liked that one song more when Puccini wrote it first). Is there any question at this point that ALW is a hack? Each show he has written has one hummable song, and a great deal of dross. Even SCHOOL OF ROCK has only one song ("You're in the Band" which is sung over and over, a clear lack of talent and imagination. ALW has all the money in the world, but I guess it's time to make his pockets bulge even more.

I love musical theatre, I always will, but NOTHING could drag me to see this show again ("drag" being the operative word).

Updated On: 7/22/16 at 01:35 PM

Thanks for the explanation, I think my issue was I was thinking that in the past the Rumpus Cat was played by the same person who plays Macavity therefore they needed more of a dancer than a singer for that part. But now that I think about it, there wasnt anything particularly 'dancy' that Rumpus had to do besides pop out of the star trap. Please tell me they changed the costume for Rumpus, that was my main issue with the design of the original.

deep down I hope the show will have a decent run that way I can get to see it when next I come to NYC, only time will tell I guess, Les Mis came back twice and neither of those 2 runs were very long compared to the original, and the same goes for Miss Saigon up in London.

Sean (Angel) - fantasitc! Being transported by a show is what it is all about! Great review! Thank you

Regarding some people's feelings about Leona not being cat like enough, I wonder how much of that has to do with this new Grizabella costume design, while Nicole is a different actress in a different production, I just watcher her performance in London on Youtobe and to me, she does not look like a cat (like everybody else) she just looks like a hooker. So maybe that is part of the reason

I saw it last night and if I see it again I'd probably choose a seat in the front mezz or orchestra. I was in the second to last row of the rear mezz and felt somewhat disconnected, especially since the decor wasn't done throughout like the original production at the Winter Garden.

That being said, I enjoyed it. It was so nice to hearing Quentin's beautiful voice. My favorite parts were when the ensemble sang together. I, too, was bothered by Leona's un-catlike appearance. Laurie Berchman is still my favorite Grizzabella. I also saw Betty Buckley in the role.



For or those of you who mentioned the missing cat eyes. They are certainly there during the prologue unless you're referring to something else.

Updated On: 7/23/16 at 07:34 AM