I Just Saw CATS For The First Time...

After hearing some horror stories about how terrible the show is, I was a bit resistant, but my Mom has wanted to see it for "twenty-five years" so I bought her tickets for Christmas. Though the show was not terrible, it was definitely... not that good.

Now in saying that, I must mention that everybody was incredible. Angie Smith's "Memory" was astounding, and though it is the stereotypical song that everyone knows from CATS, I had never heard it before. The show was worth sitting through just for this performance (and of course... my mom won't stop singing it, though she has no idea what the words are). The cast, overall, is solid.

As for the show... I am still not sure what I think of it. I am not a huge fan of the major dance shows, so the entire show just seemed a little awkward. Act One was dull, aside from Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer's choreography, and "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" cannot help but to be catchy. Cara Michelle Fish was too adorable as Jennyanydots.

After the entire Gus bit in the second act, the show picked up tremendously, and ended quite enjoyably. "Skimbleshanks" was easily the most memorable show, and Felix Hess gave a great performance. The first cat who sings in "Macavity" (Demeter?) was also great.

Other than that, I cannot see myself sitting through this show again voluntarily. It was just too awkward and dragged too much. The people in the box next to my seat brought their little child who insisted on meowing throughout the entire show... needless to say, it was pretty annoying. She also screamed in the very beginning when one of the cats came into the box.

Of all the things waiting for in life, Cats does not automatically spring to mind

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I see your point, but to say that a show is only good in its original incarnation is not a compliment to the show. I think the show as a whole relies heavily on spectacle and the show itself is rather dull and boring and pointless. It's just a random dance show where the people are cats. I don't see the point in it, nor do I understand the point of most of the songs.

Cy, could you post a cast list? I think a friend of mine was just cast in this show and I'd like to know if he's indeed in this version. Can you give the u/s and standbys also? thanks.

No, it was not the one with the fat girl... all these cats were slender and bendy.

I am sorry I never got the entire CATS experience... whatever version I saw I didn't enjoy that much. If CATS is as "timeless" as it is acclaimed to be, I would think that the current tour is at least a feasible adaptation of the original. So even if I didn't get a junked-up theatre, it was the story that put me off, which I would imagine is similar to the one that ran for 18 years.

I don't remember who was out, but here is the cast list:

The Cast:

Alonzo - Luke McCollum
Asparagus - Christopher E. Sidoli
Bombalurina - Delaine Andrzejewski
Bustopher Jones - Christopher E. Sidoli
Cassandra - Casey Hill
Demeter - Lisa Karlin
Genghis - Mark Donaldson
Griddlebone - Anissa Hartline
Grizabella - Angie Smith
Growltiger - Christopher E. Sidoli
Jellylorum - Anissa Hartline
Jennyanydots - Cara Michelle Fish
Macavity - Wesley Seals
Mistoffelees - Ryan Patrick Farrell
Mungojerrie - Mark Donaldson
Munkustrap - Ian Laskowski
Old Deuteronomy - Philip Peterson
Plato - Wesley Seals
Pouncival - Trevor Downey
Rumpelteazer - Joanna Silvers
Rum Tum Tugger - Dave Schoonover
Sillabub - Samantha Shafer
Skimbleshanks - Felix Hess
Tumblebrutus - Nicholas Mcgough
Victoria - Sara M. Reardon

Swings:

Amanda Bay
Rodrigo Ignacio Cruz
Julia Lancione
Stanley Allyn Owen
Ryan Richardson
Beau Speer
Molly Winter Stewart
Samantha Strum
AJ Wilson

All the Understudies have already been listed, as they play the minor cats.

Hope that helps.

Updated On: 3/4/07 at 07:33 PM

My problem with Cats is that from the audience standpoint, it's a show completley based on spectacle - and it's smash popularity has, i think, led musicals away from what originally defined them - the intergration of music, dance, and acting to further a plot. Nothing moves forward in Cats, the whole show feels to be at a standstill. To me, it's like watching a circus.

The only thing that does move forward is Grizabella's story, which, imo, is the reason that "Memory" is remembered and has become the most recognizable song in the show. Because it achieves what musical theatre is supposed to - it moves a story forward.

I saw it in Boston and thought it was okay.

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"Cats". I hated it and I saw it at the Winter Garden. One of the most over rated shows ever. The night I saw it, no one in the audience seemed to speak English. I think it ran for so long because it appealed to foreign tourists.

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Apart from the cats mentioned in certain songs (i.e. "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat", "Bustopher Jones"), how do you know which cat is which? For instance, I could never tell who was supposed to be Demeter or Alonzo or Victoria.

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As much as it may have *looked* great in its original run, it still isnt much of a score. It's all style over substance, much like every big time musical has been.

But isnt that the point? It's supposed to be *entertainment*, not War and Peace. And if people are foolish enough to drop serious bucks on a show's name because the original ran for 18 years simply on its physical production values... well, remember no one ever went broke underestimating American tastes.

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I think the purpose of naming the cats, even if you can't tell who's who, is to give each cat a life rather than merely labeling them ensemble members. The show is sort of an ensemble piece even though most of the cats have his or her shining moment.

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Funny that people really hate Cats. I, myself, LOVED Cats when I saw it...

If you're saying that the Winter Garden theater was the best thing about the show you're basically admitting that the show itself is a pretty crappy show.

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My favorite review of this said it simply

"Watching Cats is like having a cat pee on you for 2 hours"

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