#1
Posted: 7/8/04 at 2:14am
Tonight I crawled out from under a rock and witnessed live, and for the first time, a phenomenon that started in London way back in the year I was born: CATS. You might ask “What sort of cave have you been living in?” or “What kind of musical theatre nerd are you?!?” You have that right. Technically, I had seen CATS by way of the video released back in ’98, but all good theatre loving freaks know that few things can supplant the live experience of a show.
CATS isn’t the greatest show. Sometimes I even wonder how it lasted so damn long on Broadway and in London. But then, I realized that it’s not plot or high drama that kept this show running…it’s pure theatrics. (well duh, phil!) Once I got that, it was easy to just sit back and enjoy the dancing, costumes and, at times, even the music.
This production at the MUNY was not a national tour associated with Cameron Mackintosh, though exec-producer Paul Blake made the right moves to make sure this CATS had the quality and excellence of the New York production. Director Susanne Viverito [also a swing in this production—she went on as “Sillabub” at this performance] worked with a cast of several CATS alumni to pull off a well-danced and sung production.
As if it wasn’t enough to hire competent actors so familiar with their roles, Blake outdid himself by casting St. Louisan (and Muny regular) Ken Page in the role of Old Deuteronomy—the role Page originated in the Broadway production back in 1982. Another treat was to hear the divine Judy McLane featured in the brief but memorable role of Grizabella. Her rendition of the oft-sung, oft-recorded “Memory” was the high point of the evening, though I didn’t like how the sound engineers upped the volume on that climactic D-flat. McLane has a powerful belt in that range; the extra volume seemed unnecessary.
The unit set by Steve Gilliam was a definite departure. This CATS was not set in a junkyard. Rather, it was the back alley of a Theatre, Salvation Army Thrift Store and Appliance Store (aptly named TS Appliances) near a highway with an “Eliot” exit. The levitating tire/arm-from-heavyside-layer for Griz at the end was nice, but would it have killed the painters (or Gilliam) to make the staircase to heaven look like a cat’s arm instead of a black monstrosity? Costumes, designed by a local designer, looked at least somewhat faithful to the original designs. Though, I was sitting about a mile from the stage, so who knows, really?
Afterwards, I stopped by the stage door to meet Ken Page. I didn’t need an autograph. Just wanted a chance to tell him how much I appreciate his performances and his willingness to work in his hometown so often. But, alas, a group of high-school age CATS fanatics from boondocks Missouri took a while getting autographs/photos until Ken had to politely wave goodbye to the crowd and get in his escort to the hotel. Kudos to him for knowing when to say when and not come off as haughty or unkind. Gotta appreciate someone like that.
On further reflection… During intermission, I wondered how far some of these actors in CATS go to “research” their roles as cats. Do you think that some go through a sort of “method-acting” for their preparation? I can just see the method actors using litter boxes instead of toilets…scratching their enemies instead of using back-handed compliments…using scratching posts instead of their own hands…eating cat chow…
Maybe they just study cats…who knows?
CATS isn’t the greatest show. Sometimes I even wonder how it lasted so damn long on Broadway and in London. But then, I realized that it’s not plot or high drama that kept this show running…it’s pure theatrics. (well duh, phil!) Once I got that, it was easy to just sit back and enjoy the dancing, costumes and, at times, even the music.
This production at the MUNY was not a national tour associated with Cameron Mackintosh, though exec-producer Paul Blake made the right moves to make sure this CATS had the quality and excellence of the New York production. Director Susanne Viverito [also a swing in this production—she went on as “Sillabub” at this performance] worked with a cast of several CATS alumni to pull off a well-danced and sung production.
As if it wasn’t enough to hire competent actors so familiar with their roles, Blake outdid himself by casting St. Louisan (and Muny regular) Ken Page in the role of Old Deuteronomy—the role Page originated in the Broadway production back in 1982. Another treat was to hear the divine Judy McLane featured in the brief but memorable role of Grizabella. Her rendition of the oft-sung, oft-recorded “Memory” was the high point of the evening, though I didn’t like how the sound engineers upped the volume on that climactic D-flat. McLane has a powerful belt in that range; the extra volume seemed unnecessary.
The unit set by Steve Gilliam was a definite departure. This CATS was not set in a junkyard. Rather, it was the back alley of a Theatre, Salvation Army Thrift Store and Appliance Store (aptly named TS Appliances) near a highway with an “Eliot” exit. The levitating tire/arm-from-heavyside-layer for Griz at the end was nice, but would it have killed the painters (or Gilliam) to make the staircase to heaven look like a cat’s arm instead of a black monstrosity? Costumes, designed by a local designer, looked at least somewhat faithful to the original designs. Though, I was sitting about a mile from the stage, so who knows, really?
Afterwards, I stopped by the stage door to meet Ken Page. I didn’t need an autograph. Just wanted a chance to tell him how much I appreciate his performances and his willingness to work in his hometown so often. But, alas, a group of high-school age CATS fanatics from boondocks Missouri took a while getting autographs/photos until Ken had to politely wave goodbye to the crowd and get in his escort to the hotel. Kudos to him for knowing when to say when and not come off as haughty or unkind. Gotta appreciate someone like that.
On further reflection… During intermission, I wondered how far some of these actors in CATS go to “research” their roles as cats. Do you think that some go through a sort of “method-acting” for their preparation? I can just see the method actors using litter boxes instead of toilets…scratching their enemies instead of using back-handed compliments…using scratching posts instead of their own hands…eating cat chow…
Maybe they just study cats…who knows?
Updated On: 7/8/04 at 02:14 AM
