CATS

The most important thing to remember, when thinking about the production Cats (currently at the Hollywood Pantages (FB)), with music by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics (mostly) by T. S. Eliot* (supplemental lyrics by Trevor Nunn), is that it is not a musical, despite everything you hear. It is a dance show, pure and simple. Go in thinking that, and you won't be disappointed by the paper thin plot, the lack of real characters, the absence of character growth, or any silly musical theatre notions like that. If you read reviews of Cats and you find they are disappointed with the show, 9 times out of 10, you'll find that they were going in expecting a traditional musical.

So, I'll say it again: Cats is a dance show. And as a dance show, it is a spectacular one, with catchy if simplistic tunes that exist solely to support the dance, wonderful movement, and some lovely character vignettes that showcase characters you don't see again as their characters. This shouldn't be surprise, as this show was based on a collection of children's poems, not any sort of story or novel with a through line.

I”ll repeat it a third time, because if you say it three times it must be true: Cats is a dance show. It only lacks the introduction that Bob Fosse put on his show Dancin': “This show has no plot; it is a dance show.”.

The production now playing at the Pantages seemed to go on for weeks, even though the theater pulled out all the stops to make it a “spectacular adventure”. They were Jellico Cats, after all, as they told us at interminable length, but most of their explanations were lost in the turmoil of the over-loud band that banged its way through all the songs. It wasn't until the second act that we became aware that all the soloists had incredibly beautiful voices. But the entire production reached its peak when Grizabella took the stage to sing the song that Barbra Streisand made immortal, “Memory”. Grizabella's rendition was heart-stopping and the audience was transfixed by her amazing voice. When she finished, the audience gave her a ten-minute sitting ovation that stopped the show.

String lights extend out into the audience, and the cats venture down the aisles several times during the course of the evening, both of which help to bring the audience into the action, as does the breaking of the fourth wall when the cats notice they are being watched. The ensemble is comprised of vibrant, athletic dancers who bring their characters to life with bold physicality. Keep an eye on the background action during solo numbers for delightful bits where cats pounce and play and act very kittenish.

The show's great to look at but it isn't really musical theater. It's more like an impressionist painting onstage, with its success depending on each audience member's personal take. If you're there to watch some great singing and dancing, you'll love it. If you expect some solid story and character development, as I do, you're left bewildered, and wanting more.

Throughout the show the singing and dancing never ends and is nothing short of spectacular. But to attempt to fully explain each twist and turn in this extraordinary play would be like trying to explain the meaning of life in 25 words or less...

CATS is without question one of the most unique musicals in the theatrical world and It is also one of the most entertaining shows ever created.

I was so excited to take my teenage daughter to see CATS at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. CATS was a Broadway sensation for over 18 years and the fourth-longest running show in Broadway history.

The first time I saw the musical was in the 1980s. Based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot and music by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, I shared some of my favorite “memories” of the show with my daughter while driving to the theater. Director Trevor Nunn and lighting designer Natasha Katz excitedly open the show with a multitude of large green cat eyes prowling up and down the aisle before they prance upon the dimly lit stage.

So, why give this old classic the veneer of newness? Why keep so much of the original but alter the odd element or two? As with the personality of cats, we may never fully understand.

The true magic of Cats is the glorious music, the astonishing cast of thirty-two actors, singers, and dancers...