Cats, Now and Forever! Do you need to see Cats? Yes. You do. You need to see a professional production of Cats in person in a live theatre. It was a terrible movie. Watching a video of the original Broadway show is underwhelming. However, when you are in a live theatre and you witness these triple threat performers working their asses off for you, it is amazing.
There is no simple way to explain the musical Cats to the average person on the street. There is a thin plot that a single cat will be selected to live a new life. It is a spectacle of song, dance and lights delivered by a cast of incredibly talented individuals wearing body suits and cat makeup. What more do you need? Cats was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. The original Broadway production opened in 1982 at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre, where it ran for 7,485 performances and 18 years, The London production ran for 21 years and 8,949 performances – that should tell you that there is something special about this show. The music, though dated with its synthesizer sounds, is still remarkable in its ability to transport you into this weird little world and the dance is just mind boggling.
The touring production that is currently at the National Theatre in DC has been working together for a long time and seem to still enjoy the show and each other. The show’s choreography is tight. There are a lot of throw backs to the original production: the giant tire, the oversized trash, the ‘spaceship’ style lighting effects, and some of the chorography felt the same. Advancements have been made in lighting techniques and incorporated throughout the production. In a world in which “So You Think You Can Dance” has brought extreme dancing techniques into our homes, the dancing in this production of Cats still feels fresh and awe-inspiring.
There is no doubt that Cats is meant to be an ensemble piece and every actor is treated as an equal. There are musical numbers that stand out because of their writing and choreography or costuming, not because there is a star actor in the role. I noticed that Luke Berner was going on as an understudy in the role of Rum Tum Tugger/Bill Baily as I was entering the theatre. If it were not for that sign, I would never have known. He delivered a nuanced and energetic performance!
The musical number “The Awful Battle of the Pekes and Pollicles” showed us the talents of the entire cast and John Ankor Bow as Asparagus the Theatre Cat. Then there are the delightful talents of John Zamborsky who brings such exuberance to the cat Skimbleshanks in the ballad of “Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat” it is a wonder he has any energy left to finish the show! The audience thrilled to energetic number “Magical Mr. Mistoffelees” which featured Ibn Snell in an electrifying outfit.
Of course, no review of Cats would be complete without mentioning Grizabella and the song “Memory.” Originally made famous by Betty Buckley, this is perhaps the best-known song from the show and is a powerhouse number. Here it is delivered by Tayler Harris and she does the number up right! The audience were beside themselves with applause.
Cats has become a bit of a cult show as well and there were adults and children in full on cat costumes. There were many more just wearing cat ears or whiskers. Overwhelmingly, I heard members of the audience praising this production as one of the best versions of Cats they had seen. Personally, I will always believe the show should be done in the round, but then we would not get this wonderful touring production. The cast is uniformly strong vocally and polished in their performances. As the show ends, you cannot help but jump to your feet and applaud and smile all the way home.
Running Time:2 hours and 20 minutes with one intermission
Cats plays through January 22, 2023 at The National Theatre— 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, DC. For tickets call the box office at 202-628-6161 or purchase them online.
