On & Off Broadway

‘Cats’

Review by Elyse Trevers

Posted

They say that cats have nine lives but Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats defies the old adage. Thirty-four years and 7,485 performances after its New York debut, the show has returned to its rightful place on Broadway. In the revival at the Neil Simon Theatre, although much has stayed the same, the show still feels fresh.

Designed by John Napier (who also did the costumes,) the setting that extends into the audience is awesome. We are now in the alley where everything, including garbage, tin cans, discarded newspapers and old shoes, is seen from a cat’s eye view.

Based on T. S. Eliot's book of poetry, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, the musical uses individual poems to introduce the feline characters. There’s no real story, so the music is thinly held together as cats are introduced. The Jellicle cats gather once a year under the Jellico moon where one is chosen to ascend to heaven to be reborn.

Like millions of others, I saw the show the first time around. My familiarity with the music gave me the luxury to listen to the poetry itself. Eliot manages to include many common phrases as well as visual images using cats. The show, in what became a Webber trademark, has a few notable melodies that repeat constantly. Annoying as that may be for some, ultimately you can always leave the theater humming one of the songs.

Many of the portraits of the cats are clever and funny. There are some showstoppers like “Magical Mister Mistoffelees.” The show makes full use of the theater as the performers often wander through the aisles and interact with audience members. The lithe graceful dancers slither around the stage and are gorgeous to see. Their athleticism is enviable. (Almost makes you want to join a gym!)

Leona Lewis, the Season 3 winner of X Factor, plays Grizabella, the former glamour cat, and is one of the singers who performs the now-classic song “Memories.” Lewis’ powerful voice is chilling as she belts the high notes but she is not worn and bedraggled enough for the role. She's too young, vital and pretty.

Many theatergoers of a certain age can recall the show clearly and have strong feelings about it. They either love the show or hate it. Cats is still beautiful and enjoyable to watch but has no real substance and little deep meaning. It's a spectacle of the human body (Imagine a ‘feline’ Cirque de Soleil without trapezes.)

Fans will return to once again revel in the spectacle and familiar music. Cats is like Grizabella; it has ascended to heaven and now has been reborn for an entirely new generation of theatergoers.