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NZ Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Cats The Musical: Hamilton Operatic Society stages Andrew Lloyd Webber classic
Tickets: online via Ticketek Reviewed by Cate Prestidge If you're looking for an appropriate outing for your vintage fur jacket, then a ticket to Cats is the perfect opportunity. Opening night was positively purring with feline fashion as the Hamilton Operatic team welcomed the at capacity audience. Once seated, cats prowled up and down the aisles giving a close-up view of the incredible makeup and costumes. It's something Cats is famous for, and the design team of Rose Sidwell and Claire Field (costume) and Cat Dwyer (hair, makeup) deserve a huge accolade for. Gaby Jackson plays Electra, one of the Jellicle Cats. Photo / Mark Hamilton Supported by a massive team of 16 dressers and make-up artists, I can only imagine the excitement of the cast when they first saw their characters emerge. Many people know Cats, one of the world's most successful musicals. But if you're unfamiliar with the show (like my 'plus one'), it's helpful to know it doesn't follow a traditional narrative. Based on T.S Eliot's 'practical cats' poems, it's a character-driven spectacle full of diverse set pieces and choreography. Sonja McGirr-Garrett and Cassidy Garrett have done a phenomenal job as co-choreographers. The cast are more than simply well-honed, they are focused, energetic, full of character, and frankly, exhausting! Noelle Savill as Munkustrap. Photo / Mark Hamilton While cat-like gestures consistently reinforce their 'Jellicleness', individual characters are expressed and sustained emphatically by every single performer and every cast member deserves a jolly good scratch on the head and a bowl of cream. I particularly liked Noelle Savill's Munkustrap, a major role which links together many of the scenes and which showcased her movement and fine voice. Aroha Whaanga impressed as a captivating Bombalurina, while River Park and Lily Burgess-Munro were excellent as the naughty Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. Cassidy Garret in the role of Sillabub was outstanding in both movement and voice, particularly in Memory, where her fine soprano contrasts with the rich tones of Julia Booth's Grizabella. The performance of Memory in Cats is an emotional interplay, and Booth conveys this with strength. I was delighted by Mike Scanlon as Gus the theatre cat and his quieter scene with Christy Park (Jellylorum) was a favourite, while Felix Rowe was suitably outrageous as Rum Tum Tugger. I enjoyed hearing his voice more clearly in Mr Mistoffelees and Old Deuteronomy, the latter song was a highlight for the strength of the entire ensemble, supported by the backstage singers. Dancer Laeticia Austin (Victoria) showed astounding control and flexibility, and Oliver Johnson (Mr Mistoffolees) was lithe and polished. Some lovely partner scenes were supported by Dean Watson (Plato). Laeticia Austin (Victoria) and Cassidy Garrett (Sillabub). Photo / Mark Hamilton Jack Turner (Skimblehsnaks), Sean Hapi (Macavity), Eva Orton (Demeter) showed great control and confidence, and Cam Strother was in fine voice as Old Deuteronomy. Comedic styling from K-M Adams (Jennanydots) and Simon Brew as the 'gentlemanly' Bustopher Jones rounded out the main characters. The 19-piece band under the direction of Nick Braae were excellent and the overture transported me immediately into the show. The music is complex, performed by three pianists led by Alex Wiltshire, three trumpets and other multiples of drums, brass and woodwind alongside guitar, oboe and percussion – do check out the programme for these musicians. Lighting goes hand in hand with atmosphere and the designs by Aaron Chesham didn't disappoint adding drama, mood and character. A glance at the programme photos also shows how effective this is when captured in still form. Director David Sidwell brings huge experience to the show, pulling all the cast and production elements together confidently, creating some magical set pieces (the train is wonderful) and working with a new set by John Harding. This represented the backstage of a theatre rather than the usual junkyard setting and had some fun props and found objects. Some minor quibbles were some scale issues on the coat rack garments, and a couple of flatter moments in transitions where the audience didn't know quite how to react. But overall, an entertaining, focused, comprehensive performance and a fun night out. Cate Prestidge is a principal academic and co-ordinator of journalism and communication programmes at Wintec. She has been writing theatre reviews for NZME since 2021.
Sydney Morning Herald
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
The unlikely musical that conquered the world
Gabriyel Thomas remembers the exact moment she first encountered Cats. 'I was four and my mum brought home the 1998 film version on VHS,' she says. 'I started watching it, again and again, on repeat, like it was my job. 'I danced around the living room to it so much that, even now, when people have been learning their choreography here, I know almost every movement they have to learn.' The 'here' Thomas refers to is the Alexandria rehearsal room for the 40th Australian anniversary production of Cats, opening this week at the Theatre Royal Sydney. Fresh from rocking a nun's wimple in the Australian production of Sister Act, Thomas is part of the production's 28-strong cast as Grizabella, the once-glamorous, bedraggled moggie who sings the melancholic, chart-topping mega-hit Memory. 'It's one of those songs where if you don't know Cats, you still know Memory, ' she says. 'It's iconic. I did worry about doing it justice but, now, when I'm on the floor being Grizabella, the notes just come out. It takes over my entire existence.' Since premiering in 1981 in London's West End, Andrew Lloyd Webber's sung-through contemporary dance musical about the Jellicle cat tribe has taken over stages around the world. Pioneering the concept of a blockbuster musical, and earning more than $3.5 billion worldwide to date, Cats has played in 51 countries, been translated into 23 languages and played to more than 81 million people. Its original UK season won multiple Olivier and Evening Standard Awards followed by Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score and more, after the show's 1982 Broadway premiere. But there were bumps along the way.
The Age
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
The unlikely musical that conquered the world
Gabriyel Thomas remembers the exact moment she first encountered Cats. 'I was four and my mum brought home the 1998 film version on VHS,' she says. 'I started watching it, again and again, on repeat, like it was my job. 'I danced around the living room to it so much that, even now, when people have been learning their choreography here, I know almost every movement they have to learn.' The 'here' Thomas refers to is the Alexandria rehearsal room for the 40th Australian anniversary production of Cats, opening this week at the Theatre Royal Sydney. Fresh from rocking a nun's wimple in the Australian production of Sister Act, Thomas is part of the production's 28-strong cast as Grizabella, the once-glamorous, bedraggled moggie who sings the melancholic, chart-topping mega-hit Memory. 'It's one of those songs where if you don't know Cats, you still know Memory, ' she says. 'It's iconic. I did worry about doing it justice but, now, when I'm on the floor being Grizabella, the notes just come out. It takes over my entire existence.' Since premiering in 1981 in London's West End, Andrew Lloyd Webber's sung-through contemporary dance musical about the Jellicle cat tribe has taken over stages around the world. Pioneering the concept of a blockbuster musical, and earning more than $3.5 billion worldwide to date, Cats has played in 51 countries, been translated into 23 languages and played to more than 81 million people. Its original UK season won multiple Olivier and Evening Standard Awards followed by Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score and more, after the show's 1982 Broadway premiere. But there were bumps along the way.
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: At the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, ‘Cats' becomes a chaotic kitty circus
In the hands of the Paramount Theatre of Aurora, Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Cats' has been turned into a Faux kitties perform all manner of tricks from juggling to acrobatics. Instead of her Grizabella standing there and belting out 'Memory,' one of the great power ballads of all time, Emily Rohm finds herself lifted up into the air on a trapeze, just as she has to emit the most dramatically powerful note. Grizabella is hard enough, I found myself thinking, even as Rohm was then transported out across the house on an extensive, 'Mary Poppins'-like track that seemed to extend halfway to Naperville. If you are doing 'Cats,' I'm all for delivering to the people lots of spectacle. That is part of the point of 'Cats,' an early conceptual musical based on the poetry of T.S. Eliot and concerned with which cat within the lively Jellicle tribe gets to enjoy eternal life via the celestial 'heaviside layer' (a phrase coined by Eliot but turned by Lloyd Webber into a kajillion dollars over the last 44 years). I've no problem with the theming: 'Cats' is pliant, as we all discovered in New York with the brilliant staging of 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball.' Even by Paramount's high standards, this is an eye-popping show, replete with elaborate rigging, grand illusions and all manner of circus activities put together by director Trent Stork, choreographer Kasey Alfonso and circus specialist Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi. And it's stocked with acting talent, too: Aside from Rohm, a fine vocalist, behind the whiskers lurk the highly skilled likes of Lorenzo Rush Jr., Tiffany Topol and Allison Sill. But with all due respect to the amount of work and risk here (and especially the makeup from Katie Cordts) and the undeniable quality of much of the singing, I can't say I much enjoyed this particular production. It is the victim of its own excesses and, as a result, that all-important emotional connection between audience member and warbling kitty gets squelched. Time after time, you get the feeling that nobody fully trusted the material, despite its proven ability to charm at least four different generations by now. There's so much stage business going on that it ends up feeling intrusive, and you feel throughout the show that everything is so busy and prescribed and surely difficult to perform that the show never gets a chance to breathe. There was only one moment all night when I really felt something, and that came courtesy of Gene Weygandt, gamely playing the aging Gus, the theater cat, which is a pretty good description of Weygandt himself. His big number is a poignant song taken directly from the Eliot poem about that time in a cat's life when paws begin to shake, the coat turns shabby and mice and rats no longer cower in fear. But just as Weygandt, a fine actor, was invoking the horrors of mortality, every eye in the theater left his face and rose to another cat up on a trapeze. Hardly necessary and, frankly, it was emblematic of many such moments where taking a few things away would great have improved what matters most in the theater. In fairness, the show (which was first produced quite differently by the Paramount in 2014) received a warm ovation on the night I attended and, as ever at this important anchor of downtown Aurora, tickets prices are very affordable. But I found the piece too chilly, especially when you think this is a family attraction. Sure, life is full of tricks. But 'Cats,' and cats, have survived not by assaulting the senses but by building long-term relationships. Review: 'Cats' (2.5 stars) When: Through June 15 Where: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes Tickets: $28-$85 at 630-896-6666 and
Scoop
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
140 Christchurch Kids Shine In National Youth Theatre's Historic CATS Premiere
In a landmark moment for Christchurch, 140 young performers across Christchurch and Canterbury take centre stage in the National Youth Theatre's (NYT) premiere production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's CATS – Young Actors Edition at Isaac Theatre Royal, 23-25 May for 4 shows only. This spe-cat-ular musical, seen by 73 million worldwide, brings four unforgettable shows to Ōtautahi, blending iconic songs like 'Memory,' dazzling choreography, and vibrant costumes, performed entirely by Canterbury youth aged 7-21. CATS invites audiences to the Jellicle Ball, where 140 local kids, from first timers to seasoned stars, share their stories through music and dance. Directed by Christchurch-born Jack Shatford (WAAPA-trained, Shrek the Musical), this production is more than a show - it's a life-changing journey. 'We're filling these kids with confidence to shine in life, from job interviews to school speeches,' Shatford says. The cast's stories prove it. CATS performer Alexis (Rum Tum Tugger) shares, 'It's definitely made me more confident.' Oliver (Gus) adds, 'Singing in CATS gave me a massive confidence boost.' David (Munkustrap) says, 'This huge role helped me believe I can take on anything.' Julia (Grizabella) rediscovered her passion: 'CATS brought back my love for dance.' Isabella (Grizabella) notes, 'CATS has been a big step for my singing and acting confidence.' NYT's all-access programme welcomes everyone, no auditions needed - with over 100 kids vying for lead roles. Supported by Christchurch City Council, CATS also creates youth tech jobs, cementing its community impact. Don't miss this historic premiere, perfect for families and schools. Book now through Ticketek and also enter to win tickets in our NYT's Mother's Day giveaway, offering two double passes on our Facebook and Instagram (9-12 May)! ** National Youth Theatre – Changing Lives from the Stage #nytnz #nationalyouththeatrenz #catsthemusical #whatsajelliclecat Performance: Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch
