A review: Cats the Musical

Cats the Musical is based on a 1939 poetry collection of Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T S Eliot and has been written as a musical composed by the famous Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is a sung-through musical (meaning no dialogue) which depicts the story of a tribe of cats – the Jellicle cats. These cats were gathered at the annual Jellicle Ball to make a jellicle choice on which cat will ascend cat heaven (Heaviside Layer) and be reborn again into a new (hopefully better) life.

The production is a 2-hour performance of songs and dance with an intermission in between. The junkyard stage set is the same throughout the musical so do not expect fanciful props. However, there are loads to watch for and here's the kiddo's and my favourite parts of the show. 

1) Graceful and cat-like movements

When I first watched this musical, it was eons (and I do mean eons) ago when our local artiste Jacintha was cast as Grizabella in 1993 (in the South East Asian tour). I recall that the actors were around the foyer and seating area, really getting into their character as they came near to us for us to pat them.

For this round, we did not spot any, but the actors did an amazing job getting into their characters – their movements graceful and gestures deliberate and lifelike. 

Rehearsal photos

Check out the makeup and the movements

Photo credit: CATS Tour 2019 Photography by Alessandro Pinna

If you are lucky enough to be seated along the aisle (Dumpling did!) you will meet them close up and personal as they prowl along the steps where we could see the realistic makeup and even their contacts! 

Photo credit: CATS Tour 2019 Photography by Alessandro Pinna

2) Mr Mistoffelees the Magician

Oh, can this magician cat dance! His “solo” was frankly one of the highlights for me as he twirled, swirled and owned the stage. More than that, he has fur that lit up (bling bling!) and had a couple of magic tricks up his sleeve! (I shan’t say more so that there’s no spoiler) He was a clear crowd favorite judging from the applause he received. 😊

Fun fact: Number of conjuring turns Mr Mistoffelees performs during his solo: a whopping 22!

Photo credit: CATS Tour 2019 Photography by Alessandro Pinna

3) Grizabella the Glamour Cat

And of course, not forgetting Grizabella. According to the "fandom" website, her name "griza" is derived from grey / disheveled and "bella" of course, means beauty. Hence as the name would suggest, it means grey beauty. 

When Grizabella first appeared on stage, she was indeed disheveled and “old”. Previously known as the Glamour Cat, part of the story is centered on this cat, a “has-been”, who has fallen hard on times and was trying to seek for the tribe’s forgiveness.

Photo credit: CATS Tour 2019 Photography by Alessandro Pinna

The vocal prowess and the actor’s portrayal of Grizabella did not disappoint. Dumpling and I could hear the despair and the loneliness as she first sang “Memory” and when she later reappeared and sang the reprise (of Memory), trying even harder to earn the acceptance of the tribe. Her desperation rang convincingly and true as the last notes faded in the theatre. 

Photo credit: CATS Tour 2019 Photography by Alessandro Pinna

Though I was originally unsure if the production was suited for Dumpling, she enjoyed herself (she’s just turned 11 recently) and could understand most of the play and the emotions behind it though there were some parts she had to google to understand the characters better. For me, it was a great night where I got to re-watch the musical at a different phase in life, and just enjoy the songs, dance and the feline antics. :) It is no wonder that CATS is one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981 where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances.

Here's more fun facts to share:

• The word JELLICLE is mentioned 138 times in the show
• The production tours 9 full shipping containers 
• The production tours 116 wigs
• The musical has toured 20 cities so far this year
• 50kg of ice is used for ice baths for the actors at the end of a hard week 

:: PERFORMANCE TIMES (From 17 December)

Tuesday to Friday: 8:00pm

Saturday: 2:00pm and 8:00pm

Sunday: 1:00pm and 6:00pm

:: TICKET PRICE

From 50 SGD*

*Excludes the booking fee of 4 SGD per ticket

:: BOOKINGS

www.MarinaBaySands.com/ticketing 

or www.sistic.com.sg 

PHONE

+65 6688 8826

:: IN PERSON AT

Marina Bay Sands Box Offices

(Museum, Theatre, SkyPark, Retail Mall and Hotel Tower 1 Lobby)

For more information please log onto

www.MarinaBaySands.com

Disclaimer: We were invited by Base Entertainment to the Gala night so that we can give our opinions about the musical. We are not compensated for the post. All opinions expressed are entirely ours. 

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