‘CATS’ cast put their best paws forward

Just as cats have conquered the internet, the cast of CATS have conquered the Regent on Broadway.

CATS is a production that creates high expectations and delivers. Insinuating their way into audience affections from before the show by playfully prowling the theatre aisles, this precocious pounce of pussycats really turn it on when the music starts.

It’s an all-local posse of singing, acting and dancing stars kitted out in wearable art costumes to a pre-recorded soundtrack. Pity the music couldn’t be live, but the track provided the complicated score with the necessary quality and consistency for the vocalists and dancers to shine.

Having said this, there is still room to improve the diction and preciseness of some chorus numbers. With no real plot, it’s the individual stories and puss-onalities that make up this cat-suited variety showcase, and a few got lost in the mix.

Teesh Szabo’s creative choreography worked a treat. It’s punchy with moments of dynamic razzle-dazzle, providing a platform for cat-like movements, and a launch pad for some marvellous and tuneful “caterwauling”.

In the show, only one Jellicle Cat a year can become “an-Jellicle”, but on stage, it was hard to pick between the performance as each of these anthropomorphic felines “audition” for elevation to the Heaviside Layer.

And what a cast! Michael Doody’s hospitable and commanding presence as ‘Munkustrap’; Steve Jenkins as ‘Gus the Theatre Cat’ morphing into ‘Growltiger’ the river pirate during the pantomime scene; Joanne Sale as the aged and arthritic ‘Grizabella’ performing the show’s magnum miaow-aria Memory; Connor Allen in a show stopping ‘Mr Mistoffolees’ dance routine; Rebecca Palmer’s pluck and poise as ‘Demeter’; Ashleigh Blummont’s ‘Bombalurina’; David Lea’s sage ‘Old Deuteronomy’, and the bubbly double act of Nikora Lewis and Cara Hesselin as ‘Mungojerrie’ and ‘Rumpelteazer’ are among numerous highlights.

There’s no doubt about it – these cats from CATS are uber cool.

(Richard Mays)