Cats is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s best known and most popular shows, and currently holds the record for the longest running musical on Broadway, as well as in England. Winner of both the Olivier and the Tony for best musical, it is based on T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Pratical Cats." Cats is currently enjoying a little resurgence of popularity since it was just recorded and released on video and PBS this November.

Random Thoughts on the Recording: I only have one recording of Cats, and it is the OBC, with Betty Buckley, as Grizabella, and Terrence Mann, as the Rum Tum Tugger, among others. The best thing about this recording is, of course, that it feeds my Terrence fetish, but I really enjoy the whole thing. Highlights for me include “Skimbleshanks” (listen carefully to the orchestrations - wow!), “Old Deuteronomy” (I melt every time Terrence comes in on the Tugger’s verse), and “Mr. Mistoffolees”. This recording was actually the beginning of the madness that is my Terrence obsession - my dad had seen Cats on Broadway (the original Broadway cast!!! and I didn’t even realize at the time how important this was!!!), and soon after he came home we decided to get a kitten, and decided to name him after one of the Cats. We chose Rum Tum Tugger, just because we liked the way it sounded (a friend who had gone with Dad to Cats soon after got a cat and named him Mistoffolees!), and so of course the Tugger became my favourite character. We found out as our cat grew up that the personality fit him perfectly, but that’s another story! :-) Anyway, I began listening to the OBC and of course I noticed who played the Tugger and decided I really liked him. And the rest, as they say, is rather scary history. :-)

Random Thoughts on the Show: I’ve seen the show twice - once in Toronto several years ago (my first major theatrical experience - I think my parents regret what they started, now! :-), and the second time a couple of summers ago in Ottawa. I barely remember the show in Toronto -- a few things stand out, like my sister being terrified of the cats when they came running down the aisle at the beginning (you can hardly blame her - she was about six, and sitting on the aisle, and one cat had those glowing eyes and came along and got right in her face - she almost died!), and that Old Deut stayed on stage during intermission and all of the kids could go up on stage and talk to him and get his autograph (unfortunately, I don’t remember the gentleman’s name, because he signed my ticket “Old Deut” :-), and check out the scenery. It was mucho cool. The second time I saw the show was a touring production in Ottawa the summer before I started university. I knew a lot more about the show, and theatre in general, then, so I was much better able to appreciate it. I was still enthralled by the Tugger, but I am ashamed to admit I don’t remember that gentleman’s name, either. The show was amazing - there’s so much energy in a show like that, and a recording just doesn’t do it justice. The Jellicle Ball - a ten minute, full-cast dance extravaganza is worth the price of a ticket all by itself!

Random Thoughts on the Video: I wrote a review of the new video starring Elaine Paige, John Mills and Ken Page for “The Stage Door”, an international theatrical newsletter dealing with theatre news in North America, Europe and Australia (write Stacy for subscription details). I'm just going to copy the highlights here.
Let me start by saying that I was skeptical about this whole stage-to-video idea. But the “Cats” video works very well. The video is extremely faithful both to the staging and the feel of the stage show (I guess it helps that Andrew Lloyd Webber and the RUC were responsible for it, rather than some arbitrary producer). If you loved the show, you’ll love the video.
I only have a couple of complaints about the video. First of all, they cut the Growltiger sequence, which is one of my favourites (although they did keep the Battle of the Pekes and Pollicles, which often doesn’t make it onto recordings). And while Sir John Mills may be an Oscar winning actor, and he does make a adorable Gus, he obviously wasn’t hired for his singing ability. That’s fine, but it makes me wonder if that’s why they cut Growltiger. I would rather have seen a lesser name in the role, and the entire number performed.
My other complaint is that I didn’t really enjoy the “Rum Tum Tugger” number. While John Partridge has a lovely voice, and I really enjoyed him in the rest of his performance, I found that he did this number too bluesy - it didn’t have the masculinity, rock and roll, and power that I’ve come to expect from the Tugger. (But that may just be my own Terrence Mann bias coming through. :-)
However, overall the video is an absolute delight. Elaine Paige as Grizabella is fantastic, as would be expected, and Ken Page is a terrific Old Deuteronomy. I really liked Michael Gruber as Munkustrap - a very important role that really holds the show together in many ways, but is often overlooked. And all of the other roles were played to perfection (although Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer’s Cockney accents were a bit annoying, as was Skimbleshanks’ broad Scottish drawl). The dancing is as electrifying as ever, and the show is just so much fun. And the video does a fantastic job of capturing that fun. Anyone who has ever seen the show will love the video (although it will only make them want to see the show again!), and it will be a great introduction for those who haven’t seen the stage production. While no video can ever completely capture the magic of live theatre, for those of us who can’t get to a production, this video is the next best thing.

Cats - the Official site, run by the Really Useful Group

The Cats Video - the official site for the video

More Cats - a fan page with some more info about the show

Betty Buckley - the official page for the original Broadway Grizabella

Elaine Paige - a fan page for the London and video Grizabella

The World of Terrence Mann - and, of course, a fantastic fan page for the one and only Rum Tum Tugger :-)

Well, that's it for now. I always love hearing from people who like the same shows I do, and I would especially love to hear from anyone who named their cats after the Cats (my Rum Tum Tugger and Rumpleteazer would love it too! :-).

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