Theatre review: Theatre Under the Stars brings fresh feline eyes to CATS
Reimagined costumes, stylized choreography, and sky-high lifts lend the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical new life
From left, October Penningroth, Owen CB Scott, Jaren Guerreiro, Colton Bamber, Anna Smith. Photo by Emily Cooper
Theatre Under the Stars presents CATS at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park to August 23
CATS ARE KNOWN to have nine lives. But CATS, the iconic Broadway musical, seems to have countless lives, as it’s still being performed worldwide after first premiering in the West End over 43 years ago. In fact, there’s even a drag-and-ballroom-themed version off-Broadway, where the Jellicle cats are voguing and waacking their way down a catwalk.
Here at the Malkin Bowl, Theatre Under The Stars is offering a fresh reimagining of its own. While this retelling is nowhere near as drastic as the current off-Broadway version, director Ashley Wright’s production offers some creative ideas to keep things interesting, while still having one paw planted faithfully in the original.
Based on the poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, and set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, CATS is known as a demanding dance musical with abundant quirkiness and high theatricality, alongside a sense of mystique. The premise of the show is that in one night, the audience meets an assortment of Jellicle cats with larger-than-life personalities, and their wise leader Old Deuteronomy decides which cat deserves to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back in a new life. This version of CATS does a commendable job given its available resources, and nearly captures some of the original Broadway musical’s cherished magical elements.
Donnie Tejani’s innovative costume design gives this show a fabulous look. Instead of skin-tight bodysuits adorned with fur, the performers don human clothes that match each cat’s personality. The show’s narrator, Munkustrap (Veronica Phinney) wears a classic theatre usher’s outfit, complete with tassels hanging from the shoulders; Rum Tum Tugger (Colton Bamber), in his form-fitting shirt and ripped jeans, looks like he’s ready to hit the club; and the kitten Victoria (Tia Gunhold) dons a schoolgirl plaid skirt.
Although the cast members still wear makeup to complete their faux-feline appearances—which include furry cat ears, of course—the makeup design here is noticeably lighter than the original concept, which is bound to make performing in the outdoor summer heat more bearable.
As the show progresses, Julie Murphy’s choreography hits a nice combination of honouring the original concepts and adding new takes. Victoria’s iconic dance solo, which symbolizes her transition from kittenhood, stays true to Gillian Lynne’s original choreography and is well performed by Gunhold, who showcases excellent extensions and ballet technique. Elsewhere, instead of the traditional approach to Rum Tum Tugger, which was heavily influenced by Mick Jagger, Bamber performs a more modern version with contemporary style and attitude, perhaps making his Rum Tum Tugger more relatable for today’s audiences.
Tap fans will enjoy the personable Hailey Fowler’s Jennyanydots leading the way in the show’s staple tap number “The Old Gumbie Cat”. But this production has also added tap to “Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat”, where hoofers Julia Kelleway and Elijah Sam strut their stuff, along with an ensemble of other great tappers. “Magical Mister Mistoffelees”, led by strong and enthusiastic dancer October Penningroth, still features impressive dance moves and cool magical tricks. But this version also involves more of the cast, allowing other performers to participate—something that’s done throughout the rest of the show, too.
There’s a ton of gender-swapping, as the majority of the cast members are female-identifying, with some delightful results. As the criminal duo Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, Jenna Lamb and Haley Allen make an incredible team. With their similar looks and perfectly synchronized mirroring acrobatic movements, they deliver a dynamic girl-power-themed number, traditionally done as a male-and-female duet. Holly Collis Handford is super-energetic and adorable as Skimbleshanks, usually portrayed as a male cat. And with her spikey hair, glasses, large orange coat, and wise presence, Janet Gigliotti makes for a sleek and stylish version of the usually oversized, sleepy male Old Deuteronomy.
Kudos to musical director Sean Bayntun, who has done some painstaking work in transposing and reconfiguring the vocal arrangements to match the show’s gender-swapping. However, the orchestra could have used a bit of polishing, which may come with time over the show’s summer-long run.
In terms of the set design, it’s worth noting that the famous junkyard landscape in CATS can’t be replicated to scale here because everything onstage needs to be portable and compact enough to swap with the School of Rock staging pieces. (That Lloyd Webber musical adaptation is showing in tandem with CATS at Theatre Under the Stars this season.) But set designer Jennifer Stewart has created an innovative alley with ladders, moveable boxes, and a large dumpster (all inspired by Lauchlin Johnston’s concept work), which still provides the necessary playground for our Jellicle cats. The dumpster also offers great opportunities for the cast to use as a moving set piece to reconfigure the staging, and to jump in and out of.
One of the reasons (among many) that the film version of CATS didn’t work is that part of the story’s appeal is the energy the performers exude onstage. Under the leadership of dance captain Allen, Murphy’s choreography and formations are a visual treat, performed with great conviction, precision, and attention to detail by the cast. “Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball” is strategically staged to highlight the talents of each cast member, while providing excitement for the audience, climaxing with some sky-high lifts performed by Gunhold and Jaren Guerreiro.
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