Theatre Under the Stars announces CATS and School of Rock for summer season, July 5 to August 24

Two-show subscription pack tickets now on sale for outdoor performances at Stanley Park’s Malkin Bowl

Theatre Under the Stars at the Malkin Bowl. Photo by Shawn Bukhari

ONE OF BROADWAY’S longest-running musicals and a feel-good rock-and-roll tribute are in store this summer at Theatre Under the Stars, which is running its just-announced 2024 season from July 5 to August 24.

Performances of CATS and School of Rock, both brainchilds of musical theatre legend Andrew Lloyd Webber, will take place at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park.

Two-show subscription-pack tickets are on sale from now until May 17, priced at $90 for adults and $60 for youth, and come with the additional perks of souvenir programs and exchange insurance.

In CATS, a tribe of cats called the Jellicles gather under the moon each year to decide who among them will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a new life. Throughout the show, different felines in the tribe make pitches as to why they should be chosen for rebirth, which gives way to stand-out songs like “Mr. Mistoffelees”, “Macavity: The Mystery Cat”, and fan favourite “Memory”—all based on T.S. Eliot’s whimsical poetry.

Ashley Wright, known for his work with Edmonton’s Freewill Shakespeare Festival and Citadel Theatre, is directing CATS in his Theatre Under the Stars debut. Sean Bayntun is returning to the company as music director after holding the same role for last year’s The Prom, and choreography for the show is by Vancouver-based dancer Julie Murphy.

School of Rock draws inspiration from Richard Linklater’s 2003 film of the same name starring Jack Black. It delivers the exuberant story of wannabe rock star Dewey Finn, who accidentally winds up masquerading as a private-school substitute teacher to earn a few bucks when he gets kicked out of his band and is facing eviction.

Tracey Power is directing the production in a return to Theatre Under the Stars after directing and choreographing The Prom last year. Choreography is by Matthew Rossoff, and music direction is by Eliza De Castro. Plus, School of Rock’s ensemble will feature local youth musicians from School of Rock Vancouver.

Performances of both CATS and School of Rock begin at 8 pm each night, except special Fireworks Nights on July 20, 24, and 27, which start at 7 pm.

Early-bird single tickets go on sale May 23—keep an eye out for more details.

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Emily Lyth

Emily Lyth is a Vancouver-based writer and editor who graduated from Langara College’s Journalism program. Her decade of dance training and passion for all things food-related are the foundation of her love for telling arts, culture, and community stories.

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