Cats is a spectacular musical first performed in London in 1981, running originally for 21 years. The stage production went on to have worldwide success, running for many years in many countries including an equally celebrated Broadway production (Cats is the third longest-running show in Broadway history.)
The musical was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with the lyrics of the songs adapted from Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by the U.S. poet T. S. Eliot. Back in 2014, Webber announced that he was bringing the show back to London (and then a new world tour).
The new production is playing at the famous London Palladium (home of many a variety performance attended by one member of the British Royal Family or other.) The London Palladium is a 2,286-seat West End theater located off Oxford Street.
The highlight of the new revival is pop-star Nicole Scherzinger, who is making her stage debut. She sings to near perfection in her performance as the cat Grizabella. Scherzinger rose to fame as a member of the Pussycat Dolls.
The production has a new set, which looks visually impressive. The stage resembles a junkyard, the place where the various cats assemble for one special night. Here there are rusty old cars and discarded items of junk. The costumes worn by each actor are distinctive and colorful; some cats looking preen and pristine; whereas others looked suitably rag-tailed. The new set and costumes gave the production a fresh and exciting look. This is matched by the energy of the performers, in both incredible acrobatic dance and song.
The songs were performed with clarity and good range, especially on the all-cast numbers. A couple of the songs had changed in order, this reviewer presumes, to bring the production up-to-date. Gone, for example, was a rock-and-roll themed number and this was replaced with a rap-style track. Was this really necessary? Probably not, but it didn’t detract either from the whole piece.
In terms of other changes, the song “Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer” is re-worked; no longer sounding jazzy, the number has a more pop melody to it. However, not everything is new and there are many old touches and old favorites among the songs. The show’s standout song remains “Memory.” This song has been recorded, incredibly, by more than 150 artists including Barbra Streisand and Johnny Mathis. The song, in various formats, features three times in the new production.
Another connection with the past is the part of the cat Old Deuteronomy, who is played by Nicholas Pound. Nicholas was a member of the original London cast, playing the wise old cat back in 2002. The other cast members are performing for the first time, bringing renewed energy.
In terms of the highlight, this was Joseph Poulton’s performance as Mr Mistoffelees who is not only “the original conjuring cat,” but one who gets to execute a dazzling series of dance steps’
The new version rates 5 out of 5. The production certainly meows back in style.
