CATS the Musical returns to Singapore from now till 2 Nov at MBS
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s exuberant CATS may technically be called a musical, but watching it at its Singapore gala premiere on Friday (30 Oct), I couldn’t help but feel it doesn’t quite do its breadth justice.
Sure, there were catchy tunes, stellar vocals, and, of course, a mesmerising rendition of the sorrowful-slash-hopeful Memory by Cindy-Ann Abrahams as Grizabella, which was so good that someone behind us uttered a completely warranted “oh my god” in the split second of silence between the song ending and the entire theatre bursting into rapturous applause.
Image courtesy of Hanan Assor
But a good chunk of the roughly 125-minute production — excluding intermission — is as much a display of physicality as it is musicality, with spectacular choreography, acrobatic stunts, and plenty of playful humour thrown into the mix.
Impressive choreography & feline-like movements
Based on T. S. Eliot’s 1939 poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, the show follows a tribe known as the Jellicle Cats as they gather for the Jellicle Ball, introduce their various quirks, and vie to be chosen for a new life by their leader, Old Deuteronomy.
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It’s an unusual premise, to say the least, but one that has clearly worked.
CATS premiered in London in 1981 and ran for 21 years and nearly 9,000 performances, later picking up seven Tony Awards on Broadway.
Dancing has always been just as integral to the show as singing, with the idea of the Jellicle Ball inspiring Lloyd Webber to make choreography a central part of the musical from the outset.
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And the current production certainly delivers on that front, with everything from ballet and tap dancing to acrobatics and even aerial stunts.
With all the leaping, spinning, and elaborate ensemble choreography, it sometimes felt like watching a gymnastics competition, except all the athletes wore pointy ears, tails, and face paint, and were expected to belt out show tunes.
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And as if that weren’t demanding enough, the cast remained remarkably committed to moving like actual felines, combining their agility and light-footedness with all the prowling, crawling, back-arching, and pawing you’d expect from our furry friends.
Image courtesy of Hanan Assor
Granted, a truly realistic production about cats would probably involve everyone lounging around onstage for two hours, trying to chase the moving stage lights, and knocking important props onto the floor.
Then again, real cats don’t usually execute flawless pirouettes, pull off gasp-inducing cartwheels, or croon about a ginger tabby criminal mastermind named Macavity, either.
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Cats get up close & personal with the audience
The feline commitment extended beyond the stage, too.
In keeping with a longstanding CATS tradition, members of the cast break the fourth wall by occasionally making their way into the audience, slinking down aisles, perching themselves near unsuspecting humans, and generally behaving as though the concept of personal boundaries does not apply to them.
In other words, pretty accurate cat behaviour.
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During The Rum Tum Tugger, Dylan Janse van Rensburg plays up his character’s swaggering, attention-seeking personality by taking the performance right into the crowd.
At the gala premiere, that included pulling local actress Joanne Peh up from her front-row seat for a quick dance and, at another point, enthusiastically ruffling his lush brown mane in another audience member’s face, drawing plenty of laughter from the crowd.
Consider those some of the “perks” of sitting close to the stage.
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The Jellicles also emerge among the audience during intermission, staying firmly in character as they interact and pose for photos with theatregoers.
If you’re hoping to snag a selfie with one, this might be your chance, as the venue strictly prohibits photography and filming during the actual performance.
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Memory is still the biggest highlight
For all the spectacle in CATS, though, the most memorable (pun intended) moment was also one of its simplest.
Memory is arguably the musical’s most anticipated number. I even overheard audience members talking about it before the show began.
This is hardly surprising, given that more than 150 artists, including Barbra Streisand and Nicole Scherzinger, have recorded the song since the musical’s premiere.
But watching it performed live is a different experience altogether, especially with Abrahams’ powerhouse vocals filling the theatre and reaching such soaring heights towards the end that I half-wondered if the sound system would survive (it did).
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Beyond the vocal fireworks, it’s the emotion behind the song that makes it hit particularly hard.
Once glamorous but now older and worn down, Grizabella spends much of the musical as an outsider, repeatedly rejected by the other Jellicles, who recoil from and hiss at her whenever she tries to approach them.
Abrahams brings that heartbreak to life beautifully, going from restrained and vulnerable to absolutely letting rip as Grizabella pours out her longing to be accepted once more.
Trust me, experiencing it live is so much more powerful than catching even the most impressive rendition on YouTube.
And while Memory may be the emotional heart of the production, it’s just one highlight in a show packed with so many other theatrical delights, driving home the point that calling CATS a musical only scratches the surface of what it really is.
Plus, if your only exposure to the show has been Tom Hooper’s famously panned 2019 film adaptation, do yourself a favour and catch the stage production instead.
It’s an entirely different beast, and a much better one at that.
Image courtesy of Hanan Assor
Show details
CATS is playing at Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands, from now till 22 Nov, with performances from Tuesday to Sunday.
Tickets start from S$68, excluding booking fees, and go up to S$238 for Jellicle VIP seats, with dynamic pricing applicable.
For more information, visit the official website.
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Featured image courtesy of Hanan Assor.
