A show that has run for 18 years on Broadway has a lot to live up to. "CATS," now being performed at the National Theatre, did not disappoint.
Pyrotechnics, haze, smoke and strobe lights make the show visually amazing. These four factors create an environment that appears so futuristic that when combined with the oversized set, the cats become characters that an audience feels. When the show starts, one cat after another comes on, singing and dancing to join the group that is already on stage until eventually there are 20 cats on stage. All manage to maintain great composure while staying exactly in step with one another.
The show can be best surmised in Scene 17 when Grizabella sings her main solo, "Memories." At the onset of the song her fellow cats turn their backs to her. However, through compelling dialogue and music she wins their hearts. Symbolic to the play, Act 1 starts slowly, but by the time Act 2 is finished, theater-goers are perched on the edge of their seats, expecting, or rather hoping for, another song.
Throughout "CATS," dance numbers continually surprise the audience with their progressive rise in difficulty. Each of the seven "CATS" that are portrayed has his or her own dance that teaches the audience about his or her life. The show does not just entertain, but ideas presented in the "CATS" society also allow thought to flow. Each cat in the musical symbolizes a human being, creating an environment in which cats equal humans.
Despite a bit of a dead spot toward the end of Act 1, the show is very enjoyable. The performers prove their remarkable talent in songs requiring enormous range, including one in which four different keys are sung at the same time. Each cat has its own story to tell and "CATS" tells seven of them in an exquisite way.
"CATS" opened in 1981 at a theater in London. It became the longest running show, with 3,358 performances in British theater. After the well-received 1981 opening, "CATS" opened in 1982 on Broadway. After 18 years on Broadway the musical lived up to its motto, "Now and Forever," by becoming the longest running musical on Broadway. The show is based on T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" and Broadway great Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the music.
"CATS" will be performed at the National Theatre from Oct. 1 through Oct. 26. The National Theater is located at 1321 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Visit www.nationaltheatre.org for more information.
