From the inquisitive opening brass parps, which accompany slinky felines pouncing and prowling onto the stage, we get flashbacks to previous Cats productions.
“Let the memory live again,” alright! The 40th Australian anniversary tour of Cats has landed in Melbourne.
Thanks to an outstanding cast, this production is a delight to watch from start to finish. Coquettish head tilts, full-body twitches, butt wiggles – each specific character’s feline traits are customised to perfection.
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Innovative lighting design sees cats’ eyes illuminating – synched to the beat – throughout the junkyard set, which features oversized car tyres and bicycle wheels that make this musical’s subjects true to scale.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s enduring musical is based on Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats, a collection of poems T.S. Eliot wrote for his godchildren. As such, it eschews traditional narrative and is more a series of character sketches, which is kind of badass considering it first opened in London’s West End back in 1981.
Up until Cats, Lloyd Webber had principally collaborated with his lyricist of choice, Tim Rice; the music preceding the words. Then in 1978, he experimented with setting Eliot’s poems – favourites from his childhood – to music, just to see whether he could compose melodies to accompany existing words.
But it wasn’t until Eliot’s widow presented Lloyd Webber with Grizabella The Glamour Cat, one of her husband’s unpublished poems, that his vision for Cats crystallised. Deemed too sad for children, this poem wasn’t included in Eliot’s book. Grizabella’s signature song, Memory, would become this musical’s showstopping centrepiece.
As Grizabella, Gabriyel Thomas (American-born, Melbourne-based) steals our hearts. Shunned by her tribe for daring to leave and explore the outside world, this Jellicle Cat hopes to rejoin her family. She extends a paw, hesitantly, at one point, but is left hanging. After fragments of Memory are teased throughout the show, we eagerly anticipate hearing the song in full. And Thomas certainly delivers. Following her dignified, crestfallen performance of this iconic ballad, many audience members are spotted fumbling in pockets and handbags for stray tissues.
Todd McKenney also messes with our heartstrings in the role of Asparagus. Given that this musical launched his stage career four decades ago, Gus The Theatre Cat’s lyrical content is fitting: “And I say now, these kittens, they do not get trained/ As we did in the days when Victoria reigned…” – seated downstage with their backs to the audience, said kittens bristle at this suggestion.
There’s no escaping Des Flanagan’s The Rum Tum Tugger (think: Freddie Mercury reincarnated). The kittie characters swoon and we totally get it. Is it weird to be turned on by a cat-man?
Mungojerrie (Jake O’Brien) and Rumpelteazer (Savannah Lind), the prankster cats, also deliver standout performances, often singing in unison while flawlessly executing the high-energy choreography.
This entire ensemble has been drilled to perfection – shout-out to the dance captains. Their cohesion – dancing in unison while maintaining perfect spacing – is particularly noteworthy during The Jellicle Ball scene.
The sleazy, suspended hi-hat motif that filters through Macavity The Mystery Cat cleverly mimics this animal’s elongated strut.
During a routine that’s punctuated by pyros and endless fouettes, Tim Haskayne (Magical Mister Mistoffelees) receives the most audible audience gasps. Haskayne dances with finesse, landing each nimble trick like it’s no biggie.
If you’re concerned that Cats will come off as ye olde when held up against more recently developed musicals, fear not. Quality doesn’t date. And this classic musical’s fanciful theme makes poignant moments hit harder.
Cats plays at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne until 31 January.
