Cortney Litwin/Staff Writer
It’s the magical, metaphorical, rabbinical, cynical, historical musical “CATS,” back for a short run through April 20 at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles.
This deliciously campy romp is based on T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats” and set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The rather loose story revolves around a group of Jellicle Cats who come together once a year to see whom wise-cat Old Deuteronomy will choose to be reborn into a new life.
On a stage built of creatively scattered alley junk, under a glowing moon and high-tech strobe lights, we are introduced during “The Naming of Cats” to an imaginative assortment of felines ranging from the charismatic Rum Tum Tugger, who struts around like a rock star and elicits squeals from his furry female fans, to the nefarious, mysterious Macavity cat, to Mr. Mistoffelees, the magical cat.
And then there’s worn out Grizabella, who mourns for her glamorous youth and sings the heart-wrenching song “Memory.” This song was especially poignant during Friday’s opening night performance because the evening began with an introduction by entertainment personality Leeza Gibbons, who talked about the Memory Foundation, an organization she created to aid victims of Alzheimer’s disease. Her grandmother and mother both succumbed to the disease, and the “CATS” opening night performance was in support of her work.
The music for “CATS” is mostly light-hearted, unlike some of Webber’s other compositions such as in the darkly beautiful “Phantom of the Opera” and dramatic “Jesus Christ Superstar.” And although at times repetitive-the theme song “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats” is repeated throughout the performance-the playful songs are a perfect complement to Eliot’s whimsical poetry. The lyrics are all taken from Eliot’s work, with additional lyrics written by Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe. The only obvious omission in this production is the lack of a live orchestra.
The musical itself has been reborn many times since it first opened in 1981 at the New London Theatre in the West End. “CATS” went on to garner seven Tony Awards in 1983 after it opened on Broadway, where it stayed for 18 years, becoming the longest running Broadway musical as well as the longest running musical in British history.
Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $60 and can be obtained at the Pantages box office or by calling Ticketmaster at 213.365.3500; www.ticketmaster.com.
For more information on the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation, call 888.OK.LEEZA.