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About Cats
Cats features a group of felines who inhabit a junkyard; every year These ˜Jellicle
Cats" get together for their annual Jellicale Ball, a celebration of cat
personalities and experiences that culminates in one cat being chosen to go up
to the Heaviside Layer" cat heaven according to poem fragments by T.S Eliot,
from which Andrew Lloyd Webber got his inspiration for the musical. The boss cat
Old Deuteronomy assesses the auditions, watching as the various cats sing and
dance to impress him. Before he makes his final decision though, Old Deuteronomy
is kidnapped by the evil cat Macavity. Once the crime has been discovered and
the old cat has been returned to his post, the selection process continues "and
after much competition, the old glamour cat, Grizabella, is chosen to be
re-born. Grizabella's faded charms shine through during her singing of "Memory,"
the player's signature song.
Cats was first shown in London's West End, at the New London Theatre, on May 11,
1981. It was produced by Cameron Mackintosh and composer Andrew Lloyd
Webbers'The Really Useful Theatre Company. It was directed by Trevor Nunn,
choreographed by Gillian Lynne, and designed by John Napier with lighting by
David Hersey.
With the same production team, the show debuted on Broadway, at the Winter
Garden Theatre, on October 7, 1982. On June 19, 1997 Cats became the longest
running musical in Broadway history with 6,138 performances. It played a total
of 8,949 performances in London and 7,485 in New York. Cats' final performance
on Broadway was on September 10, 2000. Its final performance in London's West
End was on its 21st birthday, May 11, 2002.
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What do Rum Tum Tugger, Bustopher Jones, and Griddlebone all have in common?
They're all feline characters in Red Room Studio's young people's production of
the famous Broadway musical, CATS. After a great success with the fall
production of Aesop's Fables, Red Room is back this January to April with an
intensive performance-based acting course for 7-15 year olds. Participants in
this production licensed by Rogers and Hammerstein Theatricals, will act out
Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous story of the junkyard cats whose wish it is to go
beyond their alley, up to cat heaven where they can be re-born. But only one cat
can be chosen to move to that higher place, will it be Skimbleshanks the railway
cat who moves up to that Heaven side Layer? Or will Growl Tiger the pirate cat?
Or will the evil cat Macavity ruin all the cat auditions?
Young performers directed by Eliza Gardiner and Stage Managed by Manda Chelmak,
will sing and dance this dramatic plot to life during Tuesday and Sunday
rehearsals at St. Paul's Church Hall. The first rehearsal is on Tuesday, January
23. The performances take place in April at Malaspina University-College
Theatre. For more information on the show and registration, please contact Red
Room Studio at 716-0503 or at redroomstudio@shaw.ca
Let your memory live again.
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