Cats

With grand musical numbers and brilliant lighting, this show is both delightfully playful and a sophisticated example of great theatre.

The artistic vision was amazing. The sets created a world that held the story, supporting it and blocking out the distractions of the goings on outside. I love when there feels like there is no backstage, the Cats set reminded me of Miss Saigon in that way.

*This review contains small spoilers. Nothing critical about the story, but other specific examples.

Thrilling, eye-catching, and chromatic.

My favorite part about Cats was the lighting design. I fell in love with what Natasha Katz did with this show. Everything was so colorful and creative. The most interesting and exciting choice was that there were strings of lights that came out into the audience and attached to the balconies. It really made the whole auditorium feel like it was a part of the show, especially paired with the actors often walking through the aisles.

The opening scene was one of the best I have ever seen. It started with an amazing lighting design choice, cat eyes shining in the dark, followed by more amazing lights and an intriguing instrumental.

Cats is a wonderful kid friendly show. It is nice to have a quality show to introduce children to theatre. In comparison, Anastasia was great for kids, but it was not a great example of what theatre can be.

"Cats" is a classic musical with incredible moments that people of all ages can enjoy.

I do have two critics. First, there needed to be more story elements. I was missing a problem for the cats to overcome, thus not allowing for a building climax or resolution. The story was mellow and relaxed, and there was no big problem. There was nothing that I was hoping to happen, no character development, or problem solving. All that happened was that they introduced the cats. It was fun, but there was nothing that put me on the edge of my seat. This leads into the second issue...

The moments that were good were outstanding, but the times that were bad were terribly boring.

 A couple of the musical numbers dragged on twice as long as they should have, and lacked in fun and interest. I could have done without a couple of the cats. Cut them out and then use that space to add some story elements.

Two musical numbers stood out and put a smile on my face that lasted well into the next day. The first was of course, "Memory".

I have never felt a moment of collective effervescence as strong as during that song. The whole room experienced this feeling that was so special.

At the climax the audience burst into applause because no one could hold in their joy. Individually, I was taken aback at the magnitude of emotion and pure feeling of the song. This is the exact feeling I live for. That feeling in your chest that is bursting with love. The best part about theatre is that it has the ability to give you this feeling, and I am so thankful for it.

The most fun song, and the coolest cat ever was "Mr. Mistoffelees".

It was so large and colorful, making it the most fun song ever. It got so stuck in my head the next day, which was just fine with me. I was obsessed with Mr. Mistoffeless' coat. Another aspect of this amazing lighting design, the coat had little lights on it that changed colors. The whole number was so aesthetically beautiful, it made my color-loving heart happy.

Overall, Cats is a fun-loving music that I very much enjoyed.

-Celia Boldizar