Review of Cats (1998) by David Z — 16 Jun 2008
This is a rare piece of art. The music is fine, the design is fantastic, the choreography inventive, the source material great. But somehow, the show doesn't completely succeed. The pieces don't fit together here.
Based off of Trevor Nunn's original production, "Cats" was one of Lloyd Webber's attempts to jump into the world of concept musicals. Unfortunately, though the melodies Lloyd Webber produces here are some of his best, they don't fit Eliot's lighthearted and satirical children's poems.
The Jellicle theme and "Memory" (with lyrics by Nunn) are just too...grand and bombastic for simple a premise. They set us up for much more than this actually is. That being said, some of the character songs, particularly "Skimbleshanks" and "Bustopher Jones" are completely appropriate for their texts and are a delight.
And Elaine Page and John Mills give career defining performances here. All of the pieces are great - they just don't seem to belong to the same puzzle.
This review of Cats (1998) was written by David Z on 16 Jun 2008.
Cats has generally received positive reviews.
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