People dressed in cat suits dancing and singing songs based on some poems about cats. How on earth did this bizarro idea win seven Tonys include Best Musical, become the longest running show on Broadway at the time it closed in 2000 (
now 4th longest, soon to be passed by
Wicked), and become a worldwide phenomenon?! I first saw it on tour 25 years ago, and at the Chanhassen a few years later. Since then I've become a bit more discerning in my music-theater tastes, preferring the smart and clever scores of Sondheim, or edgier musicals like
Next to Normal, to commercial blockbusters like
Cats. You know, musicals that are about something, and have something to say. But I also know that I wore out my OBC recording of
Cats back in the day, and I do believe cats to be the superior animal, so I decided to revisit the musical. At opening night last night it was obvious that the crowd loved it, and I can see why. It's completely ridiculous, but in a kinda wonderful way. This production features some amazing and unique artistry, honors the divine felinity, and is a whole lot of fun. And sometimes that's enough. Experience the phenomenon yourself at the Orpheum Theatre through Sunday only (
visit the official HTT site for info and tickets).
