Through June 18, 2008
Reviewed by Chris Gibson
The Lyceum Theatre in historic Arrow Rock, MO start up their summer season with Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical tribute to our feline friends, Cats. Unfortunately, technical issues with faulty microphones, and a thin sounding backing track hampered the show, and left me feeling disappointed. Perhaps the cast was suffering from a letdown after opening night, but the matinée I attended was ragged in execution, and decidedly lackluster.
Cats is a problematic show for me anyway. There's really no story to follow, just vignettes told in song, extended dance numbers, a silly catnapping of an elder, and a trip into kitty heaven for a former glamour puss. The lyrics are mostly taken from poet T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, but it's telling that the most memorable song in the show has a lyric written by Trevor Nunn (though it is culled from a number of Eliot's poems).
The opening number, "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" is fairly catchy, and built around an Eliot notion concerning black and white cats who are sedate by day, but who lead a very active nightlife. But, most of the rest of act one is filled with flat forgettable numbers, save for "The Rum Tum Tugger" and "Grizabella the Glamour Cat", which is really just a truncated version of the lone hit, "Memory", which gets repeated three more times, in one form or another.
Act two gets off to a good start with the tale of "Gus, The Theatre Cat" and a spirited, if clumsy re-enactment of his days spent on stage spelled out in the jaunty tune "Growltiger's Last Stand". "Skimbleshanks" follows, and it's an upbeat song about a railway cat, but it's not especially memorable. The sparkling dance display of "Mr. Mistoffeleess" provides a spark, but the lovely and downbeat "Memory" brings forth the only real emotion to be found.
Leslie Lorusso is very good as Grizabella, aging ungracefully, and looking for a new life. She also does nice work with the show's signature song. Doug Jabara is also effective, and showcases a splendid voice in the role of Old Deuteronomy. Dave Schoonover tries a bit too hard, but adds some life as Rum Tum Tugger, giving him an Elvis meets Michael Jackson swagger.
Alan Wager is fine as Gus, but he would have fared even better if not for a balky microphone. Marissa Lupp adds a soaring soprano to the vocal mix as Griddlebone. Trevor Downey does a nice turn as the twirling, leaping and conjuring cat, Mister Mistofelees. Matthew Hardy and Jennifer Cameron are solid as Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots, respectively.
Director/Choreographer Lindsay Chambers has a talented cast to work with, but they're not in sync with one another, and they put forth a less than stellar effort at the performance I attended. The cramped staging is also an issue for a show that features so much movement.
Music director James Woodland's electronic realizations lack bottom, with more rhythm coming from the dancer's feet than the music. This led to a number of issues with timing, since the cast occasionally seemed to be having trouble picking up the downbeat. Randy Winder's lighting works well with the limited space left in Adam Miecielica and Sarah Carraher's cramped junkyard set design
If some of the technical glitches concerning the music and vocal levels can be ironed out, and if some of the choreography is tightened up, this will be a much better experience for the audience and the cast.
Cats continues through June 18th (2008) at the Lyceum Theatre in Arrow Rock, MO. Call 660-837-3311 for ticket information, or visit them online at www.lyceumtheatre.org.
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