Review: Wagon Wheel's 'Cats' Is No Dog
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
There's the acting, singing, dancing, costumes, lighting and stage. They all combine effectively to put together a good night of live entertainment you can take the whole family to - including the kids.
Having seen "Cats" the last time Wagon Wheel produced it seven seasons ago, I knew what to expect going into the show. But this season, the costume design by Stephen R. Hollenbeck is so much more "Wow!" Each cat is very unique, even when there are two of the same breed. If you're a cat owner, which I am, you'll probably find a cat onstage that looks like your cat thanks to Hollenbeck. In my case, my cat Olive looks like Ashley Travis' Demeter.
Besides playing "Rumpleteazer" in "Cats", Jennifer Dow also is the wizard behind the wigs. Not only does her handiwork compliment Hollenbeck's costume design, but they also give additional character to the cats.
Macavity (Zachary Douglas McConnell) is the criminal, law-breaking wild cat. For him, McConnell wears a costume of fiery colors. Then to top it off, his hair is spiky orange. That wildcat is a great example of how the costume department worked together on this show to come up with some terrific looks.
The set design is that of the late Roy Hine. Like a jungle gym in a warehouse, it worked effectively well in "Cats" last time and it holds the show up again. Cables, steel, ladders and poles all make for a wonderful cat playland.
As for the lighting, Marcus Doshi creates the right mood for the furballs. Again with Macavity, when there's a loud or sudden noise and the other cats are afraid he's around, the lights go to an eerie green. You can feel a bit of tension as you wonder where Macavity will pop out. The lighting for the show just adds another layer.
In "Cats", the very first feline to stroll out is Grizabella (Tiffany Dissette). She's a former glamour cat whose body is breaking down and her looks are gone. She's afraid of the other cats because she knows she's not popular and they hiss at her and turn away when she reaches out.
You can feel the tension Grizabella feels with the other cats thanks in large part to Dissette's performance, mannerisms and facial expressions.
Grizabella also is the emotional center of the show, and Dissette does a purrrfect job in the role. When Dissette sings "Memory", tears will come to your eyes. If she was a real cat, you'd want to take her home, feed her and clean her up.
"Memory" is probably one of the most well-known Broadway songs, and if a singer performs it off key or just overall poorly, it would probably get them booed off stage. However, Dissette deserves a standing ovation for her "Memory". It's a tearjerker.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats" is based on a cast of characters taken from children's stories written by British author T.S. Eliot. In the musical, the jellicle cats gather once a year to find out which one cat Old Deuteronomy (Andy Robinson) will pick to be reborn. Cats do have nine lives afterall. That's basically the big plot, as well as to feature the different kinds of cats.
Narrating most of the show is Munkustrap (Jake Klinkhammer). Most regular Wagon Wheel attendees will remember Klinkhammer from shows like "High School Musical" or "The Sound of Music" last year. If you've never seen or heard him before, you'll be glad to discover him in "Cats". Klinkhammer is a great performer and singer, and his role in "Cats" just is a reminder of that. There's just a quality in Klinkhammer's voice which exudes confidence and class. Can't wait to see how he does in the next show, "All Shook Up".
Leading the cats against Grizabella is Demeter.
Travis has always impressed since I first saw her, and I remember her best from "A Chorus Line". She was in other shows at the Wagon Wheel, but that's her performance I remember most.
Travis will be going on a national tour of "Cats" so you will want to catch her now. She is divinely sultry, showcasing her strengths most in "Cats" in the number "Macavity: The Mystery Cat". Pairing her up with Sarah Waalkes as Bombalurina for that number makes for the definition of sultry. It's as sexy as you can get. If her audition for the national tour of "Cats" was anything like her performance on the Wagon Wheel stage, no wonder she was cast. Meow![[In-content Ad]]There's not enough I can say about the dancing and acrobatic physicality of the performers in this "Cats" production. I'm pretty sure Olive doesn't twist and bend as much as these actors do, but they've grasped what it's like to be a cat as much as anyone can.
And when you're watching the center stage action, your eyes will dart to one of the cats on the sidelines, licking its fur or playing with the ear of another cat. Olive would want to jump right in.
Some of the numbers for me weren't as memorable as songs like "Memory" or "Macavity". For those less-interesting songs, however, some cool visual tools were used to make them a bit better. For example, in "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat", the actors end up on roller skates and roll around on the stage. In "Mr. Mistoffelees" there's pyrotechnics and a flashing neon jacket mixed in with some magic.
As artistic director and choreographer, Scott Michaels has found a way to make "Cats" interesting if you've seen it before or are seeing it again for the very first time. He's got the 55th anniversary season started off on the right foot and is to be commended for the final product.
My rating of "Cats" (out of four): 3.25.
"Cats" runs through June 19. Single adult tickets are $30 for all shows. Tickets for students 13 through college are $16, and children 12 and under are $12. Senior matinee tickets are $22. Special rates are available for groups of 15 or more.
To order tickets or for more information about upcoming events at the Wagon Wheel Theatre in Warsaw, call the box office at 574-267-8041 or toll free at 866-823-2618; or visit online at www.wagonwheeltheatre.com
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There's the acting, singing, dancing, costumes, lighting and stage. They all combine effectively to put together a good night of live entertainment you can take the whole family to - including the kids.
Having seen "Cats" the last time Wagon Wheel produced it seven seasons ago, I knew what to expect going into the show. But this season, the costume design by Stephen R. Hollenbeck is so much more "Wow!" Each cat is very unique, even when there are two of the same breed. If you're a cat owner, which I am, you'll probably find a cat onstage that looks like your cat thanks to Hollenbeck. In my case, my cat Olive looks like Ashley Travis' Demeter.
Besides playing "Rumpleteazer" in "Cats", Jennifer Dow also is the wizard behind the wigs. Not only does her handiwork compliment Hollenbeck's costume design, but they also give additional character to the cats.
Macavity (Zachary Douglas McConnell) is the criminal, law-breaking wild cat. For him, McConnell wears a costume of fiery colors. Then to top it off, his hair is spiky orange. That wildcat is a great example of how the costume department worked together on this show to come up with some terrific looks.
The set design is that of the late Roy Hine. Like a jungle gym in a warehouse, it worked effectively well in "Cats" last time and it holds the show up again. Cables, steel, ladders and poles all make for a wonderful cat playland.
As for the lighting, Marcus Doshi creates the right mood for the furballs. Again with Macavity, when there's a loud or sudden noise and the other cats are afraid he's around, the lights go to an eerie green. You can feel a bit of tension as you wonder where Macavity will pop out. The lighting for the show just adds another layer.
In "Cats", the very first feline to stroll out is Grizabella (Tiffany Dissette). She's a former glamour cat whose body is breaking down and her looks are gone. She's afraid of the other cats because she knows she's not popular and they hiss at her and turn away when she reaches out.
You can feel the tension Grizabella feels with the other cats thanks in large part to Dissette's performance, mannerisms and facial expressions.
Grizabella also is the emotional center of the show, and Dissette does a purrrfect job in the role. When Dissette sings "Memory", tears will come to your eyes. If she was a real cat, you'd want to take her home, feed her and clean her up.
"Memory" is probably one of the most well-known Broadway songs, and if a singer performs it off key or just overall poorly, it would probably get them booed off stage. However, Dissette deserves a standing ovation for her "Memory". It's a tearjerker.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats" is based on a cast of characters taken from children's stories written by British author T.S. Eliot. In the musical, the jellicle cats gather once a year to find out which one cat Old Deuteronomy (Andy Robinson) will pick to be reborn. Cats do have nine lives afterall. That's basically the big plot, as well as to feature the different kinds of cats.
Narrating most of the show is Munkustrap (Jake Klinkhammer). Most regular Wagon Wheel attendees will remember Klinkhammer from shows like "High School Musical" or "The Sound of Music" last year. If you've never seen or heard him before, you'll be glad to discover him in "Cats". Klinkhammer is a great performer and singer, and his role in "Cats" just is a reminder of that. There's just a quality in Klinkhammer's voice which exudes confidence and class. Can't wait to see how he does in the next show, "All Shook Up".
Leading the cats against Grizabella is Demeter.
Travis has always impressed since I first saw her, and I remember her best from "A Chorus Line". She was in other shows at the Wagon Wheel, but that's her performance I remember most.
Travis will be going on a national tour of "Cats" so you will want to catch her now. She is divinely sultry, showcasing her strengths most in "Cats" in the number "Macavity: The Mystery Cat". Pairing her up with Sarah Waalkes as Bombalurina for that number makes for the definition of sultry. It's as sexy as you can get. If her audition for the national tour of "Cats" was anything like her performance on the Wagon Wheel stage, no wonder she was cast. Meow![[In-content Ad]]There's not enough I can say about the dancing and acrobatic physicality of the performers in this "Cats" production. I'm pretty sure Olive doesn't twist and bend as much as these actors do, but they've grasped what it's like to be a cat as much as anyone can.
And when you're watching the center stage action, your eyes will dart to one of the cats on the sidelines, licking its fur or playing with the ear of another cat. Olive would want to jump right in.
Some of the numbers for me weren't as memorable as songs like "Memory" or "Macavity". For those less-interesting songs, however, some cool visual tools were used to make them a bit better. For example, in "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat", the actors end up on roller skates and roll around on the stage. In "Mr. Mistoffelees" there's pyrotechnics and a flashing neon jacket mixed in with some magic.
As artistic director and choreographer, Scott Michaels has found a way to make "Cats" interesting if you've seen it before or are seeing it again for the very first time. He's got the 55th anniversary season started off on the right foot and is to be commended for the final product.
My rating of "Cats" (out of four): 3.25.
"Cats" runs through June 19. Single adult tickets are $30 for all shows. Tickets for students 13 through college are $16, and children 12 and under are $12. Senior matinee tickets are $22. Special rates are available for groups of 15 or more.
To order tickets or for more information about upcoming events at the Wagon Wheel Theatre in Warsaw, call the box office at 574-267-8041 or toll free at 866-823-2618; or visit online at www.wagonwheeltheatre.com
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