A cat can be very acrobatic - jumping from chair to couch to floor in seconds, chasing its tail or another moving object before climbing up on the bookcase to get at something shiny. Or a cat can be a bit more lazy and just lay in the window sill soaking up the sun, perhaps licking its paws clean, its ears only perking up with a sudden noise.
In the Wagon Wheel Theatre's production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Cats", cats will be personified by the actors on the stage, dressed and looking like the distinct cats they play, mimicking the actions of cats pet owners know well.
During an interview Monday afternoon, actors Andy Robinson, Ashley Travis and Jake Thomas Klinkhammer talked about the show and their roles.
Klinkhammer plays Munkustrap.
"He's the next in line to be the jellicle leader," Klinkhammer said. "He's authoritative but not overwhelming and not dominating."
Travis described her cat, Demeter, as "the leader of the people who hate Grizabella. She's a sassy and dramatic cat. My wig is kind of like Tina Turner's (hair)."
The grandfather of all the cats is Old Deuteronomy, played by Robinson. On the special night, the night "Cats" takes place, Old Deuteronomy will choose one cat to be reborn. All the cats want to be chosen to be reborn, and "Cats" is about all of them, Robinson said, but only one is selected.
There are about 32 different cats in "Cats", ranging from the fat cat and a theater cat to a pair of cat-burglars. Travis said the list of cats to be reborn is narrowed down to five, but the odds are stacked against Grizabella, the former glamour cat.
The younger cats, Klinkhammer said, don't know why Grizabella shouldn't be chosen to be reborn.
Robinson said the great thing about Scott Michaels' direction of the show is that "Cats" doesn't have a complicated plot, but Michaels gives the musical more of a narrative. Each cat has its specifics, from its hair to its makeup and costume, Travis said.
"There's a lot of surprises in the show, too," said Klinkhammer.
"It's not the same show (Wagon Wheel) did seven years ago," said Robinson.
To prepare to "become" a cat, Travis said she spent some time on YouTube watching cat videos. Klinkhammer said he had cats growing up.
On stage, Robinson said it's great to watch the performers get very physical in their roles, moving about like cats. Klinkhammer said "Cats" appeals to kids because the show is so different and the performers are so physical in their portrayals. Robinson said the actors had an opportunity to "explore" their own characters to bring them alive.
"Humans don't quite land on their feet all the time like cats do," Klinkhammer said.The set is like a large jungle gym, Robinson said.
"It's set in a warehouse. It was designed by Roy Hine," said Travis of the set.
Hine was the past artistic director who died several years ago. "Cats" was last performed on the Wagon Wheel stage about seven years ago. For that show, Michaels was the choreographer.
Bringing the cats visually to life is Stephen Hollenbeck on costumes and Jennifer Dow on wigs. Marcus Doshi is the lighting designer.
Robinson said as the acting company has talked about how the show is designed for families and kids, they were reminded of shows they saw growing up and how those shows made them want to be actors.
At 5 years old, Robinson saw a summer stock production of "The Wizard of Oz". He was amazed at the world that was created on the stage.
It was a production of "Peter Pan" when she was 2 or 3 years old that made Travis realize she wanted to perform. She said she would dance in the aisle during the production and her mom had to pull her back to her seat.
During a production of "Tom Sawyer" when Klinkhammer was 6 years old, the actors shot a water cannon into the audience and jumped into the orchestra pit. After the show, the twentysomething actors did a talk-back to the audience and told the crowd how it was their job to act.
"That's when I realized that's what I wanted to do for a job," said Klinkhammer.
"I love making people feel things," said Travis.
Webber's "Cats", based on children's stories written by British author T.S. Eliot, opened in 1982. It ran for 6,138 performances, and has been produced all over the world. The Broadway production won seven Tony Awards and was nominated for four others.
Robinson said "Cats" ran so long in London and on Broadway because the simplicity of the story communicated a lot about community. Klinkhammer said the show combines human nature and what people know about cats into a very theatrical and relatable way.
The show has several well-known songs, including "Memory" and "The Jellicle Ball". Travis said the songs have a lot of words and are turn-of-the-century English, with very tight harmonies.
Each song is like a different genre of music, said Robinson. Songs go from jazz to opera to rock.
"And somehow it all fits," said Travis.
Doing Wagon Wheel's performance of "Cats" has an added benefit for Travis. She will be acting in the national tour of "Cats".
"It gives me a head start on the music," she said.
Klinkhammer said audiences will not be disappointed with the show, and Michaels did a good job of matching each actor's personality with a cat.
The summer season's cast are almost all new, said Klinkhammer, so for the company to get to know each other in "Cats" has been an interesting experience.
"'Cats' is full of building expectations of what is going to happen and then following through," Klinkhammer said. "It never lets you down."
