The AWFUL musical "Cats": A Review

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats: A Review of this Awful musical

by O. G. P.

Subject: 20th Century Literature
(with professor María del Consuelo Santamaría Aguirre)

“Cats” is a musical which has been highly acclaimed by the mainstream media for years. It has been a whole sensation in many big cities since its debut in London’s West End in 1981. The next year it was taken to Broadway and eventually became the second-longest-running hit in its history according to the New York Times. In 1998, the musical was made available on DVD, which is the Cats to which this review is focused on.

The synopsis is a distorted adaptation from a series of poems entitled “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Elliot. It tells the story of the “Jellicle cats”, a group of cats whose personalities resemble human beings and many of their common attitudes and characters alike.

Unlike most of a majority of reviewers, I failed to enjoy the play. At the beginning, the overture was promising, and the very first song was a little bit catchy. The movement of the characters was peppy too. However, soon later the play started to become deadening torture and the rhythm of the songs came to be the sound of lullabies.

The story seems at some extent - or maybe at a big - extent, different to my idea of Eliot’s Practical Cats. Just as a book taken to the big screen in Hollywood, Cats is not loyal to the original author. In regard to this, my major deception was John Partridge in his role as “Rum Rum Tiger” and its constantly suggestive scenes. The character seemed to me indecent and obscene... (maybe that's why people like it so much anyway). But it completely took away the message that Eliot’s original Tiger meant. The dancing became unscrupulous, and the music, poor. Was that supposed to catch my attention? It didn’t work. For a moment I thought I was watching the wrong video and I had mistaken it to a Jellycat striptease. But Cats was just another Broadway show. Webber made a great work spoiling and messing up the original Eliot’s poetry which had nothing to do with sexuality, but with stuff like bipolarity and hypocrisy. Gloomily, I feel as if the whole play lacked a lot of the essence of the Practical Cats. Though, for sure, the actors were professional dancers, somehow, most of the acting was delusory to me. I’d even say it was senseless. Many characters were displayed in a fancy and illusory way, while in contrast, Eliot’s Cats had been originally metaphorical.

The scenario was simple for me. I couldn't see what was the big deal. The costumes were not really a great thing, though the choreographies were definitely well planned. Regarding music, one must admit that the background orchestra was very adequate and actually dexterous. Some singers were very striking too, but sadly the good singers were few. As if it were not enough, it became more and more tedious. I felt the play was going in vicious circle. I felt the junk-yard had become a Jellicle sandbox.

I would have liked to say more positive things, but I must be sincere and say that Cats is not for philosophical fans of T.S. Eliot. Rather, it is merely for fans of musicals and people who will really be able to stand cats singing and dancing for two hours. I have enough of them in my house at midnight.

I actually don't reject musicals just for being musicals. I was able to stand ABBA and High School Musical in my teen years. But if you already dislike musicals, please don’t dare to go because, otherwise, you will dislike them a thousand times more. If you don’t want to be disappointed, do not expect in your wildest dreams a thought-provoking musical either, or anything similar. Expect a thought-snatching musical which will make you feel like you're in the waiting room and nobody let you go out.

If you’re looking for triviality and hollow entertainment, I mist assure that you will certainly enjoy Cats, but if you're seeking for thought-provoking stories with meaningful messages, I suggest you not to waste your time and go and look for something else.

References

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, by Thomas Stearns Eliot (1886-1965) http://www.moggies.co.uk/html/oldpssm.html#olddeut

“A Frisky Musical With Many Lives” (2012), The New York Times, by Michael Sommers, in: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/nyregion/a-review-of-cats-at-the-gateway-playhouse.html?_r=0 Retrieved on October 1st, 2013.