The "Cats'" meow

"Cats"
Overall Rating:***½


I had some hesitation about reviewing the video of "Cats." I generally love Andrew Lloyd Webber's work, and I loved the Broadway production of "Cats." The video, however, isn't a movie per se, but a modified version of the stage production. Filmed stage productions have a reputation for looking flat, while "Cats" leans heavily on spectacular sets and is absolutely dependant on dancing; I felt I had reason to worry. Seeing it to put my mind to rest.

The plot of "Cats" is simple: every year the Jellicle Cats gather, and pick one who will go to the Heaviside Layer--a sort of wondrous celestial waiting room for cats between reincarnations. The real appeal of "Cats" is, of course, Andrew Lloyd Webber's wonderful music. "Cats" takes T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, and uses those poems as catchy lyrics. The result is an exuberant pageant of music and dance that really must be seen to be fully appreciated.

All of the actors in the video play their parts well; however, a few outshine the rest. Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy is absolutely magnificent; the character needs a regal presence, and he is regal. John Partridge as Rum Tum Tugger is very entertaining--he rises to the challenge of a character that's almost outlandish. John Mills is also wonderful as Gus, an aged stage-door cat. I should also note that Jacob Brent, who plays Mr. Mistoffelees, was excellent, though his part was only a dancing part, and involved no singing.

The wonderful performances of all the actors could have easily been sabotaged if video production fell short. Fortunately, it works pretty well. A couple of scenes towards the beginning are a little flat, but most of the time, the production is good when it comes to capturing the energetic dance and music of "Cats." Some visual special effects in the second act (or what would have been the second act in the stage production) also add flair. Mostly, what the makers of this video did was to rely on camera angles and close ups to avoid monotony; this was effective. When you consider that this is an adaptation of the stage production, and therefore had only one set, the adaptation becomes very impressive. Though, unlike the stage productions, the actors can play to any direction, the set could have easily been a limiting factor, but wasn't.

There is one major problem with the video production; the musical number "Growltiger's Last Stand" has been cut. "Growltiger's Last Stand" is one of the best songs in the show, and everything that's wonderful about "Cats" (clever sets, dynamic dance, and exciting music) is present in that song. Worse still, since Gus the theater cat played Growltiger, Mills' magnificent performance was severely undercut by the omission. When you also consider that "Growltiger's Last Stand" is one of the few songs referenced later in the show, the decision to cut it comes up as a tremendous mistake.

In the final analysis, this video suffers a little from the problem of all filmed stage productions: it retains the limits of the stage, but loses the energy and spontaneity you get from live theater; however, as dependant as "Cats" is on that energy, and seeing how much is kept in the video, the effort is admirable. I'd have preferred a full movie production. I'd also definitely take the Broadway production over the video any day. However, not everyone can just go to the Winter Garden Theater in New York, and the video of "Cats" gives you some of the flavor of the live show. I'd say it's definitely worth a look; it's enough to purr about.

Title: "Cats"
Release date: 1998
MPAA rating: N/A
Overall rating: ***½
Aprox. run time: 120 min.
Directors: David Mallet, Trevor Nunn (original stage production)
Writers: Andrew Lloyd Webber (Music), T. S. Eliot (Lyrics adapted from poems)
Stars: Elaine Paige (plays Grizabella), Sir John Mills, Ken Page


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Added to blog site: 7/27/09