'Cats' overrun the Barn, to the audience's delight
KALAMAZOO GAZETTE
Wednesday, June 25, 2003
BY WILLIAM R. WOOD
AUGUSTA -- The Barn Theatre certainly has gathered an impressive collection of voices for its production of "Cats." Hearing Candice Gould, who plays Grizabella, sing "Memory" is worth the price of admission.
Some guests go to productions of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to marvel at the costumes and makeup. Others are drawn by the dancing. The cryptic, fantasy tale also appeals to kids. That's partly why the show has legs.
But beyond the flash and fur, the music has to carry it all and the voices need to stand up to the demands of the score. Luckily, many voices in this production soar. Adam C. Kern as Deuteronomy and Darryl E. Calmese Jr. as Rum Tum Tugger captivated the audience.
"Cats," which won seven Tony awards in 1983 and went on to become Broadway's longest running hits, is based on T.S. Eliot's 1939 collection of children's verses, "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats." It tells the tale of a group of cats that claim an alley. Each cat has a special ability. One newcomer, Grizabella, strives to be accepted but is not embraced by the others until she embarks on a journey of self-discovery.
In the meantime, we see a magic cat -- Justin I. Brown as Mr. Mistoffolees -- bring forth sparks and smoke on stage and a hip cat -- guest star Calmese -- hip-grind his way into the hearts of all the female felines like a young Tom Jones.
The cast consists of about 28 people, all elaborately made up as cats with skin-tight costumes and effectively styled wigs.
"I can't resist using the word -- we've got a cat house here," joked producer Jack Ragotzy in introducing the show.
An early tap-dancing number by the cast added punch to the show after a tepid opening song. The great voices in the cast were not apparent until midway into the first act when singers were able to tackle some of the slower, majestic songs.
The set, designed by Richard L. Haptonstall, is a creative conglomerate of back-alley treasures and trash, complete with the back end of an auto with a smashed-out rear window.
The moon of the set is bright orange. What else would one expect in a world in which talking and singing cats are normal and the on-looking humans, amazed by the spectacle, are the ones robbed of words?
The Barn's tradition of using performers to help out in parking cars and seating patrons was especially effective this time as patrons got to see all the cat makeup in detail.
'Cats' in The Barn: This is slinky, sly, fantastical feline fun
The Grand Rapids PressI don't know how many lives "Cats" has, but the latest incarnation at The Barn Theatre in Augusta is as lively as a boxful of kittens.
The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which ran a record-setting 18 years on Broadway, is just beginning its post-Broadway life, and The Barn is one of the first regional theaters to obtain rights to produce it. It's not exactly like the Broadway tours that came to Michigan, but you'll recognize the music and some of the cat characters. And The Barn offers an intimacy with these kitties you probably didn't get before. Costumed cats direct you to your parking place, take your tickets and show you to your seat. And during the show, many of the cats arrive right down the aisles
Based on "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," by T.S. Eliot, the script is a series of puss portraits, often told in Eliot's wonderful singsong rhyme. The cats have gathered in a junkyard, re-created here with a giant car, tire, pipe and assorted odd shapes. This evening is the Jellicle Ball, when one of the aging cats will be selected to be reborn.
The plot is pretty thin, but "Cats" is really a song and dance show and doesn't disappoint.
There are a few times when the cats' ballet-like stretches are a little shaky, but for the most part the dance numbers were innovative, snappy and well-done. The bar is set early in the show with a jazzy tap number to "Old Gumbie Cat," with the sassy spark of Lisa Marie Morabito as Gumbie.
Then the standard is immediately raised with the hypnotic hip-swiveling of guest star Darryl E. Calamese Jr. as Rum Tum Tugger. Then the mischievous Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, portrayed by Ben Bucher and Kelley Bray, respectively, take over the stage in a number that's more like acrobatics.
Barn regular Eric Peterson portrays the very rotund Bustopher Jones in spats. He's so huge he constantly rolls backward off his perch. Another Barn regular, Scott Burkell, gives a touching portrayal of Gus, the theater cat who once made history in his roles but now shakes with a feline Parkinson's. As always Burkell did an outstanding job, carefully combining grace and poise with weakness and vulnerability.
Candice Gould portrays Grizabella, the faded glamour puss, wonderfully dressed in a shabby fur coat and mane of curly hair. Grizabella had snubbed the Jellicle cats and isn't welcome there, so you can easily see all the cats get their backs up whenever she's around. Gould gave a nice sympathetic portrayal, and though her voice is clear and resonant, she doesn't seem to have the power to really belt out "Memory" over a loud, 10-piece orchestra. That song forms a thread through the second act, and by her second solo, Gould was getting a little closer to the strength the number needs.
The costumes, all created by Barn staff, were purr-fect. I especially liked Gus' crocheted patchwork coat.
The set has an odd perspective. The car that dominates the junk pile isn't large enough to dwarf the cats or to use the discarded tire on the junk pile. But the colors are mysterious, and, with a little change in lighting, the moon easily went from bright yellow to burning red. The set also affords many different levels to accommodate the usual complement of 23 to 30 cats.
With that many people on stage, it's easy to disappear into the background, but most of these ensemble members were able to keep up their individual cattiness even in the shadows. This was especially true of Kevin Field, who portrayed Munkustrap, one of the cat leaders. His face and mannerisms were magnetic, his enthusiasm attracting attention even when he was just part of the group.
About 325 attended Tuesday's opening show, which ran two fast-paced hours. So, prowl on down to the Barn and check out the latest version of "Cats."
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