Eric Kang

I know what you’re thinking, Dear Readers. “Didn’t you just review this one?” Yes, it’s only been a little over a year since “Hadestown” came through town. But with the number of people I know personally alone who just could not get tickets last time, I’m not surprised it’s back playing at the Paramount. So here we are again. “But why see it again? And what more could you have to say?” First, I would see this show a thousand times and love every minute. And second, I could talk about this masterpiece from Anaïs Mitchell forever. But I’ll try and focus on this production.

Four years after its Broadway premiere, Anaïs Mitchell’s Tony-winning musical HADESTOWN, developed with and directed by Rachel Chavkin, has finally made its way down to Toronto. With a touring crew of powerhouses, both in the cast and in the band (led by Eric Kang), the retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice comes to life beautifully onstage at the Royal Alexandra Theatre.

When the cast of “Hadestown” emerge on stage at the National Theatre waving to the waiting audience, they’re received with cheers like old friends. 

Mesmerizing and captivating are just two of the words that might best describe Hadestown, the Tony Award-winning best musical of the truncated 2019-20 Broadway season, which is now commanding ovations of rapturous applause from adoring fans at Nashville’s Tennessee Performing Arts Center during an eight-performance run through Sunday, November 6.

The 2019 Tony Award winner for best musical, HADESTOWN, makes its tour stop in OKC. Hadestown is a mashup of two Greek mythologies, with original music and lyrics by singer/songwriter Anais Mitchell. When Eurydice follows Hades to his underground kingdom, Orpheus risks it all to find her and bring her back.

The touring production of CATS has changed in the more than fifteen years since I first saw it, but all of the elements that make the Andrew Lloyd Webber show a classic remain intact. The set is fairly simple: a junkyard where the cats congregate to celebrate the annual Jellicle Ball, when Old Deuteronomy (Adam Richardson) will choose which cat goes to the Heaviside Layer to be reborn. There are many contenders for the coveted position. We have Jennyanydots (Dani Goldstein), the seemingly lazy Gumbie cat who sleeps all day but works hard all night, demonstrated in a wonderful tap dancing sequence replete with a roaring twenties style flapper outfit. Then, there is the Rum Tum Tugger (McGee Maddox), the narcissistic, spoiled cat with the sexy swagger, who is a favourite of the lady-cats. Grizabella (Donna Vivino), the once glamourous cat, now past her prime and ostracized by the others. Gus, the Theatre Cat (Timothy Gulan), when aided by a toothful of gin, regales the audience with stories of his career on the stage, when he acted alongside theatre greats and once even 'understudied Dick Whittington's cat'. The Magical Mister Mistoffelees (PJ DiGaetano), shows off his impressive tricks and manages to conjure Old Deuteronomy, who was been kidnapped by Macavity (Brayden Newby), the nefarious 'Napoleon of crime'. Okay, so the plot is, perhaps, a little odd and the story may be disjointed. This is only natural, considering that the musical is based on a collection of whimsical poems written by T.S. Elliot for children. I think the reason CATS remains so popular after nearly forty years is because of the level of detail given to each character, from the costumes and make-up to each cat's story as they are introduced one by one, song by song, to the audience. Even the chorus cats have their own personalities. There is truly something for everyone in this show.

While I have heard wonderful things about the musical CATS and about the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, CT, I had never experienced either until March 5, 2020, when both far exceeded my expectations when I saw this musical masterpiece phenomenally performed by an extraordinary cast, to a packed audience representing numerous demographics, leaving us all united with an amazing memory of such an incredible theatrical experience!

a??a??a??a??a??a??a??CATS opened at the Citizen's Bank Opera House Tuesday night. Directed by Trevor Nunn the current Broadway tour of CATS, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler based on the original Choreography by Gillian Lynne, is terrific. The pacing is perfect, and the acting, singing, and dancing is tight, polished, and outstanding. Mr. Nunn has deftly woven this cast into to a strong cohesive production and the onstage chemistry is a reward for the audience. The original Broadway production opened in 1982, based on 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats' by T.S. Elliot with Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and was the longest running Broadway show in history until it was dethroned by The Phantom of the Opera, also composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

CATS is a show that, on paper, isn't necessarily an easy sell. The narrative is simple: once a year a group of cats come together for the jellicle ball, and their leader Old Deuteronomy selects one cat to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a new life. There isn't too much structure to the plot besides that a?" cats come and go, introducing themselves and sometimes each other, and generally justa??do cat things. Because of all that, I wasn't the most optimistic viewer at the start of the night. By curtain call I was debating adopting a cat and naming it Mr. Mistoffelees, even with a lifelong track record of severe allergic reactions to the animals.

The American Theatre Guild opened their 2019-2020 season October 14th with the national Broadway touring production of Cats.

It's been 38 years since Andrew Lloyd Webber's mega-hit CATS made its stage debut. 42 years earlier, T.S. Eliot had unknowingly penned the musical's lyrics in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, his 1939 collection of feline inspired poetry. While his poems were an unexpected source material for a song-and-dance operetta, the family-friendly musical quickly became a Broadway landmark, adopting the tagline a?oeNow and Forevera?? during its impressive 18-year New York City run.

World Series tickets may have been the hottest tickets Tuesday night, but they definitely weren't the only tickets in town. Patron lines at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts stretched across the lobby prior to opening, proof that Andrew Lloyd Webber's cornerstone musical really is 'Now and Forever Cats'.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at the new national touring company of CATS! The Jellicle Cats include Phillip Deceus as 'Alonzo,' McGee Maddox as 'Bill BaileyRum Tum Tugger,' Lexie Plath as 'Bombalurina,' Mariah Reives as 'Cassandra,' PJ DiGaetano as 'Coricopat,' Liz Schmitz as 'Demeter,' Keri Rene Fuller as 'Grizabella,' Kaitlyn Davidson as 'Jellylorum,' Emily Jeanne Phillips as 'Jennyanydots,' Tion Gaston as 'Mistoffelees,' Tony D'Alelio as 'Mungojerrie,' Dan Hoy as 'Munkustrap,' Timothy Gulan as 'PeterBustopher JonesAsparagus,' Tyler John Logan as 'PlatoMacavity,' Anthony Michael Zas as 'Pouncival,' Rose Iannaccone as 'Rumpelteazer,' Ahren Victory as 'Sillabub,' Ethan Saviet as 'Skimbleshanks,' Halli Toland as 'Tantomile,' Devin Neilson as 'Tumblebrutus,' Brandon Michael Nase as 'VictorOld Deuteronomy,' Caitlin Bond as 'Victoria,' along with Zachary S. Berger, Nicholas Burrage, Erin Chupinsky, Maria Failla, Justin W. Geiss, Charlotte O'Dowd, Adam Richardson, Tricia Tanguy, and Andy Zimmermann.

The national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical CATS has kicked off in Providence and, based on Thursday night's performance, this revival is in exceedingly fine form.

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) and The Amas Musical Theatre Lab will present staged readings of Love and Real Estate, three one-act musicals with book and lyrics by Sean Hartley and music by Sam Davis.

Amas Musical Theatre and The Amas Musical Theatre Lab will present staged readings of Love and Real Estate, three one-act musicals with book and lyrics by Sean Hartley and music by Sam Davis.

Company members from A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER performed a one-night only 'Angels' Cabaret' titled 'Miscast: Songs We Shouldn't Sing From Roles We'll Never Play' at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel on Monday, April 18. Presented by Center Theatre Group and the CTG Affiliates, proceeds from the performance will go to support CTG's education and community partnership programs. Scroll down for photos from the concert!

Lauren Marcus, recently seen in Two River Theater's world premiere production of Be More Chill, takes over the role of Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at Sharon Playhouse. Anneliese van der Pol was unable to continue with the production due to a family emergency.  Check out a first look at the cast in action below!

Little Shop of Horrors runs tonight, August 13, through August 30 at Sharon Playhouse.

Lauren Marcus, recently seen in Two River Theater's world premiere production of Be More Chill, will take over the role of Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at Sharon Playhouse.  Anneliese van der Pol was unable to continue with the production due to a family emergency.