San Diego Musical Theatre Presents CATS, Directed by James Vasquez, Now thru 4/6

San Diego Musical Theatre announces their first production of 2014 - CATS, (press opening on Saturday, March 22) at the North Park Theatre.

Based on the universally popular poetry of T.S. Eliot, CATS tells the story, in song and dance, of the annual gathering of Jellicle cats at which time one special cat is selected to ascend to the Heaviside layer. A true musical theatre phenomenon, CATS opened at London's New London Theatre on May 11, 1981 and ran for a record-setting 21 years. CATS's London success was nearly matched on Broadway where it ran at the Wintergarden Theatre for just over 18 years.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM:

James Vasquez (Director) received Craig Noel Award nominations for Outstanding Direction of a Musical for the world premiere of Harmony, Kansas and West Coast premiere of [title of show] (Diversionary Theatre), and won the award in 2010 for Sweeney Todd (Cygnet Theatre Company). At the Old Globe Theatre, he's directed Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show, and provided musical staging for Boeing-Boeing and last summer's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Other directing/choreography credits include the workshop of Harmony, Kansas (Goodspeed Musicals), Marry Me a Little, Pippin and Next Fall (Diversionary), and Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Cygnet). Mr. Vasquez co-founded Daisy 3 Pictures with Mark Holmes and Carrie Preston. His feature film directorial debut, Ready? OK!, won several Best Film awards at national/international film festivals. Their latest, That's What She Said, premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School.

JANET RENSLOW (Choreographer) currently works as a choreographer maintaining many of the shows at The Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. She is responsible for the Early Stages of creative development in new live entertainment working directly with production teams and WDI management. Janet was recently nominated on Broadwayworld.com best choreography for Sweet Charity, she celebrated a multiple award winning successful run of Miss Saigon and was awarded Best Direction & Best Choreography by Inland Theatre League for her work on Annie. Other projects include: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Director/Choreographer), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Associate Director/ Choreographer), Sweeny Todd, Singing in the Rain, Peter Pan, Wizard of Oz (Choreographer). Born & raised in Southern California, Janet studied in New York, received a BFA in Ballet, taught dance in Europe and has performed in various locations in the United States.

DON LEMASTER (Music Director) As resident MD for SDMT, Don received the Outstanding Musical Direction award at the 2007 Theater Critic Circle Awards for SDMT's inaugural production The Full Monty and a nomination for A Chorus Line. Most recently, he was seen onstage, conducting the SDMT orchestra in White Christmas. Don has worked for many theaters including: Moon light Amphitheatre, Cygnet, South Bay, Starlight, The Globe and McCoy Rigby. He was nominated for Outstanding Musical Direction for Performance Riverside's 1776 at the 2004 Ovation Awards.

Also featuring: Matthew Novotny, Lighting Designer; Janet Pitcher, Costume Co-Ordinator; and Stanley Cohen, Stage Manager.

Single tickets for SDMT's production of CATS are $26.00, $36.00, $46.00 and $56.00. Children 16 years and under receive a $10 discount. Seniors 65 years and older receive a $5.00 discount. Equity and Actor's Alliance may purchase up to 2 tickets at half price. Groups of 10 or more receive a 25% discount. For individual or group tickets contact the Administrative Office at 858-560-5740 or visit SDMT online at www.sdmt.org.

SCHEDULE: CATS show times are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m..

The North Park Theatre, 2891 University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92104. There is street and a parking structure across the street from the theatre. For more information and tickets call the San Diego Musical Theatre Administrative Office at 858-560-5740. The San Diego Musical Theatre Administrative Office is located at 4652 Mercury Street, San Diego, CA 92111. Box Office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed from 1pm-2pm), Monday through Thursday. Open 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Fridays.

San Diego Musical Theatre (SDMT) is an award-winning, nonprofit theater company that seeks to bring vibrant musical theatre to the San Diego community. The mission of SDMT is to impact audiences by producing a range of classic and contemporary musical productions that engage and enhance the overall theatre experience. By partnering with professional actors, musicians, and technicians SDMT infuses momentum and energy into one of the only true American art forms. SDMT's vision is to create an environment where high-quality musical theatre thrives in San Diego for generations to come. San Diego Musical Theatre is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.

"Like" SDMT on Facebook: San Diego Musical Theatre; or "follow" on Twitter: @SDMTmusicals.