CATS. You either love it or hate it. Debuting on the West End in 1981 and adapted by Lloyd Webber from the 1939 poetry collection "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" by T.S. Eliot, the Broadway production ran for 18 years and currently sits as the fourth longest running show of all time on Broadway.
The show's plot is as follows, one cat is chosen to go to Heaven, where a new life begins for them. Each cat shows why it should be them. Havoc is created as at our center we get to learn how these cats get their funky names.
Audiences in Boise were in for a purr-fect treat though as they got to welcome Broadway back to Boise as part of the 2021-2022 season. Despite the show and it's premise confusing some audience members going in. One audience member from the reopening mentioned "Anyone who has seen CATS knows that it's more of an experience rather than a straight forward story. Which is why I think it works so much better as a stage show than a movie." She moved on to say that seeing the show gave her a new appreciation for dancers and the skill it took to constantly be moving for two hours.
"When we saw it - my husband didn't have much to say. Other than 'wow.'" Highlights of the show included Grizabella portrayed by Tayler Harris, who steals the show with a rendition of "Memory" so incredible that truly it brought audience members to tears.
Lexy Bittner as Cassandra, Chelsea Nicole Mitchell as Bombalurina, Hyla Mayrose Perillo as Victoria, Lauren Louis as Demeter, and Alexia Waites as Tantomile who are pictured above, were also highlights as they made their way across the stage. Dancing and showcasing true levels of talent. "If there were Olympics for dancing, this cast would have definitely won gold." Another patron mentioned.
A few of the other highlights included the choreography which has noticeably changed since the Broadway run , set design, and costumes that showcase how incredible witnessing live theatre is.
Despite CATS heading onto its next stop November 1st - the stay in Boise was a remarkable start back to theatre. Other shows through the Morrison Center this season include Hamilton, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Anastasia and Dear Evan Hansen. For more events and updates you can visit their website.
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