CATS Opens 9/9 At The Moonlight Amphitheatre Stage

Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats," the musical that seems to have more than nine lives, opens appropriately on 9-9-09 on the newly rebuilt Moonlight Amphitheatre stage as the final production in Moonlight Stage Productions' 2009 Summer Season. Performances of the show run September 9 through 26, Wednesdays through Sundays at 8:00 p.m.; with no performance on September 23, at the Moonlight Amphitheatre, located in Brengle Terrace Park, 1200 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista. Tickets are $22 to $44 and are on sale at the VisTix Ticket Office, located at 600 Eucalyptus Avenue in Vista. Tickets can also be purchased by phone at (760) 724-2110 or online at www.vistixonline.com.

Based on the poems from T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," the musical has become one of the world's best known and best loved musicals. It first opened in London's West End in 1981 and then went on to Broadway in 1982, and since has become the second longest running shows in both places (twenty-one years in London and eighteen years on Broadway.) The all-singing, all-dancing musical spectacular contains a magical score by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which includes the hit song "Memory."

"Cats" director Steven Glaudini returns to the Moonlight after his award-winning direction for last summer's "Les Misérables." Glaudini is the Associate Artistic Director/Producer for Musical Theatre West in Long Beach, where he has recently directed "Little Shop of Horrors" and the California Regional Theatre premiere of Mel Brooks' "The Producers." He is joined by choreographer Carlos Mendoza, who was director/choreographer for last summer's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and the award-winning "West Side Story" two summers ago. Mendoza was Guest Artistic Director for Starlight Musical Theatre this summer and is the creator and producer of "The New Mambo Kings," a musical revue that just completed a run at Starlight. Elan McMahan returns as musical director and Kenneth Gammie is the conductor for the production. Both McMahan and Gammie have been "in residence" with Moonlight Stage Productions for over 25 years.

The cast of felines include David Beaver of Vista as Gus/Bustopher Jones. Beaver has appeared in many Moonlight shows including "Les Misérables," "Pump Boys and Dinettes," and "Route 66." Robert Pieranunzi of Glendale plays Munkustrap. Pieranunzi last appeared at the Moonlight as Riff in "West Side Story." Aaron Pomeroy of New York is in the role of Mistoffelees. Pomeroy has appeared at the Moonlight in "The Goodbye Girl," "Kiss Me, Kate," and "West Side Story." In the role of Grizabella is Debbie Prutsman of Redlands. Prutsman is currently in Moonlight's production of "Phantom" as Carlotta and also played Madame Thenardier in "Les Misérables." They are joined by Elijah Reyes of Orange as Rum Tum Tugger and Michael Skidgel of Santa Ana as Old Deuteronomy.

The design team for the show includes Christina Munich as lighting designer; Roslyn Lehman, Renetta Loyd and Carlotta Malone, the costume coordinators; Peter Hashagen as sound designer; and Tim Jones, properties coordinator. Stanley D. Cohen is the stage manager, assisted by Brooke Baldwin, the assistant stage manager.

The 2009 Summer Season is produced by Moonlight Stage Productions, a program of the City of Vista. Additional funding is made possible by the Moonlight Cultural Foundation, a non-profit organization that benefits the performing arts in North County. For more information about the Foundation, call (760) 630-7650.

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