BWW Reviews: CATS national tour at TPAC

Part of the sport of musical theater centers on sitting around with like-minded folk, discussing your favorite musicals which, of course, leads to a discussion of those works that fare less favorably among the assembled wannabe critics. If I had a dollar for every time someone picked Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats as their least favorite, I'd be a rich man. But when I hear someone deriding the show - still on tour some 30 years after its London premiere - I always ask, very directly, "But have you seen Cats?" Nine times out of ten, the person's retort comes back as "No, why would I want to?"

Because, my good people, Cats is a theater classic, as much a part of the genre we all love, as Oklahoma!, Show Boat and A Chorus Line - or if you were born after 1990, Wicked, Rent and Spring Awakening. When it premiered Cats was a theatrical marvel ("Those are real dancers/actors/singers acting just like cats," theater-goers gushed in collective wonder)and it still features a lovely and memorable Webber score.

Fitting about midway in the canon of Webber works for the theater, you can recognize some of his reference points to earlier works, while the score, clearly, is a harbinger of his later compositions. What makes the score for Cats unique, however, is his choice of librettist: the poet/playwright T.S. Eliot, the St. Louis-born American expatriate in London, who provides the words from his Old Possums' Book of Practical Cats (Eliot won the Tony Award for his lyrics some 15 years after his death).

In 2011, just as it did in 1981, the marriage of Webber's music and Eliot's words creates a spell-binding and mesmerizing tale of the lives of Jellicle cats, which were so vividly brought to life by the creative team behind the original production - and whose work provides the inspiration for the non-Equity tour now crisscrossing the United States in the 30^th anniversary production now onstage through Sunday at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall.

Cats is best viewed through fresh eyes, probably, when the wonder of the spectacle is first encountered. The show's technical wizardry, in its time mind-boggling and perhaps even revolutionary, is now old hat (although I can certainly let go of my own cynicism long enough to appreciate the very theatricality of the show) and expected. But, imagine if you will, if you know nothing about the show at all and you settle into your seat and give yourself over to the experience. Chances are - no matter how worldly or sophisticated you are - you'll find yourself just a little awestruck by Cats. It remains an important milestone in musical theater history, despite the derision of theater snobs the world over.

All that being said, the current tour - boasting some very bright points - seems a bit lackluster, its energy level sputtering and uneven. Performed by a talented cast of young actors (most of whom, I would venture to guess, weren't even born when the show debuted), the show is choreographed and directed by Richard Stafford, based upon the original and laudable work of Gillian Lynne and Trevor Nunn.

On opening night in Nashville, there seemed to be some miscues and missed opportunities. In fact, there were several near-misses, dancewise, that were rather unsettling, and there was a pervasive feeling that not everyone was as committed or as focused as they might have been, all adding up to a lack of energy that the show so desperately needs. That being said, in the eyes of some audience members, the company could do no wrong.

Among the large ensemble several performances are worthy of mention, including Erica Leigh Hansen's Jennyanydots, whose moment in the spotlight showed gave us a reference point for high energy; Bronson N. Murphy (a native of nearby Bowling Green, Kentucky) created a smashing trio of characters in his Bustopher Jones, Gus the Theatre Cat and Growltiger; Jeremy Brauner's avuncular and wise Old Deuteronomy; Trevor Sones' magical - and beautifully danced - Mistofflelees; Larry A. Lozier Jr. and Kristen Quartarone's delightful Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer; and Zack Hess' athletic and commanding Munkustrap (although his expression sometimes suggests a lack of focus).

Kathryn Holtkamp, cast as Grizabella, the glamour cat, who is met with disdain by the other felines at The Jellicle Ball, delivers a stunning rendition of "Memory," which remains one of the most beautiful ballads ever written for musical theater. Holtkamp interprets the song with the requisite operatic fervor and ensures the audience's sympathy is with her as she makes her ascent to the "heavyside layer" via a giant tire. Holtkamp's performance is the highlight of the evening, her solo turn of "Memory" proving as potent and as moving as expected from this signature Cats moment.

J. Michael Duff conducts the touring musicians in the pit with confidence, providing nice accompaniment for the onstage action. The production's design elements remain strong, based upon the original design of John Napier, with David Hersey's lighting design adapted for the tour by Rick Belzer and Napier's scenic design recreated by Raymond Huessy.

- Cats. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot. Directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford. Presented by CAT'S-EYE LLC, at Andrew Jackson Hall, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville. Through April 3. For details, visit the website at www.tpac.org or call (615) 782-4040.

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