Rangi Ruru and Christ's College's CATS Releases New Block of Tickets

By: May. 13, 2014
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More seats are being released following a huge demand for tickets to Rangi Ruru and Christ's College's production of "Cats".

The curtain goes up on one of the world's best loved and most seen musicals next Monday and the five night season is fast looking as though it will be sold out.

Dynamic directing duo, Rangi Ruru's Director of Theatre Arts, Robert Gilbert and David Chambers, Director of Drama at Christ's College, are back together again and both say they are delighted by the reaction from the Christchurch public.

"It's wonderful that the talent every one of the cast and crew possesses will be seen by seen by so many," says Robert Gilbert. "The talent in the cast is extraordinary."

"These young men and women dance, they sing, they act with incredible physicality," says Gilbert. "It's a very physical show and the athletes involved are wonderful to watch. The costumes and makeup are stunning. There's also magic and illusion in our production as good as anything you'll see in international magic shows."

David Chambers too is just as enthusiastic.

"It's a true West End spectacle," he says. "There's enough spectacle in this show to entertain and thrill anyone. It's quite remarkable that such a well-loved and popular musical as "Cats" doesn't actually have a story however that just reinforces how engaging and entertaining the show is as a whole."

"Cats" with a cast of 70, a crew of 30, 25 dressers and makeup artists, all supported by 12 staff, is one of the largest and most ambitious undertakings by Rangi Ruru and Christ's College.

Rehearsals are continuing with dress rehearsals taking place this Saturday and a final dress on Sunday 18th May with opening night on Monday 19th May at Christ's College.

Since Cats first opened in 1981, it has become one of the world's best known and best loved musicals and has grossed over NZ$2 billion.

Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, and produced by Cameron Mackintosh. The musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make what is known as "the Jellicle choice" and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. Cats also introduced the song standard "Memory".

Directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, Cats first opened in the West End in 1981 and then with the same creative team on Broadway in 1982. It won numerous awards, including Best Musical at both the Laurence Olivier Awards and the Tony Awards. The London production ran for twenty-one years and the Broadway production ran for eighteen years, both setting new records. Actresses Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley became particularly associated with the musical. One actress, Marlene Danielle, performed in the Broadway production for its entire run (from 1982 until 2000).

Cats has been performed around the world many times and has been translated into more than 20 languages Cats continues to enchant audiences in over 300 cities worldwide.



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