PJ DiGaetano

BWW Review: Broadway Across Canada's Touring Production of CATS Proves Its Enduring Appeal

The touring production of CATS has changed in the more than fifteen years since I first saw it, but all of the elements that make the Andrew Lloyd Webber show a classic remain intact. The set is fairly simple: a junkyard where the cats congregate to celebrate the annual Jellicle Ball, when Old Deuteronomy (Adam Richardson) will choose which cat goes to the Heaviside Layer to be reborn. There are many contenders for the coveted position. We have Jennyanydots (Dani Goldstein), the seemingly lazy Gumbie cat who sleeps all day but works hard all night, demonstrated in a wonderful tap dancing sequence replete with a roaring twenties style flapper outfit. Then, there is the Rum Tum Tugger (McGee Maddox), the narcissistic, spoiled cat with the sexy swagger, who is a favourite of the lady-cats. Grizabella (Donna Vivino), the once glamourous cat, now past her prime and ostracized by the others. Gus, the Theatre Cat (Timothy Gulan), when aided by a toothful of gin, regales the audience with stories of his career on the stage, when he acted alongside theatre greats and once even 'understudied Dick Whittington's cat'. The Magical Mister Mistoffelees (PJ DiGaetano), shows off his impressive tricks and manages to conjure Old Deuteronomy, who was been kidnapped by Macavity (Brayden Newby), the nefarious 'Napoleon of crime'. Okay, so the plot is, perhaps, a little odd and the story may be disjointed. This is only natural, considering that the musical is based on a collection of whimsical poems written by T.S. Elliot for children. I think the reason CATS remains so popular after nearly forty years is because of the level of detail given to each character, from the costumes and make-up to each cat's story as they are introduced one by one, song by song, to the audience. Even the chorus cats have their own personalities. There is truly something for everyone in this show.

BWW Review: CATS at Shubert Theatre

While I have heard wonderful things about the musical CATS and about the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, CT, I had never experienced either until March 5, 2020, when both far exceeded my expectations when I saw this musical masterpiece phenomenally performed by an extraordinary cast, to a packed audience representing numerous demographics, leaving us all united with an amazing memory of such an incredible theatrical experience!

CATS Comes to The Fabulous Fox Theatre This April

Producers announced casting for the North American tour of the first ever Broadway revival of CATS. The multi-year tour launched at Providence Performing Arts Center on January 22, 2019 and will play 40+ cities during its multi-year tour, including the Fabulous Fox Theatre from April 7-19.

BWW Review: CATS Lets the Memory Live Again in Jackson

“Are you blind when you're born? Can you see in the dark?” According to iconic lyrics by Richard Stilgoe for one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit shows, Jellicles are and Jellicle do! The national tour of the megamusical phenomenon, Cats, stopped at Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson, Mississippi as a part of the Broadway in Jackson series presented by Trustmark on February 13th and 14th to show audience members exactly what the lives of Jellicle cats look like, specifically on the night of the all-important Jellicle Ball.

Adam Vanek, McGee Maddox and More to Star in CATS National Tour Alongside Donna Vivino; New Casting Announced

The Jellicle Cats include Adam Vanek as 'Alonzo,' McGee Maddox as 'Bill Bailey/Rum Tum Tugger,' Elyse Collier as 'Bombalurina,' Jordan Betscher as 'Cassandra,' Maurice Dawkins as 'Coricopat,' Alexa Racioppi as 'Demeter,' Donna Vivino as 'Grizabella,' Annemarie Rosano as 'Jellylorum,' Dani Goldstein as 'Jennyanydots,' PJ DiGaetano as 'Mistoffelees,' Ben Sears as 'Mungojerrie,' Zachary S. Berger as 'Munkustrap,' Timothy Gulan as 'Peter/Bustopher Jones/Asparagus,' Brayden Newby as 'Plato/Macavity,' Brett Michael Lockley as 'Pouncival,' Adriana Negron as 'Rumpleteazer,' Nevada Riley as 'Sillabub,' Giovanni DiGabriele as 'Skimbleshanks,' Melody Rose as 'Tantomile,' Cameron Edris as 'Tumblebrutus,' Adam Richardson as 'Victor/Old Deuteronomy,' Caitlin Bond as 'Victoria,' along with Erin Chupinsky, Alex Dorf, Devin Hatch, Madison Mitchell, Nathan Patrick Morgan, Charlotte O'Dowd, Austin Joseph Reynolds, Zachary Tallman, Tricia Tanguy and Loretta Williams.

BWW Review: New Choreography and a Powerhouse Cast Make For a Fur-midable Production of CATS

CATS is a show that, on paper, isn't necessarily an easy sell. The narrative is simple: once a year a group of cats come together for the jellicle ball, and their leader Old Deuteronomy selects one cat to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a new life. There isn't too much structure to the plot besides that a?" cats come and go, introducing themselves and sometimes each other, and generally justa??do cat things. Because of all that, I wasn't the most optimistic viewer at the start of the night. By curtain call I was debating adopting a cat and naming it Mr. Mistoffelees, even with a lifelong track record of severe allergic reactions to the animals.

VIDEO: CATS on Tour's Grizabella, Keri Rene Fuller, Sings 'Memory'

The new National Tour of CATS, based off the last Broadway revival, is on the road! The musical returns to Toronto starting tomorrow until January 5th at The Princess of Wales Theatre. Toronto news channel, Breakfast Television chatted with Keri Rene Fuller, who plays Grizabella, about the show, and she performed Memory.

BWW Review: CATS at The American Theatre Guild, Your Night Will Be a Memory Too

The American Theatre Guild opened their 2019-2020 season October 14th with the national Broadway touring production of Cats.

BWW Review: CATS is PAWSitively PURRfect at Dallas Summer Musicals

It's been 38 years since Andrew Lloyd Webber's mega-hit CATS made its stage debut. 42 years earlier, T.S. Eliot had unknowingly penned the musical's lyrics in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, his 1939 collection of feline inspired poetry. While his poems were an unexpected source material for a song-and-dance operetta, the family-friendly musical quickly became a Broadway landmark, adopting the tagline a?oeNow and Forevera?? during its impressive 18-year New York City run.

Review Roundup: What Did Critics Think of CATS on Tour?

BroadwayWorld has a first look at the new national touring company of CATS! The Jellicle Cats include Phillip Deceus as 'Alonzo,' McGee Maddox as 'Bill BaileyRum Tum Tugger,' Lexie Plath as 'Bombalurina,' Mariah Reives as 'Cassandra,' PJ DiGaetano as 'Coricopat,' Liz Schmitz as 'Demeter,' Keri Rene Fuller as 'Grizabella,' Kaitlyn Davidson as 'Jellylorum,' Emily Jeanne Phillips as 'Jennyanydots,' Tion Gaston as 'Mistoffelees,' Tony D'Alelio as 'Mungojerrie,' Dan Hoy as 'Munkustrap,' Timothy Gulan as 'PeterBustopher JonesAsparagus,' Tyler John Logan as 'PlatoMacavity,' Anthony Michael Zas as 'Pouncival,' Rose Iannaccone as 'Rumpelteazer,' Ahren Victory as 'Sillabub,' Ethan Saviet as 'Skimbleshanks,' Halli Toland as 'Tantomile,' Devin Neilson as 'Tumblebrutus,' Brandon Michael Nase as 'VictorOld Deuteronomy,' Caitlin Bond as 'Victoria,' along with Zachary S. Berger, Nicholas Burrage, Erin Chupinsky, Maria Failla, Justin W. Geiss, Charlotte O'Dowd, Adam Richardson, Tricia Tanguy, and Andy Zimmermann.

VIDEO: CATS on Tour's Grizabella, Keri Rene Fuller, Sings 'Memory'

The new National Tour of CATS, based off the last Broadway revival, is on the road! The musical returns to Toronto starting tomorrow until January 5th at The Princess of Wales Theatre. Toronto news channel, Breakfast Television chatted with Keri Rene Fuller, who plays Grizabella, about the show, and she performed Memory.

VIDEO: CATS Opens at the Hollywood Pantages in Los Angeles

CATS opened in Los Angeles last night, and Hollywood came out to walk the Jellicle carpet! Check out video from the opening night below!