'MEMORY' SERVES WELL IN 'CATS'.Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Critic NOT MANY SHOWS can bring out equal doses of cynicism from seasoned theatergoers and wide-eyed wonder from first-timers. Then again, not many shows are ``Cats,'' the ``now and forever'' Andrew Lloyd Webber Noun 1. Andrew Lloyd Webber - English composer of many successful musicals (some in collaboration with Sir Tim Rice) (born in 1948) Baron Lloyd Webber of Sydmonton, Lloyd Webber musical whose omnipresence Omnipresence See also Ubiquity. Allah supreme being and pervasive spirit of the universe. [Islam: Leach, 36] Big Brother all-seeing leader watches every move. [Br. Lit.: 1984] eye God sees all things in all places. is the theatrical equivalent of death and taxes. Not many shows could be ``Cats,'' as the touring revival that parks for a quickie L.A. pit stop at the Pantages demonstrates. For a few shining hours, we're squarely back in the '80s, where synthesizers, flashing lights and the pageantry of circus are the bill of fare. Dancing too. Great dancing, by heavily painted actors with incredible bodies who have to make sure, among other things, that they don't trip over their tails. Tour director Richard Stafford expertly replicates Gillian Lyne's original choreography. A nearly 30-person ensemble sweeps across the John Napier-designed stage in a display that leaves little room for breathers. When the collective cats pounce front and center for a song-ending tableau, Stafford makes sure that, exhausted or otherwise, his litter of kitties are sniffing and twitching their little noses off. Never mind that the musical's source material is the poetry of T.S. Eliot. ``Cats'' is a musical smart enough to put one of its most barn-burning dance numbers - ``The Jellicle Ball'' - directly in front of the signature anthem ``Memory.'' At the Pantages, it's Dee Roscioli Dee Roscioli (born Danielle Marie Roscioli in Easton, Pennsylvania) is an American actress. Roscioli played the role of "Grizabella" in the national tour of Cats from 2003 to 2004. who braves glamour cat Grizabella's show stopper Show stopper A legal barrier, such as a scorched-earth policy or shark repellant system, that firms use to prevent a takeover. show stopper A legal barrier to a takeover attempt that is virtually impossible for the suitor to overcome. . She sounds terrific. Equally praiseworthy praise·wor·thy adj. praise·wor·thi·er, praise·wor·thi·est Meriting praise; highly commendable. praise are Mario Martinez and Katy Burns as the thieving vaudevillians Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer; Ryan Jackson in heavy acrobatic mode as magical Mister Misoffelees and Kevin C. Wanzor doing triple duty as portly port·ly adj. port·li·er, port·li·est 1. Comfortably stout; corpulent. See Synonyms at fat. 2. Archaic Stately; majestic; imposing. [From port5. Bustopher Jones, palsy stricken Gus the Theater Cat and the swaggering tiger Growltiger. CATS - Three stars Where: Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 6:30 8 p.m. Sunday (through Sunday). Tickets: $33 to $58. Call (323) 468-1770. In a nutshell: Twenty years TWENTY YEARS. The lapse of twenty years raises a presumption of certain facts, and after such a time, the party against whom the presumption has been raised, will be required to prove a negative to establish his rights. 2. later, it still plays like wildfire. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion