Theater Reviews

Nov 7, 2009 - The "Cats" tour in Reno sports a superb cast and production, but just can't quite overcome Andrew Lloyd Webber's monotonous score

By Jack Neal

Hope springs eternal, but no matter how much one might try, a superb cast and production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long, long, long-running musical “Cats” can’t push a show that seems longer than its history (actually only two hours, twenty-five minutes with intermission) into a truly gratifying outing with captivating theater.

“Cats” returned to Reno Friday night (11/6/09) for the fourth time in a little over a decade. The musical still plays to full houses. People must like what they see and hear. And so it happened once again Friday night (11/6/09) at Reno’s Pioneer Center when a large audience gave but tepid applause to the energetic feline happenings on stage but still snapped to attention at the final curtain for what has become the traditionally obligatory ovation for efforts above-and-beyond-the-call by an astonishingly gifted cast.

The troupe’s collection of 29 splendid dancers, singers, actors and acrobats is in itself an achievement. Kudos are in order for director-choreographer’s Richard Stafford’s adroit mimicry of Gillian Lynne’s original choreography and Trevor Nunn’s original direction. This spit-and-polish cast is letter perfect in all it does (for starters credit Dave Clemmons casting). John Napier’s designs for the show’s dumpsite set and inventive cat costumes are as fabulous as ever. David Hersey’s lighting designs (adapted for the road by Rick Belzer) are terrific. Duncan Robert Edwards’s sound starts off just a bit too loud, but in other ways is darn close to impeccable.

Everything points to a first-rate production save the still annoying bleep-bleep sounds of Lloyd Webber and David Cullen’s electronic gadgetry they must think are real orchestrations that take a monotonous score and pound it home like a host of jackhammers cracking pavement. With the exception of the lovely “Memory” (which would be greatly enhanced backed by real orchestral coloration) the what-passes-for music eventually just wears listeners into submission.

But there is much to love here, too – especially the performances.

The crime-loving duo of Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer (Brian Bailey and Kristen Quartaronne) are wonderfully full of themselves as they brazen their way about the stage bragging about their skullduggery. While older, wiser cats, such as Asparagus (Ryan William Bailey) and Old Deuteronomy (Philip Peterson) play down the devilry of crime and up the ante for family values with presence and big commanding voices. By the time the hip swiveling, Elvis-impersonation of Rum Tum Tugger (managed to the nth degree by a masterfully self-absorbed Adam Steiner) paws its way to center stage the audience knows full well that really cool cats are quite able to steal scenes.

Lindsay O’Neill (Jellylorum and Griddlebone) provides one of the cast’s most memorable voices. Chris Mackenthun’s Mistoffelees is magical and animated. Anastasia Lange is a haunting, sublime Grizabella. Her artistry delivering “Cats’” only triumphant oasis of music, the exquisite “Memory,” is elegant and poignant. Then there is everyone else in this very special collection of talents. Not enough can be said about the entire cast who bring so much heart and so much soul to a show that has never found, in spite of so many impassioned efforts, enough continuous flow of creative imagination to be all one wishes it could be.

“Cats” is presented in Reno by the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 South Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada, as part of its Broadway Comes to Reno series. “Cats” can be experienced Friday, November 6 (2009) at 8 p.m. (the performance reviewed), Saturday, November 7, at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, November 8, at 2 and 7 p.m. Remaining Broadway Comes to Reno shows include “The Wedding Singer” January 15-17 (2010), “Avenue Q” February 26-28, “Drowsy Chaperone” March 26-28, “Stomp” April 16-18, and “The Wizard of Oz” May 14-16. For information call 775-686-6609 or 775-686-6600.