When I was younger, I watched CATS for the first time and was spellbound by the catchy music and the energetic feline dancing and capering. About 20 years later, I watched Cats again at Marina Bay Sands and the memories of my very first Broadway musical came flooding back.

CATS is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, and produced by Cameron Mackintosh. The musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make ‘the Jellicle choice’ and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.

CATS has been presented in over thirty countries and over three hundred cities. It was the recipient of two Olivier awards in 1981; Musical of the Year and Outstanding Achievement of the Year in a Musical. In 1983 the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score

The quality of the performance I watched at Marina Bay Sands on Tuesday night was top-notch. The cast is clearly very talented and the singing and dancing was superb. The cats also interacted frequently with the audience which added to the magic of the performance.

Certain scenes and characters that stood out for me: the flamboyant and over-the-top Rum Tum Tugger with leopard spots on his chest, the wilted Grizabella who has fallen so far from grace, the mischievous and acrobatic cat burglars Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, and the magical Mr Mistoffelees.

I enjoyed the fast-paced second half of the show more than the first which had one or two scenes that I found a wee bit draggy, especially when inserted between the very exciting scenes. The applause from the audience was loudest for Mr Mistoffelees’ amazing dance solo and Grizabella’s heartbreaking but hopeful rendition of Memory. Overall, CATS is an outstanding musical and it’s no wonder that CATS is one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history.

TICKETING AND SHOW INFORMATION

SEASON: 9 Jan – 1 Feb 2015
PERFORMANCE TIMES: Tue – Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 1pm & 6pm
TICKET PRICE: From $65 (Excludes the booking fee of $3 per ticket)
THROUGH INTERNET: Marina Bay Sands Ticketing or SISTIC
BY PHONE: 6688 8826
IN PERSON AT: Marina Bay Sands Box Offices (Museum, Theatres, SkyPark, Retail Mall and Hotel Tower 1 Lobby)

Disclaimer: We received two complimentary tickets to watch this performance. All opinions are my own. All photos used are from Base Entertainment Facebook page and CATS website.