Exceptional Gutenberg The musical at the Dio is the funniest show you’ve never seen before

Richard Payton and David Moan, photo Dio Dining and Entertainment

The best 17 shows west of the Hudson are on display in the single “Gutenberg The Musical” at The Dio theater in Pinckney. Brilliantly executed by stars Richard Payton and David Moan, hilariously directed by Steve Debruyne, with musical direction by Brian Buckner, the show is a non-stop laugh-fest the likes of which has not been seen in a very long time.

I can not recommend this show more highly — it’s a slice of heavenly comedy pie that will have you relaxed and highly entertained, and you might leave the theater with your sides hurting a bit from having laughed so hard all night. Five stars. 

There are sequences so funny that you haven’t finished laughing before the next big laugh comes along right on top of it —such is Scott Brown and Anthony King’s (Beetlejuice the musical) outrageous book, music, and lyrics. 

There’s not much to the concept: two writers/musicans/actors present a “workshop” of their musical, Gutenberg, where they play the cast of thousands, each indicated by a lettered cap (for example Drunk 1 and Drunk 2 in the stunning photo of Payton and Moan above). Having found a dearth of information about Gutenberg on Google, they set out to create a work of “historical fiction” which includes a satan-worshiping monk and his gentle (but dumb) sidekick; a printing press; a beautiful (but dumb) wine-stomper with the subtle name of Helvetica, and all the denizens of the town of Schlimmer, Germany, who are funny, funnier, and funniest (and mostly dumb). There are take-offs of so many Broadway musicals you can’t count them all – and you’ll learn a bit about writing a musical too (like what a “want song” is, along with the most convoluted definition of “metaphor” you’ve ever heard.)

Moan and Payton make the most of these roles, including characters such as the anti-semitic flower-girl (it’s their “purpose” to lend weight to their show), market stall sellers, townsfolk, and even a dead baby (don’t ask – just go watch). Everyone lives in a run-down medieval German town where all the roofs are made of dirty thatch. The show soars above it all (one time literally) and it is an absolute hoot.  The actors put on an acting class in clowning, singing, instantly transforming from one character (and emotion) to another, at times interchangeably playing the characters as needed to accomodate other stage business (which is your favorite, Payton’s Helvetica, or Moan’s Helvetica?)

They are also experts at improvisation if things go wrong (a hat goes flying, a cat goes flying) or if an audience member blurts out a comment (Moan: “Its just such excellent writing.”)

Brian Buckner plays the third character, not only musically directing the show, but appearing onstage playing piano throughout. His character is dry, funny, and adds another layer to the entire evening.  

There is a reason that many of my New York friends consider “Gutenberg The Musical” their favorite off-broadway show. It is easy to see why. It’s two hour runtime is a bit long, but you will never feel time passing in this show — intermission comes all too soon, and the “serious finale” will even find you singing along as you digest nonsense about “eating your dreams”. 

The Dio serves your dinner now, rather than using a buffet line, and quite frankly I liked that a lot. Remember to tip your waiter! (Even the actors remind you!)

The production is assistant directed by Amy Schumacher, Choreographed (clever!) by Rachael Cupples. Matt Tomich designed the set, lighting, and sound and makes a very complicated set-up feel simple and clean. Costumes are by Norma Polk and the (many) props are by Eileen Obradovich. 

Gutenberg The Musical continues through May 8th at the Dio, 177 E Main St, Pinckney, MI 48169, (517) 672-6009, diotheatre.com – reservations (tables of 2 or 4) required. Masks are optional. 

God-Awful “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” on NBC

About 15 years ago or so, I wrote a scathing review for the stage musical “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” after I saw it on Broadway. I hated it then — and I hated NBC’s adaptation of the stage musical.

This is all you need to see to get an idea of this monstrosity.

Adapted from the UK Tour from last year, with some tweaks, and starring Matthew Morrison (in a completely thankless role any good actor could have played, but NBC might not have bankrolled) the show is a flop from top to bottom. Narrated by a grown up dog, who occasionally interacts with his younger self, the live show is 80 minutes of ennui and unnecessary musical numbers, some of which don’t even make sense. Stretched out to two hours with commercials its enough to send you plunging a dagger into your television.

Look, I’m not going to tear this all down again which I hated doing the first time around. I’ll just say that any attempt to do a stage show in 2020 is better than none. Except maybe in this instance. I might understand if they had done a tv version of the (very very good) Elf, the musical — but then, that’s a show that is still raking in big bucks on its yearly tours and in its many regional, community, and youth theater productions. But taking the piece of shit “Grinch” and making it into a “television spectacular” makes you appreciate the brilliant work that Ahrens and Flaherty did with their 1-minute tribute in Seussical, the musical.

I am so glad I DVR’d the show last night so I could watch it today (and fast forward through all commercials and parts of the show – hey, don’t blame me, some of the songs are indistinguishable from the commercials themselves). For what it’s worth – the cute set pieces are virtually intact from the stage production (well, they are the tour sets so they should be) with a few nice touches added for the television production. The lights and colors and costuming are fine. The “additional songs” are horrible. The Grinch theme always works, even in this rotten adaptation.

After watching this morning, this sent me directly to the fridge to make Stouffers mac and cheese and eat a couple entemann’s donuts to get the taste of this Grinch out of my mouth. I think I actually yelled at the tv at one point: “what a stupid directing decision!”

I’d give it zero stars if I could. Instead, I’ll give it one for the cute christmas tree with the paper star on top.

Little spirit and no magic in Christmas events…but it’s all part of the dumpster fire of 2020

Greenfield Village Holiday Nights

I should preface this post by stating that this is the first time in twenty-five years I haven’t spent at least a week at Walt Disney World before Christmas. So right off the bat, much of my idea of “magical holiday” is right out the window…but that being said, here’s a look around what’s happening in the Detroit area…

The Lights Before Christmas at the Toledo Zoo — always a highlight of the holiday season, the lights at the Toledo Zoo are ablaze nightly and they are as pretty as ever. There’s the giant tree, the dancing lights (two locations this year!), and the beautiful bent-metal moving animal tableaux lights. What there isn’t is anything Christmasy beyond that. Oh, they have some food stands near the old mammals building, but no interior food or dining. There are no special holiday menus, and there is no strolling and sipping on hot chocolate. The Pizza stand near the wolves is open and had a big line. There’s also no trainride, or quite frankly almost anything in the entire Africa area – though the carousel is open and some nights (it was closed on my night) there is a model train display you can look at through windows. But most surprisingly, what has always made the Lights Before Christmas at the Toledo Zoo so special has been that all the animal displays have been open and you could go see them while you were also checking out the lights. Not so this year. WIth the exception of a few displays almost all the animals were tucked away for safe keeping in their warm homes with empty displays — I’d estimate 85% of the animals are off limits this year. It’s the most unmagical experience I’ve had at this event. Masks are required everywhere at the event under all circumstances (not a requirement except indoors and where you can’t physically distance on normal zoo days). I found about 90% of the visitors were following the mask rules once they were actually inside the park. 

The Detroit Zoo Lights makes no qualms about not having their animal displays open. In fact, the lights only fill the far east side of the park near the entrances and anything beyond there is off limits anyway. The same lack of Christmas spirit is apparent at the Detroit Zoo, but the lights are glorious. They have beautiful displays, artistically arranged, and the colors!  The worst part about this experience is the parking. Unless you are in the earliest group (and you won’t be seeing any lights unless you can stand sitting around until at least 5:00) the parking will be as far away from the entrance as the actual scope of the zoo lights. Masks are required everywhere. Nobody wore masks until they were entering the queue lines but inside I found that almost all of the visitors were wearing their masks. The Detroit Zoo Lights has always been a beautiful event, and I didn’t expect to find much Christmas spirit here beyond that, and that is exactly what I did not find. 

Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village. Outside of Walt Disney World, the Greenfield Village Christmas evenings have always been my favorite holiday event anywhere. With it’s clip-clopping of horse hooves as they give “sleigh rides” and the carolers, and the model-T Ford cars beep beeping their way around the village with guests, and chestnuts roasting on open fires, and the ice skating pond, and the shows and attractions, and the ability to go inside the houses and see the beautiful Americana historical Christmas displays, and of course, that amazing Christmas Dinner in the Eagle Tavern on a cold, snowy night. So — now imagine an event where there were a few masked-up carolers kind of keeping their distance from everyone, no skating rink, no horses or cars or sounds of the holidays except piped-in music here and there, no shows or attractions, no dinner at Eagle Tavern, and the only way to see the decorations in the houses was to look in the windows or doors – no entrance permitted.  Santa did make his appearance atop the Robert Frost house, but it wasn’t the real Santa. This was one of the most miserable freezing cold evenings I’ve spent in the Village. Oh the people were amazing — from the ticket takers to the masked-up docents trying to explain what each house had inside! That you couldn’t go in! Small clumps of family visitors mostly wore their masks, but there were a lot of people not wearing their masks in between further spread-out things to see as they made their frozen way around the Village. I managed to make it an hour before I called it a day. There is food in the Taste of History building and some scattered booths. And as usual, there is a greenery shop for outlandishly overpriced wreaths. They were selling like hotcakes though. One plus: the gift shop is open for holiday shopping and there are some really unique lovely items there. I have to say that I have yet to find a mask or noseclip that works that keeps my eyeglasses from completely steaming over – so when I do an outdoor event I have my choice of taking my eyeglasses off every couple minutes to let them unsteam, or putting them in my pocket and going blind and getting a migraine after half an hour. 

MIS Christmas lights — this is brilliant! I packed up the dog and we went for a ride to see the lights at the Michigan International Speedway. You enter from Michigan Avenue, and there are no reservations so the line to get in was longer than the actual drive through the attraction. As a single driver with dog, it was impossible to stop or slow the car to take a single photo, or the hillbilly in the F350 behind me would have probably rammed right into me. And as a single driver, my experience was basically drive and look at what is straight in front of you, sometimes blocked by the rear lights of the car ahead of me. But the lights are gorgeous, and this event makes no pretense that you are going to do anything but drive and look at lights. Its similar to the Wayne County light display, without the pretty park you drive through but with a lot more lights — in fact, you could probably see this from the space station it’s that big and there are that many lights. I kept thinking how much nicer it would have been if it wasn’t in a parking lot at Michigan International Speedway — but the lights are gorgeous and its well worth the drive out some evening. You can get your own hot chocolate or beverages at the McDonalds in Clinton on your way down Michigan Ave, and since you are in your own car, no worry about masks here — though the employees also didn’t seem to worry about masks. Most wore them around their necks to pull up in case they were spotted by authorities. But it doesn’t matter here, you are in your own closed window car. If you open your windows for some fresh air, you’ll get a great whiff of the exhaust from the 1998 mini-van in front of you. 

As to Walt Disney World — I had made reservations to go for a weekend just before Thanksgiving. Delta cancelled my flight back on Sunday night and the next available seat was on Thursday. Yes — four days until they could find a seat to accomodate me and the 130 other passengers all looking for return seats on already sold-out flights. All I have to say is, good luck flyers when the winter weather cancellations start to roll in. I’m avoiding flying at all costs until the spring. 

Forgotten Musicals: Legs Diamond

Peter Allen and the cast of Legs Diamond in 1988 – photo by Martha Swope

In a new series on forgotten musicals – today’s first entry is Legs Diamond — the misbegotten Peter Allen musical. You can readily find the cast album (it was more afordable to record a show in the 80’s when it flopped but someone still ponied up the cash to record the show). While it was out of print for decades, it is now available in iTunes and elsewhere. 

On my birthday in 1989, I went to see Legs Diamond at the Mark Hellinger theater, now a church (in fact, the Nederlanders considered the show such a flop, as were most shows that played  at the massive but beautiful Hellinger, that they announced even before the show was cancelled that they would be off-loading the theater, which caused a minor ticket run on the show to try to save the theater itself). They lost and 31 years later it is still a church. I knew the reviews were terrible (Frank Rich considered the evenings most palbable drama “Peter Allen wondering what to do with his hands”) but I love shows like that – often finding things that I love in them.

In this case, the show had much to love. Peter Allen, at the height of his popularity, had written a ego-project, starring himself, as real-life gangster Jack “Legs” Diamond. Never mind that Legs had been gunned down in his early 30’s, was virtually unknown as a gangster, and Allen was in his mid-40’s (and looked it) by the time the show opened. Never mind that Allen’s partner Greg had died 4 years earlier and some of the songs were clearly written as love songs to him. Never mind that he pulled several trunk songs out for cabaret singer Julie Wilson to perform that he had written for his ex-wife/beard’s mother twenty years earlier — but Judy Garland had the poor taste to die before recording any of them. Never mind that the entire gangster-who-liked-to-dance was ridiculous in the first place — or the fact that Peter Allen was a terrible dancer and a horrendous actor — there he was! Live on stage! In a brand new book musical (by Harvey Fierstien!).

He was the single most problematic part of the show — the book was decent (if not funny and rewritten and rewritten so many times the musical ended up having the longest pre-opening tryout on record — longer than the two month run of the show). The musical score was quite excellent. The cast album is one you can listen to over and over, and 5 of the songs, including one that had been cut, were incorporated in The Boy From Oz for Hugh Jackman. The costumes and set design were spectacular, and the hard working cast was uniformly excellent. It was a big, old-fashioned musical that was massive in size and right in tune with what audiences would normally want to see in a 5 million dollar budget musical.

But there was Allen, who by this point was widely known to be gay, had loyal followers from his always-sold-out Radio City extravaganzas, and was dying – both literally in life and figuratively on stage each night. (He  really died a few years afterwards). But here he was playing against his flamboyant stage personna in playing a quirky real-life gangster. As prievews progressed, so did the spangles and beads on his gangster suits to the point he looked ludicrous, but matched what his audiences expected. The show was given a happy ending, and everything else is history.

Allen wasn’t a strong singer, couldn’t act at all, and could barely dance. Performers were staged dancing around him while he sang center stage, or while being flown in — (actually it was a double but he never gave him credit) — he was unrecognizable as a gangster — but when he exploded in song, his audiences went wild. It’s the only show I can remember seeing before Wicked where audiences hooted and hollered after every major Allen number.  He was larger than life. His numbers with superstar Julie Wilson were the standouts in the show. 

Listening to the cast album you might be surprised by how many tunes you recognize – and you would have no concept of what this show actually looked like had you not seen it. You wouldn’t be aware of the adulating audiences, or chorus girls in gigantic champaigne glasses, or costumes with more feathers and sequins and glitter than actual clothing material, 

When the show closed in early February the show was guaranteed it would never be performed again by any professional or amateur theater company because all of the orchestrations disappeared. Sort of like Evita’s body – though they were never recovered. 

A few years ago, a theater company in LA had the orchestrations rewritten meticulously by musicians listening to the cast album – the only remaining record. The show has subsequently been performed in concert version by several other groups. But there is nothing that compared to seeing Peter Allen (!!!) live on stage at the Mark Hellinger singing his own songs, romancing Julie Wilson, and having the time of his life. That’s what happens when you have more money than you know what to do with it. And that was one of my happiest memories of seeing a show on my birthday. Legs Diamond was among the best of the 80’s bad musicals. And that is saying something. 

Hey, Halloween Fans!

Ann Arbor Civic Theatre and Dexter Community Players are presenting a Halloween Drive-Through event on October 30th and 31st at Domino Farm’s petting zoo! Performers in costume will present three “scenes” sure to make you smile – from zombies to teenagers and aliens invaders…with dance and song thrown in to make your Halloween grin come to life…

Ticket information will be forthcoming – but anyone who wants to participate – from performing, to dressing up, to helping backstage in some fun, socially-distanced “real theater” are invited to send in a volunteer form indicating your interest by midnight on October 14th. You’ll be assigned to scenes or tasks based on your forms.

The link to participate is here:

https://tinyurl.com/y3r5ryx9

You can find out more about the event here:

https://halloweendrive.net

Theatre Nova outdoor concert fundraiser CANCELLED

Cancelled! Because of the developments with C19 and social gatherings in Michigan SOUNDS OF SUMMER: An Open-Air Summer Concert Fundraiser for Theatre NOVA has been cancelled. Tickets will be refunded.

Donations to Theatre Nova can be made at www.TheatreNova.org. For more information, please email a2theatrenova@gmail.com.

Theatre NOVA is Ann Arbor’s resident professional theatre company. Its mission is to raise awareness of the value and excitement of new plays and playwrights and provide resources for playwrights to develop their craft by importing, exporting, and developing new work.

Magician Stuart MacDonald performs new online show to benefit the Croswell Opera House

The last time illusionist Stuart MacDonald performed at the Croswell Opera House, he had just returned from the World Championships of Magic in South Korea and the theater was packed with fans.

With theaters closed across most of Michigan and social distancing guidelines in place for public gatherings, packed houses aren’t in the cards right now. But MacDonald still wanted a way to support his hometown theater, so he developed a new show that will take place entirely online.

MacDonald developed a completely new character for the one-hour show, which is titled “Richard Preston’s Cocktail Capers.” The premise? Mid-century entertainer Richard Preston, magician to the stars, was cryogenically frozen in 1962 so that he could entertain colonists in humankind’s first settlement on Mars in 2050. But with everything that’s gone wrong in 2020, getting the world through it in one piece will require the best of the best — so the governments of the world voted unanimously to thaw him early.

“He’s performing his show, just like he did on his 1958-62 world tour,” MacDonald said, explaining the premise. “The only difference is the setting. It’s a cocktail party with Richard Preston as your host and party magician.” 

MacDonald describes the character as “a cross between Forrest Gump and Austin Powers” — an entertainer who has crossed paths with everyone from JFK to Elvis to Marilyn Monroe and influenced some of the twentieth century’s most notable events.

The show is also interactive, giving ticket buyers the chance to take part in the magic and even perform tricks themselves.

MacDonald, an Adrian native now living in Kalamazoo, has performed around the world, including shows in Greece, South Korea, Italy, Spain, China and the United Kingdom. In 2017 he was a guest on the TV series “Penn & Teller: Fool Us.” He was able to stump the legendary duo and later performed with them in Las Vegas.

The show will take place via Zoom. Previews are at 7:30 p.m. July 23, 24 and 25, and tickets are $40 per household. After the preview weekend, tickets will be $50. Performances will be on weekends, July 30 through Aug. 16, with Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday shows at 2:30 p.m. 

“For the price of two tickets to the typical Croswell show, you can enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience and also support the theater,” said Croswell artistic director Jere Righter.

Ticket buyers will need to have an internet-connected computer with a webcam; phones are not recommended. To get the full experience, guests will want to have a deck of cards and a glass of water handy.

The show is directed by John MacNaughton.

Tickets and more information are available at croswell.org/cocktailcapers
==Photo credit: Dana du Jour Photography

Croswell Opera House cancels remaining summer/early fall musicals – plans outdoor and special events

The Croswell Opera House has announced several changes to its summer and fall schedule due to the ongoing Coronavirus situation. Three previously scheduled shows are being canceled or postponed, and a number of outdoor and online events are taking their place.

The musicals “Holiday Inn,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Cabaret,” which had been scheduled for August, September and October, are coming off of the schedule. 

Instead, the Croswell is planning a variety of outdoor and online events, including:

  • “Every Brilliant Thing,” a one-woman play that was originally scheduled for April. This play will be performed in late July in the Farmers Market Pavilion on Toledo Street.
  • An outdoor concert series in the courtyard behind Adrian City Hall and the Adrian District Library.
  • An online magic show with Stuart MacDonald.
  • An outdoor fall concert with opera singer Leah Crocetto.

All of these events will comply with state and federal guidelines for crowd size and social distancing.

“Even though it’s disappointing to take shows off of our schedule, we’re excited about the things we’re planning instead,” said Jere Righter, the Croswell’s artistic director. “We’ve been getting creative and stretching our brains and coming up with new ways to do things, and I think people will enjoy what’s coming up.”

Even though Michigan’s Coronavirus numbers have improved, Righter said, the Croswell does not feel it would be responsible to plan full-scale musicals inside the theater at this point.

“Michigan has gotten this situation under control better than almost any other state, and we feel good about that,” Righter said. “But we’re not at the next phase of reopening yet, and what’s happening right now in states like Texas and Florida also gives us cause for concern.”

Theaters in southern Michigan still cannot be open, and theaters in northern Michigan are operating at 25 percent of their capacities.

An additional complication is that most Croswell shows rehearse for six to eight weeks, and auditions need to take place about three months before opening night.

“The health of our volunteer performers is our top priority, and we aren’t to a point where we feel we can rehearse safely,” Righter said.

Even if the situation improves by fall, Righter said, the Croswell’s production schedule requires making choices well in advance of planned show dates.

“With so much uncertainty, we can’t afford to start working on these shows knowing there is a strong chance they would get canceled later on,” she said. “Every show is a major investment in both time and money, so we need to make these decisions early.”

The theater is still hoping to present the classic country act Branson on the Road in early November, the musical “A Christmas Story” starting Thanksgiving weekend, and Under the Streetlamp’s “Hip to the Holidays” concert a few days before Christmas.

The Croswell also announced this week that all gift certificates and house credits with a 2020 expiration date will be extended through the end of 2021.People with tickets to “Holiday Inn,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Cabaret” will be contacted by email about their options. Anyone with questions can email tickets@croswell.org or call 517-264-7469 and leave a voicemail.

What’s On? Updated 08/06/20

In these unprecedented times, the Ann Arbor theater circle faces ongoing shutdowns and cancellation of performances and events. Here’s the most updated information I have been able to gather for the immediate Ann Arbor area and surrounding communities. Keep in mind that theaters and other arts organizations depend on donations even when shows are fully open, so needed now more than ever. Consider a donation to your favorite theater group today.

Ann Arbor Civic Theatre — all performances cancelled through March 2021

Michigan Shakespeare Festival – cancelled through summer 2021

Encore Musical Theatre Company – closed until further notice, outdoor concerts TBA

Dio Theatre and Dining – closed until further notice

Theatre Nova – closed until further notice

Dexter Community Players – shows postponed until further notice

Saline Area Players – shows currently postponed

Chelsea Area Players – currently on hold

Penny Seats – moved all shows to 2021 beginning in July

Pinckney Players – closed until further notice

Ann Arbor Musical Theater Works – closed until Fall 2021

Arbor Opera Theater – Currently on hold

Roustabout Theater Troup – Postponed to Fall 2021

Neighborhood Theater Group – all performances postponed

PTD – all shows postponed until 2021

Pointless Brewery and Theatre – stage and taproom closed, occasional curbside pickup

Purple Rose – Closed until further notice

Spotlight Players Canton – Closed until further notice

Croswell Opera House – All summer/fall musicals canceled, special events TBA

CATS is weird, but CATS is CATS, and the dancing is outstanding. And I didn’t hate it.

It’s very rare that I write a review that totally seems to contradict the mainstream movie critics, but this review of CATS is one of them.

Not that it’s a good movie — but it’s a very solid adaptation/interpretation of the stage musical. If you do not love musical theater, then for God’s sake stay away from this Andrew Lloyd Webber atrocity. But if you do love musical theater, and especially if you love dance, you will find very much to admire in this movie – complete with a sure-fire Oscar nomination for Jennifer Hudson, whose “Memory” is simply stunning.

Let me acknowledge up front that I love the stage musical and saw it many times in its original Broadway run, on the West End (faithfully captured for video and streaming at BroadwayHD), the revival with its many UM Musical Theater grads, and on tour. I might have even performed Mungojerrie at one point along the line (evidence is classified). 

The show has always been problematic – but one thing that was never problematic either then or now was that the musical brought dance back to musical theater – something only rare productions (A Chorus Line, 42nd Street) were doing at the time. Then along came CATS with its popular score, and its weird mix of ballet, tap, jazz, modern Broadway dance, with a touch of British music hall thrown in. It was an instant hit and ran for years.

Let me get this out of the way – Tom Hopper was the absolutely wrong choice to direct this movie, though I suppose it would not have gotten the green light if a name like Hopper had not been attached. His use of closeups when we should be in full stage, and weird sweeps toward the performers rather than away from them is distracting and wrong for this script.

And the CGI is distracting and terrible – though not as terrible as in the original teaser trailers. Still, it’s enough that you want to pull your hair out at times. It might have been less eerie if they had costumed most of the cast, rather than putting CGI fur on their entire bodies. Believe me, Robbie Fairchild and Idris Elba would have still looked like hunks even in costumes. 

Sure there is star power — a lot of it — and each gets featured in their own number. Already mentioned are Jennifer Hudson and Idris Elba, but there are empathic Judi Dench and Ian McKellen, pop-centric but fitting right in Taylor Swift, and funny James Cordon and Rebel Wilson — there’s no trick casting here – they are all good in their stereotypical roles, and there are no Les Miserables type embarrassments in the vocal/acting departments. Cats has never been sublte. Why settle for actors that are subtle?

But where the show explodes is in its dance numbers. Robbie Fairchild and Francesca Hayward are ballet dancers that are a joy to watch – Laurie Davidson is great as Mr Mistoffelees, Steven McRae is outstanding doing his tap number for Skimbleshanks. Danny Collins and Naomhi Morgan are great as Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. 

The score is also beautifully reorchestrated and lush. It “sounds” Broadway and less tinny than the original West End arrangements.

Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, In the Heights, Bandstand) takes a look at the original choreograpy and expands it with strong hiphop and ballet woven into its dance tapestry. It just works. 

I suggest we all take a step back and forget about the weird and unnecessary CGI fur and sets, and remember that this is a damn musical about people playing CATS for two hours. Seriously, What do you expect? But let’s not take a step back from something Hopper has well-continued here from the original…you do not forget throughout that these are people doing incredible work – vocally, and particularly in dance. And that is the way this show was designed. You are not supposed to think, for an instant, that these are real cats. And that is where the CGI goes wrong and errs on the “real cats” look. Its a mark of people not believing in their material. 

Hey, really, I would much rather rewatch the stage production on BroadwayHD any day. But I am not going to lambast this work for something some critics are making out to be a disaster.

It is far from a disaster. It’s CATS. Now and forever. (Ugh).