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A Haunting ‘Memory’
ON THE INSIDE The latest happenings in our area Page 2
April 14, 2016
Phoenix Theatrics brings back ‘Cats’
by Caitlin West Staff writer
Phoenix Theatrics will jog your “Memory” of a Broadway phenomenon this month. The Duryea-based theater troupe will present Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic musical Cats on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from April 15 to 24. Tickets for the all-ages show are $12. Lloyd Webber based the groundbreaking 1982 production on a collection of T.S. Eliot poems, “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.” It follows a tribe of felines, the Jellicle Cats, as they decide which of their group will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and receive an additional life, and it produced the hit song “Memory.” The show ran for an unprecedented 7,485 performances on Broadway, a record that stood until 2006, when Lloyd Webber’s other phenomenon, “The Phantom of the Opera,” eclipsed it. Cats won seven Tony awards, for best musical, book of a musical, original score, featured actress in a musical (Betty Buckley), costume design, lighting design and direction of a musical. A revival of the show will open on Broadway this July. Phoenix last presented Cats four years ago, when it sold out four weekends’ worth of shows, including the two weekends it added because of demand. “More and more people wanted to see it because no one tackles it in the area,” director and choreographer Lee LaChette said. She attributed that reluctance to take on the show to its difficult and physically demanding choreography. “These dancers do not leave the stage through the whole show, and it’s just constant dance,” she said. LaChette estimated that the uniqueness of the Cats music, meanwhile, has helped it remain popular decades after its premiere. “The music is so beautifully haunting,” she said. Especially the song ‘Memory.’ Everybody knows it. It’s just so different than any other show, you would say. There’s no lines. It’s just all singing and about every cat in the commu-
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“When they’re not dancing, some of them get to play around in the back and crawl on things and they can just lay there and lick their paws,” she said. In addition to the vigorous dancing, the elaborate makeup that transforms them into cats poses a challenge. LaChette estimated that the cast likely will need to show up three hours before curtain to ensure they get everyone’s makeup done in time. Phoenix also invested in a makeup sprayer that lets them spray paint the base of the face and speed up the process. “And then a lot of the special markings on each cat will have to be done by hand,” LaKegan Lance will play The Magical Mr. Mistoffelees. Chette said. nity. And it’s different.” The “cats” will don unitards the costume This time around, Phoenix’s cast includes designer spray painted and then added fur and Jaidin Broody-Walega, Jade Casella, Walker other accessories tor. Cherry, Katie-Louise Fidiam, Anthony FralPeople have bugged Phoenix since its last licciardi, Amanda Hunisch, Sherry Klaproth, Cats production to put on the show again, LaKegan Lance, Joey Morales, Wendi Newell, Chette said, and ticket reservations have gone Isabella Mehm, Brooke Taylor, Olivia Dobbs, well so far. Hope Kamin, Rya Meeker, Sarah Neel, Emily “We’re hoping for a really good turnout,” she O’Boyle, Abby Pecha, Michala Dennis and Em- said. ily Rowe. Jenn Johnson is the musical director. Visit phoenixpac.vpweb.com for more inforThe cast probably enjoys getting to act like a mation. cat more than anything, LaChette said.