Sunday, May 27, 2007

Musical Review: Cats

Two years ago, I told my daughter that she had a surprise. She dressed up in a nice outfit and we drove over to one of the Aladdin Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. We walked around the retail area and grabbed something quick to eat. She kept asking, where are we going, what is my surprise, but I stayed quiet. We went into the theater and it wasn't until she sat down and I handed her the program that she knew what she was going to see. She squealed. The people around us smiled at her. She had seen the play on television but had never been to a play before.

She was enthralled from the first moment the music started until it ended. It was amazing to watch her sit on the edge of her seat and sit quietly the whole time, which is very rare. She cried during some parts and enjoyed the entire show.

The costumes were amazing. They were made up to look like different cats, obviously, but the workmanship and style that went into each one was phenomenal. The style of each cat fit each actor's personality perfectly. I never knew that cats had so many different personalities.

The stage was designed to look like an old junk yard with rock and boulders for the cats to climb into different areas. With the lighting and work on the special effects you couldn't tell that the yard wasn't real.

But it was the music that put the play over the top. Anyone who has seen the play can tell you that it is the music of this play that makes it the star it is. From Memory to The Naming of Cats, they are songs that will touch your heart and live in your minds forever.

If you haven't seen Cats, I would recommend this for anyone, young or old, male or female. It is a wonderful play for anyone in the family.