CATS Now and Forever: Live in Manila!

CEBU, Philippines - The last time I watched a performance at the Nicanor  Abelardo Theatre of the Cultural Center of the Philippines  (CCP) was about two years ago, for a show on Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Tony-award winning actress Lea Salonga played the lead role, and since she is a perennial favorite of mine, as usual, she did not disappoint in that performance. I recently got the chance to be entertained by Lea all over again when I received a gracious invitation from one of my oldest friends, Laurinda Rogero, and her brother Lawrence. They are both lawyers, with Lau working for Cebu-based ACCRA law firm, while Lawrence is based in Indonesia as one of the top lawyers for the multinational, Acuatico.

Apparently, Citi Cards has brought CATS Now and Forever, the second longest running Broadway musical of all time, to Manila. An award-winning musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and originally directed by Trevor Nunn, CATS is based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by the well-known poet T. S. Eliot. The show has been performed around the world in numerous productions and has been translated into more than 20 languages.

Thus, Lawrence bought tickets for a matinee show last July 31, for six of us from Cebu, and himself flying in from Indonesia. A wonderful treat for our group was that we were ushered to the best seats in the house – the first row, where we were practically just inches away from the stage! Throughout the two-hour performance, we were smiling and interacting with the Jellicle cats (the breed of cats in the musical), who were quite playful and feline at the same time. They would step down from the stage to mingle with the audience, asking some of us to sing and dance with them. We also were quite impressed with the authentic stage set, fashioned as one big sidewalk rubbish dump, three times larger than life, as the Jellicle cats’ playground. Huge milk boxes, extra large shoes, giant-sized tires, and discarded kitchen equipment were strewn all over the place as “toys” for the cats. There were also several life-sized tunnels where the cats would appear and disappear into, much to our enjoyment!

The play centers on the night of the annual Jellicle Ball where the cats’ leader, Old Deuteronomy, will announce the name of the cat that will be reborn to a new life in the Heavyside Layer. The announcement takes place just before dawn. While they wait, the cats amuse themselves (and the rest of us!) with stories of famous cats of past and present. Dawn comes, and Old Deuteronomy gathers the cats together for his announcement of the cat to be reborn – Grizabella, poignantly played by Lea Salonga. Grizabella is a former Glamour Cat who has lost her clout and sparkle, and now only seeks to be accepted by the Jellicle Cats. Towards the end of the musical, she has accomplished her wish, as she has been restored by Old Deuteronomy into her former glory, and given a chance to shine once again. What we took note of was that Lea’s voice was as strong and powerful as ever, clearly belting out all-time crowd favorites such as the song Memory. Of course, adding spice and flavor to the show was the remarkable song and dance performances of the international cast coming primarily from Australia and the UK, all creatively dressed up in colorful cat outfits made up of printed tights and leotards reminiscent of the 80s, along with matching make-up and head gear.

We left the CCP truly inspired by such a rousing performance, and we all agreed the cast and crew of this particular CATS show deserved every accolade and standing ovation sent their way. Bravo! 

CATS Now and Forever runs from July 24, 2010 to August 22, 2010 at the CCP in Manila. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.ticketworld.com.ph/events/cats.asp or call (+63 2) 891-9999 for more details and information. ?