Musical fun

It seemed for a while that I was running from one musical event to another. Last month I saw Chicago with the Scientist and his mum. We booked tickets for a matinee session, which allowed us to leave the boys at home without any worry. We really enjoyed the performance, which included Caroline O’Connor, Craig McLachlan, Sharon Millerchip and Colleen Hewett…all big names on the theater circuit in Australia. I’d been to see Phantom of the Opera a year to the day earlier and was left with the desire to see more. This production was quite different to the lavish Phantom, filled with gorgeous sets and magical scene changes. Chicago was quite minimal by comparision and consisted of a background highlighting the band with minimal props for the actors at the front of the stage. It worked quite nicely and the actors were excellent. It was fortunate that most of the action occurred at the front of the stage because we were to the far right end of the fourth row, which made it impossible to see part of the band from my seat. I again was left with a very favorable impression of the musical theater.

It just happens that the production of Cats was announced not long after Chicago. The friend who accompanied me to see Phantom last year was also interested in seeing Cats so we booked tickets. This is quite unusual around here because we get about one big production a year in Perth. Interestingly, Mama Mia will follow not long after Cats…So it’s been a busy year for Perth musical theater.

Anyway, my friend had a new job set to start on the 12th and the production started playing on the 11th. So our tickets were for the opening performance which was again a matinee session. The week before I watched the dvd of the London production so that I’d have an idea of what it was all about. I’d gotten a bit worried while watching the dvd because there really isn’t much story until well into the production and I wasn’t really quite getting what it was all about. It did improve in the latter part and I felt it should be an interesting show. I will point out the dvd was filmed without an audience, which is an extremely important factor for this show.

Anyway, we arrived early and had lunch in a nearby restaurant before going into the theater. For the two previous productions I’d seen in this theater, there was a lockout with nobody allowed in once the show had begun. I’d not heard anything for this show and it soon became apparent why this was so. The “cats” mostly entered from the back of the theater, stopping and scratching members of the audience and they made their way to the stage. I happened to be seated at the end of the row so was a lucky recipient of feline scratching with slight surprise. The stage sets were more elaborate than Chicago but far simpler than Phantom. Most of the action occurred in the same scene, though, so this wasn’t too surprising in the end. The ‘cats” returned to the audience at various points in the show and again entered the theater from the back after the intermission. The audience was still settling in and had not quieted down just yet. I was pawed this time around and we watched as another “cat” went up to a woman a few rows ahead. She was several seats in, and had her back turned to the aisle while she was talking with a companion. When the cat scratched her, she nearly jumped out of her skin and shouted out before realising what was happening. Then she joined in the laughter of all around her. I thought the show was quite good when it included the interaction with the “cats”. The Scientist had warned they would move about the audience but he was under the impression this occurred mostly near the front of the theater. We were seated fairly close to the back this time but I find it afforded us the chance to see far more of the action than if we had been near the stage. While I enjoyed the performance quite well, I don’t think my friend liked it as well as Phantom.

Reflecting on the dvd, I think it was quite flat as compared to the live performance. The lack of an audience just seemed to leave a lot out. Also, I am almost certain there was a whole sequence of scenes not included on the dvd because I had no recollection on them at the show.

There won’t be any more musicals for me in the near future as I’ve got some big plans that have required significant monetary outlay. So Mama Mia and any other shows will be missed this time around.