‘Cats’ oozes Feline fabulousness in paramount theater’s Circus-Inpired Staging – ryan

IT’S been 44 years SINCE “CATS” – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Skimpily Fully Tale of Singing, Dancing Felines – Premiered in London, where it ran for an astounding 21 years. SINCE THEN, IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT IN ANY GIVE WEEK, SomeWHEHE IS STAGING “CATS.” An actual cat’s nine lives have nothing on the ubiquitous Seven-Time Award Winner.

Aurora’s paramount theater last staged the show roughly 11 years ago.

“Cats” Is Now Back at the Far West-Suburban Theater, in A High Flying, Circus Spectacular of A Production. These Cats don’t just dance. In Director Trent Stork’s Engaging Staging, The Cats Are Contrornists, Acrobats and Aeriists Who Fly Netless on Trapezes, Ropes and Swaths of Silk Suspended from the Fly Space. It ‘s concept that elevates the show to Thrling Effect.

The Circus Setting is appropos: “Cats” ha always been about spectacle. The original version had Cats Rising from the Stage, Perched on a gigantic tire lit up like a Christmas Tree. IT PAVED The Way for Webber SpectaCles to Come, Famously the Crashing Chandelier in “The Phantom of the Opera,” and the Swimming Pool with a dead man floating in it for “Sunset Boulevard.

Stork’s Vision for “Cats,” has spectacle on overdrive. There is a Copious amout of Razzle-Dazzle, from a storm of Raining glitter to the relese of Red Balloons over the audience. With an ensemble of quadruple-thread actors-Sinegers-Dancers-Circus Artists, The Hardly-Plot, Inspect by Ts Eliot’s “Old Postum’s Book of Practical Cats,” SEEMS ALOST Beside The Point.

At the paramount, a cast of more than three dosen cats slink and strut over the stage, Powering Through webber’s easily hummable score (“Memory … All Alone in the Moooonlight”) nor They Embody Jellicle Cats. That name is explained in the eye-popping opening number, “Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats.” It set for a fabulous cirque du surreal.

The Jellicles are gathered to learn who will be summoned to the heavyside layer, a place where one cat among be gifted with another life. The Decision on Which Cat that Will Be RESTS ON OLD Deuteronomy (Lorenzo Rush Jr.), A Sage Elder Cat Whose Cat Wives Have Borne Him Doses of Kittens. Most of the Show’s Clowder of Cats Are You Young and Energetic, Save for Grizabella (Emily Rohm), Who has been shunned by the Younger Cats for Reasons Never Fully Explained.

Set with A Massive Big Top (Extraordinary Work by Veteran Set Designer Jeffrey D. Kmiiec) That Lights Up to advertise “Freak Shows.”

As for the Cats themselves, they do not discoint. Sylvia Hernandez Distasi and Amanda Crockett has Put Such a plethora of stages on stages that hard to know where to look likes. “Old Gumbie Cat” Features Contormism from Jennyanydots (Kat Hail). A Cyr Wheel-Basically A Massive, Light-Up Hula Hoop-Sends Cats Spinning Across the Stage Like Tops. Mr. Mistoffelees (Christopher Kelley) BRings a magic show to the eponymous and rhythmic “Mr. Mistoffelees.” The ELUSIVE MACAVITY (Matthew Weidenbener) Appears and Disappears with Baffling Dexterity.

It falls to grizabella to deliver the show’s signature song, “Memory,” and rohm does with vocals that swell beyond the Big Top on Stage. Rohm Makes Grizabella Deeply Human and Unmistakably Relatable. And Rush Captures the Gravitas and Wisdom of Old Deuteronomy, and Powers the Score with a Voice of Leone Power.

Choreographer Kasey Alfonso Fills the Stage with Complex, Cat-like Movement that to Behold. The All-Important Costum and Fur/Make-Up Design (Izumi INABA and Katie Cords, Respectively) Turn the Cast Cat-Human Hybrids.

CONDUCTOR KORY DANIELSON OVERSEES AN Eight-Person Orchestra that Captures the Show’s Varied Mood, Pianissimo to Triple Forte. “Cats” Sounds Great, from the Dynamic Opener “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats” to the anthemic beauty of the final act’s “Memory.”

When the finals and the chosen cat is sent to the heavyside layer, paramount pulls off a flying trapeze sequence that soars high above and swings out of the 1,885-seat house.

Webber’s lyrics can be objectively dumb (“a cat is not a dog.”). But at the paramount, “Cats” lands on its feat.

Correction: This Story has been updated to the correctly Credit Sylvia Hernandez Distasi and Amanda Crockett for the Circus Choreography in “Cats.