Cats: The Musical
Apr. 8th, 2006 08:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
winterI saw the Warsaw production of Cats for the second time yesterday and got the album, so I guess I'm now qualified to do a halfway coherent write-up. It's mostly for my own reference as well as for any Poles who want to maybe go see Cats at Roma Theatre - an action that I recommend.
The first adjective that everyone uses to describe the Warsaw production is "professional". Everything works - not one hair out of place, not one moment unchoreographed, not one prop not crafted with meticulous perfection. With such a large cast (and a full dozen of original cats), it's a wonder to watch.
Visually, it's beautiful. The props are a little surreal, like something from Alice in Wonderland. All the costumes are original creations made from old furs that fans brought to the theatre (look how pretty it all turned out!). The cast took lessons from animal behavioural specialists and from actual cats from a humane society, and it shows in how feline their moves are. There's a playfulness to everyone that makes this show a lot of fun. And dangerous to your belongings if you're sitting in a cat-accessible chair ;)
The Polish translation is very good. A lot of the details are made local, like Bustopher mentioning Warsaw restaurants or Gus's most memorable role being the cat Behemot (Bulgakov's Master and Margarita = best book ever, as I may have mentioned before). About the only problem one might have with it is the translation of the actual cats' names, but I think that works, too - not just Nestor instead of Old Deuteronomy and Makiawel instead of Macavity (because your general Polish viewer will not be familiar with the English connotations, while he can be counted on to have heard of Nestor and Machiavelli), but also things like Growltiger and Griddlebones becoming Karmazyn and Angelica. Okay, I might be biased there, but Burt Reynolds as the Crimson Pirate gets shown every year like clockwork.
Between the live shows and the album, I think I can essay a critique of the Warsaw vocal and dance talent. All I can say is that if you're planning to attend the show, choose one where Tomasz Wiecek sings Myszolap (Munkustrap). He's got a very nice voice, smooth and slightly hypnotic, and good stage presence. Damian Aleksander, on the other hand, while more famous, simply doesn't have the high notes. Flattest Munkus I ever heard. Other must-see highlights include the world-class operatic baritone Zbigniew Macias as Nestor (Old Deuteronomy), Tomasz Steciuk as a very lyrical Gus and Jakub Szydlowski as a wonderfully playful Ram Tam Tamek (Rum Tum Tugger). Podgórski is the alternate Tugger on the CD, and while he's not wrong, I don't think he has the spark. (Podgórski would be the Other Guy Who Plays Krolock, and has earned my entirely undeserved hate just because of the times he got in the way of me seeing Dziedzic, or as![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fyrie calls him, The Pretty.)
Dance-wise, Jakub Józwiak is outstanding as Mefistofeliks (Mistophelees) - that guy jumps around like he's got bloody spings in his heels. Just... bounce, bounce, bounce, all over the stage. Kittenish cuteness personified. All the rest are solid dancers as well, though there's a clear division into dancers and singers, except for the rather lovely Mungojerrie, who's mime-trained and does both :>
Comparing it to the DVD and productions I've seen described, I rather like the way our production structures the Jellicle society. There's very good interplay between Munkus and Tugger, and Munkus in particular is very stern, but with moments of dry wit. Victoria has the cutest puppy crush on him. Misto works as the sentry and magical officer of the Jellicle leadership (Munkus, Alonzo and Bombalurina), while the Great Rumpus Cat is the muscle. Other interesting tidbits include the fact both the Great Rumpus Cat and Mungojerrie are throwing themselves shamelessly at Tugger *cue slashy snickers*
I think the weakest point of the Warsaw Cats is that, well, it's Cats, and doesn't have much in the way of an engaging plot. But still, I can think of few better ways to spend an evening in Warsaw, and most of them would include vampires anyway ;)
The best songs off the album (.wma):
Jakub Szydlowski - Ram Tam Tamek (Rum Tum Tugger)
Tomasz Steciuk, Anna Sztejner - Gus Kot Teatralny (Gus the Theatre Cat)
Zbigniew Macias - Przeslanie (The Ad-dressing of Cats)
The first adjective that everyone uses to describe the Warsaw production is "professional". Everything works - not one hair out of place, not one moment unchoreographed, not one prop not crafted with meticulous perfection. With such a large cast (and a full dozen of original cats), it's a wonder to watch.
Visually, it's beautiful. The props are a little surreal, like something from Alice in Wonderland. All the costumes are original creations made from old furs that fans brought to the theatre (look how pretty it all turned out!). The cast took lessons from animal behavioural specialists and from actual cats from a humane society, and it shows in how feline their moves are. There's a playfulness to everyone that makes this show a lot of fun. And dangerous to your belongings if you're sitting in a cat-accessible chair ;)
The Polish translation is very good. A lot of the details are made local, like Bustopher mentioning Warsaw restaurants or Gus's most memorable role being the cat Behemot (Bulgakov's Master and Margarita = best book ever, as I may have mentioned before). About the only problem one might have with it is the translation of the actual cats' names, but I think that works, too - not just Nestor instead of Old Deuteronomy and Makiawel instead of Macavity (because your general Polish viewer will not be familiar with the English connotations, while he can be counted on to have heard of Nestor and Machiavelli), but also things like Growltiger and Griddlebones becoming Karmazyn and Angelica. Okay, I might be biased there, but Burt Reynolds as the Crimson Pirate gets shown every year like clockwork.
Between the live shows and the album, I think I can essay a critique of the Warsaw vocal and dance talent. All I can say is that if you're planning to attend the show, choose one where Tomasz Wiecek sings Myszolap (Munkustrap). He's got a very nice voice, smooth and slightly hypnotic, and good stage presence. Damian Aleksander, on the other hand, while more famous, simply doesn't have the high notes. Flattest Munkus I ever heard. Other must-see highlights include the world-class operatic baritone Zbigniew Macias as Nestor (Old Deuteronomy), Tomasz Steciuk as a very lyrical Gus and Jakub Szydlowski as a wonderfully playful Ram Tam Tamek (Rum Tum Tugger). Podgórski is the alternate Tugger on the CD, and while he's not wrong, I don't think he has the spark. (Podgórski would be the Other Guy Who Plays Krolock, and has earned my entirely undeserved hate just because of the times he got in the way of me seeing Dziedzic, or as
fyrie calls him, The Pretty.)Dance-wise, Jakub Józwiak is outstanding as Mefistofeliks (Mistophelees) - that guy jumps around like he's got bloody spings in his heels. Just... bounce, bounce, bounce, all over the stage. Kittenish cuteness personified. All the rest are solid dancers as well, though there's a clear division into dancers and singers, except for the rather lovely Mungojerrie, who's mime-trained and does both :>
Comparing it to the DVD and productions I've seen described, I rather like the way our production structures the Jellicle society. There's very good interplay between Munkus and Tugger, and Munkus in particular is very stern, but with moments of dry wit. Victoria has the cutest puppy crush on him. Misto works as the sentry and magical officer of the Jellicle leadership (Munkus, Alonzo and Bombalurina), while the Great Rumpus Cat is the muscle. Other interesting tidbits include the fact both the Great Rumpus Cat and Mungojerrie are throwing themselves shamelessly at Tugger *cue slashy snickers*
I think the weakest point of the Warsaw Cats is that, well, it's Cats, and doesn't have much in the way of an engaging plot. But still, I can think of few better ways to spend an evening in Warsaw, and most of them would include vampires anyway ;)
The best songs off the album (.wma):
Jakub Szydlowski - Ram Tam Tamek (Rum Tum Tugger)
Tomasz Steciuk, Anna Sztejner - Gus Kot Teatralny (Gus the Theatre Cat)
Zbigniew Macias - Przeslanie (The Ad-dressing of Cats)
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