Turn your face toward Cockpit in Court…let your memory lead you…open up enter in (to the F. Scott Black Theatre inside the Robert & Eleanor Romadka College Center) you will find there…the meaning of what happiness is… and a new show…will begin. If it was mystical the first time, magical the second, it will certainly be memorable, magnificent— truly Jellicle— the third as Bambi Johnson (who has become synonymous with Andrew Lloyd Webber and T.S. Eliot through the years) brings her sensational production of Cats to the Cockpit in Court mainstage (as their only main stage show) this summer season. Directed and Choreographed by Bambi Johnson, with Musical Direction by Nathan Scavilla, and Stage Managed by Becky Flickinger (filling the role of the oft unsung hero when it comes to stage productions) true wonder, phenomenal magic, and glorious merriment awaits you at the Jellicle Ball this summer season.
Marvelously mystical, the nonsensically gleeful world of T.S. Eliot’s poems about ‘Jellicle Cats’ comes tumbling through every step of this production. Set against the striking score of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s haunting tunes, this production of Cats is sentimental and playful, curious and amusing, comforting and exciting, almost as if the performance itself were attempting to embody the feline spirit of an ‘every-cat’ or an ‘any-cat.’ There are moments of true belly laughter— something one might never think to expect from Cats— as well as impeccably balanced, emotionally charged harmonies and sonorous blends of singing voices, all layered over the intensive, impressive dance-work henceforth known as Bambiography. It’s a remarkable and felicitous two-hours’ stage adventure that lets you explore the world of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats unlike any production ever has before.
Conceptually shifting the traditional alleyway of Cats to the interior of an old abandoned warehouse, or perhaps even an automobile factory assembly line long out of use, Scenographer Sammy Jungwirth and Scenic Artist Theresa Foggo create a visual masterpiece— a true playground— for the performers to enjoy and its as delightful as an audience member to sit back and watch these ‘cats’ play upon it as it is for these performers who are expressively sharing that they’re having the times of their nine lives up on stage. Jungwirth’s set has multiple levels of ‘play’ built into its scenic construct— complete with ‘high-rise’ scaffolding (which is the perfect elevated angle for ‘Starla’ the lyra-hoop cat!)— and all sorts of decorative detritus that engages the imagination. Creeping vine that wends its way along the front lip of the stage creates the illusion that the warehouse-factory has long-since been abandoned and Theresa Foggo’s attention to detail with graffiti tags all throughout the interior reinforce this notion. One of the most ingenious pieces of the set is the garage door at the back, which serves a striking purpose at one particularly touching moment during the show (its surface is also covered in meaningful graffiti) and it perfectly compliments the high-rise windows that loom from the visible edge of the stage’s fly-space against the starlit ‘night sky’ (complete with moon) from the building’s imagined exterior. The set is peppered with little Easter Eggs (as is the entirety of the production both in character choices, Bambiography moves, and other aesthetic components), as is one of many hallmarks of a Bambi Johnson show. Personal favorite being the license plate on the abandoned car (also covered in vine-ivy) which reads EMJ*143.
But the magic of the show has only just begun with the scenography and visual effects conceptualized by Johnson, Jungwirth, and Foggo. Illuminating this theatrical masterpiece is Thomas P. Gardner and there are some truly breathtaking moments of lighting design work firing away from Gardner’s arsenal throughout the production. The strobe-blinking moonlight when it dances across the Jellicle Cats, the dizzying enigma of colorful chaos that erupts during “Magical Mister Mistoffolees”, and the playfully mischievous feline silhouettes that grace the stage at the top of the production are just a few of dozens that are truly impressive. And turn your eyes to either side of the house once the first note of the orchestra drops and you’ll see—instead of the ‘Cockpit in Court’ logo and verbiage projected onto the walls— larger than life, finely articulated Cat gobo-projections. It’s fabulously feral.
Tiffany Lynn Zellner, Lizzie Jaspan, and Tigga Smaller are a trifecta of perfection when it comes to wigs, costumes, and makeup design for Cats. With Zellner matching each of the outrageously styled wigs to the personality of the cat upon whose head they reside, Jaspan finding colors, patterns, and accessories that perfectly pair with these plucky feline personalities, and Smaller hand-designing each face-print-plot for each individual cat— again based on personality type— you have an extraordinary visual cornucopia that plays perfectly into the production. Look at Plato’s whacky, almost Whooville-looking cat wig, it’s the epitome of zany kitten. There’s shimmery pearls dangling from Rumpleteazer’s collar, insinuating that she’s stolen them. And you get saucy smirk lines painted right into Exotica’s makeup plot. This is true for each and every cat— costume, wig, and makeup design, and these three powerhouse women should be thunderously applauded not only for their endeavors and efforts but for their tremendous successes in these fields of design.
There’s so much magic happening in this production— not just with the magical Mister Mistoffolees, though you’ll delight in how immersive that scene gets when that mystical cat starts conjuring kittens— one should consider seeing it twice just to catch all of the innovative moments that Director Bambi Johnson has worked into the performance. The ensemble of 34 come together as one singing, dancing, emoting unit at multiple points throughout the production whilst still maintaining their individuality. There are comic moments, heartfelt moments, truly creative and innovative moments, all of which twine seamlessly into the music and movement of the show. One of the most noteworthy-features of this production is the intrapersonal and dynamic relationships between various cats and groupings of cats— like little mini-clowders inside the main clowder. Keep an eye on Plato (Erin Bourn) and the way she swats like an offended little tween when Gus the theatre cat starts talking about how cats aren’t the way they once were. Bourn’s kitten-cat-Plato also has some delightful nonsense with Rum Tum Tugger, where he tries causing her to faint with that Elvis-inspired pelvic-push-pop, only she doesn’t take the cue the first few times.
There’s also a hilarious moment with the Rumpus Cat (Anthony Case) who ‘misses’ his call to action because he’s seated atop the factory chute/slide grooming himself when Munkustrap and Gus call him to action in the retelling of “Pekes & Pollicles.” It’s hysterical moments like this— and honestly the whole staging and placing of “The Awful Battle of The Pekes and The Pollicles” which features just two cats— Mungojerrie (Austin Barnes) and Carbucketty (Katie Sheldon)— appearing in those zany dog-heads, with utterly confused ‘wait-we-bark?’ bark sounds. It’s charming, cheeky, and just laugh-out-load delightful. The production is littered (hehe) with moments of interconnectivity and cheeky little nods like this all throughout, but if I spent all day telling you about each one, you’d miss your opportunity to go and see them live in action. It’s impossible to summarize the visionary brilliance of what director Bambi Johnson is bringing to this stage; it’s heart, soul, magic, and unadulterated joy, woven together with theatrical glee, passion, and understanding.
There truly aren’t enough words in any dictionary, thesaurus, lexicon, or otherwise that I’ve yet encountered to describe the true astonishing wonderment that is the choreographic sensation that is Bambi Johnson’s “Bambiography.” You get feline-informed movements, seamlessly stitched into earnest dance routines, the result of which is phenomenal choreography that moves in perfect alignment with the live music of the show. There’s a swinging tap routine, complete with flinging trenches, with the cats dressed as day-glow accented beetles during “The Old Gumbie Cat”, there’s gravity-defying flips and acrobatics (featuring the talented Kapone Washington as Tumblebrutus) during “The Jellicle Ball.” There’s lifts, carries, twirls, leaps and jumps, all fabricated together with real feline-style movements (and I have six cats at home, so when I tell you I feel like I’m watching someone taught my actual pets how to dance on stage…) in addition to perfect synchronization not just with the music but with each other. Johnson’s miraculous work is assisted into place for this production by Assistant to the Choreographer Whitney Russell and Dance Captain Katelyn O’Connor
There’s a dance-corps of six featured cats— Pouncival, Jennyanydots, Cassandra, Victoria, Exotica, and Rumpleteazer (Tristin Goodenough, Laura May, Alyssa Bell, Ryann Nicole Reich, Katelyn O’Connor, and Veronica Lane, respectively)— there’s even a sky-bound, lyra-hoop-performing aerial cat called Starla (Ariel Chaillou) who spins in turn and performs hoop tricks high above the factory floor both at the top and close of the show. Johnson’s choreography is a superb match to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music. It’s also an intrinsic narrative feature of Cats as so much of the personalities of each individual feline is derived from their movements and dances. Johnson understands implicitly this lost-language of ‘dancing as a storytelling art’ and infuses character, personality, heart, and narrative into each routine, creating a stunning visual spectacle for the audiences to adore over and over and over. Watching 34 individual cats move in unison with precision-based steps, during full-company numbers is truly breathtaking.
Augmenting the perfection of this feline experience is Musical Director (and at this performance) orchestra pit conductor Nathan Scavilla. When the company sings “The Ad-Dressing of Cats”, it’s spiritual, theatrical rapture that rings in the ear in a way that touches the soul. And you get these glorious sounds all throughout the performance, whether it’s bombastic sensuality bursting out during “Macavity: The Mystery Cat” or playful joviality that flits its way through “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer”, Scavilla brings the voices of this ensemble together in earnest harmonic bliss and ecstasy. The Pit (conducted alternatively by Scavilla and Reenie Codelka) features just seven musicians: Codelka on Keys1, Patty DeLisle on Keys2, Jae Anthonee on Keys3, Jamie Williams on Guitar, Jason Wilson and Matthew Carroll on Bass, and Michael Feathers on Drum and together they create a sound of Broadway caliber. There’s a lot of unique otherworldly space-sounds (generated by what sounds like synthesizer effects) featured in certain moments and Scavilla and the Keys-Crew highlights these moments which adds to the bizarrely beautiful soundtrack that underscores these truly mystifying moments on stage.
If there’s a hitch to this otherwise flawless production, it was the sound balancing on opening night. For as impressive as the sound effects that Toni Oliver (sound design and board op) created— particularly those used to infer the chaotic arrival and subsequent criminal actions of Macavity— were, is as disappointing as it was that Oliver could not manage to appropriately balance, adjust, and control the microphones for the performers. Oliver’s inconsistency is a minor mistake— hopefully one that will be addressed and corrected for the remaining eight performances of Cats— that should not detract from the brilliance and overall intensive efforts that have gone into this production by the entire cast and crew to make it the radiant and resplendent experience that it is.
As a true ensemble these 34 Cats— Michael Shipman, Aaron Knight, Hanna Lyons, Sam Ranocchia, Shannon Lloyd-Ragan, Lizzie Detar, Wayne Ivusich, Katie Sheldon, Alyssa Bell, Anthony Case, Erin McArthur, Emma Hammett, Erin Acerno, Katelyn O’Connor, Anne Acerno, Lisa Pastella, Sara Ulrich Scavilla, Meagan Jenkins, Laura May, Kapone Washington, Aaron Fletcher, Austin Barnes, Jared Shiver, Ryan Garbee, Erin Bourn, Tristin Goodenough, Adam Goldsmith, Veronica Lane, Caitlin McLauchlin, Lizzie Jackson Fleischmann, Ethan Howard, Ariel Chaillou, Lisa Rigsby-Geiger, Ryann Nicole Reich— are the vessels which transport you into this Jellicle world. They are the glamour and glitz, the sequins and splendor of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical marvels, of Bambi Johnson’s visionary direction, and stupendous choreography, and T.S. Eliot’s jaunty little tales; this cast, to put it bluntly— is purrfection. And if I tried to describe each and every magical moment…well, some things are best seen and heard to be truly felt and believed. As an ensemble they perform exquisitely well together, whether singing, dancing, or just being Jellicle.
You get Laura May as the old Gumbie cat, Jennyanydots, who has Norma Desmond/Auntie Mame energy vibing out of her moves and facial expressions all during “The Old Gumbie Cat.” There are delectable moments of blending duet-harmonies between Coricopat (Anthony Case, who doubles up later as the hilarious Rumpus Cat with fire-spin eyes) and Tantomile (Lisa Rigsby-Geiger), when they sing lines to announce the arrival of Old Deuteronomy. Rigsby-Geiger and Case often move in tandem, with gestures and body articulations that signal the arrival of various and sundry, making them fun and curious to watch. There are tender and touching moments— like when Jellylorum (Sara Ulrich Scavilla) starts “Gus: The Theatre Cat” with her dulcet sounds, gently caressing this narrative song to Gus (Sam Ranocchia) whilst simultaneously singing it to the audience and the clowder as they watch in rapt attention. Ranocchia, who does an exceptional job of making the character look feeble and pitiful, really gets a sweet series of sympathy chuckles from the audience when he attempts to meow with the gusto of yesteryore. And keep your eyes sky-bound if you want to catch Starla (Ariel Chaillou), the aerial cat, performing kitty-tricks in her lyra-hoop. You got magical moments from character-cats like Bustopher Jones (Wayne Ivusich) who sings just a wee bit during his own song, but looks every bit the pleased-as-punch feline of the upper echelon, particularly when playing with his oversized dinner fork. Every cat truly does have something spectacular, a little moment inside and outside of these songs and it’s impossible to name each and every one. Simply seeing it (a time or…nine…) is the only way to fully discover all of the wonders each of these 34 extraordinary performers has to offer.
There’s an effervescence to the working dynamic of Mungojerrie (Austin Barnes) and Rumpleteazer (Veronica Lane), particularly during their eponymous duo, where they spend most of the song tumbling about on the stage with all sorts of adorable dance-inspired Cat-crobatics. (Much like Bambiography, Cat-crobatics is a type of acrobatic dance moves specific to the Bambiography-routines of Cats.) Barnes and Lane even adopt quirky British accents when they’re called upon during their song to sing their own names and it adds a layer of giggling good times to the number. What makes their dynamic duo so unique is the interplay between Lane’s Rumpleteazer and Rum Tum Tugger (Adam Goldsmith) and the way Barnes’ has Mungojerrie respond. You get a lot of Lane falling all over herself whenever Tugger’s around, with Barnes mocking her for it, dragging her away, and just eyeing up Tugger with that “mess with my sister and I’m gonna fluff you up” verve. There’s an excellent backing harmony option which allows Barnes to showcase his vocal prowess during “Magical Mister Mistoffolees” as well, which furthers this wild dynamic as this number is sung by Tugger. Goldsmith’s Tugger is channeling that rocker-sex-icon vibe every step of the way. From his eponymous number, which has him bounding out into the house to strut his stuff amongst the audience, through to his moment of brotherly-truce with Munkustrap (a very brief, but strikingly profound moment to watch but don’t blink or you’ll miss it), you get the sense that Goldsmith is enjoying every moment of being a ‘celebri-cat’ with all of that sexed-up charm to splash all over the kitten, cats, and audience. You could honestly watch the entire show just tracking these three characters, their various interactions and solo moments, and have a blast. The truth is that you could really pick any one cat, or set of cats, watch them specifically and have a fulfilling experience as each individual has so much happening for them, even when they’re lazing about in the background.
While every cat in Cats becomes and dancing, moving cat, there are two sensational standout dancers— Victoria (Ryann Nicole Reich) and Exotica (Katelyn O’Connor)— both of whom have exuberant moments in the spotlight which highlight their raw dancing talent and experience. Particularly with O’Connor as she is the first soloist we see at the top of the show, and then later with Reich as she completes a series of duets during the Jellicle Ball that are most memorable. Bambi Johnson sees to it that both Reich’s Victoria and O’Connor’s Exotica are the first true points of contact for the ex-communicated Glamour Cat, Grizabella, and the magical dynamic that creates between those three cats is wondrous strange.
Dancing cats, singing cats— Ethan Howard as Skimbleshanks is both. Fleet of feet and quick of pattering voice during “Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat” you get to see Howard in action, kicking up a jig, flitting to and fro all around the stage, leading a line of cats in a similar dance-series. You get equally enthusiastic movements from Mister Mistoffolees (Aaron Fletcher) during his self-titled number, and honestly watching Fletcher play with the top-hat and the ‘kitten surprise’ is just so joyful it warms the very depths of your heart. And if you want to talk about true movement gold— enter Macavity: Kapone Washington. You’re treated to a taste of Washington’s acrobatic skillset during the Jellicle Ball (when he appears as Tumblebrutus) but the real magnificence of his ferocious stage presence happens when he’s embodying Macavity and doing tumble-dance fight choreography with Austin Barnes’ Mungojerrie and Jared Shiver’s Munkustrap. It’s extraordinary.
A shockingly glorious sound is heard when Old Deuteronomy (Ryan Garbee) sings for the first time after entering to the humbled respect of the entire clowder. While Garbee’s character spends most of the performance seated atop a throne of discarded tires, his voice is one you will remember from the moment you hear it through to the final notes he sings in “The Ad-Dressing of Cats.” Blessed with an equally angelic voice, which is featured throughout various musical numbers including “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer” is Griddlebone (Anne Acerno.) Acerno’s celestial soprano sound is a glorious addition to the songs where she is featured. With a softened charisma, Munkustrap (Jared Shiver) leads the clowder through a many number, fully-voiced and exquisitely aware of his commanding stage presence. One of Shiver’s finest moments is the humbling bow he presents during “The Journey to the Heaviside Layer.”
If you want dynamic bombacity, explosive eroticism, and fantastical voices, look no further than Bombalurina (Lizzie Detar) and Demeter (Erin McArthur.) The pair are vocally twinning from jump street and are lighting up the stage like a triple threat grenade. Sassy and seductive, sensual and superb, Detar and McArthur make their marks when they blast their way through “Macavity: The Mystery Cat” though both can be heard at intervals throughout the performance both before and after that big number. The smoldering smoky jazz effect that Detar lends to Bombalurina is the perfect compliment to the brassy edge and sassy nature that McArthur brings to the feline playground. It’s exceptional beyond compare.
Haunting in her featured solo, Jemima (Meagan Jenkins) primes the audience for the musical’s most memorable number, “Memory.” Jenkins lends her sweet voice both the start of that number and “The Moment of Happiness,” where she’s paired vocally opposite Old Deuteronomy. The sounds are sublime. All paving the way for the beltress, soul-searing sounds of Grizabella (Lisa Pastella) who is belting her heart out during “Memory” and pouring her wounded soul into “Grizabella: The Glamour Cat.” Watching Pastella skittish skirt her way around the clowder, looking half-lost, half-confused, and all-rejected is truly heartbreaking. Pastella so wholly embodies these character choices that the ending becomes such a powerful moment, it brings you to tears.
Magic and wonder do not begin to describe the feelings that you will take away with you once you’ve come to the Jellicle Ball. Bambi Johnson, her tremendously talented cast, her stupendously innovative crew and design team, and her nurturing, extraordinary and visionary brilliance will make Cats one of the most spectacular theatrical experiences of the 2024 season. You’ll need several visits to the Jellicle Ball to catch all of the wonders waiting inside. It is theatre at its absolute finest and not to be missed this summer season.
Cats plays July 19th 2024 through August 4th 2024 in the F. Scott Black Theatre of The Robert and Eleanor Romadka College Center at the Community College of Baltimore County Essex Campus— 7201 Rossville Boulevard, Essex MD. For tickets call the box office at (443) 840-2787 or purchase them online.
To read the Local Limelight Feature Interview with Bambi Johnson, click here.
Follow along in the “Return to the Jellicle Ball” Series here:
