Cats - VAPA
Directed by Kevin Landis with musical direction by Solveig Olsen and choreography by Tiffany Tinsley-Weeks; written by Andrew Lloyd Weber.
Thursday, March 14 - Sunday, March 24, 2024
Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 4:00 p.m.
In 1981 at the New London Theatre, a musical based on a little book of poems by T.S. Eliot, changed the theatre world. Cats played there for twenty-one years and became the definition of a mega-musical. From Mister Mistoffelees, to the Jellicle Ball to the plaintive call of Memory, the Andrew Lloyd Webber epic shattered all Broadway records, as well. For good reason. Cats is far more than just a whimsical tale about alley cats. It’s a human story of love, pain, growth, aging, and redemption. And the music is pure magic.
Our Cats is influenced by its surreal undercurrents, and by the glorious magical realism of mid-century visual artists. In a troubling time, we approach Cats with hope and love; from the proposition that optimism and goodness will overcome, where grief can be met with compassion and healing, and where people of all ages can transform, grow and transition to their own Heavyside Layer.
*UCCS students and VAPA faculty & staff receive free admission. Contact the Box Office with your student ID number handy to receive your complimentary ticket.
Cast
Ellie Myers (Grizabella)
Kyle Holcomb (Munkustrap)
Matt Phillips (Rum Tum Tugger)
Kaley Corinaldi (Jennyanydots)
Ava Grace Merchant (Bombalurina)
Michaela Wojcik (Demeter)
Malachi Page (Skimbleshanks)
Eli Gleason (Mr. Mistoffelees)
Sophia Agupugo (Jellylorum)
Andres Jones (Mungojerrie)
Jean Blackman Harlow (Rumpleteazer)
Victoria Smith (Jemima)
Elijah Field (Bustopher Jones)
Kyra Riley (Macavity)
Weston Buhr (Growltiger)
Darius Minniefield (Alonzo)
Anthony Turner (Carbuckety)
Hannah Rubidoux (Electra)
Robert Rais (Gus)
Solveig Olsen (Old Deuteronomy)
Karen Anderson
Creative Team
Kevin Landis |
Director |
Solveig Olsen |
Musical Director |
Tiffany Tinsley-Weeks |
Choreographer |
Jon Forshee |
Orchestra Conductor |
Mickey Burdick |
Set Designer |
Vance McKenzie |
Lighting Designer |
Amaya Egusquiza |
Costume Designer |
Evan Hooton |
Sound Designer |
Midge Glidewell |
Stage Manager |
Join the Conversation
Prologue
Saturday, March 16th, 2024 - 6:00 p.m.
LaChanze: Cats, Into the Woods and the magic of Broadway
Register for free here.
Prologue with LaChanze: Cats, Into the Woods and the magic of Broadway
It is Musical March and the Ent Center plays host to two legendary Broadway shows. There is perhaps no one better to talk about adaptations and the contemporary American musical, than acting and producing star, LaChanze.
A fixture at the Tony Awards, LaChanze won the Tony for her lead role in The Color Purple, and for producing of Topdog/Underdog and Kimberly Akimbo. With acting credits in Once on this Island, Dreamgirls, Ragtime, The Wiz, If/Then and Trouble in Mind, and producing credits such as Here Lies Love and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, LaChanze is a bonafide Broadway legend. We are so lucky to have her in Colorado.
Dr. Kevin Landis curates both national conversations about the theatre and discussions of the productions, before Theatreworks and UCCS Theatre & Dance first Sunday performances, as well as select dates throughout the year.
