The memory lives on

    Debra Li

    “CATS” has a curious pedigree. Based on a book of poems by U.S.-born, but naturalized British author T.S. Eliot, who wrote about Jellicle Cats as well as Persian, Siamese, Mongolian and other breeds, the show will be staged in Shenzhen later this month. One score and seven years after the original premiered in London, the production comes to Shenzhen, courtesy the Australian troupe The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific.

    The Shenzhen shows promise all that “Cats” is famous for: The melodious music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Eliot’s eloquent and humorous poems and the committed and skillful performances of an international cast.

    The musical is currently in the middle of an Asian tour with stops in seven mainland cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shenzhen.

    “People love this show because it truly represents the spirit of arts, with wonderful music and dances set in a spectacular cat-slum set. They can also relate to it as it reflects the human society, about being judgmental,” said Stephen Morgante, director of the show, during an interview Wednesday in Shenzhen.

    Morgante said audiences at previous stops had embraced the show, which was performed in English with Chinese subtitles, even though some had never watched a musical before.

    “They relate to the show partly because it comprises of acrobatic and ballet elements that are familiar to the Chinese audience. ‘Cats’ is the right way to start their journey into musicals,” he said.

    Comparing the present production to earlier versions, available on DVD, Morgante said this one was of a higher standard as performers’ dancing skills and stage effects had improved immensely over the years. And, nothing is better than watching a highly visual live show in the theater and feeling its atmosphere, he said.

    “Australia is a sporting nation, with fine music colleges to train a pool of young performers who have high energy and are very committed to acting. Aged between 18 and 42, the 29 cast members are from Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Korea, Taiwan and other regions, who have unanimously received trainings in Australia,” the director said.Penny Watts, manager of the company, added that a German production in the 1990s had used many Australian performers as well.

    Rohan Browne (as Rum Tum Tugger) sashaying his pelvis to a rock ’n’ roll number has elicited the loudest applause during the finale at previous shows. Having performed as Alonzo and also worked as the understudy for Tugger in previous tours of “Cats,” the Australian uses his background as a dancer to bring Tugger to life.

    “I feel comfortable in the choreography — the sexy moves and things like that,” said Browne. “Rum Tum is very impulsive, sometimes he does the wrong thing but doesn’t think much about it. Every time this character comes onto the stage, he creates something, disrupting something. Originally, the character was based on Mick Jagger, a kind of loud and obnoxious character. I do that but I also add my interpretation as well.”

    Movie fans may recognize Browne’s nimble steps in “Happy Feet” (2006), as he served as a motion capture performer for the animated film.

    Tony Farrell, who triple-roles as Gus the actor, Bustopher Jones and the pirate cat Growl Tiger, said he tried to create something unique with each of the three roles. Farrell was a police detective before becoming a professional actor only nine years ago. “I build the physicality of these characters first, and then apply the backgrounds,” he said. “As long as I stay true to the text, it becomes quite enjoyable.”

    Korean-born Han Lim (as Old Deuteronomy), second prize winner in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions and winner of the Australian Singing Competition’s Opera Award, has also played leading roles in the operas “Rigoletto,” “Madama Butterfly” and “Carmen.”

    Francesca Arena, of Italian ancestry, will perform the role of Grizabella, singing the musical’s signature hit “Memory,” — with several lines in Chinese to appeal to the local audience. Trained as an opera singer at the Victorian College of Arts and having appeared in operas like “Les Miserables,” Arena is set to impress music fans with her memorable rendition of the song.

    Not meant to be a highbrow musical, “Cats” is powered by a kind of juvenile glee. Its vestige of punk-rock aesthetic is intended as childish and flashy extravaganza. As fun and colorful as the whole thing is, the audience may not laugh during the opera’s sentimental peak, when a platform elevates Grizabella, the chosen cat, to heaven. “Cats” has something in it for everyone: Children are amused by the hilarious performances, and grown-ups are struck by the evocative score and sentimental nostalgia.