Calling itself "the only production in North America" (!), the musical Cats lives up to its motto of "now and forever" with yet another appearance in Milwaukee. Like Grizabella, the Glamour Cat, this production has seen better days. Sets and costumes have been so scaled back from earlier tours that they merely suggest the majesty of what Cats once was. The acting troupe, too, has changed for the worse. Performers have gotten younger (if that's possible). Many members of the ensemble list cruise-ship credits and roles in regional theater productions, not Broadway ones. It shows. This cast has the energy, but not the expertise, to pull off a captivating evening of theater. Many are adequate, but some key roles aren't what they should be.
Rum Tum Tugger (Brian Gallagher) is more of a pussycat than a stud. Also, Gallagher opts for an odd dialect that prevents the audience from understanding a word of his dialogue. He doesn't even have the tough-guy moves down pat. Another disappointing character is Grizabella (Anne Brummel). Although she has the singing chops to belt out "Memory," she in no way replaces this reviewer's memory of Betty Buckley in the Broadway cast. Brummel affects a well-defined limp, which makes each step seem to be her last. Even her costume makes her look ratty (pun intended).
On the positive side, Martin C. Hurt charms as the masterful Old Deuteronomy, and Steven C. Rich evokes the plaintive side of Growltiger as well as Bustopher Jones. The audience-pleasing Mr. Mistoffelees (Shane Hall) ably conjures his magic -- although the scale of the magic tricks have been noticeably downscaled.
