Li Dan

NOW 26 years old, the feline fantasy “Cats” is in town to cheer audiences.

When “Cats” opened on Broadway in 1982, New York Times theater critic Frank Rich predicted that the production would run for a long time. This was, he noted, because it “transports the audience into a complete fantasy world that could only exist in theater.”

Part of the reason is John Napier’s set design that completely transforms the playhouse into a huge junkyard.

This time, director Stephen Morgante has adapted Trevor Nunn’s direction and Gillian Lynne’s original choreography to fit the stage at Poly Theater in Shenzhen and had her skilful performers come down the aisles to shake paws with the audience.

The show will run until Sunday and most of the tickets have been booked, according to Poly.

Here we meet the cutely lazy Jennyanydots (Laura McCulloch), the roly-poly Bustopher Jones (Tony Farrell, who also plays Gus the actor and the pirate cat Growltiger), the clownish Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer (Markham Gannon and Mischana Dellora-Cornish), the villainous Macavity (James Cooper), and the David Bowie of all cats, Rum Tum Tugger (Rohan Browne), sashaying his pelvis to a rock ‘n’ roll number and eliciting the loudest applause in the finale. On a more melancholy note we have Grizzabella, with her faded glamour, singing the musical’s signature hit “Memory” (Francesca Arena gives us a memorable rendition).

Right now, this is the only production of “Cats” available anywhere in the world.

One of the most commonly heard negative comments on the long-running show is that it’s nothing more than “a bunch of cats dancing around.”

To this, Morgante responded: “It wouldn’t be the longest-running musical in the world were it just a bunch of cats dancing around. You wouldn’t realize this until you get into the theater.”

Sure, at least there is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s timeless music inspired by the humorous lines of T. S. Eliot.

The audience has been told to be punctual for the show. Otherwise, they will not be allowed in until 17 minutes after the show begins.

It will be performed in English with Chinese subtitles.