'CATS' Preview: Does the movie adaptation merit as much hype as its Broadway original?
Andrew Lloyd Webber is a name that has become synonymous with award-winning theatrical works like 'Phantom of The Opera', 'Evita', or 'Cats' and much more. After 38 years, his longest-running musical 'Cats' will be making its way to the screen in a movie adaptation.
And yes, it seems to have garnered more fan following than its original one. The musical has remained an iconic work of Webber and took people off their feet, year after year, making it nostalgic for those who love the stage.
For those of you who have seen the Broadway or the West End original would know what we are talking about. And for those who haven't, here's a little background.
In 1939, TS Elliot published a book of poems, 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats' that captured the characteristics and antics of our feline friends and illustrated a bunch of fictional cats.
The book became extremely popular, not only among cat lovers but also those who loved a little quirky animal humor. Inspired by the book, Webber took the characters to create one of the best plays 'Cats', which followed the tribe of 'Jellicle Cats' and the journey of one of them to 'cat heaven'.
The play opened in West End in 1981, and was then taken to Broadway in 1982, where it ran for decades.
Now that the same experience is being replicated for the screen, there is an obvious hype among people. The new generation audience who have not been privy to the Broadway musical are eyeing the movie for its sheer history.
And those who have had the stage experience want to see what and how the reel version will justify its original. However, the fact still remains that the movie is already being raved about and anticipated to be at par or even better than the musical.
That is where we wonder if this buildup is all making sense or not. Don't get us wrong, we absolutely love the Broadway play.
It's extremely creative and 'catty' (if we should say it), beautifully choreographed, brilliantly enacted, and is just about right to create an ambiance of the world of felines. But can the screen adaptation do enough justice?
When the musical was taken to the stage, it took the audience by surprise with its concept, production value, and excellent compositions. After 38 years, the novelty factor of the story is not there anymore.
One might argue that plays are and have been often adapted for the reel. But we have a belief (which stems from observations) that what you can do on stage, cannot be done for the screen.
While one might emulate every little nuance of the characters, set, art direction, etc. of the stage production and take it a few steps above and beyond on camera, it can never do justice to what one sees live.
And as we always say, what looks good on stage might not necessarily look good on screen.
One needs to understand how Webber's creations work. They aren't just plays; they are events, each a gala one, in their own rights. The 'Cats' musical is visually stunning; dark, vague, mysterious, filled with formless shadows, and groundbreaking musical compositions.
We do understand why you would want to just free up your Friday night and catch the movie. After all, the legendary composer and impresario of musical theater, Webber has a huge repertoire of creating, producing, and directing some of the best award-winning stage productions of our times.
The movie adaptation has equally vibrant art, colorful and elaborate backgrounds, and an ensemble cast that one would die to see in the same frame. But again, if you pause and watch the Broadway rendition then you might have similar views as we are having at the moment.
So, we leave you with the question that burns more as the release date nears — is the movie worth the hype it has gathered, simply because it's a rendition of a legendary play?
'Cats' releases in theaters on Friday, December 20, 2019.