Previews: CATS at Starring Buffalo At Shea’s 710 Theatre

CATS…Now and Forever. That catchphrase of marketing served the blockbuster Broadway musical well. The show ran for over 18 years, and although often maligned, it is indelibly chiseled into the canon of classic musicals. It introduced countless tourists to an immersive theatrical experience, never seen before. In 1982 the Winter Garden Theatre was literally transformed into a larger than life sized back alley, with actors dressed as cats crawling through the audience and climbing across the mezzanine rails. The hit song “Memory” earned Betty Buckley a TONY Award for her portrayal of Grizabella, and Andrew Lloyd Webber cemented his role as blockbuster composer. He was fresh off of the success of EVITA and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA would be his next huge hit.

Based on the poems of T.S.Eliot, CATS will be presented by Starring Buffalo at Shea’s 710 Theatre for four performances. In their now  established signature style of a semi staged concert,  a cast of seasoned Broadway actors will join a bevy of Buffalo’s own, along with a large chorus and orchestra. 

Major Attaway is traveling to Buffalo to play Old Deuteronomy, taking a brief hiatus next week from the Broadway production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, where he plays the man eating plant AUDREY II. Attaway has the distinction of playing the longest running Genie in the Broadway production of ALADDIN. The Texas born actor started his acting training at age 12, attending an Applied Learning Academy that allowed him to learn and act alongside professionals at that young age. He went on to study voice in multiple styles, from his time in Gospel Choirs, The Texas Boys Choir, and musical theatre at the conservatory program of the Chicago College of Performing Arts. Attaway states “ Working at places like Texas’ Casa Manana Theatre and then Jubilee Theatre allowed me to do classics, as well as reimagined classics worked for the African-American palate. I was working on original musicals at the age of 16!”

His deep resonant voice serves him well on stage, as well as having a career in voice acting and anime. While Attaway is never seen on stage in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, he came to the realization that he is in “a unique situation doing a live voice over performance every day.”

Alyssa Fox stars as Grizabella, the glamour cat. Fox’s considerable Broadway  and National Tour credits include Elphaba in  WICKED and Elsa in Disney’s FROZEN.

Buffalo based actor Charmagne Chi is thrilled to be joining the cast of this musical she has loved her entire life. Certain that she knows the entire score by heart, Chi will be playing multiple roles and singing Jennyanydots.

Chi was trained as a dancer and went on to study theatre and SUNY Fredonia. She was a cast member of Starring Buffalo’s first ever production, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.

Familiar with the quick rehearsal process, Chi states she “thrives on challenging myself and working hard, working a different part of your creativity when you’re thrown into it.” Buffalo audiences have been captivated by her work and the boundaries she has been breaking in gender blind casting. Chi loves playing male characters, and finds the switching of genders allows audiences to examine pieces in a new light. “It’s a way  to laugh at misogynistic men, when the lines are said by a woman, and it’s fun and empowering to be my own oppressor,” said Chi.

In conversation with Starring Buffalo’s Artistic Director, Drew Fornarola, it struck  me that listening to the CATS score, being sung without the distractions of busy costumes and make up really allows you to appreciate TS Eliot’s words, like a cantata. I asked him why he thought there will be a newfound love for this piece?

Fornarola states, “CATS was recently reimagined downtown in NYC as a drag show (CATS: JELLICLE BALL),  it has held up in cabaret performances, and it has worked on cruise ships.  I was in Moscow once and saw a production in Russian - I understood about 10 words of it but it was still effective.  I think the variety of ways the material can be presented speaks to how really good both the words and music are, and we're excited to put our unique spin on it.”

This is the first time a visiting artist includes a primary dancer. Tell me about that:

“Ashlyn Fenn is a unique talent.  She's not only a world class dancer and singer, but she's also a CATS veteran, having toured the country with the show recently.  We're thrilled to bring her to Buffalo not only to see her perform, but also for her expertise and mentorship of the professional and student dancers she will be working with.  For the first time ever, we also have some outstanding area high school dancers performing with our ensemble as well.”

Matthew Marco is joining for his first SB production as Musical Director/Conductor. Matthew is also the artistic director of Buffalo Opera Unlimited. Fornarola says “we will benefit from his opera expertise given the density of the choral writing in Andrew Lloyd Webber's score for CATS. Marco conducts the 11 piece orchestra.”

The Buffalo stars include  Anne DeFazio, David P. Eve, Alex Anthony Garcia, Jetaun Louie, Vinny Murphy, Maria Pedro, and Dan Urtz. Artistic director Drew Fornarola directs and choreography is by Jeanne Fornarola. Emily Glick and Michael Russo will serve as line producers.

Starring Buffalo’s presents CATS at Shea’s 710 Theatre on Feb 27 and 28, 2025 at 7:30 pm and March 1, 2025 at 2pm and 7:30pm. Contact StarringBuffalo.org for more information and tickets.
 

The credits of many of Starring Buffalo’s past visiting artists continues to grow and impress. Here are just a few of the notable actors who have been in Starring Buffalo’s productions of GREASE, TITANIC, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, RENT and EVITA.

• Daniel Quadrino recently played Danny in GREASE steps into the role of Boq in WICKED on Broadway in March.

• Jonathan Young recently seen in TITANIC joined the LES MISERABLES  National Tour

• Dudney Joseph, seen in RENT and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, was cast in  the highly successful NY Production of CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL, with rumors of moving to Broadway.

• Dominique Kempf, seen in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, recently joined the National Tour of HADESTOWN

• Matt Doyle, seen as Seymour in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, went on to win the TONY AWARD for Best Featured Actor in the Broadway revival of COMPANY

• Lena Hall came to star in EVITA soon after winning the TONY AWARD for Best Featured Actress in the Broadway revival of  HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH

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