BWW Previews: CATS IS A 'PURR-FECT' SHOW FOR THE HOLIDAYS at Straz Center

On stage at Straz Center on December 7-12 comes the winner of seven Tony Awards®, including Best Musical Cats. Cats is a sung-through musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber that ran for 21 years in London and on Broadway for 18 years. For years, it was the longest-running musical in both theatre districts.

Cats tells the story of one magical night where the Jellicle Cats meet for the annual Jellicle Ball to decide which cat will have the honor of rebirth. It features one of the most beloved songs in musical theatre - "Memory."

"Energetic. Mystical. Show-stopping."

Actor Paul Giarratano provided adjectives to describe the audience's experience.

With a BFA in dance and a background in contemporary dance, Paul is excited to be on his first theatre tour. He plays the enigmatic Mistoffelees, a featured dancer in the musical "The Original Conjuring Cat," whose magical feats leave the other cats in awe.

"He is a magic cat amongst the tribe. He plays with the lights on stage, does tricks, and loves to dance, so he has a big dance feature," Paul explained. "He's very neat and put-together, likes to help when he can, but he doesn't need to prove anything."

Paul explained that the actors went through schooling to behave like a cat.

"Now it feels second nature. We'll be out in public and give each other a paw. It was cool. We see cats all over, but to embody them is a totally new experience. We had to learn how to make being a cat read well and look realistic when we only have two legs."

Paul said that this was a show for any age.

"Everyone should come to see the show. It has so much for all different kinds of people. Cats is such a piece of iconic theatre history. I just love Cats for how much dancing and movement that is in it. I love to dance. I think the audience gets to get lost in the magic that the show creates," said Paul. "They get to see people who don't look like people - they look like cats. It's a totally different world to get immersed in. I think they will fall in love with the whole experience."

When asked for his favorite line, Paul said, "Presto. Mr. Mistoffeles has a feature number, and he gets to say 'presto' at the beginning of his dance. That's always a fun moment for me on stage."

Paul said that the whole company is excited to be performing in Tampa, and during their downtime after eight shows a week, they plan to explore the city and investigate the food for which Tampa Bay is known.

"We're excited to come to Florida, have some warm weather, and share the show with more audiences. We are really so happy to be back in theatres around the country. It's such a blessing after everybody had such a tough year. Industries were closed, and people couldn't do what they loved and do their passions. We got through the first day of rehearsals, and we were so grateful to be there. Truly it was just a big sigh of relief and a lot of gratefulness to be able to do what we get to do every week."

Cats is at Straz Center in Carol Morsani Hall from December 7-12. Masks are required. To learn more or to buy tickets, visit strazcenter.org/Events/Straz/Shows/2122_Broadway/CATS.

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