It has been a while since I have posted, but if you might remember, I LOVE the musical CATS! I selected this cruise for my 40th birthday and specifically selected to see Cats again. I have seen Cats 11 times now, and of those times, 4 of them have been on OTS.
When we checked in at our Safety section, we were met by Hakim. I noticed that his badge said entertainment. After a brief discussion, he told us that he is Old Deuteronomy. He invited us to stay after the Saturday night show and meet the cast for pictures. On the way up to the top deck, we ran into Gabbi (and her mom) who plays Syllabub, she too invited us for pictures. Finally, up on the top deck we ran into Charlotte who plays Bombalarunia, she too invited us for the after-show experience.
On my previous sailing on OTS in 2019, our ship made global news with a breakout of the Norovirus. Two of the cats on this last sailing were ALSO on that norocruise; Charlotte and Jacky (Jellylorum.) The ship's staff was also hit with the bug which meant many members of the entertainment staff we tasked with other jobs. For instance, the CATS cast worked in the Windjammer serving food.
Back to last week's cruise. I saw both performances of CATS from the 2nd and 3rd row aisle. I was warned beforehand that they made cuts to the show and dropped the intermission. Meaning this show was only 90 minutes. This was not a bad thing. The songs that were cut were not missed and honestly, I was glad they were gone. The show moved much more quickly and was much more enjoyable.
The cast itself was STELLAR! The talent the actors have is so immense. Not only do they perform a VERY difficult production such as CATS but they also perform another show as well.
After the Saturday show, my wife and I got to go on stage after the theater had cleared and got to meet the whole cast and get some pictures. It is something I will never forget.