Is Cats REALLY 2 1/2 hours long ???

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

I think the main reason Cats had such a long run on Broadway was because it didn't require a good grasp of the English language to enjoy. The plot is paper thin (not a slam here, just a statement) and the emphasis was on spectacle. This made it a perfect show for families with young children and non-english speaking tourists and also makes it a good candidate for cruise ships.

 

It's like today's Mamma Mia or Chicago. It's like walking through the UN when those shows let out - if you hear English you're amazed.

 

As for the other comment about "standing ovations"... You can pretty much tell who the New Yorkers are in the audience of a show at curtain call. We're the ones who only stand if the show and performances deserve it - not just because people showed up on stage. You EARN your standing O from New Yorkers. You GET a standing O regardless of if it was deserved from the tourists.

[CVU]

I saw Cats on the Oasis. I did not leave at intermission because I felt bad to leave because the cast did a good job. If it weren't for the cast, I would have left. MORE than 1/2 left at intermission and honestly I can't blame them. It was very long and not my cup of tea. My husband enjoyed it much more than I did because he took a very long nap! Most people I talked to did not like it either.

Personally I don't know what RCCL was thinking. So many great shows to choose from and they pick "Cats". I know they won't, because they have a lot of money invested in "Cats" but I hope they bring Hairspray back.

I already have the Oasis booked for next year again but I can tell you that there is no way I will sit through Cats again. I do feel bad for the cast because it wasn't their fault. It was just a very long and boring 2 1/2 hours. Never again.

We left at intermission first night. Seen it before years ago and Memories was sung much better then! I understand in the 2nd half- the singer was better? We felt it was not the right fit for ship.

You have to really enjoy something to spend 2 1/2 hr of your cruise time in the theater. If on Oasis again we won't go see it.

[SA Traveler]

I'm about as far from hen-pecked as possible, in fact, I get blatantly called obstinate, stubborn, obnoxious, etc. on a regular basis.

 

However, like most men who have been married for any length of time, I also know when to pick my battles. I promise you that if I believe my wife wants me to be standing there giving an ovation, I'm giving an ovation. It means absolutely nothing to me and the yields are clearly in my favor for something that requires almost no effort on my part.

 

We have firm rules in our marriage on some things, for example "Don't ask me if something looks good or bad unless you really want to know. If you want me to praise you regardless of the reality, phrase it that way and just ask me to tell you that you look wonderful in your new whatever."

 

However, a play that she knows I'm not going to enjoy regardless, it makes her quite happy if I clap when she claps and smile when she smiles. We walk out and she says "I know you hated that, but thanks for indulging me" and we have a lovely evening.

 

You give, you get. Such is a good partnership.

 

LIKE!

 

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[UNV-IT!!!]

I was on the TA for the first showings of cats. Most people left because of the piano playing. We didn't have the full orchestra. With the normal music and the intermission it's fantastic.

[Tim,n,Sue]

There is an old theatrical saying that goes; "will it play in Peoria?". In this case the Oasis replaces Peoria and so far, from the early reports, it does not play Peoria, at least not yet. I do feel very sorry for the cast when they see so many empty seats after intermission but not bad enough to go see it in its entirety.

 

We attended the first showing on the westbound TA and we left at intermission, not because of the piano player but because we did not find it entertaining. The show moves along at a very pedestrian pace and, as most people acknowledge, a plot or story line is almost totally absent. We can speculate why large segments of the audiences have not returned after intermission such as the different demographics between cruise ship passengers and Broadway patrons, the fact that on Broadway people paid for their tickets and Cats was the reason they went out that night. On the Oasis the show is included in the cruise and people may not have much personal "investment" in the show. Broadway patrons are prepared to spend 2 1/2 hours at a show. Not sure I can say the same about a cruise audience. There are also so many other options on the Oasis that are literally only steps away such as the Casino, Royal Promenade etc.

 

The question, to me, is can it be fixed. I do not know what the agreement with Andrew L-W is but if it is an all or nothing then I think the fix is much more difficult as you cannot cut it down to a highlight show between 60-90 minutes duration. I can do much more with 2 1/2 hours such as go purse shopping with my wife at the 3 high end purse stores on board.

 

Standing ovations have no relevance to me. The standing O has become "de rigeur" for most shows that they have lost all value, at least for me.

 

Only time will tell if this thing turns around but one thing I would bet on right now is that there are a lot of RCI executives trying to put distance between themselves and the decision to put Cats on the Oasis. It will be far more entertaining to see how this thing plays out as opposed to the entertainment we received from Cats.

Edited November 13, 2014 by Tim,n,Sue

[sjb317]

I've seen Cats twice, once on Broadway & once with a touring production. As much as I love the music, there is no way I would sit through a 2 1/2 hour show on a cruise ship. :eek:

 

Sherri:)

[NJcruisenewbie]

This doesn't bode well for me... I'm with Bob, stupid Oasis BOGOHO sale getting me stuck watching this. The wife has already decided it's on the list.

 

Can't she go see it while you do something else:confused:. There's very little I'd drag my spouse to that he didn't want to go to - mostly things that involve family and friends.

 

I don't understand people making their partners do things they have no interest in. I guess different strokes.

 

As for CATS, I've never seen it on Broadway and have no intention of seeing it at sea. It's a little too "touristy" for my taste.

[Clarea]

This doesn't bode well for me... I'm with Bob, stupid Oasis BOGOHO sale getting me stuck watching this. The wife has already decided it's on the list.

I lucked out! My wife has said that 2.5 hours is way too long for a show on a cruise!:D

[CVU]

I was on the TA for the first showings of cats. Most people left because of the piano playing. We didn't have the full orchestra. With the normal music and the intermission it's fantastic.

 

The piano player was great. :) It was not something we wanted to see again-mentioned above we had paid and seen it years ago but gave it a go. But after the first half it was enough. Too slow and boring for us, maybe others loved it, we did not.

There are a lot more things to do on board Oasis if you are not wanting to sit in the theater.

[poncho1973]

I lucked out! My wife has said that 2.5 hours is way too long for a show on a cruise!:D

 

I'm going to be mentioning this with hopes for the same results!

[A&L_Ont]

I'm going to be mentioning this with hopes for the same results!

 

Can you have your wife talk to mine.

[Yorkvillain]

I lucked out! My wife has said that 2.5 hours is way too long for a show on a cruise!:D

 

Somehow I can't sit thru a 2.5 hour show but I have no problem being on the Rising Tide Bar for 5 straight hours.

[Tim,n,Sue]

Somehow I can't sit thru a 2.5 hour show but I have no problem being on the Rising Tide Bar for 5 straight hours.

 

That's because the Rising Tide moves faster than Cats.

[SA Traveler]

I was on the TA for the first showings of cats. Most people left because of the piano playing. We didn't have the full orchestra. With the normal music and the intermission it's fantastic.

 

I loved the piano! I actually didn't miss the orchestra.

 

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[grandmarnnurse]

I've seen Cats twice, once on Broadway & once with a touring production. As much as I love the music, there is no way I would sit through a 2 1/2 hour show on a cruise ship. :eek:

 

Sherri:)

 

I'm beginning to feel the same way! I did reserve tickets for it, but the more I think about it and the more comments/reviews I read, I really do not care to go. And I doubt the teens in our group will want to sit through it, either. I guess I will just have to see what the other people in our party would rather do. Personally, I'd rather be in Boleros listening to a Latin group and sipping a Mojito!!

[ptf2009]

I was expecting to see a popular Broadway show with beautiful music. No one told me that there would be many people dressed like cats creeping around the stage and coming down the aisles. I thought that because I really don't like cats that maybe the reason I didn't like CATS, but talking to other people who have pet cats and love them, they hated CATS also. Since at least 50% of the audience leaves at intermission, I am in the majority and totally understand their feelings. If someone paid me to go, I would just have to put blindfolds on and listen the ALW beautiful music. But I don't have to worry about that...we've been on OOS already. So we'll wait until they get rid of CATS before we sail on OOS again because we look so forward to the entertainment on the ships.

[Big_G]

I lucked out! My wife has said that 2.5 hours is way too long for a show on a cruise!:D

 

I consider myself lucky too. My wife can't last through a 45 minute show on a cruise ship never mind 2 1/2 hours. :p:D Besides I already have an aversion to the four legged types and can't imagine I'd feel any different about the two legged singing version.

[Cindy]

We just got back to our cabin from CATS...I thought it was phenomenal. It really was a professional production. We see a lot of theater, and this was not a cheap or second rate show by any stretch of the imagination. There were a couple voices that I didn't think we're quite as good as a Broadway touring company, but the dancing was flawless.

 

I think RCI needs to do some things to try to help. If they printed a short synopsis it would help with the people who don't understand the story. I did feel badly for the cast. It has to be disheartening to come out after intermission and find yourself performing to an almost empty theater.

 

 

Cindy

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Edited November 16, 2014 by Cindy
Hit send too soon.

[Linda-B]

I agree about the short synopsis being printed. But better if the cruise director or one of the actors came out at the very beginning of the show and gave the short synopsis orally.

It was a well done production yes long but I am glad I stayed.

[babyher]

We go into NYC quite often to see a play and have done so for many years. I have to agree. I could not stand CATS.

 

 

When it came out in the early 80s it was all the rage and maybe at that time rightfully so. It was at a time when Andrew Lloyd Webber was the genius of Broadway . He could have walked on a stage , tied his shoe, and walked off , and The New York Times would have called it a Triumph.

 

It made its money back pretty fast, so it was cheaper to keep it running than taking a chance on bankrolling something untried.

 

It was a nice play the whole family could enjoy. Like someone else said, before Uncle Walt took over and made Broadway one big Nickelodeon Channel . You had old foggie revivals and the new experimental plays like David Mamet's F Bomb Marathons. So it had an audience to keep it running

 

 

It kind of became a tourist attraction after a while. Going to NYC and not seeing CATS was like not seeing the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building.

 

Like anything else it came to the end of the line and it was time to go.

Edited November 16, 2014 by babyher

[insidecabin]

In the west end they throw in a celeb

 

http://london.catsthemusical.com/first-look-at-nicole-scherzinger-as-grizabella/

[Pony Player]

For large values of the term "celeb". Actually this us a common practice in the West End --holiday time productions of " family friendly" shows on limited runs.

Edited November 17, 2014 by Pony Player

[internetwhiz]

Cindy, I'm glad you enjoyed it like we did. I think they do need to print a synopsis/playbill.

 

 

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[babyher]

Into the Woods is family friendly? maybe on the surface to children who wouldn't get the humor, but it's Sondheim. Can't wait for the movie btw and hope they don't Disney it up too much.

 

 

I was going to say the same thing about Kiss Of The Spider Woman. Don't get me wrong I loved it and Chita Rivera was superb . But 2 political prisoner cell mates in a Banana Republic jail. One a gay window dresser who pretends he is an old female movie star to escape reality. :)

 

 

Hell there are parents you cover their teens eyes so they don't see the lady in the bikini.

[babyher]

It's like today's Mamma Mia or Chicago. It's like walking through the UN when those shows let out - if you hear English you're amazed.

 

As for the other comment about "standing ovations"... You can pretty much tell who the New Yorkers are in the audience of a show at curtain call. We're the ones who only stand if the show and performances deserve it - not just because people showed up on stage. You EARN your standing O from New Yorkers. You GET a standing O regardless of if it was deserved from the tourists.

 

 

Agree

 

My Mom grew up in NYC and went to the theater all the time. When Broadway was really Broadway ..Merman, Mary Martin, Carol Channing, etc.

 

She doesn't get so excited these days when she sees a commercial for a revival "Starring" "You know the girl that played the sister in law on that sitcom a few years back on the WB Channel