Long-running ‘Cats’ still making people purr

Monday, Oct. 8, 2001 | 8:16 a.m.

"Cats" has nine lives. Maybe even more.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber classic musical never dies -- the original production opened at the New London Theatre on May 11, 1981, and is still playing around the country. It opened at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York on Oct. 7, 1982, and ran for 18 years, closing on Sept. 10, 2000.

The play closed in New York, but has been touring America ever since, popping up periodically at Las Vegas venues.

Tuesday it begins a five-day run at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Based on T.S. Eliot's 1939 poem "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," and with music by Webber, "Cats" won seven 1983 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Lighting and Best Costumes.

The play also has won three Grammys, five Oliviers (from the Society of London Theatre), a Golden Globe, an Oscar, the Praemium Imperiale (by the Japan Art Association in Tokyo) and the Critics' Circle award for the Best Musical of 2000 (an award given by New York Newspapers).

Not bad for a whimsical book of poems by a poet not ordinarily noted for his whimsey. Eliot's most famous single poem may be 1922's "The Waste Land," which reflected the despair of the post-World War I mentality in America.

"Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats" dealt with the distinct and bizarre personality of various breeds of cats.

The play's director, Trevor Nunn, observed in a prepared statement that Webber took Eliot's abstract expressions and "turned them into mini-operettas dealing with such various topics as acceptance, disappointment, ageism, lost love and youthful sexual angst."

On second thought, maybe the poems aren't so whimsical.

But the costumes and the makeup are.

Colorful greasepaint, wigs and cat-hair-like attire convert a cast of 20 actors into a pack of alley cats with distinct personalities that have enchanted audiences for more than 20 years -- characters including Old Deuteronomy, Jennyanydots, Mr. Mistoffelees, Rum Tum Tugger, Skimbleshanks, Griddlebone and Grizabella (who sings the hit song "Memory").

Through the magic of theater, humans are turned into animals who have human characteristics.

Playing a key role in this study of anthropomorphism (humanizing of animals) is Tim Kaufman, makeup supervisor for the "Cats" road show.

"Some of the characters are a lot more simple than others," Kaufman said. "But once you get the technique down, the whole process becomes a lot easier. Each character uses the same technique, just different colors."

Cast members apply their own makeup, with Kaufman supervising. New people spend about two hours applying the greasepaint, but with practice the time is cut down to an hour or less.

"Most of the actors have never done makeup like this before," Kaufman said. "It's on a par with 'Lion King.' "

Kaufman trains them in the art of cat makeup, which isn't a lot different from other makeup, except there is more of it.

Wigs, costing about $2,000 apiece and fitted for each performer, are an important part of the overall look -- as well as a place to hide the microphones. Kaufman said most of the actors arrive about 90 minutes before the show starts to get into costume and makeup.

"The most difficult shows to do (for makeup) are ours, 'Lion King,' 'O' and 'Mystere.' Makeups can get pretty complicated."

Getting the makeup off, naturally, is less difficult. It only takes 10-15 minutes.

The makeup may be hard on the actors' skin, especially the first few times it is applied.

"It's rough on the skin," Kaufman said. "It's greasepaint. Some people may get rashes, some get acne. But we've been on tour for several months so by now most people's skin has adapted."

This tour of "Cats" began in New York in June. It will have been performed in six cities before arriving in Las Vegas.

"It's a demanding show," Kaufman said, "especially when we have to set up in a new city each week."

Yes, but the cast always lands on its feet.