Cats - The Musical (Ultimate Edition)

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Summary: There is only one reason to watch this: Elaine Paige
Review: "Cats" is not my favorite show by any means, but there is one wonderful reason to see this: Elaine Paige. She is my favorite performer, and her characterazation of "Grizabella" is great. It is nice to finally hear her sing "Memory" with Bomburlina (I think that is the character's name). I think kids and people who do not get to go to the theater will enjoy as well. I am getting a copy for my young nephew!

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Summary: If you enjoyed the live production, you'll love this video!
Review: The camera gets you up-close-and-personal. It's like being on stage with the players.

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Summary: Great!!! Add one more CATS fan to that looonnnngg list!
Review: I had never seen CATS live, but my friends have and were always telling me to. Because I love both cats and musicals. So as soon as it came out I rented it. Now my freinds may regret getting me into it, I love it so much! "Memory" was beautiful, and I'm hooked on all most all of the songs. The high-lights are Rum Tum Tugger (my second favorite), Munojerrie and Rumpleteazer (soooooo cute!), Memory (of course), and Mr. Mistoffolees. (My absolute #1 favorite!) The coreography is good and I wish I could dance that well. The characters were almost all well developed, exept for Old Dueteronomy and Munkustrap. (Or is Munkustrap supposed to be like that?) Overall, though, it made a great impression on me and I have already started planning to go see it in New York! : )

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Summary: To watch over and over again
Review: I fell in love with Cats after having been dragged to it by my wife many years ago. The seats were great and it was a wonderful experience. Having seen the play twice more I was excited to learn it was now available on video. Bottom line is it's a great addition to any collection. Partridge is delightful as he chews up the scenery as Rum Tug Tugger in a much more narcisistic, and to my mind appropriate portrayal of the character than I had seen before. Sir John Mills was a treat as Old Gus, and frankly I think the elimination of the Growltigger sequence did nothing but improve the play. I would have paid the price of a play ticket for the video just to have the opportunity to watch it whenever I needed my Cats 'fix'. Although it doesn't give you the opportunity to take your eyes away from the action and look at the subtext on other parts of the stage, it does show the interaction of the cats on screen in a much more intimate context. I think the trade off is worth it to see the performance in this new way.

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Summary: Up close and personal
Review: The video shows you the characters so close that you almost become a part of the show. I was lucky enough to have tickets up front in Denver and still could not get this close to the action. It is perfect for my nieces who live in a rural area and don't have access to seeing such shows. They absolutely love it!

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Summary: The Worst Musical Ever Written Just Got Worse
Review: Every now and again, I forget what Cats is like, and I become curious to see it again. Thankfully, this video came out and I had the opportunity to only spend 16 dollars on it as opposed to a 40 dollar theater ticket. Bottom line, it's good to forget about this show. It's not real musical theater, it's a ton of insipid, cutesy schlock that represents the worst of an amazing genre. Do yourself a favor, if you want a musical theater video, buy Into the Woods. Leave Cats for the dogs.

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Summary: lovely
Review: a wonderful movie the whole family should see & if you like music youll love it

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Summary: Jellicles do all that and more!
Review: A fan of the musical, CATS for two years now, I jumped when I found out this excellent musical was coming to video (I hate the term "Rock opera" by the way...a musical's a musical no matter how little talking there is.) While I was extremely disappointed in the fact that they cut out Growltiger's Last Stand (Which had been my favorite number in the National Tour-which is the only version I've seen other than the video), the video amazed me. While the changes in the overture, were on the cheezy side, it still set up a wonderful mood for the audience. The filming was absolutely amazing. There were one or two close ups I would I have preffered not seeing (Like in Macavity: The Mystery Cat), but what is two or three seconds in comparison to the whole video adaption? The cast was EXCELLENT. I loved Elaine Page, first of all. Much better than Buckley's voice, I believe. Mr. Mistoffelees carried a beautiful essence with him where ever he went, and Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were beyond adorable. Partridge's version of Rum Tum, totally changed the character. But hey! Who says that's a bad thing, eh? The choreography was beautiful! The costumes were beautiful! The makeup was...pretty good. Not as detailed as the actual stage show's. Who cares though? This brings a whole new life to the mystical divinity of unashamed felinity! Now and forever!!

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Summary: CATS was just sensational
Review: My husband and I watched the production when played on our local PBS station. We had seen a traveling production of it in Iowa City this year. We liked it when we saw it on stage but truly loved it on video. The music was beautiful and fun and sad and wonderful. Costumes were outstanding. So enjoyed being able to see the costumes and makeup on the faces close up, which we couldn't really see that well when on the stage. We are purchasing video copies for all our family this year for Christmas presents. A musical video to be enjoyed by one and all, over and over again. Our 5 year old granddaughter just adores it.

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Summary: The movie's never as good as the book...
Review: Or in this case, the stage production. I eagerly anticipated this, and I wasn't tremenduously disappointed. When I saw the production on stage several years ago, I was enamored. Something is lost in the translation here. And not just the two entire numbers that are omitted from this production (Growltiger's Last Stand and The Battle of The Pekes and the Pers). Some of the flavor is gone. The few special effects that are used draw me out of the experience it was in the theatre. Still, worth owning. Well worth owning for a fan.