Reviewed by Jessie Colquhoun
I got tickets to see Cats as a Christmas present, and I was really excited until I saw big billboards around the city featuring Shane Cortese in a cat costume.
I just couldn’t believe one of the lead roles would be someone whose biggest claim to fame was playing a serial killer on Shortland Street.
Then flashbacks of Dancing With The Stars entered my head and I envisaged ruffled shirts, sequins and cheesy grins.
His costume wasn’t too far off what I thought it would be, wearing a studded belt and a skin-tight black leather jumpsuit.
Playing Rum Tum Tugger, his flirty character was based on Elvis Presley, complete with fainting female fans and a southern drawl.
However, the mandatory hip thrusts of any Elvis impersonation grew a little tiresome after the fifth time.
He wasn’t as bad as I thought he would be. And when he opened his mouth to sing, I was pleasantly surprised. Who knew evil Dom could sing?
But The Harlequin Musical Theatre’s production of Cats had a lot more to offer than Shane Cortese.
It featured an array of young New Zealand talent and told the classic story of the Jellicle cats.
But the first act was pretty disappointing. The dancers were out of time, making it look like the choreography was too complex for them.
What they lacked in precision though, they certainly made up for in enthusiasm, each actor staying in character the entire show.
The saving performance of the first act was the duo between Andrea Grant and Clinton Meneses. They stole the show with their charisma and energy, and their athletic lifts were a welcome change from cats prowling around the stage.
The second act had a lot more energy than the first. It featured my favourite character, Neville Scelly, playing Gus. His performance as an aging theatre cat, complete with shaking paw and small shuffling steps was the most convincing.
The scenes where he remembers life as a theatre cat were dynamic, bringing in new stage props and different characters. It gave the production a much needed boost after the first act.
The standout performance was Tina Cross as the aging cat Grizabella, and made the show a success. Her solo of 'Memory' was magical, and made some of the other singers sound weak and unimpressive in comparison.
It felt like the company hired Shane Cortese based only on his star power, rather than his talent. Sure, he didn’t do a bad job. But Neville Scelly was a far better male lead, and didn’t receive as much credit as he should have. And to group Shane Cortese in the same league as Tina Cross is simply ridiculous.
This production of Cats is definitely a New Zealand production. It lacks a bit of the glitz and glamour of an overseas production, so if you’ve seen the musical on a bigger scale you may be disappointed. That being said, the story is great, and it was an enjoyable show to watch. If you’ve never seen Cats before, I suggest heading down to the Civic before the season ends. It makes for a good night out.