CATS on OASIS - Time to "Dump" it?

I have read plenty of negative comments and reviews on the CATS production aboard Oasis of the Seas. Generally speaking the comments range for boring, to "can't wait for intermission so we can do something else". I suspect they are under a long term contract to run the production but come on Royal, if you can't hold the house through the first half of the production then something has to be done.

I found it very interesting that one poster actually said the Oasis house warm up comic in the Comedy Club has an opening joke that mentions the CATS production and its problem holding an audience. "This is the largest ship at sea with the smallest comedy club, at least we have more people here tonight then the second half of CATS"! Wow now that's saying something......

Any thoughts? Can Royal give CATS the boot and bring in another "ACT"?

Cat's has 6-8 year contract (started in Nov 14') with a possible 2 year extension.

This coming from one of the performers when we went to the "behind the scenes" tour of the theater on April 11th. She said that some people think the fact that the first half of the show is a bit confusing and doesn't seem to have a direction may be because the cats are just getting to know each other and the second half is a lot better.

We only saw about 1hour of the second half, so I can't really give a accurate review of the storyline, but the cast, stage and costumes were awesome.

I think Cats is a great show and it had a fantastic cast when we saw it in April, but I do think it could be paired down into a 90-100 minute one act version. That would solve the issues of audience members leaving. I truly enjoyed the entire show, but a one act version would be better onboard.

Cat's has 6-8 year contract (started in Nov 14') with a possible 2 year extension.

This coming from one of the performers when we went to the "behind the scenes" tour of the theater on April 11th. She said that some people think the fact that the first half of the show is a bit confusing and doesn't seem to have a direction may be because the cats are just getting to know each other and the second half is a lot better.

 

We only saw about 1hour of the second half, so I can't really give a accurate review of the storyline, but the cast, stage and costumes were awesome.

You saw an hour of the second half and it still wasn't over?:eek: I'd better have some vodka tonics lined up when I try that show out to keep my ADD under control!:rolleyes:

I can´t rate Cats on Oasis, but I´ve seen it on Broadway and while I really like Musicals, this one was and is at the way bottom of the list.

I simply didn´t enjoy it, and looking back I should have done what People on the ship do - walk out during the Intermission when I saw it on Broadway.;)

You saw an hour of the second half and it still wasn't over?:eek: I'd better have some vodka tonics lined up when I try that show out to keep my ADD under control!:rolleyes:

That's exactly what I was thinking!

You saw an hour of the second half and it still wasn't over?:eek: I'd better have some vodka tonics lined up when I try that show out to keep my ADD under control!:rolleyes:

Well maybe it "seemed" like a hour or four ;) , but for sure was at least 40mins-ish....Ohhhhh, we had drinks! BIG drinks ;)

You saw an hour of the second half and it still wasn't over?:eek: I'd better have some vodka tonics lined up when I try that show out to keep my ADD under control!:rolleyes:

You might need something that is prescription strength!;)

Maybe they should give the yahoo's that make it through intermission some onboard credit? So many comments on how bad/boring/drag's on and on the show really is (first half) and how many depart at intermission. Then there are equal number of comments on folks who arrive just to see the second half......that's nut's time to pull the plug on the "Cat".

I hope they dump it! No way I would sit 2 1/2 hours through that show. Never, ever, understood why Royal added it. So inappropriate for cruise-type entertainment which, IMHO, should be upbeat and under an hour in length.

I hope they dump it! No way I would sit 2 1/2 hours through that show. Never, ever, understood why Royal added it. So inappropriate for cruise-type entertainment which, IMHO, should be upbeat and under an hour in length.

What! A 2.5 hour production? Maybe that's some of the problem. Even the biggest fan's of Broadway productions might not want to sit though a full 2.5 hour show. Tick tock, it's intermission, this show's a drag, let's do a full pulls in the casino and check out the comic in the Comedy Club. To sit for a full two hour plus show is nuts. They could scale it back to 90 minutes or less for an "off" Broadway version. Most people are there to hear the "Cats" sing "Memories" anyway.

Those who left at intermission, lost a great second half.

I would rather enjoy wonderful music and singing that sitting through a booring football game!

Those who left at intermission, lost a great second half.

 

I would rather enjoy wonderful music and singing that sitting through a booring football game!

People need to do what makes them happy on a cruise, but funny you should bring that up because I always think the same thing when I see people asking here on CC, "can I see the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, World Series, insert any big sporting event here, while I am on the cruise?"

As for me, I am not going to watch television or sit through a long production show while on a cruise, but again, do what makes you happy and don't worry about others' opinions because the last time I looked I couldn't pay for my cruise with other people's opinions :D

I am looking forward to seeing CATS this summer.

But, worried about the long production.

HMMMMMMMMMMM bought the drink package this year, maybe that will help.

:D

My husband has a friend from work that just returned from the Oasis. He and his wife said not only was the ship too crowded (they have sailed this class before and found crowding a none issue), but that they fell asleep during the CATS production. :D

I didn't see the Broadway production, but did see one of the traveling productions. One of the few live shows I've fallen asleep during. :o

I loved Cats when we saw if off-off-off Broadway (Washington, D.C.), but think I would join the napping crowd if we went to an after dinner show. And I really don't need to see a cat ascending the stairway to heaven. I do enough of that at home.:(

Yes, Yes, yes... It's certainly time to dump CATS. It just wasn't a good selection for a cruise ship. No way do I want to spend 2 1/2 hrs in a show at night. It's ok to make a mistake. Just admit it and go in a new direction.

Does RCCL listen to customer feedback and customer participation? Clearly if the show can't hold the room for the full production that's indicative of a need to make a change.

I agree that Cats was an odd choice for a cruise show. It's good for about 10 minutes as the costumes and movements are impressive, but then it's enough.

Problem with Cats is all the cruisers with 10 second attention span.

It was the third longest running musical on Broadway so yes, it must be a terrible waste of time. :rolleyes:

Before seeing it on Oasis back in January I took a couple minutes online to look up a playbill since I had not seen it before. I wanted to know what I was going to see and what the musical was actually about. It makes a difference if you know what you are watching.

Excuse my sarcasm but why can't people just take a minute to read the synopsis then make the decision whether you really want to sit and watch it.

... They could scale it back to 90 minutes or less for an "off" Broadway version. Most people are there to hear the "Cats" sing "Memories" anyway.

Then they'll be disappointed, because all they'll get is "Memory" (sung by one cat, Grizabella). ;)

Before seeing it on Oasis back in January I took a couple minutes online to look up a playbill since I had not seen it before. I wanted to know what I was going to see and what the musical was actually about. It makes a difference if you know what you are watching.

 

Excuse my sarcasm but why can't people just take a minute to read the synopsis then make the decision whether you really want to sit and watch it.

I shouldn't need to read a playbill before a show in order to understand it. I went to Chicago on the Allure and understood that just fine. Since I am not a broadway enthusiast, I expected the same when I was going to CATS. It only took about 30 minutes before dozens of people began to leave. Then I could hear whispers from people saying "I have no clue what is going on her"; "This is boring", etc. Most people who sail with RCI are accustomed to spectacular shows that attract your attention, however, CATS just doesn't do that.

People can talk about CATS being a number one broadway show for years, however, there is a difference between "Shows on Broadway", and "Broadway shows on a ship". People who go to a show on Broadway are more likely to have a greater interest in broadway shows. Many people on the ship go to the broadway show because it is one of the shows that you book. Since the audience is filled with casual observers, the show needs to be something that needn't be prepared for and has a certain level of excitement.

We saw the show live in a theater here and then again on the ship.

It was OK the first time we saw it but we were not spending our time watching it again while we had so many other things to do on the ship. It was too long and boring. We left at intermission.

The singer for Memories on the first half was awful we thought. We heard the 2nd singer after intermission was better though?

I saw Mama Mia, over two hours on Quantum, the time flew by. I actually watched it 4 times on my 3 Quantum cruises, and could sit through it again. The show was fabulous. Everyone I saw on the ship loved it.

I saw Cats a few years back, and couldn't wait for it to be over,