CATS on Oasis

For anyone who has seen this broadway production show, is it good? I am booked for next December and wonder if anyone knows if it will still be showing at that time.

I suspect the show will be on Oasis for years.

DW and I quite liked it. It gets mixed reviews here mainly because people's tastes in musicals have changed since Cats first came out. People these days seem to like jukebox musicals more like Mamma Mia! or Jersey Boys. For my take the performance was quite good. Cast members often ran up and down the aisles and occasionally interacted with guests who had aisle seats. Also, at intermission you can go up on stage and get your photo taken with Old Deuteronomy. We thought the singing and dancing were first rate.

I saw Cats on Broadway many years ago and so far twice on the ship. The performance on ship is every bit as good as Broadway and free!

It's a long play, over 2 hours with an intermission. Sadly many of your fellow cruisers will leave at intermission and not return. The second half is a little better.

With not much else to do beside drink and gamble, stay with it for the whole show.

The cast and music are excellent.

I enjoyed it plan to see it again.

I haven't seen "Cats" on board yet, but we are looking forward to seeing it. My suggestion would be to look at Wikipedia and read the story. Otherwise it seems like a bunch of random songs that don't go together and has no meaning. It is basically a bunch of cats who want to get picked to go to the Heaviside Layer and are telling Old Deuteronomy he gets to choose) why they should be the one cat chosen.

The show is based off a book by TS Elliot (Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats) and TS Elliot's estate would only allow the original poems found in the book to be used in the musical and no script. Makes for an interesting dilemma for a playwright, I would imagine. It is a long show - 2 1/2 hours. I imagine RCI has to do the entire musical based on production rights.

I am not a cat person and I had heard negative things about the show in general. But my daughter performed in it in our community theater this past summer and it was so good! That is why I am looking forward to seeing how it is done on the ship - the costuming, makeup and staging.

As others have said, Cats is difficult to understand if you do not research it before you go. Once you have read a simple summary of the story line it CAM be quite entertaining.

We saw it on Broadway and several times on the Oasis and enjoyed it.

Do yourself a favor and sit close to the stage rather than at the back or balcony.

It's a beautiful production on Oasis! I love musicals, and while CATS may not be my favorite (or even top 15), I enjoyed it. Just enjoy the singing and dancing and production, and don't try to understand too much of it. It's really just a bunch of poems mashed together with a tiny thread of a plot.

I wasn't looking forward to seeing Cats again. We had seen it on Broadway and on television. Surprise! The Oasis had the most enjoyable performance we'd seen. As other have said, do a little research before going. It will make the show more enjoyable.

At least at this forum (not this thread), some people love it and some want it "dumped". I've seen it twice in London back in the 80's and loved it. It is not a show for those who want "Grease" or something high tempo. It's a long production with an intermission, but it is a classic. I will agree with some comments that the second half grabs you more than the first. However, for the price, it is worth a few hours of your life. Just sit through it, and don't walk out after the first half!

I had every intention of walking out of the show and chose a seat by the isle where I could inconspicuously slip out during applause. Instead, I was mesmerized. I had no desire to leave and enjoyed the show a lot! My taste leans more toward the "Grease" type shows, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Cats. The acting was excellent!

I did follow the advice on this forum to read up about the story and it definitely enhanced the experience. I think this is a key factor to help you enjoy the show.

For anyone who has seen this broadway production show, is it good? I am booked for next December and wonder if anyone knows if it will still be showing at that time.

Maybe they're service CATS :p:D;)

Maybe they're service CATS :p:D;)

Apparently YOU think this is a funny comment.

Maybe it is in OZ?

Can you give an explanation?

It may not be the best idea for a show with limited dialog and a symphonic score on a ship full of the overfed and well lubricated.

The show is Broadway caliber and those who say it hasn't aged well and needs a bit of a primer on the story are mostly correct. At one point is was the longest running Broadway musical for a reason. It appeals to a broad audience who may not have a ton of experience with musical theater. So, in that regard it is perfect for a cruise ship.

Wikipedia the storyline or pay attention to the opening number, they explain it. Don't worry about the names of the cats. It's mostly a dance based musical rather than a plot based musical. It's the production and score that won all the acclaim back in the day.

The intermission photo op on stage isn't something you'll find anywhere else, so take advantage of it.

Great show! Some simple advice...

1. Print out a summary of the plot of the show and take it with you. My summary was three pages long and it really helped me understand what was going on.

2. Sit up front. You will enjoy the show far more if you can actually see the expressions of the characters.

3. As you enter the theatre, sit up front on the right side. It seems much more action takes place there.

4. Don't listen to the naysayers. Go and enjoy!

I remember the 2nd half being better too, is Magic Mr. Mephosteles after ntermission?

I remember the 2nd half being better too, is Magic Mr. Mephosteles after ntermission?

Yes, "Magical Mr. Mistoffelees" happens in the 2nd act, almost near the end of the play (almost immediately before the Jellicle Choice is made)

We enjoyed the show but, for us, the 2nd half was better than the 1st. Beautiful costumes too

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Just off New Year cruise, Cats was cancelled.

Just off New Year cruise, Cats was cancelled.

Do you know if this is permanent, or just due to some other circumstances (illness/alternative shows due to New Year)?

Do you know if this is permanent, or just due to some other circumstances (illness/alternative shows due to New Year)?

Cats was cancelled the last show of my Oasis cruise a few months ago. Seems one of the dancers was injured in the aqua show.

It won't be permanent

Just off New Year cruise, Cats was cancelled.

Did they give a reason?

Injury or illness to some cast members Raised some havoc with show schedules etc

:confused:

 

Apparently YOU think this is a funny comment.

Maybe it is in OZ?

Can you give an explanation?

I thought it was funny.

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We saw Cats last year on the Oasis. We saw the first half early in the cruise and the second half on the last sea day. It was an ok show. Certainly not my favourite. My daughter loves cats and was insistent we see all of the show.

I'm booked for next December too, and I was hoping they would be changing the show since it gets so many mixed reviews. I know my daughter will make us see it again if it's still playing.

How long has it been running on the Oasis? How often to these types of shows get changed?

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... How often to these types of shows get changed? ...

The shows usually run for at least 5 years.