There’s been heaps of excitement about Nicole Scherzinger’s West End theatre debut in the brand new production of musical Cats, and last night, heat was in the audience for her opening night.
We’re thrilled to report that Scherzy (despite only appearing on stage for small part of the show) lives up to every schermazing expectation we had of her – and then some.
She received a humungous round of X Factor-style mid-song applause when she hit the phenomenal high note in her solo song Memory, and deserved every ounce of the standing ovation she received at the end of the show.
Here’s our full, glowing review…
In a nutshell: This is a brand new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's worldwide smash hit musical, based on the poems from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot. The general gist of the show is that a group of cats – the Jellicles – must decide which of them deserves to go up to The Heaviside Layer and receive a new gift of life. In turn, each cat tells their story before one of them is chosen by their leader, Old Deuteronomy.
What's right with it? First off, the tunes are as effortlessly memorable and ingeniously fresh now as they were when the show debuted in 1981. The cast's expertly observed feline choreography (by dance God Gillian Lynne) is extraordinarily, electrifyingly brilliant, flitting from ballet to tap to street dance to some of the most spectacular gymnastics we've ever seen. Cats dazzles, fizzes and pops with gob-smacking energy. Best of all is utterly captivating star attraction Nicole Scherzinger as Grizabella the glamour cat. Her rendition of the classic Memory is as emotionally charged and exquisite as any you've ever heard. And boy can she hit that high note.
What's wrong with it? Well, if you like a bit of dialogue with your musical, this possibly isn't for you as it's sung (and danced) from start to finish. Also, Scherzy is on stage for just 20-minutes, tops.
Verdict: Cats is theatrical dynamite - sheer, unadulterated, musical theatre purr-fection. Paw, claw, do ANYTHING for a ticket!
5 stars