BackWhen the cats come to play
Around 80 children will come together this weekend in Bengaluru to perform to one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most vibrant musicals, 'Cats'
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“Run off like cats, don’t fly off the stage," Judith Roby Bidapa shouts out the instruction as she gives the cue to the next set of “felines" to make their entry.
Rehearsals for Cats began in the first week of September, and the 80-odd youngsters, aged 6-20, are ready to take the stage this weekend.
Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cats is the third longest running musical on Broadway, New York, and the fourth at West End, London. It has been staged in nearly 26 countries, and has been seen by nearly 50 million people.
To Bidapa too, it is special. “About 20 years ago, Kevin Oliver had directed Cats, and I had assisted him. I was pregnant at the time. And this time when the opportunity arose for me to direct a musical, I decided to do Cats again. It is one of the most loved musicals in the world, and it is a personal favourite. And given the talent in Bangalore (Bengaluru), which I believe is a musical city, what could be better than this particular one? And what’s fantastic about this initiative is that even the parents of the participating children have come forward to help us put it together – be it by contributing funds, or by offering to help with the production in whatever way they can. Even the costumes are being made by one of the parents."
The rehearsals weren’t a cakewalk. Music director Maya Mascarenhas says that while the youngsters are extremely talented, “getting them to emote, sing, dance, and act, all at the same time, was probably the most challenging part of the whole thing. A lot of the actions are very adult-like, and to get that right required some work. And then there’s the concept of timing—but it’s all come together really well."
“We were also planning to have an adult backup choir in the beginning," adds Bidapa, “but after listening to the 23 choir kids, we realized that we didn’t need it. The kids have done such a brilliant job."
The choreography is by Brinda Jacob Janvrin, an established dance and movement expert from Bengaluru who specializes in working with children. Bidapa says Janvrin's strategy paid off: “She divided the children into groups, gave each of them a beat, and the kids themselves devised their own moves. We didn’t want to force them to do anything, but work with their existing strengths instead. This way, each kid has the opportunity to shine in what they are good at."
The musical, based on T.S. Eliot’s book of poems, Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats (1939), is about a tribe of cats called the Jellicles—and how, on the night of the Jellicle Ball, the patriarch Old Deuteronomy decides to choose the most deserving cat to rise with him to the Heaviside Layer (which Eliot refers to as the “heavens"). One by one, the cats show off their personalities, and try really hard to be the chosen one.
Cats also uses the song Memory, which is in fact inspired by another Eliot poem, Rhapsody On A Windy Night, with lyrics written by Trevor Nunn.
“Cats is not easy to perform. Apart from all the singing and dancing, one must remember that the cast is in costume. So apart from getting them to act, I had to teach them how to be comfortable in them, and most of all, behave like cats," says Bidapa. But she also believes that when you give youngsters a challenge, they will rise to it. “Dance is a discipline, and it requires a lot of dedication. I am really impressed at the way these children have pulled it off. I am not worried about their performance at all."
Cats will be presented on 29-30 November, 7pm and also 3.30pm (Sunday), at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Malleswaram, Bengaluru. Tickets, ₹ 300 and ₹ 500, available on in.bookmyshow.com. For details, call 9845081684/9844791842.
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