Rotorua Musical Theatre's production of Cats is a feline feast for the eyes and ears, with colourful costumes and special effects.
The show features a menagerie of quirky furry characters, all with different personalities and looks, vying for attention, dancing, singing and jumping around.
The Andrew Lloyd Webber show follows the Jellicle
Cats, a tribe of crazy cats, who one by one introduce themselves, as they wait for their leader, Old Deuteronomy, to choose which of them will be reborn into a new life.
Mad cats, old cats, fun cats, mysterious cats and posh cats introduced themselves with a song and a dance.
My favourite was the sexy Rum Tum Tugger, played by Lawrence Kershaw, who came on to the stage clad in leather and a studded belt, standing on a giant lit-up "R".
He had a smooth American, Elvis-like singing voice and the female cats were screaming as he strutted across the stage, charming the audience and swinging his hips with the odd pelvic thrust.
Other great singers included Old Deuteronomy, played by Rob Ball, Munkustrap, the narrator, played by Rodney Conrad, and Grizabella, the glamour cat, played by Evelyn Falconer.
With styles ranging from jazzy to operatic, the songs had me dancing in my seat and singing along, especially Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser, Skimbleshanks and Mr Mistoffelees.
The dancing was suitably imperfect for a group of mangy cats and I loved the way the dancers kept their movements so fluid, moving like real cats, even keeping their fingers together as if they were paws.
The show was full of surprises and left me wanting one more song at the end.
