Time to dump Cats?

[Censored]

After reading many reviews on Oasis of the Seas, it seems that most dislike the show Cats and they say many people walk out of the show. Some stick it out into the second half, but IMO this show just simply drags on.  Maybe its because Ive seen it so many times?  Like many cruisers, the entertainment is one of the reasons I like Royal.  But I do think its time to switch up a few shows. Looking forward to what's on Wonder of the Seas!

[smokeybandit]

[PG Cruiser]

17 minutes ago, Eddy said:

After reading many reviews on Oasis of the Seas, it seems that most dislike the show Cats and they say many people walk out of the show. Some stick it out into the second half, but IMO this show just simply drags on.  Maybe its because Ive seen it so many times?  Like many cruisers, the entertainment is one of the reasons I like Royal.  But I do think its time to switch up a few shows. Looking forward to what's on Wonder of the Seas!

Looks like there will be no Broadway-style musical on the Wonder for now.  I've read somewhere that the production show in the main theater will be an original Royal production called "Voices."  

I'm probably in the minority here, but I loved Cats on the Oasis... all three showings of it... including the one interrupted several times with the announcement on the PA system for those who haven't been tested yet.  They probably knew I was the only one who loved it so they let me take a picture with them! 

[Vancity Cruiser]

I’m not sure what the deal is but I assume there are contracts in place that they are tied to. It’s no secret that Cats is the least liked show on the RC fleet. It’s got to be tough on the cast to see more than 50% of the audience not return after intermission. If there was going to be a change it should have happened a couple years back when Oasis went through her amplification but it didn’t which leads me to believe there is some kind of contract and/or licensing agreement.

[Censored]

15 minutes ago, Vancity Cruiser said:

I’m not sure what the deal is but I assume there are contracts in place that they are tied to. It’s no secret that Cats is the least liked show on the RC fleet. It’s got to be tough on the cast to see more than 50% of the audience not return after intermission. If there was going to be a change it should have happened a couple years back when Oasis went through her amplification but it didn’t which leads me to believe there is some kind of contract and/or licensing agreement.

You could be right. It also costs a lot of money for sets.  the pandemic doesn't help as well. Staffing, restructuring, etc.. is a major ordeal and new contracts.  But Royal cant be oblivious to the disappointment thats going on with this show?!  

[Ray]

Personally i have never seen Cats so if i was to go i would stay until the end.

I do think you actually answer the issue yourself when you say it drags on probably as youve seen it lots of times! How many other cruisers are in the same position? How many cruisers look at cruise planner see something they want to do then realise they have an hour to fill in so take in 1st part of a show like cats etc which means they leave half way through or others who like you have seen it that often it becomes repetitive.

Should RC bin a show just because someone finds it boring as they have seen it numerous times or should they honour their contract and allow first time cruisers the opportunity to experience it and enjoy it the like most of those who now find it boring did the 1st time ?  

[teddy]

We recently saw Cats on Oasis.   It did drag but we would never walk out on a performance.  
 

After the show I did some reading about it, and now that I know what it’s about, I’d actually go see it again since things would make sense.  
 

The issue onboard as I see it is you’re taking people who are on vacation and showing them something that needs a bit of setup to understand…..people who have been at the pool or beach and drinking all day don’t want a long, difficult to understand show. 

[Kirsten]

We'll be cruising on Oasis in May and I was hoping there would be a different show.  I would prefer not to see Cats, but my kids might like it, so I'm going to suck it up and see it with them.

[jeffmw]

I agree wholeheartedly.

Cats is a weird show to begin with. It was enormously successful in the 80s when it first came out, but it was very much a product of 80s fashion and culture, and while some fads and styles come back, the look and feel of Cats is something that was very much left behind in the early 90s. This is one of the reasons why the movie was so so badly received a couple years back. It just looks weird. Anthropomorphic cats are weird by even the most sympathetic cat person's standards. 

I'm sure expense has a lot to do with it. And I'm sure the cost for the rights to Cats pales in comparison to something more modern that Royal might want to produce like Wicked or something. Yet somehow Royal has found a way to afford Mamma Mia, which is still a top Broadway show. There are so many other old standbys to choose from that are attractive to a general audience. Why Cats?

[BeachGal]

I saw Cats on Oasis and I have to say that the musical itself rates right down at the bottom of the barrel with the 'Phantom' sequel, Love Never Dies (trust me, it's bad).  I love musical theater, but I just never 'got' or appreciated Cats.  I'm hoping that when Royal has the opportunity, they will replace it with something with more appealing.

[WAYNO]

Although Cats is not my cup of tea, I suspect there are plenty of  folks that think such a production is the cats meow.  So I would not hope for the demise of this production only because I didn't care for it.  I would further suspect it has a bigger following than we might think.

 

 

[Traveler]

Cats should been dumped years ago , its just not a cruise friendly musical .

[BeachGal]

2 hours ago, Kirsten said:

We'll be cruising on Oasis in May and I was hoping there would be a different show.  I would prefer not to see Cats, but my kids might like it, so I'm going to suck it up and see it with them.

Kirsten, download the music and let the kids listen before you go see it.  Also, it helps if you read through a summary of what the show is about.  It's difficult to follow the "plot" unless you actually understand what's going on.

[PG Cruiser]

20 minutes ago, BeachGal said:

Kirsten, download the music and let the kids listen before you go see it.  Also, it helps if you read through a summary of what the show is about.  It's difficult to follow the "plot" unless you actually understand what's going on.

The way I describe Cats in simple terms is that it is like a reality show - American Idol, AGT, Weakest Link, etc - where each cat explains in song why they should win. The winner goes to the Heavyside Layer to claim another one of their nine lives.  It's almost like a revue-type show which makes it seem disjointed.  Of course, as in most reality shows, the contestant with the best sob story wins ... and the award goes to... Lady G!

[BeachGal]

10 minutes ago, PG Cruiser said:

The way I describe Cats in simple terms is that it is like a reality show - American Idol, AGT, Weakest Link, etc - where each cat explains in song why they should win. The winner goes to the Heavyside Layer to claim another one of their nine lives.  It's almost like a revue-type show which makes it seem disjointed.  Of course, as in most reality shows, the contestant with the best sob story wins ... and the award goes to... Lady G!

PG Cruiser, you are my hero!  I have read a lot of summaries of that show, and yours truly nails it!!

[Dicey]

Love the Oasis but Cats has to go!  We went to the casino after watching Cats and the pit asked why we didn't look happy that night.  We told him we just came from watching Cats and his response was, "ha!  nobody likes Cats" and chuckles.  The casino must've heard a lot of complaints about Cats.  Hope they replace it with something better soon.  

[Censored]

2 hours ago, Ray said:

Personally i have never seen Cats so if i was to go i would stay until the end.

I do think you actually answer the issue yourself when you say it drags on probably as youve seen it lots of times! How many other cruisers are in the same position? How many cruisers look at cruise planner see something they want to do then realise they have an hour to fill in so take in 1st part of a show like cats etc which means they leave half way through or others who like you have seen it that often it becomes repetitive.

Should RC bin a show just because someone finds it boring as they have seen it numerous times or should they honour their contract and allow first time cruisers the opportunity to experience it and enjoy it the like most of those who now find it boring did the 1st time ?  

 

[Censored]

4 minutes ago, Eddy said:

 

Wrong. Seen Mamma Mia numerous times. Excellent inviting production. Cats? 2/1/2 hours ....I never liked it the first time , and gave it a few more chances to see if I missed anything. Its simply not a good fit for the ship. Period.  Hopefully the contract will expire soon and new shows can begin. Many critics of broadway shows would agree.....along with a majority of cruisers.  

[Linda R]

7 hours ago, PG Cruiser said:

Looks like there will be no Broadway-style musical on the Wonder for now.  I've read somewhere that the production show in the main theater will be an original Royal production called "Voices."  

I'm probably in the minority here, but I loved Cats on the Oasis... all three showings of it... including the one interrupted several times with the announcement on the PA system for those who haven't been tested yet.  They probably knew I was the only one who loved it so they let me take a picture with them! 

I also like Cats!

[Jkaczano]

Saw cats on Oasis in September - worst show ever!  No longer an intermission so no leaving discreetly. Luckily I didn’t bring my teens because they would have killed me in my sleep.  I have never even considered leaving early from a show but I would have. Unfortunately, my mother wouldn’t let me out of the aisle because it would be rude. Awful, awful, awful

[The Fox]

I agree that Cats is a difficult to understand musical and it really helps to have read the book it is based on. One thing I did notice about this discussion that some of you brought up is the length of the show. When I saw it in January, it was only 1 1/2 hrs. long. And I know the original was at least 2 1/2 hrs. as I saw that live 30 yrs ago on broadway. Apparently the director took some liberties and rewrote/cut some music to make it fit into a smaller time frame. I have done this with most of the musicals I have directed. In some cases it really doesn't matter, but I think in this musical it left out enough, hence making it even more difficult to understand.

Regardless, I loved the musical and would have seen it again if it was allowed.

[EmersonNZ]

I can't see them changing any time soon. The cost of buying rights (or developing an origional show), creating sets, costumes, training performers, musicans etc etc is probably something they aren;t keen on doing at the moment.

As for Cats.... While it was a great show to perform in (It took me ages not to get tongue tied in Jellicle Cats) it certainly isn't my favourite musical but I wouldn't say I hate it. I certainly wouldn't walk out on it and always love to see how shows are interpreted by different casts etc. 

[PG Cruiser]

24 minutes ago, EmersonNZ said:

... always love to see how shows are interpreted by different casts etc. 

At first I thought you said "interpreted by different cats"

[PG Cruiser]

9 hours ago, The Fox said:

Apparently the director took some liberties and rewrote/cut some music to make it fit into a smaller time frame. 

I've read that when they first showed Cats on the Oasis, they showed it in full with intermission.  But somewhere down the line, they worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber's company to cut out some scenes and do away with the intermission.

[Cruisin and Boozin]

Leaving Oasis today. This was our 6th time to be on and see Cats. I am a cats fan. But due to them changing it and cutting a lot of scenes it’s not good anymore. In fact we left at the beginning of show because it wasn’t the same and too hard to follow now. I think it’s time for a change.

[PG Cruiser]

What family-friendly musicals would be good to replace Cats?

These are not my favorites but I think they're family friendly enough.

The Sound of Music
Shrek the Musical
Mary Poppins
Billy Elliot
School of Rock (kids on cast might be a challenge, but I've seen it on tour)
Annie
 

[The Fox]

54 minutes ago, PG Cruiser said:

What family-friendly musicals would be good to replace Cats?

 

That's a tough question. It depends on who your intended audience is. Yes, you could go with "cartoony" musicals, but I doubt parents would really want that. Then you have the problem with royalties. The newer the musical, the more the royalties. Here are some that come to mind, not my recomendations necessarily.

The Lion King, Cinderella Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, Singin' in the Rain, West Side Story, A Star is Born, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, Fiddler on the Roof, Phantom of the Opera.

[RCARD]

7 hours ago, PG Cruiser said:

I've read that when they first showed Cats on the Oasis, they showed it in full with intermission.  But somewhere down the line, they worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber's company to cut out some scenes and do away with the intermission.

A good idea to eliminate intermission.  As I recall from attending original Oasis Cats production with full intermission, many in the audience simply didn't return the break. 

[cruisellama]

On 2/12/2022 at 8:59 AM, Eddy said:

After reading many reviews on Oasis of the Seas, it seems that most dislike the show Cats and they say many people walk out of the show. Some stick it out into the second half, but IMO this show just simply drags on.  Maybe its because Ive seen it so many times?  Like many cruisers, the entertainment is one of the reasons I like Royal.  But I do think its time to switch up a few shows. Looking forward to what's on Wonder of the Seas!

Nothing against the performers, thought they're very talented - they follow the script - and did a fine job - but IMO - its a pretty silly storyline.

[Thorntor]

We saw Cats on Oasis on Feb 1st at the matinee and it was pretty bad.  It was my 3rd or 4th time seeing it and my wife’s first time.  Had their been an intermission, I am sure that we would have left.  Having seen different productions, I believe that this production might have been better received if:  (1)  a brief story line had been provided before actors took the stage; (2)  more performers had been mic’ed as the vocals sounded subdued; (3)  actors and directors paid more attention to creating cat like gestures, i.e., cats licking their paws as-seen in other productions; (4)  performing to the whole audience rather than mainly to the center stage audience - this is tied to the poor audio of the supporting cast.

Finally, the casting seemed strange.  In every production I had seen, a couple of the cat characters were most endearing.  None of the characters in this production drew me in.

[PG Cruiser]

4 hours ago, Thorntor said:

(2)  more performers had been mic’ed as the vocals sounded subdued;

(4)  performing to the whole audience rather than mainly to the center stage audience - this is tied to the poor audio of the supporting cast.

When I watched Cats I was seated next to a known-Phantom actor.  I have a little bit of theater background myself.  We both agreed that the sound mixing was bad.

[EmersonNZ]

19 hours ago, The Fox said:

The Lion King, Cinderella Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, Singin' in the Rain, West Side Story, A Star is Born, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, Fiddler on the Roof, Phantom of the Opera.

Lion King and Beauty and the Beast are out. I can't see Disney giving the right to Royal any time soon.

Phantom could work as could Les Mis (though you'd have to recast the two child roles to teens. Aida, Evita, Chess could be done well if you are looking for a 'modern' musical. My sleeper... Back to the future the musical.

Part of me would love to see Starlight Express on the seas.... It could be absolutly carnage and make the ice and aqua shows look like childs play

 

[VirtKitty]

I don't understand the people not leaving during a performance. If I'm not enjoying a show, I get up and find something else to do.

[egd207]

I saw cats in a theater showing and wanted to walk out on that one.  Would probably skip it entirely if it was playing on my sailing. Maybe Royal monitors sites like this and will take the hint.

[Jolly Ogre]

22 hours ago, Thorntor said:

We saw Cats on Oasis on Feb 1st at the matinee and it was pretty bad.  It was my 3rd or 4th time seeing it and my wife’s first time.  Had their been an intermission, I am sure that we would have left.  Having seen different productions, I believe that this production might have been better received if:  (1)  a brief story line had been provided before actors took the stage; (2)  more performers had been mic’ed as the vocals sounded subdued; (3)  actors and directors paid more attention to creating cat like gestures, i.e., cats licking their paws as-seen in other productions; (4)  performing to the whole audience rather than mainly to the center stage audience - this is tied to the poor audio of the supporting cast.

Finally, the casting seemed strange.  In every production I had seen, a couple of the cat characters were most endearing.  None of the characters in this production drew me in.

We saw this the nest day and we agree. Also as we had not ever seen this and we found it very weird and in some aspects disturbing. From what I could understand from it was they were all gathering to vote on who was going to die and they picked the one they all shunned that looked like Carol Burnett from her Lola skit to die. Then later on the evil cat comes back dressed up in the old man cats skin and reveals that it is the evil cat. Did he kill the old man cat and skin him?? But then the old man cat is back and we never see or her from evil cat again... I was so lost.

[BeachGal]

20 minutes ago, Jolly Ogre said:

We saw this the nest day and we agree. Also as we had not ever seen this and we found it very weird and in some aspects disturbing. From what I could understand from it was they were all gathering to vote on who was going to die and they picked the one they all shunned that looked like Carol Burnett from her Lola skit to die. Then later on the evil cat comes back dressed up in the old man cats skin and reveals that it is the evil cat. Did he kill the old man cat and skin him?? But then the old man cat is back and we never see or her from evil cat again... I was so lost.

I felt the same dang way!  We happened to be in the area of the theater the day after we saw it, and watched as people exited the theater with that, "What just happened?" kind of look on their face.

[fa-li]

On 2/12/2022 at 10:55 PM, The Fox said:

I agree that Cats is a difficult to understand musical and it really helps to have read the book it is based on. One thing I did notice about this discussion that some of you brought up is the length of the show. When I saw it in January, it was only 1 1/2 hrs. long. And I know the original was at least 2 1/2 hrs. as I saw that live 30 yrs ago on broadway. Apparently the director took some liberties and rewrote/cut some music to make it fit into a smaller time frame. I have done this with most of the musicals I have directed. In some cases it really doesn't matter, but I think in this musical it left out enough, hence making it even more difficult to understand.

Regardless, I loved the musical and would have seen it again if it was allowed.

Until this thread, I truly thought just about everyone HAD read the book of poems as part of school requirements.  Likewise, I thought most people would have been exposed to the top five longest running Broadway musicals at some point in their lives.  I guess it goes to show we really do live in information bubbles, lol.

[PG Cruiser]

2 hours ago, Jolly Ogre said:

We saw this the nest day and we agree. Also as we had not ever seen this and we found it very weird and in some aspects disturbing. From what I could understand from it was they were all gathering to vote on who was going to die and they picked the one they all shunned that looked like Carol Burnett from her Lola skit to die. Then later on the evil cat comes back dressed up in the old man cats skin and reveals that it is the evil cat. Did he kill the old man cat and skin him?? But then the old man cat is back and we never see or her from evil cat again... I was so lost.

Getting to the Heaviside Layer is the main plot of Cats.  Macavity (the evil cat) wanted to get there by any means.  He and his minions kidnap Old Deuteronomy (the old man cat), the elder who was going to pick who goes to the Heaviside Layer at the gathering (Jellicle Ball).  Macavity then crashes the Jellicle Ball, disguised as Old Deuteronomy. A fight ensues when he is exposed and he escapes from the junkyard.  Old Deuteronomy is brought back by the magic of Mr. Mistoffelees (the cat in tuxedo).  The elder then picks Grizabella (Carol Burnett from her Lola skit) to go to the Heaviside Layer.  At the end, Old Deuteronomy breaks the fourth wall and sings "The Ad-dressing of Cats" to the audience about how to properly address cats.  (This is probably Old Deuteronomy's way of scolding Oasis guests for their poor treatment of Cats har har har)

[Pooch]

On 2/13/2022 at 7:44 AM, EmersonNZ said:

I can't see them changing any time soon. The cost of buying rights (or developing an origional show), creating sets, costumes, training performers, musicans etc etc is probably something they aren;t keen on doing at the moment.

As for Cats.... While it was a great show to perform in (It took me ages not to get tongue tied in Jellicle Cats) it certainly isn't my favourite musical but I wouldn't say I hate it. I certainly wouldn't walk out on it and always love to see how shows are interpreted by different casts etc. 

me too!  It can be a bear to learn!
And I would LOVE to see Aida!  Such a great show.  My all time favorite to see and perform -PIPPIN!!  Both would do well I think. And while we’re at it, can we also replace Grease? Just a god awful & pretty inappropriate show.

[JohnK6404]

Cats was painful to sit through last OCT, but I had to see it to form my own opinion and I agree it HAS TO GO!

My wife loves Cats and saw it on Broadway as a child, but could not stand this adaptation.