Todd McKenney says his role in Cats is the part he was “born to play”

• We went to the media preview of CATS the musical at the Theatre Royal.
• This production marks the shows 40 year anniversary in Australia.
• We caught up with the cast, includes Dancing with the Stars judge and musical theatre superstar Todd McKenney.

CATS the musical is back in Australia, evoking pure nostalgia in fans who remember its original production, now four decades ago. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the show returns to Australia for a national tour, kicking off at the iconic Theatre Royal— home to the original production.

CATS is based on a book of poems by T.S. Eliot, called Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. It was turned into a musical by legendary English composer and impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber, and follows the plight of the Jellicle Cats and the night they make the “Jellicle choice” by deciding which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. It might sound strange, but clearly it works— we’re celebrating its Aussie 40th birthday after all.

We got a sneak peek at the new production, which stars Gabriyel Thomas as Grizabella, Mark Vincent as Old Deuteronomy, Jarrod Draper as Munkustrap and Todd McKenney as Bustopher Jones and Asparagus.

READ MORE: 20 CATS facts ahead of the musical’s 40th anniversary return to Sydney

The performances

Clad in Lycra, fur and fuzzy legwarmers, the cast erupted onto the stage in a bold and brilliant performance of the well-known Prologue: Jellicle Songs For Jellicle Cats. Dynamic feline movements make it difficult to take your eyes off the cast, as they leap, crawl and climb across the rubbish-strewn stage.

We then saw Todd McKenney take the stage in Gus: The Theatre Cat, alongside the talented Lucy Maunder, before a stunning jazz ballet fusion of dance and drama from the whole cast, in their performance of The Jellicle Ball.

Unfortunately, we did not get a sneak peek at the show’s most iconic song Memory, as Gabriyel Thomas was resting her voice before the show’s official opening tonight. You’ll have to wait for our review tomorrow to hear how she tackles one of the most famous songs in the world.

“The role I was born to play” Todd Mckenney as Gus the Theatre Cat

The second performance we saw starred Todd McKenney and Lucy Maunder as Asparagus and Jellylorum in Gus: The Theatre Cat. Maunder’s angelic voice invites the audience to listen to the shaking Gus, as the other cats watch on, dotted around the stage.

McKenney plays Gus with comedy while also encapsulating the frail and nostalgic feel of the character. The actor and TV personality is back in CATS after 37 years, in his 45th musical theatre show.

When asked where he channelled the character of Asparagus from, he said

“Well… me.

“There’s a lot of Gus in me.

“I’m a storyteller, Gus is a storyteller, he embellishes a lot, I embellish a lot.”

McKenney was reflective about the time he’s spent with “veterans” in the industry, and how he used to listen to older actors and actresses’ stories when joining them for a “glass of port” after a show in the dressing room. This informed his portrayal of Gus, who shares his own stories from his time as an actor with his fellow cats.

Although Gus laments the decline of theatre with the new wave of actors (“these kittens don’t get trained as we did”) McKenney was very positive about his young cast mates, stating that it was great to be around so much “youthful passion for the industry”. He said he often spoke like Gus to the young characters and even joked about his constant use of the term “back in my day” in his interviews.

When asked jokingly, “So it’s the role you were born to play?” He replied,

“The role I was born to play, yeah, it’s fun, I really relate to him.”

It’s hard to ignore the fact that Todd used to judge Dancing with the Stars Australia; however, he said that no part of his TV personality ever came through when watching the dancers in CATS (except that if he had to, he’d give them a ten).

Todd remarked, “I’m not a very judgmental person, especially in theatre, because I know how hard it is.”

He’ll also be playing the role of Bustopher Jones, the dapper “fat cat” who sings Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town, an ode to his luxurious lifestyle.

READ MORE: TV talent show stars are among the cast announced for the CATS 40th anniversary performances

Mark Vincent had a surprise at one preview

Mark Vincent, who plays the revered leader of the Jellicles, Old Deuteronomy, shared a crazy fan incident during one of the previews.

During the intermission, in which his character stays onstage, a fan, who was dressed up as a cat, jumped on stage and “took a photo with Old Deuteronomy”.

Vincent stated, “It doesn’t surprise me that there’s been 40 years of this show”, referencing the “hardcore CATS fans here”.

He said that he thought the incident was “amazing” and is a testament to the audience’s enduring love of the production.

The Australian tenor, who won the third season of Australia’s Got Talent in 2009, also raved about co-star Gabriyel Thomas (Grizabella),

“Gabriyel has carved her own path and has made this song her own— which is not an easy thing to do as an artist, and she has.”

READ MORE: You can see award-winning Broadway shows in Sydney for a fraction of the price

Gabriyel Thomas is excited to dance

“I do not remember a life without CATS”, said the smiling actress, who didn’t sing Memory in the preview as she had to rest her voice. She spoke to us about her love of CATs and her obsession with the 1998 film.

“I used to watch it on repeat, I had the VHS, I would dance to it in my living room, then my mum got a car with a DVD player and I was watching it in the car, so I’ve been very obsessed with this film since I was a little girl.”

When asked what was unexpected about the show, Thomas stated that she “didn’t expect to be dancing in the first number, but I’m so glad that I get to.”

Grizabella is typically a singing part, and Thomas continued, saying, “I’m not a dancer, but I can fake it really well and pretend like I’m a dancer— so this is great for me!

“Most of the show, you’re just getting hissed at and scratched at, so it’s so nice to have that moment in the beginning where you’re all in it together.”

CATS in Sydney

Where: Theatre Royal Sydney, 108 King St, Sydney NSW 2000.
When: June 17- September 6, Tues-Thurs 7pm, Fri-Sat 7.30pm, Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm & 6pm.
Price: From $69.90 (Transaction fees apply).

Find out more and book tickets at catsthemusical.com.au