DVD : Cats - The Musical (Commemorative Edition)
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Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Universal
EAN: 0025192111624
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
Label: Universal Studios
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Publisher: Universal Studios
Region Code: 1
Release Date: September 12, 2000
Running Time: 120 minutes
Sales Rank: 1479
Studio: Universal Studios
Theatrical Release Date: October 27, 1998
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 07/05/2005 Starring: Elaine Paige Run time: 120 minutes Rating: Nr Director: David Mallet
Amazon.com essential video:
This pop-cultural phenomenon has been performed on stage for more than 50 million patrons in 26 countries for almost 18 years, churning more than $2 billion in ticket sales. Now that Cats has finally made it to the small screen, attention must be paid not just by fans of this critic-proof show, but also by those entertainment mavens who have somehow avoided Cats until now. The video version has been restaged but, alas, not really reconceived for its new medium.
The video cast, assembled from London, Amsterdam, and New York productions, is competent. Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy, Jacob Brent as Mr. Mistoffelees, and Elaine Paige--the original London Grizabella, the Glamour Cat well past her prime--are a great deal more than that. Paige has toned down her theatrical belting of her big number, "Memory," and allowed the faded ruin of her character's soul to prevail in close-up. For all the "covers" of her signature song, Paige's version remains definitive. The video is, by definition, more intimate, not always a good thing: costumes are even more Halloweeny in garish close-up, the cats less cuddly without that all-important interaction, the stage's appropriately midnight lighting transmuted to a Las Vegas neon. And the chorus of cats in production numbers is even clunkier and more amorphous in two- and three-shots.
The one complete newcomer to the cast is the 90-year-old icon among English actors John Mills, a delight as Gus the Theatrical Cat. Sir John and his character show the youngsters how it's done in close-up, largely behind the eyes, abetted by a heart-tugging delivery of his one song. Yet virtually all of the songs are lip-synched, further robbing the video Cats of its onstage seeming spontaneity. It's clearer than ever that Lloyd Webber's music is mostly twaddle, with the important exception of "Memory," which instantly and rightly became one of the genuine theater standards not dependent on context, in the vein of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns." On the plus side, most of the Cats characters and lyrics, from T.S. Eliot's 14-poem Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, are far better defined and understood from the video version. --Robert Windeler
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
My daughter loves the music and choreography. She enjoyed each "cats" character. I too enjoyed viewing and listening to the music
Rating:  -
I love this musical, I saw it for the first time when I was 8, now I'm 18 and I still love to watch it! It is exactly how I remember, but much clearer, I would recommend it to previous viewers and to families with young children.
Rating: -
This musical is based on T. S. Eliot's poetic "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats."
The plot, which is basically an excuse for fabulously singing and dancing cats to show their stuff, is that once every year one of the Jellicle cats can ascend to the Heaviside layer and from there be reborn into another cat life--and this year's choice will be made tonight. This leads the Jellicles to perform (singly, in duos, in trios, and en masse) in order to prove their worthiness.
Among the best numbers is "Rum Tum Tigger," "Mister Mistofelees," "Gus the Theater Cat," and, of course, "Memory." The agile dancing is wonderful and the songs don't disappoint. It's almost hard to believe that the cast is NOT cats.
And my cat loved it.
Rating: -
I highly recommend this DVD for hours of enjoyment! It was delivered fast and in the best shape possible!
Rating: -
Having learned T.S. Elliot's poem and performed it in high school, I absolutely love Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical interpretation and production of it.Of course the actors in this production are legendary.
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starring: Elaine Paige, John Mills, Ken Page, Rosemarie Ford, Michael Gruber
directed by: David Mallet
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Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Universal
EAN: 0025192111624
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
Label: Universal Studios
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Publisher: Universal Studios
Region Code: 1
Release Date: September 12, 2000
Running Time: 120 minutes
Sales Rank: 1479
Studio: Universal Studios
Theatrical Release Date: October 27, 1998
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