Cats, New Jersey, The 1980s, And Junior High

HOLMDEL, NJ — It was Holmdel, N.J., 1985, and my eighth grade class was determined to see “Cats” on Broadway. New York City seemed huge and foreboding back then; families dressed up to “go in” on the bus, and we were a bit wary due to the city's high crime rate that eventually peaked in 1990. But it was still an exciting place for Jersey kids to take a class trip to the museums or planetarium. This particular trek would be different, though — we were a Creative Arts class and we were going to see the much talked-about musical that had opened at the Winter Garden Theater three years earlier to a lot of buzz.

I had just moved to Holmdel for eighth grade. I was excited by our teachers’ idea: We’d host various creative fundraisers so we could each see Cats for $15 each. We already knew the hit song “Memory” and were studying T.S. Eliot’s poems to understand Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score in advance.

Some of the musical’s reviewers were already puzzled by it, particularly because it didn't have a strong plot. I remember Howard Stern issuing this opinion on the radio: “Somebody should shoot those cats!” The professional reviews were mixed. In the New York Times, Frank Rich wrote, “Whatever the other failings and excesses, even banalities, of ‘Cats,’ it believes in purely theatrical magic.”

It seemed that a gaggle of 13- and 14-year-olds might have been confused as well, except that our teachers came to rescue. We looked at T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (1939) over a long period, and worked our tails off (so to speak) to raise money. In one fundraiser that year, our peers paid $1 to throw paper plates full of whipped cream at Principal Stan Fishson and our teachers, including Michael Ferraro, who was still at the school as of last year (read last year's Patch story about him here). We learned, in advance, to appreciate a show that perhaps didn’t have any car chases or explosions, but had a fascinating cat's-eye view into the quirks and personalities of our feline friends. It also had a theme: Cats may have nine lives, but only one cat among many would be chosen for life after death. Was it random? Was life random itself? As budding teenagers, we had similar existential questions.

By the time we filled charter buses to head up the Parkway, we were ready. We didn’t expect Breakfast Club or Scarface, just a delightful show.

But one of our female teachers encouraged us to anticipate something else. Her comments had to do with the fact that the cats wore very tight…tights. Several times in class, she said, “Girls, when you see this Rum Tum Tugger…!” So yes, we were tacitly encouraged to stare at Terrence Mann’s crotch (I believe he had an understudy that day, which was a topic on conversation too; the same teacher noted that she’d never seen a play in which the understudy wasn’t every bit as great as the original. We actually did learn a lot about creativity and theater in that class.)

Once there, we enjoyed the song, dance, and humor. Despite the fact that we were a bunch of cynical (and hormonal) 13- and 14-year-olds, I didn’t hear one complaint.

On the bus back, I interviewed teachers and chaperones for the H.I.S. Express. The adults all talked about how we teens were able to see motifs in a play that had befuddled many of their friends, and it was true.

With the “Cats” movie premiering this past weekend, I’m seeing reviews complain that it has no plot. Of course, some of the reviews indicate that it’s just not a good film, maybe more of an instant camp classic. I haven’t seen it yet. Here are some of the first reviews I read on the web from viewers: "As bad as everyone is saying. There is no plot at all. It just move[s] from one song and dance number to another." "Just a bunch of cats singing and dancing in the street." "I was literally embarrassed to be in the theater." "Awful monstrosity with no plot. If you like this, you are a sinister alien that has only heard of cats or humans in invasion briefing."

Well. You do have to appreciate “singing and dancing” to enjoy Cats. Or maybe you just have to like James Corden. What these reviews tell me is that people are reacting to the movie like they reacted to the play almost 40 years ago, or maybe not as well.

Some will find it boring and others will find it magical. There's no right or wrong when it comes to taste. But perhaps if we need more insight, we should go ask the magical Mr. Mistoffelees.

What do you think about the “Cats” movie – will you go see it, have you seen it, or would you never in any of your nine lives see it? Comment below.