Because Of Maplewood Kid, This 'Cats' Will Be Better Than 'Cats'

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — If you want to introduce your family to the hit musical "Cats" without sitting through the poorly reviewed movie, you can enjoy the stage show — with Andrew Lloyd Webber's rousing score and poet T.S. Eliot's lyrics — on a local level. Front & Center for Performing Arts will bring the show to Morristown on Jan. 31, Feb. 1, and Feb. 2, and best of all, many of the young cast members are from surrounding towns. Zoe Bacharach of Maplewood will play Macavity, the mystery cat.

The original "Cats" premiered in 1981 in London, then debuted at the Winter Garden Theater in New York in 1982. The score, costumes, and dance earned raves, and the song "Memory" became a hit. The show highlights the personalities and quirks of the different cats, as audience members wonder which cat will be chosen for an important journey.

The show is based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot. Additional material was written by Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe.

"I am so thrilled to bring this history-making musical to the stage again," said art director Renee Celeste of Springfield. "I've had a long history with this show; seeing it on Broadway as a kid, dancing in it as a young performer, and now seeing it with my own children as a parent. Cats the musical is really now and forever! I hope you will bring your own children."

Front and Center for Performing Arts is a nonprofit theater studio based in Springfield, N.J., that holds classes for all ages and skill levels.

The shows are Friday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 2 at 1 p.m. They're held at Dolan Performance Hall, College of St. Elizabeth, 2 Convent Road, Morristown, NJ, 07960.

Tickets should be purchased in advance at

https://m.bpt.me/event/4474997. If there are extras, they will be sold at the door. Call 973-258-1123 or email info@front-n-center.com for more information.

Just proof that "Cats" really does have nine lives.