top of page

Indy Suggests: Cats the Movie

There’s something for everyone in Cats . Love acclaimed thespians? The star-studded cast includes Judi Dench as a gender-swapped elder cat, Ian McKellen as a sad former thespian cat, Idris Elba as a mystical cat burglar, and James Corden as a sophisticated cat out on the town. Love breathtaking music? The new version of “Memory”, sung by the Oscar-winning Jennifer Hudson is 4 minutes and 24 seconds of renewed Webber genius. Love charming children’s literature? If you didn’t know, the songs in Cats are based on a book of charming children’s poetry by T.S. Eliot published in the 1930s. Also, did you know that The Tombs, your favorite Georgetown neighborhood watering hole, is named for one of the James Corden cat’s favorite restaurants as named in the poem? It’s true! And the origins of Hoyas’ most beloved restaurant can’t be wrong! Love cats? There’s gonna be a lot of them. Essentially, it is going to be Crumbs and Whiskers: The Movie. But if the CGI is just too much for you, just remember what the humanoid cats are supposed to represent. On stage, humans are dressed as cats because there is no other way to depict cats on a stage than putting humans in fur suits. The hybrids in the new movie are only trying to pay homage to the costuming style of the musical that has run over 10,000 performances since 1983 and established the mega-musical phenomenon. Oh—and do you love social media meta-jokes? The @catsmovie Twitter account only follows one other: @RedLaserPointer. As I sit on Lau 1 crying over Elaine Paige’s 31-million-view rendition of “Memory,” I can only hope that millennials give the new Cats movie a chance. This is me doing my part to give type-A Les Mis (2012) and The King’s Speech (2010) director Tom Hooper a hand. Alexandra Bowman

Indy Suggests: Cats the Movie
bottom of page