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Photos by Meg Higgins
Updated 3:30 pm February 18, 2014.
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s production of “Cats” had community members clawing to get in the doors of the Performing Arts Center on the evenings of Thursday, Feb. 13, Friday, Feb. 14, and the afternoon of Sunday, Feb. 16. A performance scheduled for 7:30 pm on Saturday, Feb. 15 was rescheduled for 2 pm on Monday, Feb. 17 due to Saturday’s snowstorm.
A talented cast of MVRHS students, adorned in sleek fur costumes, shone brighter than the moon in the junkyard set of the 18-song musical. The lyrics, based on poems from T.S. Eliot’s 1939 book “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,” introduce the varied personalities of the “jellicle cats” who are awaiting their leader, Old Deuteronomy, to select which cat will be reborn on the “Journey to Heaviside Layer.”
The competitive atmosphere that ensues in the plot allowed a deep bench of MVRHS soloists and ensembles to show off their distinctive voices and characters in a performance that will not soon be forgotten.
Others involved in the production included stage director Betsy Hauck, conductor Abigail Chandler, makeup artist Katie Feeks, musical director Jan Wightman, and the choreography team of Lucas Amarins, Michelle deGeofroy, Lianna Loughman, Lily Lubin, Sophia Nelson, Sam Permar, and Alexis Willett.
For more on “Cats,” read Gwyn McAllister’s story “‘Cats:’ the fine tuned, purring engine of a production starts Thursday.”
This article was updated to include additional members of the choreography team.
