The national tour of Cats is clawing its way into Chicago. For 26 years this record-breaking musical continually tours. Windy City Times pounced on dance captain Bradley Landers before the show.
Windy City Times: How many years have you been training Cats?
Bradley Landers: This is will be my third year. I have been on it for two years previously. It was easy to come back, so that's a positive thing.
WCT: What brought you to the Tony award winning show in the first place?
BL: Cats was the first thing that got me into theater. I grew up in theater but Cats was the first show that I ever saw. So I always wanted to do the show in the first place. I had the fortune of getting the job once I auditioned for it in New York about two years ago.
WCT: Where did you study dance?
BL: I grew up in New Hampshire, near a summer stock theater, New London Barn Playhouse. I was always doing shows as a kid every summer. I went to college at Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y. I did a musical theater program there so that was my training.
WCT: What is the difference in this version as opposed to other versions of Cats?
BL: This is the only North American version that is sanctioned by Andrew Lloyd Weber and their group. This is based on the Broadway show. This is directly taken from everything that happened on Broadway in the '80s. Other versions of Cats that Andrew Lloyd Weber signed off on happened in Australia and Europe. This show that we tour with is very different from regional shows because they don't have the copyrighted choreography, sets, the lighting and all of that stuff. What we are bringing around the country is based on the New York one.
WCT: Can you teach a cat like me to dance with my two left feet?
BL: [ Laughs ] I probably could. You might be surprised!
WCT: I took dance class in college and tap was the worst for me; it was so hard.
BL: Yes, tap is the worst for me, too. Unfortunately, there is a tap number in this show.
WCT: Tell me about your "Memories" of Cats.
BL: My whole experience has been really positive. Being able to tour the country has been great. What's cool about Cats is that what I said earlier about being my first show and many people's first theatrical experience when they were young. Now as we go along there is a new generation that's very into it. There is always going to be that six year old and that it is their first time into the theater. Their eyes light up when the spectacle of Cats goes on. That's what keeps me going. It changes lives in a sense that it gives people direction or hope in life.
WCT: I wonder if that's the secret for the show running so long.
BL: Yes, the longevity of the show is pretty outrageous. I think some of that comes from how truly groundbreaking the show was back in the early '80s. You are seeing cats on stage instead of humans, which was crazy. Then the choreography by Gillian Lynne was very groundbreaking in its time. People we just used to jazz or ballet on stage. Both of those worlds were melded together but also added an element of felinity or cat like behavior. Also it was new back then to use this synthesized sound. This all helped to keep it going. It was the first mega-musical, like the first Wicked.
WCT: Well, this week is the first time I have seen Cats so I am looking forward to it.
BL: We haven't been to Chicago for a while so we are excited about being there.
Cats runs through Oct. 18 at Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph, with some matinee and night performances. Tickets are $20-$80 each, and may be purchased at BroadwayInChicago.com or ticketmaster.com .
