‘Cats: Young Actors Edition’ to be staged in Chesterton
Playing Alonzo in Memorial Theatre Company’s “Cats” in
2006 at Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso led professional actor Daniel Evan Castro to become interested in dance.
“That was when the rights for community theater became available. We were one of the first ones to produce that show,” said Castro, a Portage native.
“Dana Kurzawinski, the choreographer at the time, said, ‘This is a choreographer’s dream.’ That stuck with me throughout all these years. I knew eventually Premier Performance would come to the point of doing ‘Cats.’
“When the time finally came, it started choreographing itself in a way. I promised myself that I wasn’t going to hold anything back just because I’m dealing with a mixture of youth. The group we have is confident so I gave it my all in this production. It’s incredible what they’re doing.”
Castro is choreographing the Northwest Indiana premiere of “Cats: Young Actors Edition” for Premier Performance from May 6 to 7 at Chesterton’s Duneland Community Church.
This musical is an adaptation of “Cats,” which is based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot and received Tony Awards including best musical, best book of a musical for Eliot and best original score for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Eliot for its original Broadway production.
“The original show is approximately two hours. The Young Actors Edition cuts it down to an hour,” said Castro, of Chesterton.
“This particular adaptation covers the entire show. With some shows that have been shortened I miss something but it feels like very much of a complete show in an hour. It goes by quick.”
“Cats: Young Actors Edition” includes well-known tunes such as “Memory” and characters such as Grizabella, Jennyanydots, Macavity, Mr. Mistoffelees, Old Deuteronomy, Rum Tum Tugger and Skimbleshanks.
“A group of junkyard cats are going to choose who the next cat is who will go up to The Heaviside Layer to be reborn as a new cat, so part of the story is trying to figure out which cat would be chosen,” said Castro, who has a black cat named Stella and long-haired cats named Katey and Oliver.
“The other part of the story is introducing the different types of personalities that cats have, so that’s what makes this show comical. In terms of story, it’s not very linear in terms of a traditional musical.”
Castro was a seventh-grader when he discovered Webber, whose numerous awards include a Grammy for best cast show album for “Cats: Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording” and a Tony for best musical for “The Phantom of the Opera.”
“My choir teacher in middle school played a cassette tape of ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’ I remember being so aware of what I was hearing as a kid that that stuck with me until now,” Castro said.
“That was the catalyst that made me such a big fan of the work that Andrew Lloyd Webber has done.”
Premier Performance’s “Cats: Young Actors Edition” features 19 actors from ages 8-17 and includes Burns Harbor, Cedar Lake and Chesterton residents.
“I’m in awe of them. Everybody’s working hard. I can see all of the wheels turning in their brains. I can see them adding things to their characters,” said Castro, who added that “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats” sets the tone for the musical and somewhat mirrors the cast.
“They say the word ‘fearless’ in the number. All the kids are fearless. They have embraced the show and all the aspects of it in terms of costuming to even makeup. It’s an amazing experience to see all this come together with this group of kids.
“It’s a unique show. We’re talking a bunch of people dressed up as life-size cats. The music is iconic. The choreography is fast and intense. This entire world is very interesting. It brings the concept of a regular old house cat and gives it a little more meaning behind how amazing these creatures are.”
He co-founded Premier Performance in 2012 with his wife, Keri Burman Castro, who directs “Cats: Young Actors Edition.”
“Keri has dug down deep to try and find the meaning of the show and the relationships between the different cats. The students have done that too,” he said.
“She’s tried to leave no stone unturned in terms of the story and the overall aesthetic and picture of the show.”