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Unprecedented Demand for "Cats" Tickets

Tuesday 13 May 2014, 4:32PM

By RedPR

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'Cats' Season Sure to Be Sell Out
'Cats' Season Sure to Be Sell Out Credit: Rangi Ruru Girls' School

More seats are being released following a huge demand for tickets to Rangi Ruru and Christ’s College’s production of “Cats”.

The curtain goes up on one of the world’s best loved and most seen musicals next Monday and the five night season is fast looking as though it will be sold out.

Dynamic directing duo, Rangi Ruru’s Director of Theatre Arts, Robert Gilbert and David Chambers, Director of Drama at Christ’s College, are back together again and both say they are delighted by the reaction from the Christchurch public.

“It’s wonderful that the talent every one of the cast and crew possesses will be seen by so many,” says Robert Gilbert. “The talent is extraordinary. These young men and women dance, they sing, they act with incredible physicality; it's a very physical show and the athletes involved are wonderful to watch. The costumes and makeup are stunning and there’s magic and illusion in our production as good as anything you’ll see in international magic shows.”

David Chambers too is just as enthusiastic. “It’s a true West End spectacle,” he says. “There’s enough spectacle in this show to entertain and thrill anyone. It’s quite remarkable that such a well-loved and popular musical as “Cats” doesn’t actually have a story however that just reinforces how engaging and entertaining the show is as a whole.”

Cats” with a cast of 70, a crew of 30, 25 dressers and makeup artists, all supported by 12 staff, is one of the largest and most ambitious undertakings by Rangi Ruru and Christ’s College.

Rehearsals are continuing with dress rehearsals taking place this Saturday and a final dress on Sunday 18th May with opening night on Monday 19th May at Christ’s College.

ENDS: 

Event listing details:                     www.catsthemusical.school.nz

CATS - The Musical
Proudly presented by Rangi Ruru Girls’ School and Christ’s College
Directed by David Chambers and Robert Gilbert

Details:

Where: Christ's College Auditorium
When: Mon 19 & Tues 20 May, Thurs 22, Fri 23 & Sat 24 May 7.30pm
Tickets
General admission: Adults $30 / Student: $20 / Adult group 8+: $25
For tickets, phone:
Christ's College Office - (03) 366 8705 / Rangi Ruru Office - (03) 983 3700.

NB: If purchasing tickets from the Christ's College Office, Cash or Cheque only - no eftpos or credit card facilities. Tickets can be purchased by phone using the Rangi Ruru Credit Card facility with a credit card and postage fee of $5 per transaction. Phone (03) 983 3700

Follow us on Facebook – www.facebook.com/events/245069089007374/

Additional information
Since Cats first opened in 1981, it has become one of the world's best known and best loved musicals and has grossed over NZ$2 billion.

Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, and produced by Cameron Mackintosh.

The musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make what is known as "the Jellicle choice" and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. Cats also introduced the song standard "Memory".

Directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, Cats first opened in the West End in 1981 and then with the same creative team on Broadway in 1982. It won numerous awards, including Best Musical at both the Laurence Olivier Awards and the Tony Awards. The London production ran for twenty-one years and the Broadway production ran for eighteen years, both setting new records.

Actresses Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley became particularly associated with the musical. One actress, Marlene Danielle, performed in the Broadway production for its entire run (from 1982 until 2000). Cats has been performed around the world many times, has been translated into more than 20 languages and continues to enchant audiences in over 300 cities worldwide. 

Our Directors:

Robert Gilbert, Director of Theatre Arts at Rangi Ruru Girls' School:  Robert began his theatre career in 1981 as a trainee actor with Prospect Theatre Company in Hamilton and has since appeared in scores of professional theatre and television productions. 

As a director, he has won Best Production awards at many NZ Theatre Festivals, the Norfolk Island Theatre Festival, Port Macquarie Theatre Festival, and the Best Director Award at the Norfolk Island Festival an unprecedented four times.

As a playwright, Robert has written 20 plays, mostly for children or adult comedies. In both 2010 and 2011, Robert was short listed for the PLAYMARKET Plays for the Young competition.

David Chambers, Director of Drama at Christ's College: David has built two successful drama departments from scratch, first at Aranui High School and, over the last 15 years, at Christ's College.

He has dared thousands of boys and girls to take risks, to persist, and to learn together through drama. He shares his own performance skills, vision and passion enabling students to excel through the NCEA and NZQA Scholarship Drama and to extend themselves through performance. 

As a director and producer, he has over 90 plays and productions to his credit. A regular contributor to Drama NZ, he has also presented papers on drama education in Norway and is national adjudicator for Theatre NZ's 2014 Festival.


Our Cast (totals 70 students)

Rangi Ruru:

Bomborlina – Georgia Noble-Adams / Victoria – Ellie Crawford / Demeter - Caitlyn Rochford / Grizzabella – Alice Norton / Jennyanydots – Pauline Ward / Rumpleteazer – Cassie Henderson / Jemima – Holly Reid / Griddlebone – Claire McSweeney / Jellylorum – Sylvia Barnett

Christ’s College:

Bustopher Jones – Will Briscoe / Munkustrap – Lachlan Oliver–Kerby / Munkustrap Jnr – Henry Rolleston / Rumtum Tugger – Oscar O'Brien / Rumtum Jnr – Ben Smith / Mungojerry – Reid Edmond / Old Deuteronomy – Bramley Mclean / Deuteronomy Jnr - Dominic Aldridge / Gus – Etienne Wain / Skimbleshanks – Patrick Manning / Mr Mistoffelees – Andrew Ford