Why has "Cats" made it into the record books as the longest-running musical both on the London stage and on Broadway?

It cannot be because of the plot, since it does not have one, and as for the music, the only song that has stood the test of time is "Memory."

Rather, there seems to be a magical element to this Andrew Lloyd Webber musical that has caught the imagination of theater-goers year after year, including those who saw it at the Show Me Center Friday night.

"Cats" follows the tribe of Jellicle Cats as they reunite to celebrate the Jellicle Ball, where their leader, Old Deuteronomy, will choose one cat to ascend to the Heaviside Layer to be reborn.

Even though it is based on the work of T.S. Eliot, "Cats" is kind of a silly story. Come to think of it, watching adults on stage dressed in spandex and pretending to be cats is rather silly too.

However, the idea of our pet cats having another life away from the human world is intriguing, and the cats in "Cats" definitely captivated the audience.

One of reasons for the captivation is the superb dancing. Just about all of the cast members flew through the air with grace and showed off their amazing flexibility while never getting caught up in their tails.

The dancing is also superb because of the wonderful choreography. Every movement the actors made managed to convey cat-like grace and agility, while the bigger production numbers like the Jellicle Ball have full-on energy.

Not as superb is the music, especially during the Jellicle Ball number. For the most part, the music in "Cats" sounds like bad 1980s synth, which might have been OK when the show opened in 1981 but sounds dated for 2004.

But "Memory" deserves all the attention it has received over the years. It is a great song.

Performing as the shunned cat Grizabella, who sings "Memory," was Anne Brummel, who did a great job with a demanding role.

It is the story of Grizabella that really resonates with the audience. Who among us has not once played the role of the outcast? Grizabella and "Memory" touch a nerve quite effectively.

One reason for the success of "Cats" is that it manages to mix the serious with the silly and the magical with the mundane.

kalfisi@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182