The unlikely musical that conquered the world
Gabriyel Thomas remembers the exact moment she first encountered Cats.
'I was four and my mum brought home the 1998 film version on VHS,' she says. 'I started watching it, again and again, on repeat, like it was my job.
'I danced around the living room to it so much that, even now, when people have been learning their choreography here, I know almost every movement they have to learn.'
The 'here' Thomas refers to is the Alexandria rehearsal room for the 40th Australian anniversary production of Cats, opening this week at the Theatre Royal Sydney. Fresh from rocking a nun's wimple in the Australian production of Sister Act, Thomas is part of the production's 28-strong cast as Grizabella, the once-glamorous, bedraggled moggie who sings the melancholic, chart-topping mega-hit Memory.
'It's one of those songs where if you don't know Cats, you still know Memory, ' she says. 'It's iconic. I did worry about doing it justice but, now, when I'm on the floor being Grizabella, the notes just come out. It takes over my entire existence.'
Since premiering in 1981 in London's West End, Andrew Lloyd Webber's sung-through contemporary dance musical about the Jellicle cat tribe has taken over stages around the world. Pioneering the concept of a blockbuster musical, and earning more than $3.5 billion worldwide to date, Cats has played in 51 countries, been translated into 23 languages and played to more than 81 million people.
Its original UK season won multiple Olivier and Evening Standard Awards followed by Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score and more, after the show's 1982 Broadway premiere.
But there were bumps along the way.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Samantha Jade to play Julia Roberts' role in Pretty Woman the Musical showing in Brisbane and Sydney
Samantha Jade is set to play her 'dream role' after she landed the lead in Pretty Woman: The Musical, based on the iconic movie and made famous by Julia Roberts. The 38-year-old singer and actress will star as Vivian (Roberts' character) in the upcoming Broadway and West End musical, which makes its debut in Brisbane and Sydney later this year. The show will play at Queensland Performing Arts Centre from October 5 and at the Theatre Royal, Sydney from November. 'This is a dream role for me. Such a beloved film that is a favourite of so many worldwide, and I'm delighted to be able to originate the role for Australian audiences,' the Perth-born star said. 'I never thought I would do a musical because I dance and sing, and act, but all separately, not at the same time and this is a big challenge. 'I love this movie so much, and the music in this is next level.' Jade told Sunrise she was in LA checking out of a one-night stay at the Beverly Wilshire, the famous hotel from the film, when she found out she got the role. The 1990 film sees rich businessman Edward (played by Richard Gere) hire Vivan, a prostitute, to join him at several social events; however, things soon get tricky when he begins to fall in love with someone from a very different world. Now, fans of the characters will get to know them in a whole new way with a dazzling theatrical take on a love story for the ages. Jade said the film was her 'comfort movie' that she used to watch with her mum, who sadly died in 2014 after a battle with cancer. 'It was one of our four favourites and last year was the 10th anniversary of her passing, so I was watching it a lot, weirdly, and then I got a call to audition and I was like 'Oh my god' this just seems perfect,' she said. As for who is playing her lover, all Jade could share was that the actor was 'someone Australian and someone great.' 'We couldn't get Richard, but we've got the next best thing.' Suzanne Jones of Jones Theatrical Group said the group knew if they didn't offer Jade the role, they would immediately regret it. 'We knew from the first time Samantha auditioned that not offering her the role of Vivian would be a big mistake. Big. Huge! Her voice perfectly suits Bryan Adams' iconic score, and I know Australian audiences will fall in love with her when she makes her debut at QPAC in October,' she said. No stranger to a live audience, Jade won Channel 7's X Factor in 2012 and has since amassed a collective 91 million streams and 2.3 million sales worldwide, released the song Shake That with Pitbull and released her album NINE in 2015, which hit number two on the ARIA charts. Our homegrown talent has been a regular fixture on Australian TV, starring as Kylie Minogue in the miniseries INXS: Never Tear Us Apart, as well as an ongoing guest-starring role in Home and Away. Her screen credits don't end there; in 2023, she joined the cast of the second season of Celebrity Apprentice, and last year was the runner-up of Channel 7's Dancing With The Stars. Jade has continued with her music career of late, releasing her EP Love. Sick. Vol 2 in August. Pretty Woman: The Musical features a rock score from GRAMMY winners Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (Summer of '69, Heaven), direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Hairspray) and a book by the original movie's director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton. The musical made its Broadway debut at the Nederlander Theatre in 2018 and has played in Spain, Italy, Poland and Germany as well as an extended West End season. Further casting announcements are set to be made in the coming weeks.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Perth pop singer to bring iconic movie to life on stage
Samantha Jade is set to play her 'dream role' after she landed the lead in Pretty Woman: The Musical, based on the iconic movie and made famous by Julia Roberts. The 38-year-old singer and actress will star as Vivian (Roberts' character) in the upcoming Broadway and West End musical, which makes its debut in Brisbane and Sydney later this year. The show will play at Queensland Performing Arts Centre from October 5 and at the Theatre Royal, Sydney from November. 'This is a dream role for me. Such a beloved film that is a favourite of so many worldwide, and I'm delighted to be able to originate the role for Australian audiences,' the Perth-born star said. 'I never thought I would do a musical because I dance and sing, and act, but all separately, not at the same time and this is a big challenge. 'I love this movie so much, and the music in this is next level.' Jade told Sunrise she was in LA checking out of a one-night stay at the Beverly Wilshire, the famous hotel from the film, when she found out she got the role. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. The 1990 film sees rich businessman Edward (played by Richard Gere) hire Vivan, a prostitute, to join him at several social events; however, things soon get tricky when he begins to fall in love with someone from a very different world. Now, fans of the characters will get to know them in a whole new way with a dazzling theatrical take on a love story for the ages. Jade said the film was her 'comfort movie' that she used to watch with her mum, who sadly died in 2014 after a battle with cancer. 'It was one of our four favourites and last year was the 10th anniversary of her passing, so I was watching it a lot, weirdly, and then I got a call to audition and I was like 'Oh my god' this just seems perfect,' she said. As for who is playing her lover, all Jade could share was that the actor was 'someone Australian and someone great.' 'We couldn't get Richard, but we've got the next best thing.' Suzanne Jones of Jones Theatrical Group said the group knew if they didn't offer Jade the role, they would immediately regret it. 'We knew from the first time Samantha auditioned that not offering her the role of Vivian would be a big mistake. Big. Huge! Her voice perfectly suits Bryan Adams' iconic score, and I know Australian audiences will fall in love with her when she makes her debut at QPAC in October,' she said. Samantha Jade never thought she would take on a musical. Credit: Supplied No stranger to a live audience, Jade won Channel 7's X Factor in 2012 and has since amassed a collective 91 million streams and 2.3 million sales worldwide, released the song Shake That with Pitbull and released her album NINE in 2015, which hit number two on the ARIA charts. Our homegrown talent has been a regular fixture on Australian TV, starring as Kylie Minogue in the miniseries INXS: Never Tear Us Apart, as well as an ongoing guest-starring role in Home and Away. Her screen credits don't end there; in 2023, she joined the cast of the second season of Celebrity Apprentice, and last year was the runner-up of Channel 7's Dancing With The Stars. Jade has continued with her music career of late, releasing her EP Love. Sick. Vol 2 in August. Pretty Woman: The Musical features a rock score from GRAMMY winners Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (Summer of '69, Heaven), direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Hairspray) and a book by the original movie's director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton. The musical made its Broadway debut at the Nederlander Theatre in 2018 and has played in Spain, Italy, Poland and Germany as well as an extended West End season. Further casting announcements are set to be made in the coming weeks.
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Breakers to get down in hope of international glory
Australia's best breakers will go head-to-head for a chance to compete at the international championships in Japan, as the energetic street dancing sport enjoys a surge in popularity. The Red Bull BC One Cypher Australia one-on-one national championships will be held in Brisbane in August, with the nation's best breakdancers going at it for an opportunity at international glory. It marks the first time the city will host the national finals since its inception nearly 20 years ago. "Queensland has some of the best breakers in the country, so for us to not travel and have our family and friends come and support us, it's pretty awesome," Leah 'B-Girl Flix' Clark told AAP. Sixteen of the best male and eight of the premier female breakers will battle one-on-one at Brisbane's Powerhouse in New Farm on August 24. The two winners will head to Tokyo in November where breaking glory beckons. Breaking has surged in popularity and gained worldwide attention following its involvement in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games sports program. Australian breaker Rachael Gunn, known as B-Girl 'Raygun', was subject to a hostile response in mainstream media and online following her failure to score any points at the Olympics in routines that included a "kangaroo" dance. Clark said engagement with the sport had grown off the back of Paris 2024. "The greatest thing that came out of that Olympics was so many eyes now on our sport and people were actually really researching what breaking was," she said. "We've definitely seen audience growth as well, people coming through to actually see what it's like in real life." For Australian Red Bull Breaking champion Chris 'B-Boy Cielo' Cielo, the national championship is a chance to regain his title and return to the international stage. Cielo says he has seen first-hand how the sport has grown in Australia with a strong contingent of youth coming through. But that hasn't stifled his ambition to reach the top again. "Everyone's real encouraging and everyone likes to train hard and just win," he said. "It's not like anything else, man. It's high energy, it's very competitive, but it's awesome. "Everyone's enjoying the music, the vibe is high, everyone's letting out their best moves and it's just cool, man. It's like a footy game, but dancing." Breakers are judged on their dynamics, creativity, character, cleanliness, fluidity, transitions and execution. They also do not get to choose their own music, which can make or break a battle, Clark said. "If you've got a track that maybe you're not vibing or you've got a really awesome track that just hypes you up - it's totally spontaneous," she said.
