Australia NZ 2015

2015/16 New Zealand/Australia Tour

The most recent tour based out of Australia, using the London Palladium production's new material, ran from September 2015 until May 2016.

Production Specifics
The 2015 Australia/New Zealand tour was the first production to recreate the updated material from the 2014 London Palladium production, including "Street Cat" Tugger, as well as the updated Gumbie Tap and Growltiger scenes.

In addition to the new material, several other alterations were made to match the UK score. Non-score changes included
 * The third verse of solo lines in the Prologue were redistributed.
 * Mistoffelees singing Invitation instead of Munkustrap, and the ensemble second chorus cut entirely.
 * The Trio singing harmony during Munkustrap's second verse of Gumbie Cat.
 * Extended Bustopher Jones solo.
 * A cut in the beginning of the Jellicle Ball.
 * The beginning of the Macavity fight, with Macavity taking Demeter, was cut.
 * The names of Sillabub, Plato and Tumblebrutus were changed to Jemima, Admetus and Bill Bailey respectively.
 * The on-stage swings were mostly cut, instead only emerging from the vocal booth during Naming and at the end of the interval.
 * To compensate for the loss of the chorus cats, Electra and George were added as permanent characters to fill the space left.
 * Carbucketty was added as a character, taking the solo lines in the score, and becoming the sixth member of Growltiger's crew. Pouncival was retained, keeping his character and position in the dances, including the pas de deux with Victoria.
 * Remaking costumes and restyling all of the wigs, resulting in a blended style that was neither Australian, nor UK; e.g. Rumpleteazer with a UK colour palette, but Australian brush strokes.
 * The Beetle tap costumes had their coloured spots removed, resulting in plain black costumes, and the wings were no longer opened. They also no longer carried cutlery.
 * The front of Rumpus's full face mask was cut open.
 * The Growltiger backdrop was removed.
 * Some choreography changes to the Gumbie Trio, the end of the Jellicle Ball, and the Macavity fight, giving Munkustrap more of the fight than usual, but still less than Alonzo.

Media release:"CATS, one of the greatest musicals of all time." "With magnificent music composed by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber, including the poignant hit song “Memory”, an imaginative set, dazzling choreography and stunning costumes, CATS is a brilliant song and dance spectacular not to be missed.""One of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, CATS has enchanted more than 70 million people in over 300 cities around the world, and won a record-breaking number of awards.""Adapted from T S Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”, the show is alive with highly entertaining feline characters and wonderful verse, as the Jellicle Cats come out to play in a larger-than-life junk yard on the night of the Jellicle Ball. One by one they tell their stories for the amusement of Old Deuteronomy, who must choose one of the Cats to ascend to the Heaviside Layer to be reborn into a new life.""CATS is quite simply a phenomenon – you won’t believe your eyes!""From 11 September 2015, Australia & New Zealand"

Media
Cats Returns to Adelaide - Photo Feature

Creative Team
Associate Director & Choreographer to Trevor Nunn & Gillian Lynne: Jo-Anne Robinson

Musical Director: Paul White

Musical Supervisor: Fiz Shapur

Head of Wigs and Make up: Sharon Case / Lidiya Kaplun

Sound Designer: Ki Young Kim

Lighting Supervisor: Greg Yates

Resident Director: Stephen Morgante

Resident Choreographer: Emma Delmenico

Gumbie Tap choreography by Bill Deamer

Producers: Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, David Atkins Enterprises, Base Entertainment Asia, and The Really Useful Group

Backstage
Lunchbox Theatrical Productions