Vienna 2019

The first Vienna revival opened at the Ronacher Theatre on 20 September 2019. It is produced by Vereinigte Bühnen Wien (VBW) and performed in German. Following the tradition in Vienna, the show runs in seasons September - July, taking a summer break.

Cats previously played in Vienna from 1983 to 1990, initially at the Theater an der Wien before moving to the Ronacher in 1988.

Production Specifics
The production follows the Paris revival, using the same set and with the revised Growltiger sequence. Unlike Paris though, this production uses the rock star version of Rum Tum Tugger instead of the Street Cat. It also uses the name Carbucketty instead of Pouncival for the tom kitten.

The production generally plays 7 performances a week, with two shows on Saturday and Mondays off. There are occasional weeks when they play 6 or 8 performances instead. Four preview performances were held on 12, 13, 14 and 19 September before the official opening. Similar to the original Vienna production, the show runs in seasons beginning in September, with a break during the summer months (August/September) before the next season.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2019-2020 season was suspended from 10 March 2020 onwards. The production held test performances in front of a small (250) audience on the 3rd and 4th of July, and resumed full performances on 24 September 2020. However, due to a second wave of the pandemic performances were again suspended from 31st October. Among the new precautions introduced, cast members will no longer interact with the audience during the show.



Creative Team

 * Make Up Designed by John Napier
 * Make Up Developed by Karen Dawson
 * Costume Supervisor Tracy Stiles
 * Wigs Supervisor Jenny Dean
 * Associate Set Design Alan Walker
 * Props Supervisor Liz Charsley
 * Gumbie Cat Tap Choreography Bill Deamer
 * Assistant Choreographer Ryan Gover
 * Sound Designer Greg Pink
 * Lighting Designer Howard Eaton
 * Keyboard Programmer Stuart Andrews
 * Associate Musical Supervisor Peter McCarthy
 * Musical Supervisor Graham Hurman
 * Associate Choreographer and Director to Gillian Lynne and Trevor Nunn Chrissie Cartwright

Production Team

 * Costume Department Nicole Panagl
 * Executive Producer Ulf Maschek
 * Resident Director Fritz Schmid
 * Production Stage Manager Andrew Morris
 * Musical Director Carsten Paap

Cast
This production shows a blend of the London style production, including character names "Admetus", "Bill Bailey", "Carbucketty" and "Jemima", while also including the German translations for "Alt Deuteronimus" and "Jenny Fleckenreich (Gumbie Katze)". The cast list also includes the UK-specific use of the name "Quaxo" as an alternate identity for "Mistoffelees".

This production reverted the changes made to the Broadway revival, where Gus performs as Rumpus Cat and the scene "Growltiger's Last Stand" is cut, with "Rumpus Cat" played by Alonzo, "Growltiger" by Gus, and "Griddlebone" by Jellylorum.

Auditions
The production will be performed in German, and as such all information is in German. However, from this audition notice we can speculate on certain elements: Rum Tum Tugger will be the Rock-star, not the Street cat; the production may well use the English production names of Jemima and Bill Bailey rather than Sillabub and Tumblebrutus (however role names can change between audition and production). One could also infer by the absence of characters like Old Deuteronomy, Gus or Grizabella, but the inclusion of Tugger, that private auditions may have already taken place to cast the principal vocalists.


 * Die Vereinigten Bühnen Wien suchen für die Originalproduktion des Erfolgsmusicals CATS hervorragende Tänzerinnen und Tänzer mit guten gesanglichen Fähigkeiten sowie Akrobaten mit guten tänzerischen Fähigkeiten und hervorragende Sängerinnen und Sänger mit guter Belt- und klassischer Gesangsstimme:


 * RUM TUM TUGGER
 * Ein Rock-Star mit Sexappeal, Sinn für Humor und sehr gutem Bewegungstalent. Kraftvolle Rockstimme. Spielalter: 25-35 Jahre


 * VICTORIA
 * Sehr gute Tänzerin mit fundierter Ballettausbildung. Stimmlage Mezzo.


 * MR. MISTOFFELEES
 * Hervorragender Tänzer und Sänger (hoher Bariton) mit fundiertem Balletthintergrund, muss steppen können. Eher klein mit schelmischer, extrovertierter Persönlichkeit. Spielalter: 20-30 Jahre


 * JEMIMA
 * Sehr gute Tänzerin (max. 165cm) mit sehr sicherer, jugendlicher und klarer Kopfstimme (bis F).


 * MUNGOJERRIE und RUMPLETEAZER
 * Junges, vorlautes und freches Katzenpärchen voller Energie. Exzellente TänzerInnen mit akrobatischen Fähigkeiten und starken Stimmen. Mungojerrie hoher Bariton, Rumpleteazer hoher Belt.


 * ALONZO, MACAVITY
 * Sehr gute Tänzer. Ensemble Bariton. (Macavity: sichere Partnerarbeit mit Hebung)


 * BILL BAILEY
 * Akrobat, Tänzer, Sänger (Bariton). Verschiedene Akrobatik mit Serien von FlicFlacs und Saltos.


 * Deutschkenntnisse werden bei allen BewerberInnen vorausgesetzt.


 * Auditions finden von 25. Februar bis 1. März 2019 in Wien statt
 * Probenbeginn: Mitte Juli 2019
 * Premiere: Mitte September 2019 im RONACHER