The first cruise production of Cats opened on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's Oasis of the Seas on 2nd November 2014.
The cruise ship was based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA during the winter and New York City, New York, USA during the summer up until April 2024. During the third week of April 2024, the cruise ship made a transatlantic crossing and will now be based out of both Barcelona, Spain and Rome, Italy for the summer months, before returning to Fort Lauderdale for the winter months.
Production Details[]
This production of Cats is performed "in rep", alternating with a circus-style show, with many of the cast playing in both shows. A new alternating show, One Sky, created specially for the Oasis of the Seas cruise ship, was opened with Cast 14 in mid-2023, replacing the previous circus-style show.
While this version is produced by Royal Caribbean, the whole show is now based on the UK/European version of Cats with the exception that, like in every American production, the "Ballad of Billy McCaw" is replaced by the Italian aria "In Una Tepida Notte", until the production was revised with Cast 10 in 2019, at which point the song was cut.
The costume designs are UK style, originally the US Troika Tour costumes were to be used, but with the Palladium production combining the properties of the UK Tour and the German Tent Tour, a full set of costumes became available and are used in this production. Troika was still briefly involved with the costume maintenance for the first few years, but this was discontinued at some point early on in the production. The set (NAP 18) is notably similar to the one of the German Tent Tour (NAP 19).
The production still uses the "Rockstar" original version of The Rum Tum Tugger character (instead of the "Street Cat" version that had its premiere in London in 2014). However, the choreography of the Jellicle Ball has been reworked.
The cast consists of 22 cats. The production uses the American names for the kittens: Tumblebrutus, Plato, Syllabub / Sillabub and Pouncival. As the show is "In Rep" on a cruise ship, there are no swings, and wig and costume maintenance is carried out by the cast themselves.
The production used the older Grizabella design between Cast 1 in November 2014 and Cast 13 ending in July 2023. Staring with Cast 14 that opened in August 2023, the revised Grizabella costume is being used instead, bringing the production in-line with other worldwide productions.
Abridged Version 2019[]
In August 2019, the new 10th cast began rehearsing an abridged, 90 minute edit of the show. In this new version, "Bustopher Jones", "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles" and "Growltiger's Last Stand" have been cut. This version began performances on 29th November, following a refurbishment of the Oasis of the Seas.
Creative Team[]
- Associate Director & Choreographer: Chrissie Cartwright
- Assistant to the Director & Choreographer: Gavin Eden
- Casting Director: JP Christensen
- Resident Director: Michael Clowers
- Resident Choreographer: JP Christensen (until 2016); David Rosales (from 2016)
- Associate Set Designer: Alan Walker
- Associate Lighting Designer: Howard Eaton
- Associate Sound Designer: Greg Pink
- Costume Supervisor: Tracy Stiles
- Wigs Supervisor: Jenny Dean
- Make-Up developed by: Karen Dawson
- Music Supervisor: Graham Hurman
- Production Manager: Jon Shaw
- Royal Carribbean Music Supervisor: Ben Bryant
Cast / Galleries[]
The Casts are known by numbers (eg., "Cast 6"). Official information about the casts for this production is very hard to find as there is no official website or programme.
Cast 1 - November 2014[]
Erica Hansen, who plays Jennyanydots, is the only actress who has been in a production of Cats (US National/Troika tour) before; all the others are making their debuts in Cats.
- Opening Night of Cast 1 was ~5 November 2014
- Final Performance of Cast 1 was ~2 May 2015
Cast 2 - May 2015[]
- Opening Night of Cast 2 was ~8 May 2015
- Final Performance of Cast 2 was ~7 November 2015
Cast 3 - November 2015[]
- Opening Night of Cast 3 was ~13 November 2015
- Final Performance of Cast 3 was ~7 May 2016
Cast 4 - May 2016[]
- Opening Night of Cast 4 was 12 May 2016
- Final Performance of Cast 4 was 29 October 2016
Cast 5 - November 2016[]
- Opening Night of Cast 5 was 3 November 2016
- Final Performance of Cast 5 was 8 July 2017
| Role | Cast |
|---|---|
| Alonzo / Rumpus Cat | Tom Broderick |
| Asparagus / Bustopher Jones / Growltiger | Ryan William Bailey |
| Bombalurina | Emily Ormiston |
| Cassandra | Natalie Moore |
| Coricopat | Aarron Macauley |
| Demeter | Emmanuelle N'Zuzi (left Mar'17) Verity Burgess (replacement) |
| Grizabella | Heidi Karlsson |
| Jellylorum / Griddlebone | Celia Graham Lily de-la-Haye (from May'17) |
| Jennyanydots | Lily de-la-Haye Erica Leigh Hansen (from May'17) |
| Mistoffelees | Matt Landel |
| Mungojerrie | James-Royden Lyley |
| Munkustrap | Nick Duncan Ian Laskowski (from January) |
| Old Deuteronomy | Philip Peterson |
| Plato / Macavity | Jared Johnson |
| Pouncival | Callum Dyer Philip Joseph Sicat (from Mar '17) |
| Rumpleteazer | Ellie Waite |
| Rum Tum Tugger | Stanley Allyn Owen |
| Sillabub | Chelsea James |
| Skimbleshanks | Patrick George |
| Tantomile | Lydia Boulton |
| Tumblebrutus | Rhys Batten |
| Victoria | Abbie Quinnen |
Cast 6 - July 2017[]
- Opening Night of Cast 6 was 15 July 2017
- Final Performance of Cast 6 was 14 April 2018
| Role | Cast |
|---|---|
| Alonzo / Rumpus Cat | Bradley Craig Tom Broderick (04/2018) |
| Asparagus / Bustopher Jones / Growltiger | Connor McAllister |
| Bombalurina | Lauren Mobley |
| Cassandra | Mallory Gladman |
| Coricopat | Alexander Bartles |
| Demeter | Dana Hunter Lydia Boulton (01/2018 - 02/2018) |
| Grizabella | Robyn Tempest |
| Jellylorum / Griddlebone | Holli Paige Farr |
| Jennyanydots | Liz Fallon |
| Mistoffelees | PJ DiGaetano Pete Simpson (12/2017 - 02/2018) |
| Mungojerrie | Matthew Ranaudo |
| Munkustrap | Jeff Sullivan |
| Old Deuteronomy | Doug Eskew |
| Plato / Macavity | Louis Clarke-Clare Tom Broderick (01/2018 - 02/2018) |
| Pouncival | Joey Kummert Pete Simpson (10/2017 - 11/2017) |
| Rumpleteazer | Yvette Johnson |
| Rum Tum Tugger | Graham Weaver |
| Sillabub | Zoe Heighton |
| Skimbleshanks | Elliot Peterson |
| Tantomile | Emily Tanner |
| Tumblebrutus | William Lishman |
| Victoria | Mykaila Symes |
Cast 7 - April 2018[]
- Opening Night of Cast 7 was 21 April 2018
- Final Performance of Cast 7 was 4 November 2018
Cast 8 - November 2018[]
- Opening Night of Cast 8 was 9 November 2018
- Final Performance of Cast 8 was 30 March 2019
Cast 9 - May 2019[]
- Cast 9 Opening Night was supposed to be in April 2019, but was delayed several weeks till ~2 May 2019 due to unforeseen circumstances.
- Final Performance of Cast 9 was ~ 22 September 2019.
- Dance Captain: Domenico Ramelli
Cast 10 - November 2019[]
- Following a Refurbishment of the Oasis of the Seas, Cast 10 began performing a new, shortened version of the show on 29th November 2019.
- Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Cast 10's performances ceased early in March 2020.
Cast 11 - September 2021[]
- Cast 11 was due to open in March 2020 with a different cast lineup but was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. It re-opened more than a year later, with rehearsals starting in July 2021 and opening night officially on 10 September 2021, which was pushed back from 22 August 2021. The final show was 28 May 2022.
- Dance captains: Daniel Cox until late October, then Brittany Tooms Peel.
Cast 12 - June 2022[]
- Casting announcements started February 2022, with rehearsals starting March 2022.
- Opening Night was 04 June 2022; Closing Night was 28 January 2023
- Dance Captains: Noelani Neal and Samuel Lewis-Wright (assistant)
| Role | Cast |
|---|---|
| Alonzo | Luke Stone |
| Asparagus | Connor Dyer |
| Bombalurina | Lucy Rice |
| Cassandra | Noelani Neal |
| Coricopat | Adam Hearn Domenico Ramelli (between 25/11/2022 and 08/12/2022) |
| Demeter | Devon-Jade Clark |
| Grizabella | Lindsay Gaspar (until 23/10/2022) Gabriella Stylianou (from 28/10/2022) |
| Jellylorum | Emma Breton |
| Jennyanydots | Taylor Bryant |
| Mistoffelees | Henry Rhodes (until 08/01/2023) |
| Mungojerrie | Samuel Lewis-Wright |
| Munkustrap | Raphe Gilliam |
| Old Deuteronomy | Hakim McMillan |
| Plato / Macavity | Charlie Bishop |
| Pouncival | Will Geoghegan (until 10/2022; from 29/12/2022) Domenico Ramelli (from 09/12/2022-28/12/2022) |
| Rumpleteazer | Rina Punwani |
| Rum Tum Tugger | DevinRe Lewis Adams |
| Sillabub | Caroline Eby |
| Skimbleshanks | John Neurohr |
| Tantomile | Dena Philpott |
| Tumblebrutus | Kieran Price (until 11/2022) Thomas Bedford (from 16/12/2022) |
| Victoria | Ebony Jayne Kitts |
Cast 13 - February 2023[]
- Casting announcements started August 2022, with rehearsals starting November 2022.
- Opening Night: 03 February 2023; Closing Night: 23 July 2023
- Dance Captains: Lance Barker
| Role | Cast |
|---|---|
| Alonzo | Roberto Facchin |
| Asparagus | Zachary Berger |
| Bombalurina | Emily Ormiston |
| Cassandra | Grace Crugnale |
| Coricopat | Lance Barker (until 15/06/2023) Luke Stone (from 21/06/2023) |
| Demeter | Phoebe Charles |
| Grizabella | Ellie Monkley |
| Jellylorum | Taila Halford |
| Jennyanydots | Emma Brynn Cooper |
| Mistoffelees | Sam Bateson |
| Mungojerrie | Jack Buchanan (until 03/05/2023) Jon Clayton (from 05/05/2023 to 15/06/2023) Lance Barker (from 16/06/2023) |
| Munkustrap | Logan Mortier |
| Old Deuteronomy | Peter James Lake |
| Plato / Macavity | Lewis Rimmer |
| Pouncival | Cory Betts |
| Rumpleteazer | Anna Sofia McGuire |
| Rum Tum Tugger | Jarrad Green |
| Sillabub | Olivia Swain |
| Skimbleshanks | Jack Duff |
| Tantomile | Ashlyn Fenn |
| Tumblebrutus | Bennett Ryan |
| Victoria | Issy Moore |
Cast 14 - August 2023[]
- Casting announcements started April 2023, with rehearsals starting May 2023.
- Opening Night: 02 August 2023; Closing Night: 08 April 2024
- Dance Captain: Samuel Lewis-Wright, Assistant Dance Captain: Dena Philpott
| Role | Cast |
|---|---|
| Alonzo | Joe Hewitt |
| Asparagus | Robert Wilkes |
| Bombalurina | Charlotte Reavey |
| Cassandra | Alice Rimmer |
| Coricopat | Adam Hearn |
| Demeter | Helen Turner |
| Grizabella | Martha-Frances Henry |
| Jellylorum | Jackey Good Emma Brynn Cooper (26-28 October 2023) |
| Jennyanydots | Jaime Mollineaux |
| Mistoffelees | Daniel Chesnut |
| Mungojerrie | Samuel Lewis-Wright |
| Munkustrap | Ben Reynolds |
| Old Deuteronomy | Hakim McMillan (until Feb 2024) Peter James Lake (from 11 Feb 2024) |
| Plato / Macavity | Joshua Clayton |
| Pouncival | Jamie Armour |
| Rumpleteazer | Rina Punwani |
| Rum Tum Tugger | Jarrad Green (first two shows) DevinRe Lewis Adams |
| Sillabub | Gabriela Rodriguez |
| Skimbleshanks | Thomas Alsop |
| Tantomile | Dena Philpott |
| Tumblebrutus | Matthew Tratch |
| Victoria | Charlotte Lovell |
Cast 15 - April 2024[]
- Casting announcements started November 2023, with rehearsals starting January 2024.
- Opening Night: 19 April 2024
- Closing Night: 23 September 2024
- Dance Captain: Jared Johnson, Assistant Dance Captain: Dani Ciaramitaro
| Role | Cast |
|---|---|
| Alonzo | Jared Johnson |
| Asparagus | Connor Dyer |
| Bombalurina | Lucy Nolan |
| Cassandra | Zoe Hartley |
| Coricopat | Regan Jackson |
| Demeter | Rachael Aust |
| Grizabella | Yardén Barr |
| Jellylorum | Sarah Moore |
| Jennyanydots | Eleanor Monaghan |
| Mistoffelees | Joey Kummert |
| Mungojerrie | Ollie Selwood |
| Munkustrap | Nick Woodford |
| Old Deuteronomy | Traven Harrington (until 06/07/2024) Peter James Lake (from 06/07/2024) |
| Plato / Macavity | Billy Roger |
| Pouncival | Peyton Davis |
| Rumpleteazer | Dani Ciaramitaro Ashlyn Fenn (from 19/04/2024 to 30/04/2024) |
| Rum Tum Tugger | Noah Lindquist |
| Sillabub | Josie Harbertson |
| Skimbleshanks | Kane Verrall |
| Tantomile | Alice Olby |
| Tumblebrutus | Callum Portugal |
| Victoria | Gina Gagliano |
Cast 16 - October 2024[]
- Casting announcements started April 2024, with rehearsals starting July 2024.
- Opening Night: TBD
- Closing Night: TBD
- Dance Captain: Samuel Lewis-Wright, Assistant Dance Captain: Alice Rimmer
Opal Theatre, Oasis of the Seas[]
Media[]
