'Cats' Musical Wiki
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Cats opened at the Théâtre de Paris on February 23, 1989, and ran until April 29, 1990. This production won the 1989 Molière Award for Best Musical.[1]

Production Details[]

Like the Amsterdam production, the Paris production was staged by John Yost who was the Resident Director of the Vienna production. The production was completely based on the Vienna show, including all the specifics from Vienna like the shortened "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" number and the mute Mistoffelees. Also the costumes and stage design were similar to the ones from Amsterdam and Vienna.

Many performers who were in the Vienna and Amsterdam versions before or after, were also in the Paris cast, including Matthew Jessner, Guy Paul Roult and Herbert Neutgens.

A great deal of photographic material from this production is hosted at Bibliothèque nationale de France.[2][3]

At some point Christine Lariche was an emergency Grizabella cover for about a week, while Gay Marshall and her cover Cristina Grimandi were both unwell.

'Quaxo' for this production is the name for the featured First Beetle who does a tap battle/duet with Jennyanydots. It was not assigned to a particular track, but played by whichever actor was most able to do it. In the first season, this was Jean-Marc Genet as Pouncival. In the second season, Jean-Marc was cast as Skimbleshanks instead, but kept the Quaxo sequence as part of his track.

A complete cast album containing the entire score was released in 1989.

Cast and Creatives[]

Creative Team[]

Associate Director and Choreographer: John Yost

Musical Director: Paul Morris

Sound Designer: Martin Levan

Associate Set Designer: Paul Gallis

Assistant Set Designer: Han Sin't Veld

Associate Lighting Designer: Steve Kemp

Costume Supervisor: Rien Bekkers

Assistant Costume Supervisor: Maayken Geertsen

Wigs Supervisor: Else van Dillen

Make Up Devoloped by: Jean Luc Don Vito & Else van Dillen

Original Choreographer: Gillian Lynne

Translator: Jacques Marchais

Cast[]

Character Translation 02/1989[4] Late 1989[5]
Alonzo / Rumpus Cat Alonzo / Grand Charivari Hubert Helleu des Haubois Derek Daniels
Asparagus / Bustopher Jones / Growltiger Gus / Bustopher Jones / Matamore Tim Robin
Bombalurina Cristina Grimandi
Cassandra Marjorie Hardwick Theara Ward
Coricopat Chauner Gallan
Demeter Laure Balon
Grizabella Grisabelle

Gay Marshall

Jellylorum Pascale Degli-Esposito
Jennyanydots / Griddlebone Amélie Ron Ron / La Chatelune Marie Illes Judith Papp-Orsagh
Mistoffelees Mistopheles Tibor Kovats Guy-Paul de St Germain
Mungojerrie Mungo Jerry Alexandre Beaulieu
Munkustrap Munkestrap

Matthew Jessner

Old Deuteronomy

Mathusalem Gilles Ramade Philippe Ermelier
Plato / Macavity Malco Rev
Pouncival / Genghis / Quaxo

Jean-Marc Genet

Olivier Rey (not Quaxo)
Rumpleteazer Patricia Ward Meike Staring
Rum Tum Tugger Rocky Tam Tam Frédéric Norbert
Sillabub Anne-Marie Ohlicher
Skimbleshanks Edgar Thierry Gondet

Jean-Marc Genet (and Quaxo)

Tantomile

Joëlle Turcotte

Kayla Schwartz
Tumblebrutus

Gilles Vajou

Victoria

Ellis van Evert

Old Genghis - named swing? Vieux Genghis Gregory Schramel Andrew Currie
Swings 02/1989 Late 1989
Alexandre Bonstein Leslie Aryam
Jean-Charles Collin Rodolphe Briand
Andrew Currie Sandrine Diard
Brigitte Derks Patricia Grégoire
Laura Giosh Fabrice Herrault
Kayla Schwartz Rozlyne Howell
Meike Staring Grant Newsome
Céline Lepape
Claude Minich
Herbert Neutgens
Rachel Snow
Lisburn Thomas
Joëlle Turcotte
Martin Matthias Ysebaert
Stéphane Drouard

Gallery[]

Button

Awards and Nominations[]

Main article: Awards

References[]

  1. Palmares de 1987 à 2018, Les Molières.
  2. Online Archives, Bibliothèque nationale de France
  3. Image Archive, Bibliothèque Nationale de France
  4. Paris 1989 Cast, "Le Monde de Cats" Fansite
  5. Paris Second Casting, "Le Monde de Cats" Fansite
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