Cat Theatre Critic

           We Can Work This Out!     Welcome back! This week I'll be moving on to the second movie in my mini-series, High School Musical 2! If you missed the blog post about High School Musical 1, I recommend checking that one out first, as this movie is a continuation with the same characters.     Although the characters are the same, the plot moves in a different direction for High School Musical 2 (HSM2)! This movie takes us to summer vacation, where the students' "perfect summer" is bombarded with lots of different obstacles. It's a great addition to the first movie. Don't just take my word for it, though! Start reading to learn more! Disney + High School Musical 2 History      HSM2 was released in 2007, following the success of HSM.   Who's in the Cast?      Zac Efron starred as Troy Bolton, a popular student and captain of the basketball team. Vanessa Hudgens starred opposite of Efron as Gab...

          We're All in This Together!     Hellooooo everybody! Welcome back! I'm super exited for what I've got planned for the next few weeks. I decided to do a mini-series focusing on the High School Musical franchise! So for the next few weeks, I'll be reviewing High School Musical, High School Musical 2, and High School Musical 3. I thought it would be fun to do a series of related shows, and I pounced on the High School Musical franchise immediately.      With that said, I'm thrilled to start with High School Musical (HSM), which, in modern pop culture, is regarded as legendary . HSM tells a story about various cliques in high school, a drama program, and a relationship between lovers and friends. Let's get right into the review! Disney+ High School Musical History      HSM began as a movie-musical, although some stage adaptations have since been performed by high schools across the US. There is yet to be a Broadway a...

      Strike! Strike! Strike!     Hello! This week I'll be talking about the musical Newsies. I'm really excited for this one. I remember Grace telling me she's seen the original movie, but hasn't yet seen the musical, so we sat down together and watched it. This review will be about the musical.      Newsies is inspired by the Newsboys Strike of 1899. Most of the characters are fictional but the event is definitely real. Leave a comment below if you've seen the musical or the movie! I'm curious for your own thoughts. Now, lets get right into the review! Watching Newsies! On Broadway History      Newsies debuted as a musical in 2011 at the Paper Mill Playhouse. It is based on a movie of the same name, produced in 1992. The storyline was inspired by the real Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City. The musical transferred to Broadway in early 2012, where it played until August in 2014. A US National tour was launched two months late...

        Yer a Wizard, Harry!     Hello you crazy cats! Welcome back to another review. This week we're doing something a little different than regular. I'll be discussing A Very Potter Musical: The Fan Made Musical, a musical based on various plots from the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling. This musical has never made a Broadway appearance. It was actually created by a group at the University of Michigan (more on that in the History section!).      I'm so so so so so excited for this review. If you're a fan of Harry Potter, you're sure to love this musical. If not, prepare yourself, because there's a lot going on in this show that might be a bit confusing. I encourage you to sit back, relax, and jump right in to this review with me! StarKid Productions A Very Potter Musical History     A Very Potter Musical was performed on April 9-11, 2009 at the University of Michigan. The book was written by Matt Lang, Nick Lang, and Bria...

      They're Creepy and They're Kooky!     Welcome to another musical review! This week I'll be discussing The Addams Family Musical! This is a comedy musical based upon the classic characters created by Charles Addams in the 1930s.   It deals with the struggles of relationships between the various couples of the show, with lots of humor and hilarity.      This is the first review in awhile that's been about the OBC instead of a film version of the show! This cat has never actually read the actual comics or seen some of the older TV shows and films, so all of my Addams Family knowledge comes from this musical. Whether or not you're familiar with the original versions of the family, you'll enjoy the content of this musical. Let's get right into the review!  Krulwich, Sara The Addams Family History      The Addams Family opened in Chicago in 2009 before moving to Broadway a year later. The show closed in late 2011, aft...

       This Is Me!     Hey guys! I'm super excited to write about this week's musical: The Greatest Showman! This is an interesting show, because it's strictly a movie musical, with no physical stage adaptation (yet!). So of course, the review will be about the movie.      The Greatest Showman tells a story about the life of Phineas T. Barnum, known in history for establishing the concept of circuses and for his advertising methods. I will let you know now, that Disney has put their own twist on some of the events, and the real conditions of his circus weren't as magic as the movie makes them appear. However, many details of the story are real, and seeing it brought to life on the big screen is really cool. Without further ado, may I present: The Greatest Showman!    The Greatest Showman The Greatest Showman History      After eight years of production and one year of filming, The Greatest Showman was brought to the b...

      And Home Before Dark!     Hey, you crazy cats! Welcome back! I'm super excited for this week's review. We're doing Into the Woods! Imagine a story about Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and more. Sounds loaded, right? Now imagine a twist that connects all of those classic tales. Add a little bit of music and you get Into the Woods! I'll let you know now, the Overview is pretty lengthy today, since this is a loaded musical.     If you're used to the happier versions of fairytales, this show might catch you off-guard. These aren't the pretty stories you used to read before bed to your kittens, it's the Grimm brothers version with dark themes of death and destruction. Hopefully I haven't scared you away. I promise, it's a really interesting way to view classic fairytales! Cat's honor.      A film version of Into the Woods was released in 2014, and recently became available on Disney+, so I'll be ta...