Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...It helps, of course, that Marriott's in-the-round configuration more closely echoes that of the original London production, even if Thomas M. Ryan's set doesn't include the full junkyard treatment. If you're seated in a back row by the crossover aisles, prepare to be fondled. In place of that famous tire to the "Heaviside Layer," Ryan's set uses a folding fire escape and a series of elevated - wait for it - catwalks that double as jungle-gym apparatus for the more acrobatic ensemble members. But there is little onstage clutter to get in the way of the high-octane dancing."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Ah, the mystical divinity of unashamed felinity. It's out in full force at the Marriott Lincolnshire, where the elaborately anthropomorphized kitties of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats" are leaping, pouncing and prancing through a categorically charming showcase of dazzling choreography, soaring vocals and emotionally satisfying storytelling."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...It all culminates, of course, with the moving transcendence of "Memory," belted out by the once-glamorous Grizabella (a stunning Heidi Kettenring). I loved the musical as a kid, but this time around I got goosebumps. See it for the elegant score, Lloyd Webber at his best, as much as for the megatalent on display here—not only Kettenring, but Sayiga Eugene Peabody as the marvelous Mr. Mistoffolees and Jake Klinkhammer as the sexy contrarian Rum Tum Tugger, to name just a few in this cast of standouts."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...The hook song that binds the show together, "Memory" is sung emotionally rich by Heidi Kettenring, who also non-verbally "sells" the song as she sees her younger glamorous reflected self, making her performance special. Add Matthew R. Jones' operatic voice and this production of Cats boasts strong vocals to augment the extraordinary dancing."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...There are musicals and there are MUSICALS!. In my position, seeing over 200 plays a year, many of which are musicals, there are times, I will see the same play more than once in the same year. For sure, over a period of time, there are many plays that I will see countless times. The beauty of Live Theater is that each director will interpret a show in his or her way and every cast brings their own energy to the roles they play. “Cats” , the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical base don the writings of T.S. Eliot ( “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”) has been around for over 20 years and I have witnessed countless productions, including a very special production on the stage of Marriott Theater in Lincolnshire, back in 2003, directed by a young creative choreographer/director, Marc Robin. It was an unusual production space for this large scale, large set show, moving it to the “round” stage, where a director is limited by space and having very little set. Robin did the show and it was pure magic."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Bringing back one of the most popular, original and longest-running musicals of the past 30 years and making it feel fresh and new isn't an easy task. But setting it in a neighborhood, continually contrasting the eternal conflict between youth and age and focusing on Webber's gorgeous, lush score while re-inventing the dance element, Marc Robin has given audiences a wonderful treat to welcome Springtime to Chicago."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...The time is probably ripe for a reassessment of "Cats" after more than a decade away from area stages. Toward the end of its Broadway run the show was becoming a frequent butt of jokes ridiculing it as a kitschy tourist trap. Robin has revalidated "Cats" to its place on the A list of musicals of the last 50 years. Robin's revival is highly personal but his vision, realized through the skills and verve of the exceptional cast, sets the bar very high for future stagings (it will be interesting to see what the estimable Paramount Theatre does with its revival this autumn). Not to be missed."
