Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...Faux kitties perform all manner of tricks from juggling to acrobatics. Instead of her Grizabella standing there and belting out "Memory," one of the great power ballads of all time, Emily Rohm finds herself lifted up into the air on a trapeze, just as she has to emit the most dramatically powerful note. Grizabella is hard enough, I found myself thinking, even as Rohm was then transported out across the house on an extensive, "Mary Poppins"-like track that seemed to extend halfway to Naperville."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"..."Cats" is now back at the far west-suburban theater, in a high-flying, circus spectacular of a production. These cats don't just dance. In director Trent Stork's engaging staging, the cats are contortionists, acrobats and aerialists who fly netless on trapezes, ropes and swaths of silk suspended from the fly space. It's a concept that elevates the show to thrilling effect."
Daily Herald
- Highly Recommended
"...Clearly, "Cats" is as popular as it is polarizing, with detractors pointing to a negligible plot and one-dimensional characters that even Paramount creatives can't improve. But the spectacle (in the best sense of the word) conjured by this top-notch team helps mitigate the show's shortcomings. For that reason, I expect this stellar revival - helmed by Trent Stork (associate director for the 2014 production) and amplified by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi's breathtaking circus choreography - may well earn "Cats" a few converts."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...Most of you have heard me say, or read my words relating to seeing a play more than once. I always say that "every time you see a play, it is a new experience, and can seem as different as night and day". This is very true. A different director, cast, stage, set and of course technical aspects, can change the entire appearance of the play. Tonight's production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats" on the stage of The Paramount Theatre proves this. Please note that I have rated this at 5 stars ( my maximum) but it is more than that! I have seen over 17 productions of this musical phenom, and nothing has ever been this awesome! Bravo Paramount! ( yet again!)."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...When I heard that Paramount Theatre was going to remount another production of CATS, I was baffled but somewhat intrigued. Would this be a carbon copy of the first presentation or would it be different? To call Trent Stork?s new vision ?different? simply doesn?t do it justice. It?s grandiose, groundbreaking and glorious. Andrew Lloyd Webber?s homage to the personalities of various Pussycats, as inspired by T.S. Eliot?s poetry, is a unique theatrical experience that blends the skill and artistry of Cirque du Soleil with the pomp and pageantry of musical theatre. The result is an amazing, must-see amalgam that?s both incredibly magical and majestic. Don?t miss it!"
PicksInSix
- Highly Recommended
"...This circus-themed production of "Cats," directed by Trent Stork, transforms the Jellicle Ball into a larger-than-life event. As one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history, clearly the glitz, glam and weirdness of "Cats" has mesmerized audiences for over 40 years. Paramount Theatre takes the dazzling dance musical to literal new heights with aerial arts, acrobatics, contortion and juggling. The audience "ooo'd" and "ahh'd" from start to finish."
Splash Magazine
- Recommended
"...Musical director Kory Danielson leads a live orchestra that messes with Andrew Lloyd Webber's iconic score, which is one of the best things about this show. The attempt to make it sound like circus calliope music trashes the most poignant parts of the score. A few things were left intact, but some of it was jarring and just not good. On theme. Perfectly on circus theme, but not good."
Allie and the After Party
- Highly Recommended
"...Taking one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous musicals, Cats, Paramount Theatre sets it in a circus world where each of the cats has their own headline act. It still captures the original feel as the costume and makeup design sputs actors in catsuits and full cat makeup. It's a fun and over the top show many will love."
BroadwayWorld
- Highly Recommended
"...The newest production - and it is new in every way - at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora is Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats. Director Trent Stork and a cast of 31 will leave you breathless with this new interpretation. Same story. Same songs with some new lyrics added. Same cat characters. The twist? It is set in a circus but it is a definite lean to Cirque du Soleil. This is not the Cats as was presented for the first time in London's West End in 1981 with Elaine Paige as Grizabella and then it's 1982 Broadway debut with Betty Buckley in that role. This new production is spectacular."
