And another from some site I've never heard of.
"DRAT! THE CAT! Review by Joe Mosqueda/glamgical.com
https://glamgical.com/musical-review-drat-the-cat/There's a cat lady in the play. No, not that kind of lady. This one likes to steal diamonds for fun. To make it worse, the cop who is supposed to catch her, falls head over heels for her. He's the softie and she's the tough cookie. It's so bad that he ends up handcuffed, not the other way around. Not a good thing for the New York Police Department.
It seems as if the play was brought to this side of the country by a turtle. Sixty years later, Drat! The Cat! has finally arrived on the West Coast. The original play premiered on Broadway in 1965. It starred Lesley Ann Warren and Elliot Gould, who was married to Barbara Streisand at the time. And now, The Group Rep is staging this fun musical at the Lonny Chapman Theatre for a one month run.
This new production features two sensational rising stars: Sydney DeMaria as Alice Van Guilder, the audacious catgirl, and Alec Reusch as Bob Purefoy, the naive cop falling madly in love. With a fantastic supporting cast, an excellent band directed by Gerald Sternbach, and a dynamic choreography by Cheryl Baxter, Director Bruce Kimmel stages a vibrant performance that infuses new life to this hidden gem.
Encouraged by his dying father (Lloyd Pedersen), police officer Bob Purefoy is tasked with finding the thief who has been stealing the diamonds of New York's high society in the 1890s. Bob is committed to finding the burglar. But he is no match to the cunning Alice, a woman ahead of her time. She wants to be a career woman and get diamonds in her own way, without the help of any man. To achieve that and hide her identity, she uses a catgirl costume, striking at posh events and stealing the diamonds without leaving traces behind. When visiting Alice's parents to arrange the police operation to find and capture the diamond burglar, Bob meets Alice, unaware that she is the burglar. As they talk, she touches him, and it becomes love at first touch. Poor Bob is hooked and his tribulations begin.
One of the best decisions by The Group Rep is the casting of the protagonists. The mischievous characteristics of Alice Van Guilder are vivaciously played by DeMaria, who acts with such naturality that her leading performance shapes the narrative of the play and heightens the audience engagement, something that only truly committed thespians can do. DeMaria's soprano voice, movement, and acting makes this catgirl a rich and exciting character to watch. She shows off her captivating voice in "Wild and Reckless" and "I Like Him", her two solo music numbers.
As for Reusch, a tenor, he's fascinating with his rendition of "She Touched Me", the song made famous by Barbara Streisand. Reusch is excellent at portraying Bob Purefoy's conflicting spirit, fighting the dichotomy between law enforcement and uncontrollable infatuation. His awkwardness and naiveness make his character highly likeable and relatable. Reusch and DeMaria develop a convincing chemistry on stage, adding an aura of romanticism and playfulness.
The connection with the play is not new to Kimmel. In 1997, he produced a new version of the play's score and he interacted with Playwright Ira Levin and Composer Milton Schafer. Unfortunately, Levin and Schafer are no longer around to see this new production. But this is a special commitment by Kimmel, and he is now able to stage the play at the Lonny Chapman Theatre.
To enhance the production even more, Costume Designer Shon Le Blanc uses an impressive array of period costumes that offer an attractive visual element that shows the careful attention to detail, which is always a demonstration of the level of commitment by the production team.
This is a rare opportunity to see the talent of Ira Levin as a musicals writer. Combined with the fine musical taste of Milton Schafer, Drat! The Cat! is a fantastic display of dance, comedy, and music.
