Beau Speer

Beau Speer

"Cats”

•When: 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. May 6.

•Where: Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker.

•Information: (800) 869-1451.

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Feline facts

•Acclaimed British actress Judi Dench was originally cast as Grizabella in the London production of "Cats,” but when she injured her Achilles tendon during rehearsals, she was replaced by Elaine Paige.

•"Cats” is the longest, continuously running show in U.S. history.

•"Cats” overtook "A Chorus Line” as the longest-running musical on Broadway in June 1997. It held that distinction until it was overtaken by "The Phantom of the Opera” in January 2006.

•During the 1990s, there were five "Cats” companies touring the United States.

•"Cats” has been presented in 26 countries and 300 cities. It has been translated into 10 languages.

•During its 15-year run, the Broadway production of "Cats” was the longest single generator of jobs on Broadway. It had an economic impact of $3.12 billion on New York City.

•Andrew Lloyd Webber met his former wife, Sarah Brightman, when she performed as Jemima in the original London cast of "Cats”

•The pupils in the image of the eyes used as the "Cats” logo are designed to look like dancers.

•For the Broadway opening of "Cats,” the Winter Garden Theatre was gutted and the roof was replaced to accommodate Grizabella's trip to the Heaviside Layer.

•T.S. Eliot's widow, Valerie, contributed an eight-line unpublished fragment about Grizabella that was the basis for the musical's famous song "Memory.” The ballad has been recorded by more than 150 artists, including Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Barry Manilow and Liberace.

•"Old Possum” was a nickname that poet and friend Ezra Pound gave T.S. Eliot.

The cat's meow
Oklahoma native Beau Speer helps show's cast members get in touch with their feline side

By Rick Rogers
Fine Arts Editor

Before an actor can become a cast member in a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "Cats,” he must first undergo a rigorous training program in all things feline.

A Tulsa native and 2000 graduate of Jenks High School, Beau Speer is dance captain for the 25th anniversary production and has spent the past two years teaching performers how to incorporate feline movements into their bodies. His daily class, "Felinity,” explores the movements, poses and characteristics of cats.

"We start out with how cats operate,” Speer said. "They're very different from people. Humans have a center of gravity in their abdomen. Cats primarily do all their movements through their spine. So we work on how to crawl properly, how to stand up and how to stay in character whenever we're on stage.

"We also work a lot on their senses. As humans, we primarily use sight and hearing. Cats use all their senses. Some people say cats have a sixth sense because they can taste and smell at the same time. The most important thing to convey to cast members is to be feline and to stay feline.”

"Cats,” a musical based on T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats,” is a musical theater phenomenon. The 1981 London production became a huge hit, as did the 1982 Broadway production. Between June 1997 and January 2006, "Cats” was the longest running musical in Broadway history. "The Phantom of the Opera,” also by Lloyd Webber, claimed that distinction when its run surpassed "Cats” in 2006.

Having worked as dance captain on "Cats” for the past two years, Speer knows the musical inside out. As a swing actor, he's covered six of the show's male roles and is regularly asked to step in when a performer becomes ill or injured. Since joining the tour in 2005, Speer has performed in all 50 states as well as Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Chile.

During his tenure with "Cats,” Speer has had the good fortune to benefit from improvements added over time. The processes of applying makeup and stepping into costume are among the many areas that have been streamlined during the past 25 years.

"When the show was new, people had to go out and research feline movements,” Speer said. "Now there's info we can e-mail to new cast members before they ever show up for rehearsals. Learning these feline movements is like any dance class; you have to get the moves into your body.

"We travel with nine swings because ‘Cats' is a really demanding show on the body. There are 20 cats onstage at one time and you have to know where you're going at all times. It's so specific that you have to know where your right foot is in relationship to your left. I compare it to writing a 500-word essay and there's no room to get anything wrong.”

As dance captain, Speer is also in charge of maintaining the production's high standards. He keeps a close eye on every aspect of the show to ensure that the complex choreography is executed flawlessly. On shows that are constantly touring, there's always a danger of complacency setting in.

"This show is in constant motion, and the dance aspect has to be kept in check,” Speer said. "The felinity can get lost when performers get too comfortable in their roles and fall into old habits. Early on, you're dealing with teaching actors all the right moves. Now it's a matter of keeping it fresh for them.”