Dubai, 13th December 2016- Broadway Entertainment Group, the company bringing CATS to Dubai Opera, is proud to announce that it is partnering with schools in Dubai to run a CATS educational unit. CATS is based on a book by TS Eliot, ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’. The late T.S. Elliot is one of the greatest writers of the English language, having been awarded the Order of Merit, the Nobel Prize for Literature (1948) and a posthumous Tony Award for CATS (1983).
Elliot’s writing was influenced by the different cultures he grew up with, and the political and social changes he experienced, which is something many children in Dubai can relate to. The book on which CATS is based was written by T S Eliot during the 1930’s and with a little adaptation Andrew Lloyd Webber used Eliot’s poems as lyrics and set them to music to create the musical CATS. CATS first opened in 1981 and became a huge success throughout the world, influencing not only future musical theatre but also the development of future performers and creators of musicals.
Over sixty years after Eliot wrote his poems and twenty years after CATS first appeared as a musical the story and characters still hold immense appeal for audiences of any age or background. CATS takes you into a world of fascinating creatures, with stories to tell and journeys to take, expressed through music, song and dance.
Rebecca Lewis, Director of Performing Arts at Gems Wellington Silicon Oasis says, “Gems Wellington Silicon Oasis Performing Arts Academy students have been developing Musical Theatre skills working on CATs the Musical. Students have been exploring the characters, costume, make up design, songs and routines to create mini performances within the Academy. This has been a fantastic opportunity for our students. This is the first educational programme we have planned alongside Dubai Opera, I truly believe this will have a huge impact on our students to further introduce them to the world of the theatre and all it has to offer; to follow their dreams to become the next world class professional actors, singers, musicians, dancers and technicians!.”
The magic of CATS makes it an ideal inspiration for classroom activity. This program offers a range of activities to introduce students to the story and characters of CATS, plus in- depth background information, follow up activity ideas and useful resources. The program can be adapted for any age and is enjoyed by many worldwide.
The CATS Educational Program can help raise awareness of this art form in Dubai’s institutions.
GEMS Wellington in Silicon Oasis – Performing Arts Academy, was one of the lead schools running the programme, thanks to its status as a specialist performing arts school. Specialist Performing Arts teaching is offered across all age groups within the curriculum, by 14 members of staff in the Performing Arts team. GEMS Wellington in Silicon Oasis led a showcase of the unit for media on the 12th of December, giving them the opportunity to interview students and teachers, watch them perform and talk in depth about their work on Cats covering music, drama, literature, design and dance.
Children at GEMS Wellington Silicon Oasis During the CATS Media Showcase
Liz Koops, CEO of Broadway Entertainment Group, the company presenting the show in Dubai, says, “The magic of CATS makes it an ideal inspiration for classroom activity. The program offers a range of activities based around language, performance and design which introduces pupils to the story and characters of CATS ahead of seeing the original performance here in Dubai! Cats is considered one of the top 3 worldwide musicals in the world and we believe this is a great opportunity for Drama and culture students in Dubai to be exposed to the art form of musical Theatre.”
The program allows for access of professional performers to speak and participate in bespoke Q+As with students. Students can create character poems, do a poetry reading, develop performance and drama improvisation, illustrate a character, and create poems based on the characters alongside a range of design and performance activities.
CATS takes place at Dubai Opera between the 16-28 January 2017. Tickets are on sale at Dubai Opera and Ticketmaster. Tickets start from AED 275. Purchase tickets at www.dubaiopera.com and www.ticketmaster.ae .
ABOUT CATS: One of the longest-running shows in West End and on Broadway, received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981 where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances. The production was the winner of the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical. In 1983 the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony awards including Best Musical, and ran for eighteen years. Since its world premiere, Cats has been presented in over 30 countries, has been translated into 10 languages and has been seen by over 50 million people world-wide. Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album. The classic Lloyd Webber score includes Memory which has been recorded by over 150 artists from Barbra Streisand and Johnny Mathis to Liberace and Barry Manilow. The 2016/2017 tour of the Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre production of CATS is again presented by David Ian. For further information, visit www.catsthemusical.com
ABOUT BROADWAY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP FZ LLC: Broadway Entertainment Group is the world’s first ever theatrical distribution company to consolidate an international circuit and bring top quality entertainment into the markets of the Middle East, Commonwealth Independent States, South and Central Asia and Latin America. Chief Executive Officer Liz Koops has produced shows internationally for over 20 years, with touring productions in over 37 countries. Broadway Entertainment Groupis currently touring Annie in Asia and has forthcoming International tours planned for Sister Act the Musical and Andrew Lloyd Webbers Wizard of Oz. Broadway Entertainment Group has previously toured Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, SHREK The Musical and Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs. Previous productions produced by Liz Koops include: Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Mathew Bourne’s Swan Lake, Fosse, Cats, Chicago – The Musical, Miss Saigon, Gumboots, Slava’s Snowshow, Bounce, Lady Salsa, Circus Oz, Lano and Woodley, Mum’s the Word, Rudy Coby, Shaolin Kung Fu Monks and Jerry Seinfeld World Tour. Broadway Entertainment Group FZ LLC operates from Dubai, New York, London and Australia. For more information about Broadway Entertainment Group FZ LLC, please visit, www.broadwayentertainmentgroup.com.
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