The US is a big country. A very big country. So, naturaly there were tours so that the people who were not fortunate enough to live near Broadway would be able to see the show! There were basically three tours of CATS in the US. There was CATS Tour I, the LA Tour (CATS II), and the Third National Tour, which was the longest running out of the three. It was also used as a talent pool for the Broadway show, with performers such as Julius Sermonia going on to perform in Winter Garden. The show on the road was essentially the same as that on Broadway, with costumes being kept generally the same as well as the little quirks that the show picks up in each country. The major difference is in the face makeup. Since the performers would have to perform in theaters that ranged in size and style, the makeup had to be changed accordingly. So it is bolder and more sketchy than the Broadway show, so that it is visible from a distance as well as up close. This was the first place I ever saw CATS (Third National Tour, Norfolk VA in 1997), and remember that I fell in love with a certain tuxedoed little tom... *sigh* And, for all of us CATS-starved American fans, Troika is going to be starting up another tour next year!
