Dinosaurs and cats strut beneath big top

Three theater productions will put down stakes under big top tents in Jamsil, southern Seoul, this winter.
The big tents ― which are heated and weatherproof ― will be home to the musical “Cats,” which began making the rounds in the suburbs last summer, and “Dooly,” which opened earlier in Bundang.
“Cats,” which has been running since July in Suwon, Busan, Daegu and Gwangju, is scheduled to come to Hodolie Square near the Jamsil Athletic Complex beginning Dec. 2. The extravaganza of slinking, singing felines, emotional songs like “Memory” and big stage pieces was Broadway’s longest-running show and won seven Tony awards.
First performed in London’s West End in 1981, “Cats” remains one of the world’s leading musicals, along with “Miss Saigon,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “Les Miserables.” The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical is based on the book “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,” by T.S. Eliot.
This year, Bradley Chatfield from the Sydney Dance Company will star in the Seoul production. For additional information, call (02) 542-0530.
“Dooly,” a Korean musical about a loveable dinosaur trying to find his mother with help from human friends, will run from Dec. 11 to Jan. 4 at Haneol Square, which is near the Jamsil gymnastics stadium.
The musical “Fame,” which was originally performed on Broadway, will be presented at 8 p.m. starting Dec. 18. For details on the above two shows, call (02) 417-6272.

by Park Jee-young