Drat! The Cat! musical revival

Kendra Connor and Jason Hardwick give you a taste of this playful musical revival.

In the catalogue of '60s musical flops, one offering that never stood a chance was Drat! The Cat!, a production that opened – and closed 10 days later.

Part of its demise was due to critics' reviews. However, on the day it opened in Oct. 1965, New York was in the middle of newspaper strike and the theatre had few alternatives to promote the musical.

Somehow the devastating start appears to have relegated the musical to the back pages. However, Kate Ryan, artistic director of Plain Jane Theatre has taken a shine to the Ira Levine and Milton Schafer's almost-forgotten gem, and is mounting it Feb. 20 to 28 at Varscona Theatre.

Video by April Bartlett

Ryan first came across it three years ago when her husband, Van Wilmott, artistic director of Mayfield Dinner Theatre, was checking out the script for a possible run at the west-end theatre.

“I like Ira Levine. He's a smart writer. I googled it and it popped up as a revival Broadway production. There were rave reviews and I wanted to jump on a plane and go see it,” says Ryan.

A St. Albert Children's Theatre alumna, Ryan has developed an elegant style as both actress and one of Edmonton's most prominent directors. In the last five years, she has gained a solid following at the Edmonton Fringe Festival directing hit musicals such as Mack and Mabel, Little Fish and Fiorello.

The premise for Drat! is simple. Alice van Guilder, an 1890s well educated, high-spirited young woman rebels against high society's expectations of matrimony by turning into a cat burglar – complete with tight costume and mask.

In this mix of high and low comedy, the honest, but awkward police officer Bob Purefoy pursues The Cat after making a promise to his father to nab the feline thief. But Alice's claws and spitfire personality prove to be more than a handful.

Underlying the breezy plot is a broader theme of corruption, the swindling of small investors and the worship of money as a religion.

“It's about the merchant class's rise to power. And we still see it today through Walmart and Target where consumerism runs rampant in the worst ways. This was a time that started our roots of consumerism and how our society is today,” Ryan says.

However, Drat! The Cat! Has anything but a serious tone.

“It's farcical in nature. It's listed as a melodrama. This is a fun, almost, playful parody of a melodrama. It almost goes into the Land of Farce.”

Despite the original mounting's short life, Milton Schafer's score was truly inspired. A few years earlier, he had written the light opera Bravo Giovanni.

“It has the flavour of an operetta, but the tunes are lush and jazzy. She Touched Me and I Like Him are beautiful, simple melodic ballads and there's a tango and a waltz. It hits every style imaginable.”

The show is humming along beautifully and has attracted some of Edmonton's most talented thespians including Kendra Connor, Chris W. Cook, Tom Edwards, Jason Hardwick, Melanie Piatocha, Kirstin Piehl, Mike Zimmerman and former Sturgeon County resident Fred Zbryski.

The only other thing Ryan could ask for is a visit from the lyricist Ira Levin. However, she landed the next best thing. Levin's eldest son Adam, now living in Seattle, is coming to see the preview with family.

“I couldn't believe it at first. But he said his dad loved the show and he was so grateful it was being done. It's so nice to see Edmonton is shining a light down south.”