Trumbull Residents Direct and Act in Lauralton Hall Production of CATS

Musical Production CATS Takes on New Life at Lauralton Hall

If you missed seeing CATS on Broadway you will have the chance to catch it in another ‘life’ at the Parsons Complex in Milford, October 26-28th.   Lauralton Hall students and faculty are reviving this beloved musical in an amateur production based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”, by T.S. Eliot, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.  All performances are open to the public and tickets—$15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors—will be available at the door.  Performance times are: Friday, October 26th at 7:30pm; Saturday, October 27th at 7:00pm and Sunday, October 28th at 2:00pm.

Although it is an amateur production, CATS Director Margy Sargent’s approach to bringing the play to the Milford stage was highly professional. “Makeup is an integral part of a show like CATS,” says Trumbull Resident Margy Sargent, Chair of the Lauralton Hall Fine Arts Department. “To bring the production alive I went to New York City, along with Lauralton Hall art teacher Kimberly Rosenberg, and trained with Broadway professional actors, James Hodges (Macavity in the final Broadway production of CATS) and Jacob Brent (Mistoffelees in the movie CATS). That experience was priceless.” 

Margy was thrilled to not only train with these professionals, but to pass this learning experience on to her students. “The hands-on training the students received is extremely valuable,” she adds. “Not only for those students who want to pursue a theatrical profession, but the growth and confidence all of the students gained through this process is amazing. I am proud of all them and I am excited to share this professionalism with the local community.”

Several of the cast members are from Trumbull, including: Isabella Dalena, Brenna Donahue, Gloria Pere and Jeff Sargent. Lauralton Hall students will be joined by several professionals including actors and instrumentalists. 

CATS tells the story, in song and dance, of the annual gathering of Jellicle cats at which time one special cat is selected to ascend to the Heaviside layer. A true musical phenomenon, CATS opened in London’s New London Theater on May 11, 1981 and ran for a record-setting 21 years. 

The Parsons Complex Auditorium is located at 70 West River Street, Milford. For more information please contact: Jessica Auscavitch at: 203-877-2786, ext. 154, or jauscavitch@lauraltonhall.org.