‘Cats’ Leaves No Paws Idle During Energetic Show

Although the chorus line has always been an essential ingredient of Broadway musicals, show dancers--or gypsies as they are called in the business--were generally relegated to the background. The stars of the show rarely had to keep pace with these fleet-footed gypsies in the heavy-duty dance numbers.

In the mid-1970s, “A Chorus Line” broke down those lines of demarcation by putting the spotlight on the chorus. Everyone had to be a crackerjack dancer as well as an accomplished actor and singer. The dance-based show gave new meaning to the term “triple threat” and revolutionized musical theater forever.

Then, along came “Cats,” with its rigorous demands for animal vigor and feline grace. The winner of seven Tony Awards is based on T.S. Eliot’s charming book, “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.” The show not only requires virtuoso show dancing, but also takes tremendous physical stamina, since everyone in the cast is on stage and on the prowl during the entire performance.

“All the new shows make much more demands than those wonderful old traditional musicals,” said Jack Tygett, a dance instructor at United States International University. “You need something very special, so we try to pull out (the students’) personalities.”

One of Tygett’s former students, Randy Wojcik, had a strong background in all aspects of musical theater by the time he saw the Broadway production of “Cats” in 1984.

He trained in singing and acting, and his dance education included ballet and tap, and even gymnastics. Wojcik had handled roles in traditional musicals, including a USIU production of “Kiss Me Kate.” But the song-and-dance man was as overwhelmed as any layman when the curtain came down on his first exposure to “Cats.”

“It’s incredible,” he said in a recent interview. “When I saw ‘Cats,’ I thought, there’s no way I’ll ever be able to do this show. It’s so tough--so demanding.”

Nevertheless, only a couple of years after that humbling experience in New York, Wojcik--by then a dancer and choreographer at Disney World in Orlando--found himself auditioning for the national road show of “Cats.”

“It was the first national tour,” he recalled by phone from Costa Mesa, where “Cats” was ensconced last week. “I auditioned in Miami, and 250 guys showed up. Only two of us made it.”

Now, Wojcik has almost three years and 1,000 performances invested in the show. The 25-year-old performer was part of the “Cats” ensemble when it came to San Diego a couple of years ago, and he will return with whiskers and tail intact when the show begins another run at the Civic Theater tonight at 8 o’clock. The show continues through Saturday.

Wojcik plays the double role of Plato/Macavity--eight performances a week--and understudies for two major roles.

“They don’t consider anyone a lead in this show,” he said. “Everyone is important. Macavity is the lazy, mischievous cat. He has a big fight scene with two other cats, and there are a lot of jumps and lifts. And, since I’m on stage all the time--even though the spotlight isn’t always on me--it’s very difficult. The show is very physical.

“I don’t find staying in shape hard at all. I’m on stage for three hours. That’s enough of a workout eight times a week. I don’t really need any preparation, but I play a little tennis.”

Injury is a dancer’s biggest concern. Wojcik already has broken a finger on stage (bumping into the crowded set in the midst of a high-velocity spin). And now he is recovering from a pulled hamstring. But the show must go on.

“There are always a lot of injuries,” Wojcik said. “That’s why there are so many understudies (11 standbys in a cast of 32). We couldn’t do the show without the understudies. And I get a lot of rest. You have to take care of your body, or you can’t keep this up.”

The high-speed acrobatics and near-miss collisions that abound in “Cats” require clockwork timing and a rigid compliance with the dictates of the choreography. Happily, it also offers some slack time for a bit of cat’s play.

“In some parts, we’re free to ad lib,” Wojcik noted. “Cats are unpredictable, so when we’re crawling around the set, we can be creative.”

Although Wojcik has been with the “Cats” company since it took to the road, he is the exception, not the rule.

“We’ve had a lot of turnover,” he acknowledged. “People get injured, or they just burn out. There are only four of the originals left. I never get sick of the show. But, after being on the road for almost three years, I get tired of living out of a suitcase.

“If we’re lucky, we stay a week in one city, like in San Diego,” said Wojcik. “Two weeks is the longest we’ve ever stayed anywhere.”

Traveling takes its toll on Wojcik’s social life. He will visit with family in San Diego and renew acquaintances from his USIU days while the show is in town. But then it’s back to touring, although Wojcik’s “Cats” days may be numbered.

“I just got a job offer to do the national tour of ‘Starlight Express.’ They’re giving me a little time to make up my mind. I want to keep up my dancing as long as I can,” he assured. “But I’m not sure I want to go from one physically demanding show to another. I still don’t know what I’ll do.”