Off-Broadway Access Review -
Cats “The Jellicle Ball”

Find my other reviews & learn about my reviews here

 

ID: image of the Cats “The Jellicle Ball” Playbill in front of the stage with the text "Access Review" on top

 

General Note

This is a review of the accessibility of the theater, of the lighting/sound/scent design of the show, and a list of content warnings as a way to prep folks with various needs before they go see it. 

This is not meant to scare anyone away from seeing the show. Most productions have about the same amount of content warnings and sensory warnings to go along with it, they’re just rarely explicitly written down. 

For some people, knowing these things ahead of time makes it easier to enjoy the show because they know what to expect. And, often, makes those people more likely to see it in the first place. I hope that it’s helpful!

I am also happy to clarify any specifics, just send me a message or an email and I will respond when I can.

Also please note that I make these while seeing a show for the first time, so I may miss some cues or be slightly off as to their placement/cue line!

Theater

(Perelman Performing Arts Center)

All comments on the accessibility of lighting are in reference to seats on the left lower balcony behind the throne/in line with the orchestra

Bathrooms: 

  • divided into “women - toilet stalls” and “men - toilet stalls/urinals” with single stall accessible/all gender restrooms and a sign that says “we support gender diversity. Please use the restroom that feels most comfortable for you” 

  • located on the 3rd floor with accessible ones on the 2nd and 3rd floors

Other theater accessibility:

  • they offer large print and braille playbills, assistive listening devices, & captioning devices

  • there is an elevator to all floors, however some sections of this particular staging structure may not be accessible without stairs (the theater is on the 4th floor)

Click here for more information on the accessibility of this theater.

Light/Sound/Scent

General:

  • I didn’t really need to wear earplugs/ear defenders for this show, but I chose to wear them to balance out the lighting and understood everything just fine!

  • There is a lot of audience participation! Meaning like cheering throughout, you stand at one point, and the actors use all the aisles. They also directly interact with people seated around the stage

  • The catwalk has a very shiny floor so some of the lights (particularly the occasional really white one) reflect really strongly 

  • There are lots of sparkly clothes!

  • The lighting tends more toward moving down spots and alternating lights rather than single light flashes, so there are very few startling moments and lights directly in your eyes (I think this may not be the case for the seats at the tables and on the sides directly by the catwalk) 

  • The sensory accessibility of this show is… in the genre of Titanique, Here Lies Love, Tommy, and Teeth, but I found the lighting and sound to be significantly more accessible than those shows. Much more similar to Six.

  • [The majority of the songs have some moving lights in them, this is only a list of things I personally found straining/was startled by]

Act I:

  • Opening (Jellicle Songs…) - alternating down lights and some moving lights over the catwalk

  • after The Old Gumbie Cat - 

    • alternating purple/yellow lights 

    • big flash after she gets the trophy 

    • really bright white downlight (goes away on “the next category is realness”)

  • Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town - white flashing downlights ~15 sec after they open their jacket

  • ~10 sec flashing red/blue lights (like a cop car)

  • Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer - white on/off moving downlights across the stage for ~30 sec after the “Victoria Grove” line when they’re dressed in green, which briefly returns during the playoff

  • everyone stands at the end of Old Deuteronomy (they give you a cue, it’s after the flower petals go down) for maybe 2-3 minutes - there are some moving white downlights over the catwalk and audience during this time

  • after Deuteronomy holds up the moon light to the orchestra behind him, a disco ball comes down and starts spinning, with added moving downlights. This lasts for several minutes and was definitely the most disorienting piece of the show - it does have some color changes so it’s not always equally straining, it comes in and out. The ball slows and then stops after the wings go up

Act II:

  • Act II:

    • Gus: The Theatre Cat - photo album causes some accidental strobe, it’s on stage for ~30-45 sec

    • Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat - moving white downlights (like in Mungojerrie) when Skimbleshanks appears, but it’s on the sides of the catwalk so it feels less noticeable 

    • after the lights go out, Deuteronomy turns on a flashlight and slowly moves it over the entire audience 

    • Macavity: The Mystery Cat - ~15 sec of moving cop car lights after they get the trophy

    • Memory - very slow and brief disco ball at the end of the song (~5-10 sec)

    • Finale/Bows - 

      • moving white downlights and rumbly low bass throughout 

      • after the conductor comes out the lights move more and the disco ball briefly appears

Content Warnings

Just going to quote directly from their website - 

“Contains depictions of radical acceptance, magic, Ballroom legends, flashing lights, audience interaction, detainment by police, holstered theatrical firearms, glitter, full splits, burlesque, dance battles, loud music, and purr...a lot of purr.”