Ruthstage's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is back, and hotter than ever!
Last summer, Ruth Stage Production’s ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ swept through Broadway. Though the show only had a limited run, its dynamic and vibrant staging generated enough audience demand for a new run, with even more updates. Tennessee Williams’ classic 1955 play had a similarly modern aesthetic and set design as the last run, but leaned further into the show’s rawness and sex appeal. Almost entirely new casting brought an intense energy to the stage - but the skill and tenacity of the cast exposed the harsh vulnerabilities at the core of the play.
The new production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof features Courtney Henggeler as Maggie the Cat. Though her cadence sometimes betrayed her history as a screen actor, the feline physicality she brings to the character lights up the stage. In capturing Maggie’s relentless confidence, she still is able to invoke the desperation Maggie feels towards her husband Brick and the life she desires. Ruth Stage co-founder Matt De Rogatis returns as the show’s lead character Brick, a character he is clearly intimately familiar with.
However De Rogatis’ time spent with Brick has lended itself to a powerful performance - his long bouts of silence no longer tense and filled with a brewing rage, but now resigned and troubled, making a viewer in the audience feel more deeply for the character. Alison Fraser also returned as Big Mama, but her comedic timing and chemistry with Frederick Weller, the new Big Daddy, are explosive on stage.
Once again, the only downfall is in its limited run, which ends on March 31st. One could only hope that this production makes the leap from off-broadway to Broadway, where it belongs. With consistently packed audiences, roaring ovations, and consistently stellar reviews - it’s only a matter of time! If you’re able to, get your tickets and head to the Theater at St Clemens before the show is completely sold out.
