THE ?CATS: Now and Forever? crew was anything but catty last Thursday afternoon as I enjoyed the privilege of playing dress-up with them. I thought it was a perfect opportunity for the Aussies to try on Filipino designs.

It was quite a trip seeing Rum Tum Tugger in Joey Samson and Viktor Jeans, and Demeter and Bombalurina in Rajo Laurel and my creations! I was among the awed audience at their gala night performance a few weeks ago, so it was both surreal and refreshing to get to know their offstage personas.

The big challenge was squeezing in a fashion shoot in a little over three hours?hair and makeup included. But our photographer Charles Buenconsejo wasn?t worried. He said, ?These theater actors should be easiest to shoot! They know how to project onstage, and so it shouldn?t be different with a camera.?

Charles was right, though the trio we shot admitted they were more comfortable being photographed as their ?Cats? characters.

Hot picks

Melbourne?s John O? Hara is the flirtatious, sexy Rum Tum Tugger onstage. He gamely tried on some pieces of Rajo Laurel, Joey Samson and hot new picks from Viktor Jeans Greenbelt 5.

We haggled over a leather motorcycle jacket from Viktor (?Fun! Very ?80s,? he said), but he later opted for an interestingly tailored Joey Samson blazer.

Monique Chanel Pitsikas said her ?eccentric? mother is to blame for her fashionable second name. The statuesque Pitsikas aptly plays the va-va-voom Bombalurina, and, sans kitty makeup, she channels a young Linda Hamilton (?Terminator?).

Seeing her in a Rajo and KT, plus a Hairworks coiffure, we all agreed she has the Hollywood siren vibe down pat.

Petite Sydney native Stephanie Morrison tried on Rajo?s black silk jersey with a Joey Samson ballskirt while chatting about her ?Cats? experience.

?I think it?s such a unique show because we?re singing and we?re always dancing, and there?s this extra layer of being feline,? she said. Morrison debuted as Demeter in the ?Cats?-Manila production.

Couture and maquillage

It was also a thrill to see the John Napier costumes up close. Napier is a multi-awarded set and costume designer from London. His ?Cats? designs won him a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design.

I was amazed by the interplay of textures that Napier used: faux furs, stretchy lycras and jerseys, and my favorites, knits in various permutations (think Missoni on an angry, bulky scale).

I particularly loved the treatment of the tap-dancing Old Gumbie?s costume: massive and beehive-like, it was done in a tweedy knit.

Up close, the costumes that look like a palette of browns and blacks onstage actually have pretty interesting colorways. Bombalurina?s wig and getup are a fiery orange, gray, white and black.

The jovial trio also shared with me an interesting backstage tidbit: They actually do their own makeup! After our little fashion shoot, John, Stephanie and Monique reemerged backstage as their feline alter egos.

I got goose bumps seeing them in character?their fluid, animal movements and animated expressions bringing the Napier designs to life.

Last hurrah

By popular demand, Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, David Atkins Enterprises and Concertus, in association with The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific, have extended the Manila run of Andrew Lloyd Webber?s ?Cats: Now and Forever.? Aug. 22 is its final Philippine date before the production scampers to Taiwan.

Sure, you can catch the show in other cities, but only in Manila will you enjoy the Cats ensemble?s rendition of Pete Lacaba?s beautiful Filipino translation of ?Memory.? And, you can?t afford to miss Lea Salonga?s spine-tingling performance as Grizabella at CCP?s Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.

For tickets, contact Ticketworld at (+632) 8919999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.