By GAIL WILSON
Entertainment Editor, (609) 272-7212

ATLANTIC CITY — Sure you can walk down any alley in your neighborhood and meet some cats, but they wouldn’t be as cool as those you’ll find on stage at the Broadway by the Bay Theatre at Harrah’s Atlantic City.

The Tony-award winning musical “Cats” is being staged in the casino showroom through Aug. 17.

From the time the spirited group of felines slinks its way through the theater’s seating area and make its way onto the stage, the audience is transported to a fantasy world.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical showcase, based on a collection of poems by T.S. Eliot, has wowed audiences for years. While there is no real plot to “Cats,” the absence of a compelling storyline does nothing to hamper the enjoyment of the production. The first-rate dance numbers, exceptional singing, skillfully crafted costumes and realistic catlike movements of the cast more than make up for the minimalist plot.

“Cats” is basically a chance for humans to meet the varied personalities of an eclectic group of Jellicle cats, who live in a junkyard. The imaginary world is marvelously recreated on stage with an assortment of tires, boots, a stove, books, wheels and other items — all seen from a feline’s perspective.

Harrah’s production utilizes the actual Broadway set and consists of 2,500 oversized props.

Troika Entertainment did a fine job assembling the show’s 27 cast members, chosen through auditions held in Tampa, Fla., Las Vegas and New York.

Cats that stand out from cast
One of the standouts in the cast is Wendi Bergamini as Jellylorum, who uses her beautiful voice to reminisce about the notorious life of Asparagus — or Gus, as his friends call him.

The palsy-stricken theater cat, sympathetically played by William Hartery, delivers his heart-rending tale of an esteemed life long gone but not forgotten.

Stan Stanley, making his first appearance in a national tour, really gets into his part as Rum Tum Tugger, hamming things up during his performance as the heartthrob of the group.

McCree O’Kelley makes the most of his spotlight performance as Mr. Mistoffelees, the magical cat in the bunch. He thrills the crowd with his solo dance routine and performs a toe-touch from atop a 4-foot-high pile of rubbish to the stage floor.

Also impressive are Jarret Ali Boyd, who assumes the role of the cats’ wise elder, Old Deuteronomy; and Gretchen Goldsworthy, as Grizabella, who delivers the show’s most memorable tune, “Memory.”

The climax of the play, the rise of Old Deuteronomy and the cat selected to go to cat heaven, makes for one of the show’s best effects. The pair appears to be lifted through the ceiling as they ascend to the “heavisidelayer.”

While some of the dance numbers seem to run longer than necessary, the cockroach performance during the introduction of the Old Gumbie Cat and the celebratory atmosphere of the Jellicle Ball are so impressive they could have gone on forever.

“Cats,” which opened in London in 1981 and a little more than a year later in New York, has delighted audiences for years. The show closed on Broadway in September 2000, but is still running in London.

It’s nice to know that, at least for the next few weeks, you don’t have to travel across the Atlantic to catch the longest running musical in the history of British theater.

(Show times are 4 and 7 p.m. Sundays; 7 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays; and 7 and 10 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Dark Saturdays.)