Cats purrs its way back to Chinese stages

One of the new cast members is actress Lucy May Barker, who plays the role of Grizabella, or Glamour Cat, the principal character.

Born in 1992 and brought up in Lincoln, England, she made her debut in the West End musical as Isle in the original London cast of Spring Awakening in 2009 and other musical theater credits, such as Sweeney Todd and Mamma Mia!

"Cats was the first musical that I ever saw. I was 8 years old," said the actress in Beijing on July 16. "It started my love for musical theater. I am so lucky to do it professionally now."

Barker made her stage debut at age 8 when she played the leading role in the musical Annie. She says that there is no feeling like performing onstage "because it comes from your heart; you try to tell a story as an actress".

"You are not just talking. You have a whole world created around you to help dramatically tell the story. To be a storyteller in that setting feels like magic," she says.

The actress took the audition of Cats and sang the classic, Memory. Then she got a phone call, which, as she says, "everybody dreams of when you are an actor" and she got the iconic role of Glamour Cat — a once-glamorous and beloved cat who is ostracized by the pack, loses her sparkle and only wants to be accepted.