Bobb Cooper and his energetic acolytes at Valley Youth Theatre invade the Herberger Theatre around this time every season with their blockbuster musical, usually a repeat of one of their favorites of which Grease and Bye Bye Birdie are standbys. Every once in awhile, though, Cooper and his brood tackle something a bit broader in scope than expected from a youth theatre. This season the group has mounted a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’sCats that, while it has some serious of flaws, is so consistent in so many different ways that it’s a triumph despite its patchiness. While it’s difficult to put aside the fact that these Jellicles are mere kittens attempting to portray elder felines, the level of talent helps to offset the required suspension of disbelief when watching a vibrant Michelle Vezilj limping around the set and strongly singing in a youthful voice and an otherwise intense Derek Rushing obviously concentrating on the palsied shaking of Gus the Theatre Cat’s paws.

Youth theatre is often about finding a way to put 29 actors between the ages of 12 to 18 onstage, directing traffic, and highlighting the talented ones while creatively hiding the ones whose skills still need honing. With a show like Cats, hiding is not as easy. Big dance numbers like the opening and “Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball” live on precision. Cooper and his guest Co-Director/Choreographer Tony Spinosa have done wonders in crafting choreography that fits the subject matter while not tripping up the preponderance of the ensemble, pretty impressive work. The result doesn’t quite approach the degree of difficulty of the original choreography, but it is always energetic and often eye-catching. More impressive is the fact that most of the intricate dancing is performed in synch, a feat some semi-pro and professional companies have yet to master. One joy of watching a show with this much required precision is being able to pick out the weakest dancer and focusing on their struggles. This is one joy I had to forgo while watching the ensemble ace a lot of the simultaneous group work.

Highlights include Vezilj’s golden pipes as she warbles her lament in “Memory,” the preening Edgar Torrens prancing around the stage as Rum Tum Tugger, an earnest portrayal by Eddie Maldonado as Old Deuteronomy, and the spirited performances of Paul Leighton and Krysten Smalley as Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. Some of the better performers, like Kimiko Glenn and Ashley Robinette can’t help but shine when they’re featured, but they don’t overwhelm their ensemble members.

The biggest problem is a balance between the nearly impossible expectations of Dave Temby’s micing and the growing trend of actors believing that head mics will permit them not having to e-nun-ci-ate. WRONG! This is a trend that needs to be stopped at this level. A good 40 percent of the show was made inaccessible because of the mushmouth tendencies of nearly the entire cast at various points. Theatre will always require actors who can enunciate and project, no matter how good the headgear may become.

Karol Cooper’s costumes are up to her usual level of impressiveness, and Michael Eddy’s lighting design is a technical highlight that uses a nice mix of isolation and general washes to draw the audience’s attention.