The story of the revered musical “Cats” is a simple one: Members of a particular tribe, the Jellicle Cats, present their candidates deserving of another life, with one chosen in the end.

Sunday night’s presentation of the musical by its national touring company at the Bangor Auditorium also represented a kind of reincarnation, as the venerable facility known as the Mecca for Eastern Maine basketball became a way-off-Broadway stage.

Logistically, the evening yielded mixed results. With two huge sound towers framing the stage, those theatergoers on either wing, especially in the pricey floor seats, got obstructed views, unable to see a good portion of the action. These line-of-sight issues probably would alienate the patrons sitting there from attending any future such productions at the auditorium.

Also, although “Cats” initially sold well, the event ended up with a paid attendance of 1,865 in the half-house set-up, or about 65 percent full. The floor sold out, but there were holes throughout the other levels of seating.

But once the lights went down (15 minutes late) and the Jellicle Cats came out, the magic of “Cats” transported people away.

The next 21/2 hours (excepting the interminable intermission) was a dazzle of color, motion and cat fur, as the talented cast of the Cat’s-Eye LLC production brought the story of the Jellicle Cats to life. Whether it was the rotund Bustopher Jones, tap-dancing Gumbie Cat Jennyanydots or the aged Gus, the Theatre Cat, each candidate for a new life was toasted in song by his or her peers.

In “Cats,” certain roles in the ensemble cast stand out, unless they have been badly miscast and stand out for all the wrong reasons. They weren’t in this case. So the top performers Sunday included Jeremy Hays as Rum Tum Tugger, Claire Blakeley as Grizabella and Ryan Patrick Farrell as Mistoffelees.

The many children in the audience (including mine) were captivated by the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. The adults seemed more aware of their surroundings, but got caught up in the moment as well.

Will this event lead to the Bangor Auditorium becoming a second venue, in addition to the Maine Center for the Arts, for touring theater in central Maine? That really depends on such arcane factors as tour routing and ticket ceilings. But for one night, “Cats” chased away the ghosts of tournaments and country concerts past.

Dale McGarrigle can be reached at 990-8028 and dmcgarrigle@bangordailynews.net.