Alley 3, Section 301 BB 1
Well...this was certainly one trip that I was NOT expecting! I had been talking to Megan and she somehow managed to talk me into it! (As if that was difficult!) Anyway, my parents agreed to take me as long as I arranged the tickets. So on the Tuesday before, I was at the newsagent in Ballarat buying my tickets! I was busy that week and the Saturday morning, so the realisation didn't really hit me until we were packing to head to Warrnambool. And when it hit, it hit hard -- I was going to CATS again!! And not only that, I was going to get to meet the fanclub I'd heard and read so much about! I couldn't believe it! We set off from Ballarat at around 3:45pm that day to be in Warrnambool for 7. It's a one-and-a-half to two hours drive, so it wasn't too bad...not as bad as some of you had, anyway! We checked in at the motel and relaxed for a little bit until FINALLY it was time to go! Checking that I had my tickets safely in my pockets, we headed for the car...which wouldn't start!! Aaaarrgggh!! SO we had to walk to the tent from the Mahogany Motel, which took us 15-20 minutes. But I arrived in time and soon found my seat. It was a great seat, apart from the fact that the guy sitting in front of me was blocking my view somewhat...never mind. I saw everything alright. I spotted Megan coming into the tent to find her own seat and she immediately came over and we had a loverly chat. Then I was introduced to Sharon, who happened to be sitting right behind me! Megan was one row back from me and on the other side. Just one understudy tonight -- Kerryn was filling in for Helen, who was away with a sore throat. We were told after the show, though, that she was determined to be on the next day!
Once again, it was time for the show to begin!! Jumping at the Overture again, I settled down to watch another wonderful performance. This time, I KNEW what to expect from the show! During 'Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats' I had Cassandra standing or lying near me...Brooke has a rather nice voice! A full cast performance of this song is just incredible. I took notice of the trapezes this time! Trevor was on one and Stephen was on the other. Brian was on the bungie. During 'The Naming of Cats' I had Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer closest to me and I could also hear Mark's big voice coming from my left. I had a bit of a staring competition with Rumpelteazer (which she won!) and made eye contact with a few other kitties until Emma graced the stage to perform her, as usual, gorgeous 'Invitation'. 'The Old Gumbie Cat' remains one of my favourite numbers. I just love that tap dance and Mungojerrie's so cute when he tries to stab Jennyanydots! Richard once again made his flamboyant entrance. This is another number that's hard to watch, since there's so much going on! Anyway, I would have liked to know how the guy sitting in front of me felt, since Tugger came up and did his...uh...what did I call them before? Thrusts? Yes...he did them right in the poor guy's face! You gotta love that Tugger!
I loved Delia, Cara and Nicola's 'Grizabella, the Glamour Cat' from when I first heard it and tonight of course proved no exception. Brilliantly performed again. Mark made his entrance as Bustopher Jones -- another character I've grown to like -- and Julie, Helen and Nicola made a lovely trio, as do Cara, Nicola and Helen during 'The Old Gumbie Cat'. But we're passed that now, aren't we? Next came my favourite couple of pranksters. What can I say about these two except that you gotta love them? Markham and Rebecca do a brilliant job! You know, I never noticed before tonight that Brooke actually slips down into the pipe...I know YOU all noticed it! But I was quite surprised! 'Old Deuteronomy' was next, brought onto the stage by Mistoffelees and the narrative 'Pekes and the Pollicles' was fantastic as always. Glen does a great job of this one, as does everyone else on stage! The 'Jellicle Ball'...what can I say? When performed by a full cast, it's breathtaking. It takes me a minute to catch my breath after this one even though I'm not on stage! Good thing the interval's soon after this number! Tonight Markham did the cloud swing and Delia's 'Memory', as usual, was beautiful. That song can still make me cry -- especially when I sing it! I can't imagine how Delia feels up on stage!
During the Interval, Megan managed to coax me up onto the stage and I was introduced to the other members of the fanclub -- Jen, Mel, Kristina, Christian, Fiona...uhhh...and anyone else who was there! I think that was it, though!&nbps; We went over to see Juan before we had to head back to our seats for the performance to continue! Before the Interval, I'd had lots of cats running up and down the walkway beside me -- Cassandra, Quaxo, Demeter, Alonzo...and lots of others that unfortunately I can't remember. I came very close to pulling one of the tails that was dangling near me, but managed (somehow!) to resist.
First after the interval is, of course, 'The Moments of Happiness'. Juan and Sarah do this number beautifully. The lovely voices of Kerryn and Mark filled the tent next during 'Gus: the Theatre Cat' and I found myself looking forward to the next number -- 'Growltiger's Last Stand'. From having never seen it live, it has fast become one of my favourite numbers. I just love it! Particularly Mark's laugh! The expressions on the 'pirates'' faces make me giggle every time! Oliver's so cute when he runs up and falls to his knees in front of Griddlebone! Next came everyone's favourite Railway Cat, played wonderfully once again by Stephen. 'Macavity' also remains a favourite number. I liked Cara and Nicola's version the first time I saw it -- tonight I loved it! The two of them have such talent! Not to mention the few kittens that dance behind them part of the time. The Macavity fight was great again -- Trevor makes a fantastic Macavity! A perfect evil laugh! I know you're not supposed to like the bad guy, but who could help it?!
Oliver wowed everyone yet again with his dancing during 'Mr. Mistoffelees'...I'd never heard Misto sing part of his own song -- I'd just heard Tugger do the whole thing. It's so much better when Misto gets to do a bit too, though. We were prepared by Sarah, then reduced to tears by Delia's 'Memory'. Such a powerful song -- Delia does it so very, very well. The 'Journey to the Heaviside Layer' was great again -- I really like watching that giant tyre going up, up, up...not quite away, though. Then Delia climbs on the platform and is taken up into the roof of the tent. It's such a beautiful scene. Being rather close, though, that dry ice was rather cold! Oh well...I soon got over it! 'The Ad-dressing of Cats' in this production is really something special when you have the whole cast together. You have absolutely no trouble hearing it from outside the tent (as I found out when I went back for after the show in Ballarat).
When the show was finished, Sharon tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was going to go backstage...you know, as if I was going to say no! So I caught up with Megan again and exited the tent with her. Leaving my parents with her parents, we zipped off to the back of the tent to bug the cast a little before we had to go and get some sleep to prepare for the next day. I saw lots of cast members that night, but because we'd had to walk, guess where my program was? That's right! In the car! Along with the camera! *smacks herself* I need serious training in cast meetings, I think! Camera and program: two essential items. I couldn't even say who I saw...let me think...Markham, Brian, Mark, Nicola, Oliver...and probably most of the others...Cara still proved elusive, though. I decided, however, that I may get to meet her on Sunday, since it was the last show and I figured that the whole cast would come out...I knew there'd be lots of people waiting there! But before that, I seemed to turn into the official photographer (particularly for Mel)...I must've used about a roll of film for all the pictures I took. Sadly, I couldn't take any of my own, since, as I mentioned before, my camera was in the car.
Then it was time for goodnights. I decided that I had better get some sleep that night, since I'd heard Megan say that we were meeting at the tent at 10am. Since they didn't have a ride, we took Jen and Fiona back to their motel...Dad had apparently managed to get the car started now! As it happened, they didn't get much of a ride because Dad had parked the car a long way from the tent. Pausing to say goodnight to the tent and to take a couple of night photos, we were on our way back to the motel where the agenda was eat, then sleep. My family didn't eat because they'd gone out for tea...but I was starving because I hadn't had anything since lunchtime! So -- I ate, then went to bed, my head filled with happy thoughts of the show I had just seen and was still to see and yet sadness because tomorrow was to be the last performance of Cats I would see...for this tour, and possibly ever...and I would definitely miss the fabulous cast.
