Forever is Now.

By:MoonbeamDancer.

Kitty Kibble- Ok this is a story about the closing of CATS done from a dancer's point of view. I'm that dancer. I'll use my real in this story, which is Ellen. I'm using the current Broadway Cast. If I messed up on any names I'm sorry. Send any comments to Jellicle_Vamp@hotmail.com

It's the end. Today is the last performance of CATS. "Wish me luck." I said to my kitten Misto. Jacob had given her to me. She blinked her gold eyes at me and licked my hand. I smiled and rubbed her head. I left my apartment and walked down to the Winter Garden Theater. "Hey 'Teazer." said Celina Carvajal. Celina played Demeter. "Hey Demi." I said as I walked in the theater to see who was there. I smiled sadly as I saw Jeffry Dennan, Roger Kachel, and Stephen Bienskie who played Munkustrap, Mungojerrie, and Rum Tum Tugger goof around on stage for the last time. Their laughter reached my ears, it made my eyes water slightly.

"Come on. Let's go get our costumes ready." said Celina. We turned away and walked down the hall to our dressing room. We stopped by wardrobe to pick up our costumes for the last time. The tears fell down my face as I sadly brushed the shoulder fur. "It'll be okay. You got that job with the London Cast don't you?" asked Marlene Danielle as she came in and saw the tears. She played Bombalurina. I gave her and Celina a watery smile. "Yeah. But it won't feel the same with out you guys." I had gotten the RumpleTeazer part with the London Cast of CATS. I was happy, but it would feel strange with out Celina and Marlene as Demi and Bomby. We had grown close. The cast had joked that since we were so close that maybe 'Teazer, Demi, and Bomb had been from the same litter. I would miss this cast, some of us were going into other CATS casts. Silvia Aruj, Missy Lay Zimmer and Jimmy Lockett were coming with me, but mostly the others were moving onto other shows. The three of us went into our dressing room, which we shared with Linda Balgord, who played Grizabella. I smoothed the costume over my arms. I smiled at it. "The last time." I thought. "The last time I wear the Broadway 'Teazer costume, the last time I put on the Broadway 'Teazer make-up." "Forever is now." I said. I sat in my chair and reached for the white make-up stick. I drew the beginnings of the make-up down from my forehead to the tip of my nose. I brushed on some more white on my forehead and the middle of my cheeks. I smoothed on the orange and yellow on the rest of my cheeks and neck. I sharpened the black eyeliner and outlined and colored in around my eyes to make them stand out. I colored in the nose and made the "split lip" under my nose. I outlined my lips, made the mouth curls, whiskers, & a few "fur hairs" on my neck. I put down the liner and grabbed the pot of red. I brushed on the red on my lips with a lip brush. I pulled on my wig and tail & stared at my reflection. The others were done getting ready. We paused long enough to take pictures so we could remember forever. We walked over to the theater & looked in. The stage was clear and the orchestra was turning up.

We got into our spots for when we run down the aisles at the start of the show. Julius and Jacob came over to me. "Hey." said Julius getting in line behind me. "Hey" "Good luck." Jacob said kissing me. "I'll be in the audience." "Thanks." I said. Me, Julius,Roger,Jon-Erik Goldberg(Pouncival), Lynne Calamia (Cassandra),and Maria Jo Ralabate (Silabub) got our cue. We took off down the aisle and bounded onto the stage. Our performance that night was the greatest. We danced like it was the last show we were gonna ever do. We put our souls into it because it was.

After our show I was at the door of my dressing room staring at it, slowly burning it into my memory. I walked over to the theater my arms and dance bag full of photos, some CATS shirts and other CATS stuff, plus the flowers I had received and a video of the last show our producer had made. I just sat in a chair in the theater, staring at the stage, not wanting to forget it. Jacob walked down to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "I don't wanna forget." I whispered. "I know the feeling." he said sitting next to me. "You want to look at everything carefully and burn it all into your head, so you never forget." He helped me up & carried some of my stuff for me. "Sometimes I swear to God I can hear the laughter and the music. But if I look too hard, it'll disappear." he said. I nodded in agreement and looked over my shoulder at the stage. I stopped. For a moment I could hear the music from "The Jellicle Ball" and I could see myself and the others dancing on the stage, our feet a few inches above the stage.

"Forever is Now." I whispered. "We'll be back." the phantom Misto whispered at me. It was Jacob. "It may not be today, or tomorrow, or the day after, but we'll be back. Forever is not always now." he said. The music stopped and the phantoms melted away like fog. Jacob asked if I was okay. "Yeah." I said and we walked out of the theater. Echoing behind us were the words,

"Up, up, up past the Russell Hotel.