If you read this whole page (um, I apologize if you did) then please,
I REALLY MEAN IT!!
[I forget where I got this background.
It might be of a London cast.]
I didn't have much
of a reaction to the whole thing, except I was happy that I could tell everyone I actually saw it,
and I had the Mistoffelees song stuck in my head the whole rest of the night because I KNEW I HAD
TO GET TO SLEEP BECAUSE WE WERE GOING ON A TRIP THE NEXT DAY AND THE CHORUS KEPT REPEATING ITSELF AND IT WAS ABSOLUTE TORMENT!!!!
I also got 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats' soon after, but I never got around to reading it, which is a shame, because it really would have sparked a very big interest.
In the Spring of 7th grade (2000), my friend and I were hanging out at my house, looking for something to do. She saw my Cats video and asked if we could watch it. It was OK the first time. Let's just say I had no objection to watching it again, which we did soon after the first time. That was a big mistake, if you don't like it when I get over-obsessed with something (*coughmy brothercough*). Ah, and guess who I got obsessed with! Jacob Brent! Right after we finished watching it the second time I went online and searched his name. I found quite a few links, and that started my official Cats obsession. I printed pictures and went on so many websites it'll make your head spin. (You'd be surprised at how many Cats-related sites there are. Two years later I'm STILL trying to see them all!)
My friend and I became obsessed with this wonderful musical together. We even gave each other characters! First, she became Demeter and I Bombalurina, then we became Mungojerrie (her) and Rumpleteazer (me)! We're...kind of a combination now. Half a year later (8th grade 2000) I started making this website (and many others) and later put this site online in early 2001. Later I got a few of my friends obsessed with Cats because I was talking about it so much (whether they wanted to listen to me or not, muaha). I LUV INSANITY!!
(Hiiiiiiiiiiii, Jeeeessssssssssssss!!! Muahahahahahahahahaaaa!!!)
In August 2000 I wrote a little play called 'Jellicle Rumor' (see Fanfics page to read and for more info). After MILLIONS OF MONTHS OF PRACTICE my friend and I (that is, Jess-the-one-who's-obsessed-with-me and I) finally put it on at the beginning of Summer '01. ...But not before performing Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer with ANOTHER friend at our Middle School's talent show in 8th grade!
Both those performances got quite a few laughs. I know both those experiences will never leave my mind. *nose starts sniffling and eyes start wattering* Oh, it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it! >^_^<
The Thursday or Friday before I was to see it I saw a few people (three I think) at school wearing CATS T-shirts. Two of them were acquaintences. One of them sat next to me in choir and I asked her how it was. She was very enthusiastic about it and said it was great. At lunch the two (and some other people on that side of the table) were talking about CATS. I, naturally, had to join in the conversation. I asked them who their favorite characters were. They said Skimbleshanks and Mistoffelees. I can't remember if I rolled my eyes or not but I'm certainly rolling them now. EVERYBODY seems to like Misto and Skimble for some reason. I always find myself liking the not-as-popular characters in anything, probably because they deserve recognition. They do! They really do! They also commented on Victoria's perfect point, how Misto was actually tall when he wasn't supposed to be, and how they mention in the song that Macavity's 'very tall and thin,' when he was really a bear!
Saturday, November 3, 2001, 2:00. I'll remember that date forever. Jess and I planned to go together, and that was the date we picked (she would be going again with her mom the next day in the afternoon). Because of her schedule, I met her at our dance studio, where we were driven to the Palace Theatre. We had some difficulty with our tickets, but finally got a seat just when everybody was settling down...except for us, lol. Two little kids and an adult were sitting in front of us. The kids kept turning around to look at us whenever we made a loud comment (which was every 5 seconds, considering how noisy I get when I'm excited, teeheehee).
At last (but all too soon), the lights dimmed. The music started, and all the cats started comming out to the audience! The only one that actually came near me was Cassandra, who flashed her green mechanical eyes at the person behind me. Throughout that whole introduction the only thing I could think of besides flashing lights and flying cows and...erm...(see Jellicle Rumor for flying cows) was "Thank you God! Thank you God!" over and over in my mind. I couldn't believe I was actually seeing it! We were sitting really off to the side, which meant we couldn't see Bustopher and Jenny make their entrance, and we were under the balcony, which meant we couldn't hear Munkustrap's beautiful voice as well (although not as beautiful as the video's Michael Gruber's or The Scarlet Pimpernel's Chauvelin's William Michal's)! We got used to our seating arrangements, though. Even though Jess was right by a computer that controlled the lights and everything, and later she complained she could hear every mouseclick.
During intermission I saw my friend Aris! He had bought a CATS T-shirt. We met him after the show, where he came with us to get autographs. AUTOGRAPHS! MUAHA---I'm ok! I only received 2: Munkustrap's and Pouncival's. This is kind of embarrassing, but I'll tell it anyway. There was only one person out there and he had the makeup on. While he was signing my playbill I said, "Lemme guess. Plato or Mungojerrie." He pointed to his jacket several times and it took me a while to get out of my excited daze to actually see the name 'Pouncival' sewn on his jacket. That really embarrassed me, but, oh well, it's all in the past. Later, someone else was signing autographs. He was big, so I though it must be Deuteronomy. Much later I realized that it was really Macavity (whom I kind of wanted an autograph from but decided not because he was a disappointment to me, compaired to other Macavitys out there). Later, Munkustrap came out with his makeup on. I got his autograph and then pushed a suddenly shy Jess (she has a crush on his character) to him. LOL. Munkie had to keep borrowing my pen! Just as we were about to leave I took one good look at the barefoot Munk, who was only wearing sweat pants and a muscle shirt, and said, "Aren't you cold?" "Yes!" he replied enthusiasticlly. Oo! Guess what else about Munk! He had an accent!! EEEEHEHE!
I went again the next day (Sunday, November 4) with the friend I performed at the talent show with. This was the only time she would be coming to this production; I felt sorry for her. We were practically in the same spot as the other day, only on the OTHER side of the auditorium; this time we could actually see Jenny and Bostpher come out.
The second time was better than (or just as good as) the day before. I didn't really have time to spot differences, though; I was WAY too busy enjoying the show. There was one thing I was wondering about, though: Who played the leader of the Siamese? At first I thought it could be Skimbleshanks, since he kinda has a high squeaky voice like that, lol. But Skimbleshanks was in the Pirate Crew. Finally, the second time, during the Mistoffelees song, I found a clue of who it could be: Tugger! At one point his voice got squeaky and my mind was screaming: "THAT'S HIM! THAT'S THE LEADER OF THE SIAMESE!!" ...I'm still not sure if it's totally correct though, so if you know, e-mail me, please!
Naturally, we just HAD to go get some more autographs (although it was a first for her). I brought an extra pen for Munkustrap to keep if he needed it (lol) and looked forward to seeing Pouncival again. I didn't see Munkustrap *sniff* but I did see Pouncival! LOL, another funny story. My friend and I had on Coricopat makeup, and when I saw my Pounci on the street I said: "Pouncivaaallll. Remember meeee?" He stared at me as if concentrating. "You look...familiar...." "Remember yesterday? Afternoon?" "...Oh. Oh! Yes! Hi! How are you!" I said I was fine and got a hug before he left, telling him, "You are so hilarious." He said he really enjoys it. *chooses yet another time to totally freak out* I GOT TO HUG POUNCIVAL! *SCREAM* OH MY GOSH, I FEEL SO MUCH LIKE ETCETERA! HE'S A WONDERFUL HUGGER!!! *SCREAMSQUEAL!*
...Yeah. Anywaaaaayyyyy... Yeah! So! Pounci had told a group (before he left) that Victoria was the youngest in the cast (19; some people had asked) and she had played Vic in the German cast when she was just 17 (that was in the playbill too). Everyone was amazed (which is kind of a bad thing for me because now I wanna go to Germany and be in the Hamburg cast---I find it better than Stuggart, judging by the pictures). AND WE ALL GOT VICKY'S AUTOGRAPH!! ...Except for my friend. Hmph! I told Vic she was amazing. She said thank you. Then some girls came up and one said: "Hi. Um, I love you, and I wanna be you..." We all laughed. Why didn't I say that?! Oh well! My friend and I got Mungojerrie and Tumblebrutus' autographs, and she got Skimbleshanks'. Now I wish I had gotten one from Skimbie, but oh well! I could always stalk him ^_^ ...but at the moment I'm too busy trying to track down pictures of Vicki in Hamburg (if you have any GIMME GIMME GIMME! SHYLO SMITH IS HER NAME).
Rounding up that whole spiel (lol, that's a German word), here's a little comment about almost every person in the cast and almost every song:
-Alonzo: Call me a video fan, but he just doesn't look right unless he's black and white. He was wonderful in beating Macavity, though!
-Asparagus: Ummm...whatever. Too busy paying attention to Jellylorum.
-Bombalurina: She looked exactly like Marlene Danielle. Freaky! Well...not so freaky. As a matter of fact, it was wonderful! Well...if I had to say 1 bad thing about her it would be this: she's got the groove but she don't have the grace. Sorry and no offence, Sharon!
-Bustopher: LOL, I wish I could go around whacking toms with a giant spoon! ...Wait a minute...I practically do! *sniff* He didn't have a monocle! (Played by Asparagus)
-Cassandra: Still freaky (to me, anyway), but, I think, much better than the video Cass in the flexibility department. You know her pose at the very beginning? Well, THIS Cassandra had her foot touching her leg POINTED instead of flat, and her leg was much higher too! Um...but in every Grizabella scene she did this weird pouty thing where she stuck out her chin. I dunno if she was forced to put that into her character, but...it was weird.
-Coricopat: HE WASN'T THERE! HOW COULD THEY NOT PUT CORICOPAT IN! DEMETER HAD TO DO HIS AND TANTOMILE'S PART FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!!
-Demeter: Played by 2 people (the regular and an understudy I think), and I forget which one I saw. All I know is that by the end of her solo in Macavity she was really out of breath, so I felt better about how out of breath I get whenever I'm performing Macavity myself. She seemed to resemble a Hamburg Demeter to me.
-Deuteronomy: Nice and...um...old?...I dunno!
-Electra: Ok, this really pisses me off. The have pictures of Electra all over in the advertisements, BUT SHE ISN'T IN THE SHOW!! SHE DESERVES TO BE IN THE SHOW, I'M TELLING YA! SHE'S ONE OF THE CUTEST CATS IN THE WHOLE THING!!
-Etcetera: (Played by Rumpleteazer.)
-Griddlebone: Wonderful! Simply wonderful! Very hilarious! Made me wanna play her in the future! I'm a Grittlebone fanatic now!
-Grizabella: Um...I dunno. Wasn't really paying attention, hehe. Oo! I got something! She was very good at pretending to be pathetic. And her limp was huge!
-Growltiger: Good, but not as good a Griddlebone, hehe. ...He was freaky though. All that snarling and everything. Makes me wonder if he's the thing under my bed instead of Macavity. ...Also makes me wonder if he ever got a sore throat because of it, or perhaps some sort of ear or sinus infection. Very good at being menacing.
-Jellylorum: Looking like a cross between Hamburg and Broadway, and somewhat sounding like the original Broadway (Bonnie Simmons).
-Jennyanydots: I generally don't like Jennyanydots, but she was hilarious in her song! ...Pouncival was too. I really liked the tapdancing part. It was longer than the video and I think more choreographed better...or it was just better live, which tap usually is. Any way, it was better than the video.
-Macavity: Macavity! (jk) Like I said before: a total bear. I sure hope he didn't have to use steroids.
-Mistoffelees: Yeah, I think he was tall. But he did this thing where he turned around and around and around on one leg without stopping for more than a second and he didn't even have to bend the leg that was turning him around! Amazing!
-Mungojerrie: So funny! Very Broadwayish...and Hamburgish. Have you noticed that the whole cast is either Hamburg or Broadway? I think I'm just obsessed the Hamburg casts. Well, could ya blame me? DEUTSCH IST TOLL!
-Munkustrap: Actually like a London Munkustrap! ...Sort of like David Ashley.
-Plato: Bear. Right. Looked kinda like Mungojerrie.
-Pouncival: DAVID A. BLONN, IF YOU'RE READING THIS, E-MAIL ME! I REALLY REALLY MISS YOUUUUUUU!!!! ...Um...That goes for ANY OTHER member of the cast, too, *lole*.
-Quaxo: So cute in his pirate costume! He had long black hair, which made him look even cuter.
-Rumpleteazer: She got more out of breath than Demeter! Mungojerrie hardly did at all! That's so cruel! She was so small! I saw on Mungojerrie's website that she wasn't the original of the tour. I liked her all the same! Like Broadway.
-Rum Tum Tugger: Not as cute as John Partridge (video), but not as freaky looking as Terrence Mann (original Bway). Very enthusiasic, too! Jess says he did a really good job. ...Onstage, at least. *smirk*
-Sillabub: Jemima's cuter....Better, too. Well, at least in this case. Her voice was kinda squeaky. And I dun mean Siamese leader squeaky either. ...I think there was another whole understudy issue here, too.
-Skimbleshanks: Yea! So cute!
-Tantomile: (See Coricopat.)
-Tumblebrutus: Just like Pouncival, only Pouncival's cuter. ^_^ (No offense, Brian. You rock, just not my world. That's right, everyone, Brian! It says in the Playbill Brad Barnes, but on the signature it says Brian Collin. Hm, maybe Brad Barnes was the understudy for Misto, since Misto was very mistakingly tall. Yeah, that must be it. Well, Brian did have a jacket that said Tumblebrutus on it!...I think. My memory is failing me today...no, this year! haha!)
-Victoria: The first time I saw her arabesque it literally took my breath away. She was so cute! ...Squeaky voice, though. =(
-Jellicle Songs: ...Um...weird....I think the parts are different in every production.
-Naming: Hehe, when they mention Bombalurina she did this little catlike thing that's hard to describe, but it was cute.
-Invitation: Awsome! ...Wouldn't it be so funny if Quaxo was a baritone? Hehe.
-Gumbie: TAPDANCING! YEA! HILARIOUS POUNCIVAL! LOL, the second time I saw it I almost cheered when David was shaking his li'l booty as Pounc. Um...that wasn't meant to be sick or anything. IT WAS CUUUTE!
-Tugger: Poor Bomby! She got her revenge though. Heh heh. Heh heh. Heh heh.
-Grizabella: I...really...can't...remember.
-Bustopher: Yup, Skimble and Quaxo were hilarious as usual.
-Mungo and Teazer: They did the whole song! Not some cheap cut out version you usually hear! Their two-person cartwheel wasn't AS neat as the video, but it was so grand to see live!
-Old Deuteronomy: Can't remember.
-Peaks and the Pollicles: They...didn't...HAVE IT!! HOW COULD THEY NOT HAVE IT! IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SONGS IN THE WHOLE PLAY!!!!!!
-Jellicle Ball: Oh---my---gosh. It just keeps getting louder and louder until it's so loud it's too good to be true---and then you don't want it to end---and then it ends---and you wanna see it again and again and again and---then you do see it again but you wanna see it even MORE---and---*WHACK!!* ...Whoa! Thank you, Invisible Whacking Thing!
-Memory: At the end when Deut sits back down on the tire in deep thought, the curtain didn't close, but he just sat there throughout the whole intermission! LOL, Jess and I were wanting to either go up on the stage and explore or shout to Deut: "Take me to your leader! ...Oh wait. You are the leader."
-Moments of Happiness: A great oppurtunity to squint to see details of the cats' faces. It was easy to imagine Vic without makeup, because hers is just white, not all that liney crap like Bomby's. I'm not dissing Bom's, I'm just saying that if Sharon would come out while I was waiting backstage I probably wouldn't be able to tell if it was her or not. Demeter, I think I was able to, but I was too shy to approach her.
-Gus: JELLYYYYYYYY!!!
-Growltiger: GRIDDLEBOOOOOONE!!!
-Skimbleshanks: Instead of being asleep up on a pile of junk in a little cubby he was asleep on Bustopher's hat. At "...saying 'Skimble...'" he ran his paw over his hair in that cute way those cats do and at "'WHERE IS SKIMBLE?'" he woke up with a start and fell off the hat! LOL! His 'elation' jump-thingy wasn't as enthusiastic as Geoffrey Garrat's, though. Ooh! and you know when in the video Skimble's holding up a mouse and gives it to Deutie? Well, this time he gave it to Mungojerrie! How dare he! Give Old Deut a little happieness, Mungo has too much! hehe. Well, Skim did stroll down the stage with Deut. LOL, Deutie had to hold up his dress---erm---costume. >^_^<
-Macavity: Hm... Oo! The fight! The fight was awesome! Munk was MUCH BETTER than the video, where when Mac throws him aside Michael's rolling away slowly with a pathetic smile on his face, but Grant Turner was awsome at being pathetic with that part! ...Oh, and...yeah, Mac did the little 'hypnotizing hand' thing. What's up with that? I don't get that.
-Mr. Mistoffelees: Enthusiastic Tugger, somewhat tall Misto. Bad Cassandra. Cassy baaaaaaaaaaaaad.---In my opinion!
-Memory: Like I said, good at being pathetic.
-Journey to the Heaviside: Seriously, both times I was almost crying at this part.
-Ad-dressing of Cats: Almost crying again. I really almost did the second time, but I didn't want to smear my makeup. *sniff* I just couldn't believe it was over! Oh! I felt like Jacob Brent in his last Broadway show!
The End: (Yes! There's a song called 'The End'! Isn't that so amazing!) I cheered for Victoria both times. I was going to for Bombalurina but I'm not comfortable cheering in fancy theatre auditoriums yet. I think I was saving it for Vic. Lol, the second time I cheered so loud I thought the person in front of me would go deaf. ...Why doesn't Victoria usually get cheered? Actually, I think I only cheered for Victoria because I was making up for not cheering for the one of the 4th National Tour. Makes sense. Well...she did deserve it, too. I also cheered when Bombalurina threw Tugger to the ground and stepped on him. Hehe! That was after the whole show, bows and everything. And you know what? That's sort of like the ending to my play Jellicle Rumor! ...Sorta.... JUST READ IT, ALRIGHT? JEEZ, HOW MUCH ADVERTIZING DO I HAVE TO DO AROUND HERE TO GET YOU PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING!?!?!
There were some annoyances of the evening. First I saw was the fact that we were almost on the very top of the balcony. This would explain, I said to myself, why I didn't get into this musical the very first time I saw it; I could hardly see the stage. It's always such a bother to squint the entire time, am I right? The second was a girl sitting in front of me with somewhat tall hair. The worst part was that she kept leaning forward. Whenever she did I wanted to grab her head and pull it back, and I would if I was that uncaring.
I immediately found my place with the cast and with my thoughts during Jellicle Songs. When I first saw the show live (back when I knew absolutely NOTHING) I thought, "Wow, that is so cool." During my Video Era, I mimicked the actors in my living room. My second and third time of seeing it live, the beginning of my second year of dance, most of my thoughts were, "I wish I could do that." Now, my thoughts were filled with: "I can't wait to do that." I dream too much of being in Cats.
Victoria had, yet again, a screechy voice. Will I ever see a live show without screechy sopranos? At the "Man over there" part I knew in an instant I would adore Aspararar..gusas...Wow, that really is a fuss to pronounce! =P
Victoria's solo was wonderful, as usual. The splits were awsome, but her leg extension, the one to the side (I don't know if it has a special name. Developpe?), wasn't too grand. If dear Katie Wanner can get away with it, then maybe I can complete my dream of playing Victoria after all. ...And I promise y'all I won't be a screechy soprano! (sp on the word screechy correct? oh well.)
Tap dancing rules.
Tugger was too...loud, I think I should say. Well, the way he was singing you couldn't tell what he was saying half the time, and I know the lyrics almost by heart. He was being way too show-offy, even for Tugger. Do people not understand there should still be some mystery to him?---To every character? I had read in the playbill that Grizabella had played Marguerite in some version of The Scarlet Pimpernel. As her first note escaped I felt it was obvious she had played her. (I've seen The Scarlet Pimpernel once, when a tour came to my town.) It seemed as though she hadn't quite left that role, which was a bit of an annoyance to me. Another annoyance was at the end of "Memory" when on the last note she went an octsve higher than originally written. Bad, Anne, BAD! In Bustopher's song I saw how poorly this production was directed.
Deuteronomy rules.
I can't remember much of the Jellicle Ball except when it came for Victoria's scandelous little portion. I think it was still Plato who did this with her. Whoever it was, they weren't able to lift her very well. That's not an insult to the person himself, just...I don't know any more. Anyway, Macavity was a bear in this production as well. Grr. Bombalurina's voice wasn't as alto-ish as before. Double grr. A male cat (maybe Alonzo) was in the back mimicking Demeter. What's up with that? When he did a jump onto the car in the middle of the song it made a really loud thump, which I think was a mistake because the two fems looked back.
In Skimbleshanks' song, Mungojerrie gave the mouse to Deuteronomy again. I don't think it was as good as the last time. Mistoffelees' song ruled, save that I couldn't understand Tugger even though I know all the words. Dang you, Brian Gallagher! (I'm not really mean; I'm just upset.)
I usually cry during Journey to the Heaviside Layer. Not because of Grizabella, but because I know that the play is ending. It's a surprise I saw this production again in November. The same tour was coming to my Grandparents' town during Thanksgiving. We usually go to their house for Thanksgiving, so my Grandpa invited us. It will be just him, my mom, my grandma, and me. I find it very odd that I myself am going, since (and both my friends agreed) this production was a bit of a disappoinement.
[I forget where I got this background.
It might be of a London cast.]