CATS: Who's seen it?20 responses total.
CATS has closed. If you want to see MAMA MIA, its playing across the street on broadway though
Actually it's on tour, and will be both at Proctor's Theater and Eisenhower Hall (both in NY) next January. I'm just looking for other people to talk about CATS with, tho. Jellicle cats come out tonight Jellicle cats come one come all The Jellicle Moon is shining bright Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball! >^o.o^<
I never saw CATS. I kind of wanted to just to see what all the fuss was but everytime I was in New York, there was something else I wanted to see and everytime the show came to Detroit, I either didnt have the money for tickets or I had something else to do. I really would like to see Momma Mia and The Producers. I am thinking about saving some money up and taking a long weekend to New York in Feb or March.
(((Agora item 114 linked as Music item 48)))
Slynne: If you can, try to get the commemorative edition video. It not only has the musical itself, but a bonus video about the filming of the video, which also has some interviews with some of the actors/actresses who helped make the video. Among the people interviewed were Michael Gruber (Munkustrap) and Ken Page (Old Deuteronomy). If I remember correctly, John Partridge (the video RUm Tum Tugger) is reprising that role in the London production. Also, Jacob Brent (the video Mistoffelees) is also reprising his role in the London production. Also, if you can, try to go to the Musicals.Net CATS forum. I post there as Dayus X Makina. Macavity's Brother
I might rent the video or dvd but I dont think I'll buy it unless I see it for a very cheap price but thanks for the suggestion!
CATS is OK. But I prefer the original book.
Speaking of the book, my mom and I got a copy autographed by many of the London and Broadway cast members, including Keith Edward Wilson and Craig Waletzko!
I taped it when it was on PBS as a fund raiser special. The kids almost wore the tape out before we replaced it with a purchased copy. That one is beginning to show signs of wear as well. I think they can both repeat the whole thing, line-for-line and song-for-song.
Sounds like you have a couple of die-hard CATS fanatics in your family, Glenda! Don't worry, they're not alone....there's a Musicals.Net forum they can go to to discuss their love of CATS. Macavity's Brother
Peter, what you really want is a copy autographed by T.S. Eliot. Patti LuPone, who had a falling out with Lloyd Webber but still sings Sondheim, was recently quoted as saying that the difference between them is that one is a genius and the other one just wants to be.
I've never seen CATS, though I have caught parts of it from the wing when I was there to disassemble the (mostly fiberglas and aluminum) set and put it back in the trucks.
We've taken our kids to see CATS a few times, three times in Detroit and once on Broadway in 1999. I know all of Eliot's poetry, some of it by heart, and I don't like any of it much, including Old Pussum's Book of Practical Cats. So I didn't expect to like CATS, and was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it was. It's really a kids' show. The coyly pseudomystical "Round the cathedral rang 'Vivat!'" nonsense is the least effective part. It probably goes unnoticed by most people, which is good. The ingenious song-and-dance numbers, the scary business with Macavity and Old Deuteronomy, and the message of love and acceptance at the end (personified by the incredibly sweet-faced dancer who plays Victoria -- the pure white cat who finally touches Grizabella and thus identifies her as the "Jellicle Choice" -- in the commemorative DVD, which we bought) are all perfect for children.
s/Pussum/Possum/ The pun is nice but unintended.
Try looking for "Memory" as done by Big Daddy in an on-line music search, it is a rather unique version. (Big Daddy is the band of 1959).
Michael has kids? i'm terrified.
Big Daddy did "Memory"? Wow. Their version of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" is my favorite 50s rock song AND one of my favorite 80s rock songs.
Dave, if I could get a copy autographed by TSE, I would, but there are two
problems that I can think of which might hinder that:
1) TSE-autographed copies are probably very rare at this point in time.
2) Judging by problem #1, if I did find one, it would probably be expensive,
even if I found it on eBay.
(turnsd to M-Netter)
By the way, M-Netter, your summation of the story behind CATS is quite
correct. It is a story of forgiveness and acceptance, but there is one more
facet that many people overlook: It's also a story of the sharing of life
experience. I refer you to the part of "Memory" that begins, "Touch me..."
Touch me, it's so easy to leave me
All alone with the mem'ries of my days in the sun!
If you touch me, you'll understand what happiness is!
Look: A new day has begun...
But it is an excellent piece of work in and of itself, even without looking
at the story that it tells.
Macavity's Brother
CATS is my favorite *musical* ever. The story is so-so, but I enjoy the music as a whole body better than anything else. Best humor-related tangent: On an old episode of SNL, with Dennis Miller doing the news, they mentioned that since the "tomato industry" had finally standardized on Ketchup as the only acceptable product name (i.e. Catsup was "out"), the musical was renamed to KETCH. :-)
Yeah...funny! I first got interested in CATS when I was about 11 or 12; I had seen an ad for it on TV after hearing the song "Memory" as sung by Barbara Streisand. (Personally, I think Elaine Paige does it best.) I was already interested in the cat as an animal, and I kept bugging my family to let me see it. Eventually, before it closed, I did get to see it. Then I went to London and saw it there. Whoo! THere's just something about it that's even stronger in London!
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