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December 18, 1999 Saturday 2:00 PM
Story by Kyra & Cindy with a guest appearance of a friend, Mary
After arriving in New York at 11:00 am we checked into or hotel dropped our bags off and ran down to the Winter Garden Theatre to purchase tickets for the matinee show on Saturday the 18th. We were able to get stage seats on our favorite side of the theatre.
We went back to the hotel got some lunch than went back to the theatre at 1:30pm to drop off a big bag of home made cookies for the cast and crew. we went into the theatre to leave them and the door man insisted that we wait, while waiting he noticed that we didn't sign our last names to our card so he asked me to write down our last names on a piece of paper. While I was writting Jacob Brent came down the stairs and was surprised to see us and asked me to wait a minute while he went to talk to his family.
I told Mary to go get Kyra and we waited for Jacob. After his family left we talked to Jacob for a few minutes, I set up a time with him to meet him before the show Sunday to give him something special. We also told him we had to give this special thing with Celina and Keith. I didn't tell them that it was the T-shirt from the T-shirt project cause I wanted it to be a surprise. We than noticed the time and told Jacob we'd see him after the show.
We ran out the back stage door and around to the front of the theatre, it was 1:45 pm and they were already letting people into the theatre. We thought it was funny cause we just came out from back stage and we were going right back through there again cause thats how we had to get to our seats.
The Show was great and Tugger (Stephen Bienskie) was the first to notice us.He was in the back by us waiting for his cue, he peeked through this big crack in the wall and saw us. He smiled than winked at us. The Jellicle song was the same with one exception, this was Jacob's next to the last day with CATS.
The best part of todays show was during the Old Gumbie Cat song. When Munkustrap sings "I have a Gumbie Cat in mind....." Jacob makes a sour face, turns and crawls towards the back of the stage where Demeter, Bombalurina and Jellylorum was and starts to flirt with them. Also during this song when the the cats are dressed like bugs and tap dancing with Jennyanydots, Jacob lets out a big WOOOOOOO! as he lead the cast through an exciting last part of the tap dance. It was so funny and it looked like the cast loved it too.
During the Rum Tum Tugger song, Tugger couldn't get anyone to dance with him, so he had to leave with out a dance from anyone (poor Tugger).
In the Bustopher Jones song Skimbleshanks was trying to get Tumblebrutus to listen to him and get back on stage, Tumblebrutus was climbing up the steps and Skimbleshanks saw him and clapped his hands so loud that it startled himself cause he didn't mean to clap so loud.
During intermission we were back stage and we saw Jacob and Celina munching on the cookies we delivered to the cast earlier. We went on stage where they were selling the Jellicle Balls. Keith (Macavity) was helping Joel Briel sell the Jellicle Balls, when he saw us he said hi Cindy. We told him we wanted some more Jellicle Balls and he got them, when Joel handed them to Cindy he proceeded to tell her about the balls, then Keith interrupted him and said " you don't have to tell her she already know." After purchasing the Jellicle Balls we went back to the back stage, we ran into Jacob again and he said hey guys I took some cookies and put them aside for later. We said great and than he noticed the Jellicle Balls Cindy had in her hand and said "Oh, thank you buying the Jellicle Balls." Than he picked up the mic and made an announcment to the cast. We than headed back to our seats cause it was almost time for the show to start. By the way, when we were back stage talking to Jacob we noticed he had changed his makeup, which he tends to do sporadically.
Most of the rest of the show was as we reported before, not much different. But on Mr. Mistoffelees song. Where we were sitting on stage we looked up to the ceiling cause something caught our eye, up above where the circular lights are we saw a red light. You could see Misto (Jacob) getting into position for his dance and a man up there for his and Grizabellas assistance.
When Misto pulls the ribbon out of the bucket, he throws it up and one of the cats catch it and another cat helps pull the ribbon across the floor as Misto and Tugger dance arm and arm over the ribbon.
After the show we went to the stage door and met the young girls that were wearing the cat makeup that we met before the show. As the cast came out we got some autographs and they were all telling us how much they enjoyed the homemade cookies that we dropped off before the show. Some even told us which ones were there favorite, and even described why they enjoyed them. A couple of the cast members said that the cookies got them through the second act.
The three young girls finally got to meet Jacob and while they were getting his autograph Stephen (Tugger) came out and Cindy and Kyra were trying to talk to him but there were to many people blocking our path, we all laughed because it was so funny.
After Jacob was done signing autographs he came over to us to say Hi, just then we looked down and noticed the two large shopping bags he was caring. It looked like he had about five years worth of stuff in the bags. We told him we had a little something for him, Celina and Keith. Then asked if we could meet him before the show tomorrow. We also told him that we had to give the presents to the three of them at the same time. He agreed so we said, see you tomorrow.
Later that evening we decided to walk down to the St. James theatre and catch Michael Gruber after the evening show of SWING. We also took him several gifts from us and other fans online, and some homemade cookies too. When we got there two of the young girls that we had met earlier at CATS were there (in cat make-up) to met Michael also. Also in attendance was Eddie and his sister whom we were surprised to see after the show. We all met Michael down a long hallway as you exit the theatre. Michael was so surprised to see us because the last time we met him (Nov. 20th) we told him we weren't coming back to NY until Jan. 29, 2000. He gave us a hug and we all talked awhile. After Michael left it was only 10:00pm so we all decided to go back up to the WGT and and talk to the cast again after the show.
We all got to the theatre and waited for the cast to come out, we chatted with them for awhile. When Jacob came out he more stuff to take home. He smiled, waved and said good night and also asked if we were still meeting him tomorrow. We said yes, and then told him good night. After we talked to him for a bit, we left and went back to our hotel. We TRIED to go to sleep but we were to excited about tomorrows show.
To be continued, Tomorrow December 19, 1999. Jacobs Farewell Show *sniff, sniff*
