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12/19/99 Sunday 3:00pm
Story by Kyra & Cindy with a guest appearance of a friend, Mary
After lunch we started to walk towards the Winter Garden theatre, it's now 1:30pm. when we got to the theater we noticed that Eddie was already there, he was surprised to see us so early but Kyra wanted to be there early enough to make sure she was on time for the backstage tour. After she left for the tour, we waited out side for her. In the mean time Keith (Plato/Macavity/Rumpus Cat) showed up and he stopped to talk a while, but didn't stay long cause it was very cold. Than Linda Belgord (Grizabella) showed up and than came Celina (Demeter). Celina hung out with us for a few minutes and we gave her a ty cat called Al le Cat for Christmas, she said he looked just like KC, she than told us she has found three other strays. Celina said two of the cats are black, and that she has found homes for two of them.
It wasn't long after Celina left that Jacob showed up, I told him I had to give him his gift with Keith and Celina. So He took us in side and he paged Celina and Keith. Celina showed up right way, while waiting for Keith, Jacob and Celina autographs some programs for us for some special people. Jacob's so sweet he told us he'll probably cry, Awww I love sensitive men that can express themselves like that. After a while we decided to start without Keith, Celina remarked that as soon as we start that Keith would show up, and sure enough after we started here comes Keith. I had already given Jacob and Celina their T-shirts and we even got a picture of the two of them holding one shirt, so when Keith showed up I had to start all over.
I told them that the T-shirt drawling was done by Ahdeya and that the whole T-shirt project started by Talis and that all us fans jumped in and made it all possible. I also told them that the CATS tour were all receiving the same T-shirt's. I told Keith and Celina that we voted to give them the T-shirts because they were so nice to come to Musicals.net and hang out with us their fans, and answer our question. We gave Jacob his T-shirt to show our appreciation for all the joy he has brought us fans over the last five years. We then took another picture of all of them holding their T-shirts.
I noticed Jacob really examing the t-shirt (if you would like to see or purchase the T-shirt, go to my homepage and click on the T-shirt Project they will be on sale up on till January 14, 2000). we talked a while longer and I told them where they could post a thank you if they wanted (I noticed when I returned home late that night that Keith had already went to musicals.net and done exactly just that). They were all surprised that we cared enough to include them in the T-shirt project, and that they all told me they knew about the T-shirt project. I knew Keith and Celina did cause they had to have seen the post on musicals.net forum, but was surprised when Jacob said he knew too because goes and reads our post but has never posted. I thought wow! I better watch what I post about him from now on. LOL.
Mary asked Jacob if he knew about the voting booth for theater actors and the hall of fame. He said yes and than he thanked Kyra and the rest of us for voting for him. Mary than gave him a copy of the hall of fame, and he said he had one, infact he printed a copy and sent it to his mom and she told him she was very proud of him.
While we were taking pictures Hector had showed up with some ginger bread houses and ice cream cake for the cast for Christmas, Eddie had arrived earlier and dropped off some little cakes with bourbon in them, Mmmmm, I bet they were good.
Before leaving Celina gave me a big hug (she's so sweet) and Kyra got a hug from Jacob and Mary finally got the names of Jacob's two female cats. We all left cause they had to go get ready for the show. It is now 2:15 pm and the cast had all arrived early so we decided to leave and go around and wait in the theater lobby.
Today Kyra and I had front row seats, row AA Kyra was in seat 2 and I was in the one next to her, seat 4. Mary had a seat in row A # 2 right behind Kyra. Before going to our seats we stopped at the rest rooms, while waiting in line a girl and her friend asked me if I was Cindy and I said yes, and she said her name is Angela. She said she recognized me from my pictures on this site, If you read this Angela, Hi.
On the way to our seats we stopped off the see who was out of the show today. We couldn't believe Stephen Bienskie (Tugger) was out, Craig Waletzko was standing in for Tugger. J.P. Christensen (Skimbleshanks) was out and standing in for him was Billy Sprague Jr. Christopher Gattelli (Pouncival) was out and Jonathan Taylor was standing in for him. Marlene Daniels (Bombalurina) was still out with an injury and her stand in was Angel Caban.
We went to our seats and found that the three young girls that we met at yesterdays show, and at the St James theater where SWING is playing, were sitting in the same row as we were. Eddie was also in the same row. Hector was to the right of us but one row back.
The lights went down the music started and the blinking eyes were blinking all over the theater, than the cats came down the isles with blinking eyes on, they go up and look into some of the audience faces and than they all disappeared.
There's a set of circular
lights that slowly comes almost all the way to the bottom of the stage
floor, then rise again. The music stops and we hear a car nose and see
lights flash as Demeter (Celina) runs out on stage stops suddenly when
she sees the car light and than rans and hides in a big pipe at the back
of the stage. The rest of the opening song is pretty much as I reported
previous times.
The Gumbie Cat song was when Jacob (Mistoffelees) started haming it up. Mistoffelees again today flirted with the female cats sitting on the tire. Towards the end of the tap dance number Jacob gave a loud WOoooooo! and everyone in the audience laughed and cheered.
The Rum Tum Tugger (Craig Waletzko) surprised everyone when he enter before his cue to his song and we all laughed again (those of us who noticed his early entrance). He did manage to get some one to dance with him but thats because he practically pulled the girl out of her seat.
During the Bustopher Jones song Bustopher goes down the line to inspect the male cats. Usually he taps one of the cats paws other than Mistoffelees, but this time he taped Mistoffelees (Jacob's) paws. Misto. (Jacob) did one of his cute facial expressions and looked from side to side to the other cats and they smiled back.
As Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer song ended and Misto says "Old Deuteronomy" Skimbleshanks (Billy Sprague Jr) run past Misto and hits him in the head with his leg, and Misto just shook his head. We notice the expression on Munkustraps face as this took place and it was a look of shock, which mirrored our thoughts. Even Skimble turned and looked to see if Misto was ok.
On the Pekes and Pollicle Song, when Misto and Skimble come back on stage after dropping off their dog gear. Misto runs and slides up the ramp, he almost slides completely on stage instead of stopping at the edge of the ramp, and than he backs up. LOL. At the part where all the cats are lined up and barking at each other, Misto had Demeter (Celina Carvajal) and Bombalurina (Angel Caban) barking at him instead of Cassandra. I think they were ganging up on him. LOL.
On to the Jellicle Ball. Just as the song begins Mistoffelees lets out another loud (even louder than before) WOOOOOOOO!!!! and it sets the whole cast and audience off laughing as he drove the cast though a fast paced and exciting dance that we will never forget. We think he surprised the cast because it seamed as if they missed the first beat. Also during the ball when Misto's not dancing he goes to the side of the stage, than Munkustrap (Jeff) grabs Misto and gives him a big hug. Awwww! how cute. When Misto joins in the dance again and Munkustrap goes back and sits in front of Old Deut. we could see Munk yelling and cheer the cats as they danced. Old Deut all the while was trying to calm Munk down. This song was so funny that we laughed and cried all at the same time. Also, Misto (Jacob) added some spins whenever and wherever he could throughout the entire show! You could clearly see that Jacob was going to make sure that this was going to be his best show ever, and we were so glad that we could be a part of it all.
After intermission as all the cats came back on stage they all crowed around Mistoffelees and trap him in the middle of them but he managed to get away. As he made his way to the front of the stage he stopped to rubbed heads with Tumblebrutus (Patrick Mullaney). Misto then came to Munk and he just gave Munk a cute face and Munk smiled back and left Misto alone.
Another very funny moment during the show was during Growltigers Last Stand. When Griddlebone makes her entrance she usually pushes the crew out of the way, but this time she grabbed Misto by the face and planted a big kiss right on his lips. He was soooooo surprised that he fell back and than sat on a box (prop on stage) with an expression on his face that was indescribable. He then got up and joined the other crew members, which were Tugger (Craig), Mistoffelees (Jacob), Skimble (Billy S.), Alonzo (Lenny Daniel) and Munkustrap (Jeff). As the crew was being sent to their bunks, Misto was the last to go, he turned to the audience, waved good-bye to everyone one and blew a kiss ( it was so funny).
On to Mr Mistoffelees, this is probably the last time Jacob will perform as Mr Mistoffelees (but then we always learned to never say never). This song was totally totally amazing. As Mistoffelees made his entrance the audience cheered. As Jacob danced we noticed people in the audience crying as well as ourselves. Talk about spins, WOW!!!! We thought he was going to spin right off the stage. His dance moves where so perfect and so precise, as always. After Mistoffelees brought Old Deut. back, Misto usually looks at his hands in surprise and smiles. But today Misto smiled and rubbed his knuckles on his chest and than blew on them like they were smoking, than turned, run and jumped right up into Old Deut. arms.
The Ad-dressing of Cats was the most emotional song of the whole show, not only for the audience but for the cast as well. As Grizabella was going to the Heaviside Layer, cast member kept walking up to Misto and giving him hugs. Than the cast gathers around the tire facing the audience, Misto (Jacob) was standing right in front of us. When he started to cry so did we, infact he had to stop singing three times during this song because he was crying, it was sooo sad as we noticed his tears falling to the ground. It was very hard watching him in front of us, we just wanted to run up on stage, grab Jacob and hug him. We don't think the cast even noticed Jacob crying as much as we did for they were in back of him.
At the end of the show each cast member comes back on stage and takes a bow. When Jacob came back on stage, Billy Johnstone (Coricopat) ran out and gave him a bouque of white roses and the audience all gave Jacob a standing ovation. After every cast member took their bows and left the stage Jimmy Lockett (Old Deut) and Sharon Wheatley (Jennyanydots) grabbed Jacob and took him to the front of the stage and left him to take one last bow. He blew a kiss, mouthed thank you and waved good-bye to everyone with tears in his eyes.
The audience was full of cats alumnus, after the show Kyra and Mary had the pleasure of meeting Mistoffelees number fourteen and his name was Lindsay. Also in attendance was Hans Kreifall a past Alonzo whose last show was August 8, which was the first time Cindy and Kyra met Jacob Brent.
There was a crowd of people waiting to meet Jacob after the show. When he came out the door he had three bouquet of flowers in his hand as well as a bag of gifts, but he stopped anyway to sign autographs and pose for picture. We said our, see you later (not good-byes) to him before the show but we still wanted to see him off and Kyra wanted one last picture with him. He had a hard time getting away and when he finally did he literally ran down the street.
We than said our good-byes to Hector, Eddie and our friends from Japan, as well as the others we meet at the show.
We truly believe Jacob will be ok even now that he's decided to move on. he is truly a gifted dancer/singer/actor and we're totally amazed that god has packed so much talent into someone so young.
Jacob we're going to miss your comment "see you in two weeks".
The Cast for today's show 12/19/99
Alonzo.................................. ..................................Lenny Daniel Bustopher Jones/Asparagus/Growltiger..........John Dewar Bombalurina............................. .....................Angel Caban Cassandra............................... ......................Lynne Calamia Coricopat............................... .......................Billy Johnstone Demeter................................. .......................Celina Carvajal Grizabella.............................. ........................Linda Belgord Jellylorum/Griddlebone.................. .................Jean Arbeiter Jennyanydots............................ .....................Sharon Wheatley Mistoffelees............................ .......................Jacob Brent Mungojerrie............................. ......................Roger Kachel Munkustrap.............................. ..........................Jeffry Denman Old Deuteronomy............................. ....................Jimmy Lockett Plato/Macavity/Rumpus Cat.................Keith Edward Wilson Pouncival............................... ........................Jonathan Taylor Rumpleteazer............................ .....................Tesha Buss Rum Tum Tugger.................................. .........Craig Waletzko Sillabub................................ ..........................Maria Jo Ralabate Skimbleshanks........................... .....................Billy Sprague, Jr. Tantomile............................... .........................Silvia Aruj Tumblebrutus............................ ......................Patrick Mullaney Victoria................................ ...........................Missy Lay Zimmer The CATS Chorus.................................. ........Joel Briel, Jeanne Montano, Heidi Stallings, Kurt von Schmittou
Thank you to the cast for all their kindness they showed us this week end, and to all of you who come to our page to read. We hope you enjoyed our report. Our next report will be January 29 & 30, 2000
