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Shawn and Billy Johnstone (Coricopat)
during intermission. The TY
dinasour that Shawn is holding was a gift from
Billy. Shawn held on to it
through out the whole
show.
This show was a special time for Mommy and son. June
18th is Shawn's
(Cindy's son) Birthday. I wanted to do something
special for him and
with the help of one of the cast of CATS (I'll
get to him later), I was
able to give him a special present. first I
will tell you a little bit about
Shawn. Eight years ago he was born a normal
health child, 18 months
later I noticed my son tuning out and slipping
into a world of his own, no
one but him was allow. After a long battle with
doctors and therapist, At
age 2 Shawn was diagnosed with Autism and ADD.
I refused to believe
the therapist when they said that he will never
be normal again. So I
set out on a quest to find someone that didn't
want to give up on my
child. I found a program, and I traveled six
hours to another state so I
could learn to help my child. These people gave
me no guaranties but at
least I knew they wouldn't give up on him. He
can now function in our
world and he has even invited me into his. He
may appear to be anti
social or not well behaved but in actuality
he is a very loving person and
very well behaved. It's just he doesn't understand
our world too well,
it's very frightening to him. He's not cured,
because theres no cure for
autism and we still have a long road ahead us
before Shawn can
function on his own. I will never give up on
him, he is so special to me
and I feel that God has given him to me for
some very important
reason. I would like to tell you more about
Shawn but I don't want to
bore you so I'll get on with our special day.
This was the first time Shawn had ever traveled
on a bus for so many
hours but he did very well. After arriving in
New York we went to
McDonalds on 44th street to have lunch. Today
is the first day of the
beanie baby and there was a special Millennium
bear that was only on
sale today. I asked Shawn if we should get Billy
(Coricopat)one because
he collects them and he said "get Billy a bear"
so we did (by the way
it's Billy that's the special CAT) . After lunch
we walked around a bit but
I noticed Shawn's uneasy feelings of so many
people at one time. So
we left Broadway and walked up 8th Ave. to our
hotel. I had hopes of
taking Shawn to Central Park but he wasn't felling
good so we just hung
around the hotel till it was time to get ready
for the show.
We arrived at the Winter Garden Theatre back
stage door at 6:20 pm.
Billy had told me to meet him there at 6:30.
Shawn sat on the step by
the theatre exit doors, and at 6:30 Billy popped
his head out the door
and called us inside. We went into a makeup
room with Billy and he
talked to Shawn for a little bit and gave him
a present for his Birthday.
Shawn gave him the bear we bought for him, and
he said that he had
tried all morning to get one but couldn't find
a McDonalds that had
them. So the one Shawn gave him was the first
that he had gotten so
far. Billy than sat Shawn down in a chair next
to him in front of a big
mirror, and he told Shawn he was going to put
makeup on to make him
look like a cat. As he put his makeup on he
explained the process. He
first put on some white makeup on his forehead
and down one side of
his lip. He put some brown makeup on all over
his face and down to his
shoulders too. Than he put some white above
his lip and took a black
pencil and made whiskers. After he finished
putting all his makeup on he
put powder on, and than sprayed some water on.
Than some more
powder, and than he touched up his makeup a
bit and than powdered
again for a thrid time with one last squirt
of water. This is the first time
I've seen this so it was very interesting.
Some of the other cast members came in and said
HI to us, among
them were Celina Carvajal (Demeter) Tesha Buss
(Rumpleteazer),
Missy Lay Zimmer (Victoria), Keith Edward Wilson
(Macavity/Plato/Rumpus Cat and Patrick Mullaney
(Tumblebrutus)
popped his head in and said HI. It took Billy
about 25 minutes to put on
his makeup, he told us it usually takes him
7 minutes but he took his
time so he could explain what he was doing.
After Billy was done his makeup he put his robe
back on, Oh, and that
robe was beautiful. It was long, black with
the CATS eyes on the back.
Billy than took Shawn out into the theatre so
he could watch the crew
do prop and sound checks. They lowered the ship
for Growltiger to
make sure it was working properly and they checked
the sound by
playing music through each speaker separately
(and no it wasn't CATS
music). They also mopped the stage floor because
it needs to be clear
for each show.
We than went backstage and Billy asked Shawn
if he wanted his face
painted but Shawn was scared and said no. So
we watched Missy paint
some other little children's faces. Shawn went
to the rest room and
when he returned Keith had come into the room
with Marlene Danielle
(Bombalurina) Keith also had his makeup on and
it startled Shawn a bit
at first, but he than smiled, but it made me
laugh. When Billy's
Hairdresser came in the room with his wig the
room had gotten a little
crowed so we had to go to another dressing room
so the hairdresser
could put Billy's wig on. NOW, that was interesting
too, first he used
something to clean the area where the tape goes,
the wig had sticky
stuff on the edges in the front. The hairdresser
took off some stripes
that were protecting the sticky parts and than
continued to put it on
Billy's head, he than put some bobby pins in
the wig to give it extra
support. After he was done Billy let Shawn feel
the wig, he was a little
hesitant but eventually touched it.
Shawn and Billy before the show, and after Billy finished
putting his
makeup, and before his hair dresser put his wig on.
We than waited around a bit longer back stage because
Shawn has a
problem with large crowds. While waiting we
heard someone on a
speaker say which cast members were out in today's
show and who will
be standing in for them. Earlier that day Billy
had arranged for a usher
to come back stage and take Shawn and I to our
seats close to show
time. Billy had gotten us, I think, the best
seats in the house. They
were stage seats, row AA 21 & 23, Shawn
sat on the aisle seat. I have
to admit that I was a little scare when the
show started because I
didn't know how Shawn was going to react. The
last time I brought him
to the show he was so scared that he closed
his eyes and ears for the
whole first act. That's why Billy arranged to
let Shawn watch him
transform form a person to Cat.
The Overture started and the cats came out with
the blinking eyes.
Skimbleshanks came up to Shawn with the blinking
eye and to my
surprise Shawn giggled. I was thinking to myself
*ok that's was a good
sign*. Then came the car and Demeter, and Munkustrap.
Shawn
seamed to be really into the cats as they came
on stage. I was so into
watching Shawn that I think I may have missed
some of the show.
Shawn did put his fingers into his ears once
in a while throughtout the
show but that's because he has sensitive hearing,
When he puts his
fingers in his ears he can regulate the volume
of the noise that he
hears.
This trip was a special time for Shawn so I told
no one but Billy that we
were going to this show. So when the cast was
in the pyramid singing
during the Jellicle Song I saw Tugger (Stephen
Bienskie) look over to us
and he was a little startled to see us sitting
there, that was very funny.
During The Naming of Cats we had Coricopat (Billy)
and Jennyanydots
in front us for the first part of the show.
Billy tried stirring at Shawn but
with Shawn disability he has a problem looking
people in the eyes. So
Shawn looked away but I saw him every once in
a while sneaking a
peek at Billy. LOL. As the cats all left the
stage after Naming Of Cats
Shawn had a worried look on his face because
all the cats left the stage
but one. When Mistoffelees ran out from the
big pipe in back after
Victoria's solo dance Shawn started to smiled
again.
During The Old Gumbie Cats song Shawn got really
excited, he giggled
when Jenny rolled out of the car trunk and slide
under Munkustrap's
legs. But the best part he liked was when the
cast came out dressed as
bugs and tapped dance. OMG! I thought Shawn
was going to bounce
right out of his seat. He bounced bounced bounced,
and giggled. and
when the song was over, (and this part really
shocked me because I've
never seen him do this before) he got up on
his feet and clapped so
hard while still giggling. He than turned to
me, and gave me lots of
hugs, and a kiss on my head.
The Rum Tum Tugger song was funny too, when Tugger
came crashing
through the trap door Shawn was a little startled
but than laughed
when he saw Tugger. There were a few friends
at the show today, and
one of them was Crosswise and today she got
a dance with Tugger.
After the show she was just beaming from ear
to ear, and I can
understand why too, because anyone would if
they danced with Tugger.
Anyway, Shawn's favorite part in this song was
when Rumpleteazer
was meowing and the others had stopped. I thought
he was going to
meow right along with her. LOL.
Bustopher Jones song was exciting for Shawn too
he giggled and
laughed when Bustopher almost fell backwards
and went running to the
front of the stage. We had Munkustrap and Alonzo
on our side.
On Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer song, when Rumpleteazer
giggles
Shawn had to giggle too. when they did the cartwheel
thing together he
got all excited and started to bounce again
and again. LOL. I got lots of
hugs during this song too.
When it was time for Old Deuteronomy to come
out, I pointed his
arrival to Shawn and he had to stand up and
check him out. Good thing
our seats where down low or I think we would
have had the people
behind us complaining.
The Awefull Battle of The Pekes and Pollicles
was another of Shawn's
favorite he bounced up, and down again. Demeter
came over to us on
this song and sat infront of Shawn and stirred
at him and again he
looked away and up to the ceiling but I saw
him smiling while doing so.
The part where Skimble came and dumped out the
bag of hats and
boots was interesting to Shawn too, he had to
get up and peek over the
side and watch the cats all dig through the
pile to get their things. This
started Shawn giggling again, and when the cast
started to bark I
thought I heard Shawn bark too. LOL. Than when
Rumpus Cat came on
Shawn was startled when he popped through the
floor, and giggled
when Rumpus hair stood up, we both giggled on
this part.
During the Jellicle Ball I had to hold onto Shawn a
few time because I
thought he was going to try and get up and dance
like he does at home.
and he was sitting on the aisle seat so that
was another worry. But to
my surpirse he stayed put, did just fine, and
bouncing some more.
Whew! what a relief. During this song...at least
I think it was this song,
Coricopat came over and sat next to Shawn and
rubbed his head
againist Shawn. It took Shawn a few minutes
but he eventually touched
Coricopat's head. At this point I think Shawn
was no longer scared of
the cast, But he still put his fingers in his
ears to block the loud noises.
When Mistoffelees makes the lights all blink
Shawn was in awe and got
a kick of of the cast all wiggling their heads
while dancing.
During Memory, I thought Shawn might get bored
but he never did he
just leaned his head on his hand on the ledge
in front of us and watch as
Grizabella danced and sang.
During intermission Billy invited Shawn and I
backstage for a few
pictures with him. When we got back there Billy
was so happy to see
how Shawn was reacting to the show and to tell
you the truth so was I.
I asked Billy "did you see him bouncing" and
Billy laughed and said
"yes". I than took a picture of Billy and Julius
with Shawn. I'm going to
post the picture but I must warn you that Shawn
is also sensitive to the
flash on a camera so he may have his eyes closed
or looking away.
I than took a picture of my friend Yanellie,
and some of the cast ( I
hope it comes out ok because I'm not that good
of a picture taker), at
this point the room we were in started to get
a little crowed, and Shawn
started to cry so I had to take him out of the
room. Some one back
stage asked me if I wanted some cotton for Shawn's
ears, and I told
him no, it's better if Shawn used his fingers
so he could regulate how
much sound he wants to let in. Than I heard
the man on the speaker
announce that the cast had five minutes so we
took off back to our
seats.
Growltiger I think was probably Shawn's most
favorite part of the
show, especially when the ship drops down from
the back wall. As I said
up above we watched the crew testing it before
the show but this time
when it came down there were cats on board dressed
as pirates. When
Growltiger and Genghis started to fight Shawn
laughed but held on to
me. When the Siamese came out and sang I noticed
Billy watching
Shawn I don't know if Shawn knew it was him
but he did like them.
After Growltiger walked the plank and the Siamese
left the stage, and
the ship was going back in place, I heard Shawn
say "Bye Bye Ship" and
than he waved. That was another cute moment,
I wish I was able to
video tape Shawn at the show I was so proud
of him.
Skimbleshanks song had Shawn up in his seat again
and him quietly
singing along. The part when the train falls
apart got some more giggles
from Shawn and when the song was over he clapped
and clapped that I
had to stop him.
When Macavity comes on and is in two places it
had Shawn a little
confused, and than a little scared when the
hench cats kidnaped Old
Deuteronomy. He hopped onto my lap but sat back
down when
Bombalurina and Demeter came on to sing about
Macavity.
The Macavity Song was fun for Shawn too especially
when Alonzo
swings Macavity around, and than when Macavity
makes all the lights
go out. I know the audience isn't suppose to
clap here but it seams
they do and when it came to that time, the audience
clapped and so did
Shawn, I told him no but he kept clapping. LOL.
Sorry Keith.
Mistoffelees, now what person wouldn't like this
song. Well, Shawn is no
exception, he was all excited when Misto came
down from the ceiling
and when Misto started to spin Shawn got even
more excited and
bounced and kissed me and jumped in my lap.
LOL.
On to The Heaviside Layer, the tire with Old
Deuteronomy, and
Grizabella on it was exciting for Shawn to see
also, even after Griz was
gone Shawn was still looking up to see where
she went.
The Addressing of Cats, we had Tumblebrutus in
front of us. Shawn
loved all his silly faces, and so did I. LOL.
When the show was over the cast takes a bow and
they all start sing
Mr Mistoffelees again, Shawn was up in his seat
clapping along and
singing too. As some of them left the stage
they came over to us and
some waved or touched Shawn's hand. What a great
show it was and I
like to take a moment here and Thank all the
Cast for the wonderful
time Shawn and I had, with a special THANK YOU
to Billy Johnstone for
making Shawn's birthday so very special. I'm
sure he'll always
remember it. I know I will, and because of the
time you took out of
your busy schedule to take interest in him,
and make my son's birthday
special means more than you could ever know.
Not only has his eyes
been opened to something new but he is now doing
things I've never
saw him do before. So from the bottom of my
heart I want to thank
you and tell you you are so special us. "Now
and Forever".
