August 24th 1999
 
 

         Note: If you're a Jacob Brent ( Mistoffelees) fan you'll love this story,

  we also mention other cast members, but this is the first time we saw Jacob so that's why
  this is mostly about him.

   We arrived in NYC at 11:00 checked into our hotel, had lunch and shopped till 4:00pm
 than went to dinner at the Olive Garden. Our waiter was a blast after ordering our food he
  came back to our table. He asked us where we were from, we told him and he said he had
  been to our state about three years ago, done a musical theatre there. Just than I looked
  at his name tag and thought WOW!!! His name is Mike G. I asked what the G stood for
    and he said Gardener or something like that. He said he's not doing Musical theatre
    anymore cause he always get hired for his voice, and he wasn't sure he wanted to do
  Musical theatre anymore. So that's why he's a waiter, till he makes up his mind what he
 wantes to do.

 We left and went back to our hotel and got ready for the show. An hour before the 8:00pm
  show we went to the WGT back stage door and Kyra dropped off a note for Jacob (she's a
  big Jacob Brent fan). We went back around to the front entrance and waited to be seated.
 At 7:30pm the doorman opened the door and said Good evening ladies and gentleman and
  welcome to CATS. We had seats in row AA numbers 1,3 &5. Before the show started we
    were told Michael Gruber's part was being played by his stand in David Spangenthal.
 We've never seen David perform but we have met him before. We were so happy to finally
  get the chance to see David perform Munkustrap. He was so good and he has a beautiful
     voice and great moves.

  The show started and Jacob came down the isles next to us. During the Naming of Cats
   Jacob ( Mistoffelees) came and stood right in front of us mostly through out the whole
  song. He starred at Kyra. She got all shy and looked away (awwww). Jacob has a deep but
 very beautiful voice when he sings. Munkustrap ( David) came and stood in front of us too
             for a while. When Jacob sings Jellicle cats come out tonight

  his voice was rather high, but strong, like in the video but better. On the old gumbie Cat
 song, Jacob does the cute little head scratching thing, like in the movie, but when he turns
      to face the cats in the back he does the best facial expressions we've ever seen
  (awwwww). In fact through out the entire show we noticed his facial expressions and the
          cute dances and walks he does.

  Jacob, every so offen gives his tail a kick and it flips up and around, I think he did this in
                 the video once or twice during the Macavity scare.

  When Jennyanydots and the cast is tap dancing in the old Gumbie Cat song, Jacob does
  this cute head shaking thing while dancing. He really puts his whole self into the role and
              you can tell he really enjoys doing the part of Mistofelees.

  His dance moves are perfect, flowing and sharp and gracefull, and he's much better live
    than in the video. He's the kind of performer you could watch all day and still not get
     enough of. Jacob may not do a lot of tumbles or back flips but boy can he dance.

  Rum Tum Tugger (Stephen Bienskie) was again his great self. If we haven't mentioned it
 before Stephen is the best Tugger we've ever seen and that includes the video. Grizabella
   (Linda Balgord) has such a powerful voice, everytime I hear her sing Memory I get all
teary eyed.

   On the Pekes & Pollicles song, Munkustrap (David) did a beautiful job here. I almost
  forget that I wasn't watching Michael Gruber. In the song right before Munkustrap starts
  to sing in this song, Skimbleshanks and Mistoffelees grab their props for this song, and
    Mistoffelees and Tugger do this little playful cat pawing, it's very funny to see. Than
  Mistoffelees grabs his stuff and he and Skimbleshanks run out into the audience to leave
  their hats and shoes, than they go and lay on the nearest ramp. We looked over to them
 every once in awhile and saw Misto doing all these cute hand movements and making cute
   faces at the other cats.

  During the part when their all lined up barking at each other Jacob was so funny, he was
  paired with Cassandra towards the back of the stage. we could hear Jacob barking all the
  way from where we were sitting. After the song we saw Jacob hop into a big tube next to
 the car trunk, and take off his hat and shoes. He than smoothed down his hair and fixed his
 ears, he came out with his head held hi and doing a funny little walk. He's such a character
 on stage.

  Onto the Jellicle ball: Another example of how beautiful Jacob dances. Especially in the
  part where Misto does his dance and where Alonzo and Pouncival join in (Such beautiful
   and flowing moves here). We also noticed how well Misto and Pouncival (Christopher
  Gattelli) danced together. Misto is in almost all the dances during the Jellicle Ball, more
  than on the video. Especially in the part where Misto leaves and than comes back for the
  last part of the last dance in the ball in the video. Misto doesn't leave he stays in through
        out the whole dance.

    During the ball we noticed all the sweat flying off everybody, and it kind of made you
      wonder if any of the cast ever slides on any of the sweat flying around on stage.

  The new Gus/Growltiger/Bustopher, was played by John Dewar, he told us after the show
  he started in CATS in our home state, Mmmmmm small world. On this song most of the
   cats leave the stage. Old Dueteronmy (Jimmy Lockett) and 5 or 6 other cats hang out
    around the tire. when Gus gets up and sings his part two of the cats, Pouncival and
     Tumblebrutus (Patrick Mullaney) were playing around. Pouncival was pulling on
   Tumblebrutus head with a jerking movement every once in a while and Tumblebrutus
   would swat at him to make him stop, when Tumblebrutus settled down Pouncival would
       start doing it all over again.

  It was so funny, here poor Gus was singing about his life and we were laughing at the two
  naughty cats in the back. Than the lights went down and Gus turns into Growltiger and a
  ship comes drops down from the back of the stage wall and the crew is already in place.

    For this show the crew is Munkustrap (David), Mistoffelees (Jacob), Skimbleshanks
    (Roger Kachel standing in for Jon Paul Christensen), Tugger (Stephen) and Alonzo
  (John). As Growltiger sings the crew clowns around in back, than they come forward and
   Growltiger punches, kicks and knocks them down, It was so funny. Than the beautiful
   Griddlebone (Jean Aabeiter) comes on and sings and the crew gets all starry eyed and
  falling all over her, (very funny guys). The crew goes below deck except Munkustrap he
  lay's on the upper ship deck. Then the two lovebirds sing this beautiful opera duet. The
  Siamese climb on board take over the ship, fight with Growltiger and than make him walk
 the plank. In the mean time Griddlebone escapes and Munk is locked below deck with the
    crew. The Siamese rejoice in their victory and the lights go down again and the ship
  disappears back into the wall, Gus is back in front of the stage finishing up his song and
      than he's taken off stage.

  Now it's on to Skimbleshankes. This song is very much like the video except the train is
    different and the part where the train falls apart the music stops and the cast laughs.

 Macavity song is also like the Video except Alonzo dances with Demeter in the beginning
  of the song, and since Broadway doesn't have as many cast members as the video, two of
      the male cats, Coricopat (Ramon Flowers) and Pouncival dance with Demeter,
                      Bombalurina and the other female cats.

  The Macavity fight is a little different too. It's almost like Munkustrap and Alonzo's roles
    are reversed here. Alonzo does most of the fighting and Munk is either on the side
                   waiting to jump in or knocked out on the floor.

   Now for Mr. Mistoffelees song. Tugger comes out and sings Mr.Mistoffelees and than
   Misto makes his entrance just like in the video. His dance is much longer than in the
      video. The part you don't see in the video that is so amazing is the part where
  Mistoffelees does these turns under these circular lights. He goes into a spin and spins
 and spins and spins ( makes me dizzy). One of our friends told us how to count the spins so
   we counted as Jacob spun and we counted something like 40 turns. WOW!!! Way to go
  Jacob. Than he comes out of the turns, does the somersault and does some other turns,
  while the audience is going crazy cheering (It was magical). Than he goes over to the tire
   to pull out the red cloth, but Jacob doesn't just walk over, no he does this funny little
  dance over. He's so funny!!!!. Oh something else we noticed when Jacob was doing the
  turns, you know those crystal he wears, well when he does the turns you can see some of
  them flying off. I'd hate to be the person that has to go find crystals after the show.LOL.
 Anyway he brings Old Duet back and than Tugger sings again, Misto jumps into Old Duet
  arms or should I say almost on to his shoulder. Then he does the part where he jumps up
  and does the splits. Than runs up onto the tire and does a split off the tire. He than goes
    into another somersault and two of the other male cats pick him up and the audience
  cheers. They put him down and the lights go out except a spotlight. than Misto shrinks it
  with his hands and than there's just a tiny light left, and he takes his hand to his lips and
  throws it off with a kiss. It's really something to see. The audience cheers again. Jacobs
  dancing is perfect, like none we've ever seen, it's breathtaking, every movement, every
      step so perfect. It looks to us that he puts everything he's got into this dance.

  When the lights come back up Sillabub sings and Grizabella comes out and she sings, and
  makes me cry again. Man, Linda has got a powerful voice. Something else we noticed in
  this song, after Victoria touches Grizabella's hand and the other cats come over to touch
  her too. Misto goes and get Cassandra and takes her up to Grizabella with him. I've seen
 this show 5 times and this is this the first time I've ever picked this up. Anyway Grizabella
            goes to the heaveyside and the show ends.

  After the Show we went to the stage door and waited for the cast to come out. We got to
  talk to David (Munkustrap) again, got a picture with him, you should see those beautiful
      blue eyes of his.

   When Jacob came out he looked at Kyra, and said her name and she was so surprised
 cause no one ever pronounces her name right. Jacob was so very nice. We talked a while,
 told him how wonderful he was, got some pictures and than the lights on the outside of the
    theatre went out so we said goodnight to Jacob, as he was leaving he said to Kyra "
  behave yourself and don't stay out too late" awwww how sweet of him to be so concerned
 for her. As he left we watched him leave and we noticed he was going the same way as our
   hotel. We didn't want him to think we were following him so we just hang back a good
     distance and waited for him to get out of our site than we went back to our hotel.

  That night we found it very hard to sleep so we talked most of the night and decided that
  we would stay on another day and get tickets to see the matinee show the next day. And
                   thats another story.

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