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Date : May 14, 1999 Time : 8:00 pm Place : Winter Garden Theatre, New York City
It's 5:45pm, we just got back from shopping and sight seeing and I'm looking out Our hotel window and I can see The Winter Garden Theatre with the CATS sign on it. We had come back early so we could rest up for the show, but time passed very fast. It's now 7:00 pm and we are all excited as we leave our hotel and head for the theatre. We arrived at the theatre at 7:15 pm and stood in the lobby for a bit and than a man came out and said "good evening and welcome to CATS". We had front row seats, row AA #'s 1,3 & 5. I sat in #1 which was right next to the ramp going to the stage. Before the lights went down the announcer said that the part of Mistoffelees was being played by Jonathan Taylor and the part of Cassandra will be played by Larissa Thurston. As the lights went down and the music began to play. There were these cats with bling eye's that came down the theatre isle's, Mungojerrie ( Roger Kachel ) came right up to my face and stared. Than they all took off and the show started. Demeter (Amanda Watkins) came out and than Munkustrap ( the Great Michael Gurber ) and as he stood to sing " Are you blind when your born" I almost died from the sound of his voice. As they sang the Jellicle song I couldn't take my eye's off of Michael, his makeup and moves were just like in the video but better because there he was live and right in front of me. In the Naming of Cats song the cats came to the front of the stage. Skimbleshanks ( Owen Taylor ) and Alonzo (Hans Kriefall) and two other female cats. I think one of them was Rumpleteazer. but it was hard to tell because her custome was so much more different than in the video, it was mostly white with some sort of thin colored lines going through it. Skimble and Alonzo stared right at us and it made us giggle so hard that I actually had tears in my eye's. After the show at the stage door Owen (Skimble ) said "I remember you guys you where in the front row", he was so sweet. As I said the customes and the makeup was so much more different than the video so it was hard to figure out who was who. Missy Lay Zimmer played Victoria and she was very good, As I said Jonathan played Misto, I saw Jonathan play Misto back in Jan. of this year and he was ok, but this time he was very good, but even though we didn't see Jacob Brent do the whole Misto dance in the video, I'd have to say that Jacob was definitely a better dancer. I also talked to Jonathan at the back stage door and he was nice but struck me as very shy. Jonathan was also standing in front of us at one point in the Naming of Cats and was staring at us every once in a while and than he would close his eyes. I think it was that shy thing again, and he didn't smile very much either.
The Old Gumbie Cat song was much longer than the video version. Jennyanydots and the bugs do a much longer version of the tap dance, and Misto was dressed as one of the bugs and he danced on our side of the stage.
The Rum Tum Tugger (Stephen Bienskie) was an ok Tugger he's a little short but very comical , I liked David Hibbard as Tugger but I guess Stephen will grow on me. This tugger didn't do much dancing he mostly stayed in the back hanging on some female's arm.
On the Bustopher Jones song Skimble and Misto were standing in front of us and Skimble was fluffing up Misto's white front and fixing his bow tie, It was so cute. On the next song I think this is the one Munk (Michael ) came up and sat on the ramp right next to me, he was so close that I could have touched him without reaching, but I didn't, I chickened out. I could kick myself for not. I just sat there too shocked to do anything but look at him ( for all you girls, you should see the muscles on this guys leggs, Ok, so I looked, I'm human you know ). Hee Hee. I also noticed this little silver button on his Thigh in front, don't know what it was but it must have there for some reason.
On Pekes & Pollicles song the part when all the cats are bark, bark, barking and Munk runs to the back and shouts stop, His voice sounded a little horse, but he recovered from that very fast.
[The rest of this is a little mixed up because I was so excited I started writting out of order.]
At the end of the show Michael was standing in front of us and he was staring right at my niece and she melted as she just about fell under her seat. On the Macavity song Victoria sat on the ramp next to me through most of the song. I also talked to her after the show too.
On Mr. Mistoffelees when Misto takes off his jacket Tugger is right behind him and he takes the jacket and turns to Bomb who is behind him and she holds it up and than puts it on and prancing around the stage with it on., and I noticed how small it was on her. Than she leave the stage and Misto continues his dance, which is much longer than I'm used to seeing. He does several turns and than goes into a long spin under these colored lights, which are spinning around as he spins than he comes out of this and does a split while turning around, and than he does a tumblsaults. Whewwww!!!! He also had this glitter that he threw everyonce in a while too. When he brought Old Duet. back you could see the glitter when he blew on his hands. After he brought Old Duet. back he's standing right in front of us just looking at us and smiling. This is the first time I've seen him smile through out the whole show. Than he ran and jumped so hi up on Old Duet that he was almost sitting on his shoulder.
On Growltiger at the begining of the song, Growltiger is moving back and froth across the stage singing he stops right in front of me and sings than goes back to the other side of the stage and than comes back and he lifts up his eye patch and winkes at me. I gigggled so hard for I almost wet myself. I can't remember what the name of the song was but it was toward the end of the show. Munk (MG) jumped up to the balcony and rubbed his head up againist a woman. At the begining of the show Munk was standing right in front of us singing and he looked at me and sang, what a beautiful voice, and those beautiful eyes of his are to die for. I can't remember the song cause I was so excited I didn't hear or see anything but him and his sweet voice. After the show we went to the back stage door and got autographs and talked with some of the cast and when it started to get really late we asked when Michael was coming out and Larissa Thurston (Cassandra) said she saw him leave by the other door. (Other door? what other door? she said it was around the other side.)We were so disapointed we really wanted to met him. But I guess we just have to be happy that we had him right in front of us though most of the show and just cherrish this memory in our hearts forever.
The End for now.
