May 11, 2002 -- Jacksonville, Florida

    I don't know if it's just my luck or what, but my CATS trip this time seemed to start the night before I actually left. I was sitting at my laptop, listening to NYPD Blue before going to bed, and suddenly out of nowhere on the show comes what I'm sure is a fairly new and recent CATS sighting! I'm going to write it here in script form...

Two of the star cops are standing beside a street blockade, complaining about their uniforms when a car comes up and stops right in front of them. A man gets out, dressed fully like Gus in his chorus costume. Wig, unitard, makeup, warmers, everything.

Gus - Hey man, you gotta let me though!

Cops - Street's blocked for the parade, buddy. Go around.

Gus - Please! I'm already late...I have to be in the parade.

Cops - Really? In what part?

Gus - (gestures to his costume) What part does it look like?

Cops - Go around.

Gus - If you don't let me through you may have a suicide on your hands.

Cops - Don't want that, do we? Alright, go on.

They move the blockade and Gus drives on through, parks his car, then gets out.

Gus - Love you guys!

He runs off down the street.

    Actually, it seemed a lot longer than that, and I can't quite remember it word for word. Dangit. The costume looked entirely genuine, too.
    Anyway, the next day: Saturday, May 11, I hopped into the car with my mom and drove the eight hours down to Jacksonville, Florida to where the CATS Tour would be playing that night at the Union-Times Center. (Eight hours, you may think? Well, it's amazing what us die-hard fans will do...) The trip really wasn't that unusual, after doing nearly the same thing in Memphis, Tennessee with the same tour. It was once we got there and slumped into our room at a motel (oddly enough called the Admiral Benbow...Treasure Island, anyone?) and had to wait for an hour and a half that killed me. I didn't want to wait, or go eat, or do much else. I came here to see CATS and that was it. So having nothing else to do mom took a nap while I stretched out on the bed and watched TV.
    When it came to be around 7:00 I started getting nervous. I mean...really nervous! Yet I couldn't understand why. It was the kind of nervousness I remembered feeling when about to perform in my own shows back home. But why in the world should I be the one nervous when I was just going to watch the show, not be in it? (Man, would I love to...) Perhaps it was really just excitement on an empty stomach, I don't know. I could remember that feeling of premonition I'd gotten in Memphis before going to see CATS, feeling like something awful was going to happen, but it never did. It wouldn't here, either.
    7:15 we arrived at the theatre: a theatre I didn't particularly like. It was a modern one, fit with all the new gadgets and luxuries, sure, but it lacked that feeling of majesty like the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis had, which was an old opera house. (I keep referring back to Memphis, and I think I know why...will explain later). Mom and I went in and found our seats. Mine was on the aisle, row P which was pretty far back, yet as it turned out with the seats slanting as they did I could see the entire stage and audience before me perfectly and was still on audience level to catch the cats as they ran by. Another perk: the seat in front of me was empty through the whole show. I felt odd, though, showing up in jeans and a worn old CATS t-shirt (London one, in honor of the day) when it seemed everyone around me was dressed up formally. From the number of kid couples I saw, it looked like prom night or something.
    The show began. The lights went down. Drumming my fingers to the music, I had only one thought in my mind: how in the world did Alonzo understudy Old Deuteronomy? I had always considered Alonzo a major dancing part, not singing. But it was there on the sign out front: Ronnie Nelson would be standing-in for Old Deuteronomy that night. Alonzo and Jennyanydots would both be played by other understudies. An Alonzo playing a Deuteronomy would be interesting to see...
    Munkustrap, Bombalurina, Alonzo, and Plato all ran past me down the aisle, but none of them stopped by. Dangit again. Throughout the show several others would come by again, but none of them stopped near enough. Deuteronomy made all his entrances from that aisle. Victoria came up at the very end. Skimble came down during both Naming of Cats and Old Deuteronomy, but I didn't get any attention. Not even from Demeter. Dangit!
    During the Prologue...I don't know...something was wrong. From the start the show seemed to...well, slump. I had thought that was impossible with a show like CATS, but again I was wrong. The energy from the show seemed...forced, mechanical, rushed. (Jeez, I sound like my director.) But I couldn't help noticing. Normally I wouldn't say the slightest thing bad about my CATS, but, well...the choruses sounded uneven, the dances marked or rushed. The singers sounded tired...Mistoffelees looked tired...but it steadily got better as the evening progressed.
    Munkustrap's collar came loose on his first line. It was still connected somehow, but the entire thing lay dangling down his chest, and after the first three sets of solos were done and the cats started dancing in unison he just suddenly shot off-stage to put it back on. There was a click over the speakers from his body mike, I guess, but he came right back out and joined in with time enough to pick Victoria up. I doubt anyone else noticed. (Refers to previous trip report: professional!) I just wish they'd get rid of those spotted leg warmers! As for some of the other cats, Gus may not have been thin as a rake but he wasn't that bad of a dancer.
    Nothing that unusual happened during the Naming of Cats. Skimble came down into the audience close enough to where I could see him clearly, and as much as I have to say about him I'll put it down later. Victoria was gorgeous in the Invitation, as always. Entirely white...cripes, I don't know how else to describe her. Most Victorias are gorgeous.
    Tugger wasn't very impressive. Alright, I'm going to say it now. I think the absolute best version of this cast that I've seen perform was a few months ago in Memphis...save Skimble. That's why I'm comparing everything to it, because that too was a Saturday night, and that was perfection. After seeing that, the show on the 11th was, cripes...a slump. I hated it. I hated myself for thinking it. Tugger got his applause and laughs, of course, but overall the energy seemed-to me-very low.
    A perfect time for Grizabella to come in. She was fantastic from the start. It was also in this show that I saw a first hint that Grizabella might not be Munkustrap's mother afterall, as I'd for so long thought. She came out for her first entrance, and when facing Munkustrap on her line "Remark the cat," she started hitting on him. Well, it looked like it. She stood up to Munkustrap in her usual, proud way, and when started singing she pulled up her ratty overcoat and sequence dress as though displaying one leg. You know the move... I couldn't quite tell if Munkustrap reacted to it or not since I was watching her.
    Bustopher changed in some way since Memphis. This has a lot to do with Skimble, so I guess I'll go ahead and write his part...
    Skimbleshanks was a player I'd never seen before, Warren Freeman. He was amazing...great singer, dancer, awesome expressions, hilarious... I didn't like him. I think because he took a lot away from the show. He was so outstanding, so energetic in everything he did, that he made all the others look bad. He also seemed to swipe a lot of Munkustrap's part. It was Skimble who guided Bustopher around, stood beside him while Munkustrap was in the background with Plato (Michael and Justin? Nah...), and seemed to direct things more than usual. Blast it, Skimble...he even cut those kicks I saw John Sechrist do that I liked so much. He totally overacted through the whole thing, his dancing almost interpretive (not very catty) as it reflected every word he said, and he had that stocky-London Skimble attitude. His singing was genuinely good, his voice rising and falling in perfect precision with every expression, but the rest of it...alright, Skimble, we know you're good. Now stop it!
    Back to Bustopher, he seemed a little overbearing. Of course, Skimble was constantly pushing him around, but BJ had this look he would give over and over again. Kind of offended by the offered help, insisting he didn't need it. I guess it was justified, it just...didn't seem like his character.
    Mungojerrie was, of course, still spectacular. He had a different Rumpleteazer than before, which may have made up for his not drowning her out this time, or perhaps just his body mike wasn't as loud. I don't know...but RumpleT seemed better than the previous. Her "uh oh" got a lot of laughs. Something about Mungojerrie's singing particularly stick in my mind...when he sang "Down from the library" it just sounded like he was yelling instead of singing. Probley wasn't though. Their two-person cartwheel always got applause.
    As it turns out, Ronnie Nelson as Deuteronomy was awesome. Dare I say it: better than Jarret Boyd. His voice was incredible! It seemed fuller than I ever remember hearing a live Deuteronomy...of course this doesn't include Broadway, since I don't remember it. (enter curse-word here) And it was at the beginning of Deuteronomy's song that I saw Skimble--outrageous, exaggerated Skimble--shuffle down to the edge of the stage like he wanted to go out, but had to get Munkustrap's permission first. When he finally did he turned back around to go then stopped when he "saw" the audience. Afraid of humans, I guess, he glanced back at Munkustrap who urged him on again, then ducked his head and scurried up the aisle. And I do mean scurried...he had this way of walking that was a hunched over, triple-timed shuffle that looked rather ridiculous to me. Everyone else laughed at it.
    Something struck me about Tumblebrutus, too. He was great. His costume, for some reason, stood out among the others, though his makeup scheme made him look permanently sad. At least, from where I was sitting... The same with the understudy Jennyanydots--who was a great singer by the way--but something in her makeup scheme looked scary. Eesh...and Cassandra...how in the world could someone with such long legs have such sharp cartwheels? Yikes! Bombalurina as well came out seeming more feminine than before. After Grizabella's first exit from her song, Bombalurina slid up to Munkustrap and held his shoulders, nuzzling and seeming to comfort him. A total turn-around from what they did last time!
    Still no Pekes and Pollicles song, which I still think is strange and very stupid since they list the Alonzo player also playing Rumpus Cat in the playbills, and out front at the souvenir stand they were selling sets of five character magnets and/or keychains which had RC included (I bought a set). People won't know who RC is! I shouldn't care so much, but I can't help it. I do care what people think about the show, and if I hear of even one person walking away less than satisfied from a performance of CATS I get unnerved myself. I know, I'm obsessed...I need a life...
    For instance, during Intermission I stayed in my seat to scribble down everything I could in a notebook so I wouldn't forget anything about the show to put in this report (and failed miserably), and humming Memory to myself when a couple walked by. I heard them mention how beautiful Grizabella's song was that closed act one, which one of them referred to as Memory. Mentally, I thought: "You haven't heard the half of it." Memory was still to come. And a little bit later I overheard someone asking if the cats they referred to as "the couple" were supposed to be the same or just dressed to look alike. I rolled my eyes, pitying people who went to a show like CATS and didn't know what was going on. I mean, think of how much they miss! Not that they care...only I do.
    AND  BLAST  THAT  COUGHING!!!! Why does it have to come at the worst possible moment?!?! Like I said...no one cares...no respect. If people don't appreciate the talent these people have up on that stage busting their butts enough to keep their mouths shut, then stay out of the theatre!!!
    Sillabub was also played by a performer I'd never seen before...Katie Ann Wanner...and to say the least it was a bad first impression. She certainly looked the part, but when she sang for the first time during Moment of Happiness, it made me wonder how in the world she got it. Don't get me wrong: she sang enough to where she could be heard, but her breath support sounded close to nothing. She sounded like she was whispering, gasping to get the words out, but I guess on the other hand she really did sound like a kitten that way. She sure was cute.
    Gus and Jellylorum were great without a doubt, but I've seen them do better. Things still seemed like they were rushed and mechanical. Gus's transition to Growltiger was better in Memphis, when on his last "Could do it again," he suddenly turned from a weak, trembling singer into a full-throated baritone. This time he was just weak on all three lines, and only after changing costumes to Growltiger did he show some vocal prominence. Some of his noises changed too, when before he snorted and growled only when it was appropriate this time he seemed to do constantly. I wish he sang more, he really has a great voice.
    I also noticed some of the chorus lines were devided up among the crew, and with the Siamese as well. Something was changed so they could be heard a lot clearer. I could always understand them because I knew the words, but not everyone is that fortunate. Again, Skimble stood out among the rest of the crew. His vocal range must have been huge, from what I heard. His expressions were ten times more apparent than the others' and...well, I've said all this before. During the last chorus for the Siamese something happened with the mikes, and one female voice rose up among the rest, drowning them out. Mike problem, I guess. It sounded like Jennyanydots...a really strong sound.
    While I'm still on Gus, I could remember during his song I saw over his shoulder that when Gus started describing the unruliness of the modern-day kittens, Mungojerrie got very offended! He made this face...just that kind that really stands out and tried to get Deuteronomy's attention about it. Then when that didn't work he slid over to sit with Bombalurina on the pipe, pouting. Gotta love `em.
    Skimbleshanks...yada yada. Great singer. Didn't like him. Demeter, on the other hand, was great. I don't know what it is, but she seems so much more appealing than Bombalurina. To me, anyway. Maybe it's something about that scared, shy persona that draws attention anyway. Don't get me wrong, Bombalurina is incredible in her own way, but, well...they're the best foils in the show.
    Macavity was worse then ever! Jeez, I know I shouldn't bad-mouth people, but I seriously saw a major downgrade in this guy's dancing from last time. I know he can do better--I've seen him--but I still don't think he was very good. Not a good portrayal to watch for Justin ideas. The football player's dance during the fight seemed very slow, even slower with the Alonzo understudy, but Munkustrap's part was pretty good. Actually, the whole show seemed a little slow until Mistoffelees's song.
    It must have been because Tugger seemed a little more vulgar. Mistoffelees when he came out was totally impressive, even though a few of his sparks didn't work and the lights were a little out of sync. He seemed to finally get his zest back (that McCree is something else) in time for that amazing solo, 25 spins, and draw cheers before his song was even over and three times in the end pauses. Now there's a dancer.
    It was Grizabella's Memory that I think finally brought things together. She was... I'm not even going to try and find the right word. There's just something about girls who can sing... I've seen this particular Grizabella so many times now I can recognize her voice, recall it easily. She has this tone to her singing, something that's hard to place but I haven't heard in any other Grizabella. Actually now that I think about it, it doesn't even seem to fit musical theatre. It's a sort of rock'n'roll quality but nevertheless strong and beautiful. I like strong singers. The ovation after her song was incredible, but I didn't clap. I didn't want to move, because I knew the moment I did it would break the atmosphere. I just remained frozen in my lean forward of the cushioned seat, staring, barely hearing the applause as it faded and Victoria stood up.
    It was in the last two songs, Journey to Heaviside and Addressing, that the entire cast really pulled together. They sounded amazing...even, strong, dispersed among ranges, all in perfect harmony. It's just a shame it took them so long to get that sound. (Though they probably overdid the smoke haze a little bit...it can't be healthy to breathe that stuff.) By then I had only one thought echoing through my head outside of evaluating Ronnie's singing...don't be over, don't be over, don't be over...
    But it was over. They hadn't mentioned CATS's closing in London. Nothing special had happened at all. As I stood up and walked out of the theatre, not even staying to hear the ending title music all the way through as I had so often before, I felt fulfilled and yet empty at the same time. I'll admit, CATS's closing in London didn't seem to affect me as much as it had on Broadway, probably because Broadway struck much closer to home and I had seen that production twice. I was still depressed when I thought about it, but in light of just seeing a show I loved (though it was better in Memphis) it didn't have much influence over my thoughts until the next day.
    It was dark when I got outside, and while mom went to go get the car to avoid traffic I went ahead to the back of the theatre to see what cast members I could find. The night before we left I had prepared a small poster with a new kind of paper I had bought that looked professional, the slick shiny kind. Considering how hastily it had been prepared the thing came out looking pretty good. It was just a small poster that across the top read: "Dance...sing...meow...whatever! But keep it up!" Then the rest of the page was covered with a picture of the cats surrounding Grizabella's trip to Heaviside (from the Troika cast) and on the bottom across the picture said: "You CATS rock!!!" I had planned to give it to Grizabella.
    But I stood around for fifteen minutes and the only cast member who came out that I could work up the guts to get ahold of was Munkustrap...not that that's a bad thing. He was walking by, and not knowing if I should call him "Grant" or "Mr. Turner" I instead called out: "Munkustrap?" He spun around kind of bewildered, I guess, and I handed him the poster. "If you could share that with the rest of the cast, I'd appreciate it," I said as he read it, this glazed expression coming over his face, then I turned and walked away. Just like that.
    I knew I could have stayed and talked, complimented his performance and how great I thought he was, but I knew what he would say. He would say "thankyou" and be gracious about the whole thing, answer whatever questions I had with utmost etiquette, but I didn't want that. That would be too...normal. I didn't want to be normal. I wanted to show I was no ordinary CATS fan, just as I felt I was. Still, I wrote down my website address on the back...just in case. I had really wanted to see Grizabella, wanted to like heck, but it was late and mom wanted to go. So we left.
    Next time...
    It's strange to think that seeing an actual show is going back to what being a CATS fan is all about. (Here I go...getting philosophical again.) But it was like...renewing my faith, seeing the show again after so long. It's almost miraculous, the way I felt as we left. I was so inspired, ready to write a novel about my fictional CATS performers, about my werecats, about being a fan...because when a die-hard fan goes to see the actual show they love it's getting away from all the speculation of other fans, of made-up characters, of RPGs and fanfics. It's just...pure CATS. I had my notebook with me and wrote down everything I could so I could remember this show. I wanted to remember it more than anything in the world...every second...every movement...I didn't want to forget. But it was only fifteen minutes after the show had ended, and already I was forgetting.