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My experience on 23rd December 1999
The New London Theatre
When I entered the theatre and settled down, I surveyed the stage, it's just like a magnified dump ( well! it's the junkyard I should say ) and the stage was not high, that's why these "cats" could jump up and down the stage. My mother told me that the cats would come beside the audience, so I was excited.
The show started, there were some rows of seats closest to the round stage starting moving around along with the stage, how fabulous! I was not seated in that kind of seats, but my seat was in front of a path which the performers would come around frequently. During the overture, many cats emerged, they were running around the path before me and staring at people.
Well, I bought the video after the show, so I can't remember all of the show since my little brain is engaged with the versions in video. But you can read my second experience, it's very detail.
Munkustrap (David Ashley) is very tall just like Michael Gruber, and he had a wonderful voice. When I first saw Cassandra, I felt the costume was too exposed, well, it's like she didn't wear anything, the Cassandra in video gave me the same feeling too, I think the one who plays Cassandra must have a beautiful figure.
During the "Naming of Cats", some of the cats would come to the path I mentioned above, fortunately, since the row I sat just had 2 people: me and my mother, so the cat who was likely Rumpleteazer (Sascha Kane) came before ME and started the description of "Naming of Cats". Well, she stared at me all along, at last I didn't dare to watch her, her face was so "enthusiastic", just like the faces the performers made in video.
Rum Tum Tugger came out in the middle of the stage ( unlike the video which Tugger came out from the left side of the stage ). The funniest thing is that Tugger ( David Shannon) came down the stage to the audience showing how attractive he was, then, he climbed slightly over an old woman and made a "sex hint" movement to her, well, the old woman was really scared I thought. I am sorry but I really feel David Shannon is a better Tugger than John Partridge, he is a very cool Rum Tum Tugger.
Rumpelteazer and Mungojerrie were good. Rum Tum Tugger seemed to be good friends with Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie because after the song "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer", when the two burglars were rest at the piles (you can see this part in video too), Rum Tum Tugger walked to them and talked to them before he sang for Old Deuteronomy, it seemd he said: "Did you two steal some precious things again? Don't be afraid, Munkustrap won't bite you.", then he gesture them to leave. That was really interesting.
In the song of "The awful battle of the pekes and the pollicles", some cats carried their shoes boxes walking down the stairs beside me to decorate the boxes on, one cat dropped the box down and made a funny face, seeming to say " well! sorry about that", it's good to see them walking around me!
During the intermediate rest time, Old Deuteronomy (Nicholas Pound) didn't leave the stage, he just sat upon the big tire which Old Deuteronomy sat in the video, and some children came up to him for signature. So he didn't take any rest, that must be difficult to him.
Aeva May was still playing Demeter at this time, but I didn't have any memory of her part. That's all I can remember from this experience, I am sorry.
Oh! yes! another thing is that the cats would come to you and shook hands with you, Victoria (Emma Harris) came to my mother, but I didn't get the chance to shake hands with them.
¡@
My experience on 24th April 2000
I went to see CATS on 24th April 2000 in the New London Theatre again.
The performers, some of them are the same as those I saw on 23rd December 1999, but some are different, like Aeva May and David Shannon are not playing now.
Since RUC hasn't reprinted the picture book, so the pictures you see below are the 1999 cast, but most of them are still playing now.
Munkustrap(David Ashley) is very tall and he has a loud and strong voice, but he is a little too rough I feel. The sequences of solos of cats in "Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats" are mostly the same as those in video, only Mistoffelees sings "have you been an alumnus of heaven and hell" instead of "the pied piper's assistant". During the dancing, if you remember, in video Munkustrap rises Victoria on his shoulder for a spin, but in the New London Theatre, it's Coricopat to rise Tantomile on his shoulder for a spin.
During "The naming of cats", Etcetera comes near me, she is taller than Jo Bingham, she is good. Victoria (Emma Harris)is very nice, she is pretty and elegant.
"The old Gumbie cat", it's Munkustrap who sits upon the electric box which opens to let Jennyanydots come out. Jennyanydots is not bad, the dancing of her and the beetles is longer, but this part is good actually.
Then, a part which disappoints me comes out. The Rum Tum Tugger imitates "wolf howling" before he shows up, and his movements are too weak, not as active and strong as John Partridge. Munkustrap shows obvious dislike to Tugger, their characters are extremely different, I am not surprised at this part. Rum Tum Tugger doesn't push Bombalurina down to the ground, he just pushes her aside, so this part is not as funny as that in the video. At the end of the song, Rum Tum Tugger doesn't make many sexy movements to the kittens, so it's hard to see he is trying to flirt with them, plus his three times "abou...t" solos are NOT good at all, maybe he can't sing the high key or something.
Grizabella (Chrissie Hammond) is nice, she is an experienced actress. Demeter is nice too, she can express the sensitivity of this role.
Bustopher Jones (Gareth Snook) is not bad, but he is not as fat as the Bustopher Jones in video. After the thundering, Demeter says "Macavity", and every cat runs away, to my surprise, Munkustrap speaks, he says "Wait! Maybe it's not Macavity". Well, I really don't like this part, cats shouldn't speak.
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are cute, although they don't look very mischievous and their voices are not very bright and loud, but I think they are fine to play these two roles. In the end of the song "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer", after Munkustrap and Alonzo throw the bags away, Munkustrap speaks again : "Let us teach them a lesson". Well, what do you think about it? I feel that just makes Munkustrap more unfriendly.
Old Deuteronomy is not as large as Ken Page, and when he limps forward on the stage, the Rum Tum Tugger teases him by making a figure of old man with a stick as if saying "you're too old, do you need a stick?"
Before "The awful battle of the pekes and the pollicles" starts, Munkustrap speaks once again to other cats "Remember what I have told you, hurry up!" gesturing them to get ready of the dogs' costumes. This song is not too bad, the first peke is Rumpleteazer, but the first pollilce is Carbucketty (or Pouncival you prefer to say, their makeup are exactly the same). The Rumpus cat jumps out from a hole in the stage, and his electric red glasses are not very bright, the costume seems rough, not as good as the one in video.
After the second thundering, and cats scatter away, Old Deuteronomy also speaks "Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!" to Victoria and Jemima. Surprisingly, it's Mistoffelees who mates with Victoria in the Jellilce Ball, that's a really big difference. And after the mating, Grizabella is detected by the cats, surprisingly again, Mistoffelees comes up to scare her away, but she doesn't go immediately, she is scared totally 3 times by different cats, but I can only remember the first cat is Mistoffelees.
Grizabella comes up to sing "Memory", and she seems to lost her voice at first, but she recovers soon. Well, this kind of case happens sometimes.
Act two, during "The moments of happiness", Carbucketty (Pouncival) lies very close to the audience in the first row, and the funny bit is, one man gave him ice cream, and Carbucketty does lick it just like a cat, he is really a good and cute Carbucketty. Jemima (Alexandra Jay)is nice, she sings well.
During "Gus: The Theatre Cat", some cats sit upon the piles to listen, Jennyanydots sits under Skimbleshanks, the two seem very close, Jemima sits beside Skimbleshanks, George (Plato) sits beside Jemima. George is very fond with Jemima, he canoodles her body and wig all along, and Jemima seems happy about this. George talks to Jemima sometimes, but Skimbleshanks doesn't allow him to talk while Gus is introducing himself, so Skimbleshanks gestures George to silence three or four times, that is really funny. Skimbleshanks may be Jemima's father.
"Growltiger's last stand" is not recorded in video, but since I have the CD of CATS, I am familiar with it, the different part is the song "The Ballad of Billy McCAW" has been canceled, this song originally expressed the last duet of Growltiger (Gareth Snook) and Griddlebone, but now, Growltiger and Griddlebone just sing some verses of Italian (maybe not Italian, sorry I only know English) instead. The Siameses are very good, it's the Siamese who expresses the ghost-liking figure in video. (See the right hand site picture below)
Skimbleshanks (Matthew Gould), he is the best, I feel happy at this part. When the "simple train" built up, George pretends to be the driver, and the Rum Tum Tugger seems interested in the driver's job, so he asks George to let him do this, well, right behind he starts pretending driving, the simple train collapses, and the Rum Tum Tugger seems shocked about it. Have you ever wondered why the train collapses when you watch the video, then, I can tell you, that's because the Rum Tum Tugger takes the job of driving. The Rum Tum Tugger is lovable by his fans, but he causes troubles sometimes.
Well, during the song "Skimbleshanks: the Railway Cat", surprisingly, Munkustrap and Demeter come down the stage to the edge of it, and they do something "VERY CLOSE" together, maybe the people seated in the edge would notice, and me, my eyes don't fix on the stage, I always follow every cat.
After the song, Macavity (Kenny Linden)appears, he orders his 2 henchmen: "Take him!", and they kidnap Old Deuteronomy, before Macavity leaves, he says: "I will be back."
The song "Macavity" is not bad, Bombalurina (Heather Douglas) tries to be flirtatious, she has done this role fine, but I still miss Rosemarie Ford.
After Demeter pierces the disguise of Macavity, Munkustrap starts fighting with Macavity. Macavity is good, he is very tall as Munkustrap. Alonzo doesn't fight with Macavity much, just one scratch and other cats come up, then Macavity scatters away quickly.
Then, the part which disappoints me most comes out. The Rum Tum Tugger sings the song gloomily (or weakly), and Mistoffelees (Campbell McKenzie), he's a little too short. After Mistoffelees appears, the Rum Tum Tugger doesn't continue to sing "He is quiet and small, he is black...", and the music goes on, Mistoffelees dances for a while on his own, the different arrangement is a little bit strange. Another big difference is, Mistoffelees doesn't choose Cassandra to be his assistant, he chooses or I should say forces Bombalurina to be his assistant because Bombalurina seems very reluctant to do this job, she even tries to escape but stopped by others.
After the song "Mr.Mistoffelees", Jemima sings, she is very good and adorable. Then Grizabella shows up, other cats scatter away, and Bombalurina comes to lie against the Rum Tum Tugger who embraces her, they are very close in the show. Grizabella sings well, there is no defect I want to mention.
The "Journey to the Heavyside Layer" is as marvelous as that in video, "The ad-dressing of cats" is fine, too.
I am sure there is no orchestra, and the music is really bad, I doubt how can they sing with this lousy melody.
Tantomile and Coricopat are very good as Skimbleshanks who I think is the best.
Although there're some parts of it disappointing me, but after all, I still enjoy it, and if I have a chance, I want to see CATS again.