The following is from a videotaped conversation a few of us had with Lenny Daniel from the June 23, 2000 fan party. As I said...it's a conversation so the topics and such are somewhat erratic.
*Please do not put this interview up on any other webpage. This was transcribed by me from my own video.*
Lenny Daniel (Final Broadway Alonzo) Talks about CATS
-"Supposedly my cat (Alonzo) is the cat that has been to school - I have great things in my future, but I still like to hang out with the boys - my high school buddies and Keith (Plato) works at a gas station - This is what they told me. I mean it's like hysterical, I think. 'Cause we all have these friends from high school that still, like, work at the gas station. Yeah, I (Alonzo) can read. I always protect my licsense- I'm always by my license plate.
"In the fight, you know, I'm supposed to be a cockey cat. I think I'm beautiful. By the pipe, though- Munkustrap is having some problems. So, they all kind of look at me, like, "Well?! You've been cocky the whole d*** show.." It's my revelation and I, like, you know, it's my turning point in the show where I kinda have to live up to what I say and realize I do have a future. And, like, you know, someday I will take over for Munkustrap. And you know, go along that line. I'm leaving my youth behind me.
"Everyone has a revelation in the show. And mine is the fight. My revelation is, like, I really have to, like, I'm going to live up to what my future is. I have to step forward and help take care of my tribe. And stop hanging out with the boys from the pub.
"Rum Tum Tugger's revelation is during Mistoffelees, you know. If you notice, he kinda takes the credit for the number like, "I brought Deuteronomy back." And then he realized and he's like "No. Mr. Mistoffelees." He has to, like, turn it over- because it's always about him. And so he has to, like, go, "no."
(Someone asks about Alonzo in the fight scene and why he doesn't fight as much in the video)
"The problem is, in London now, the stage show in London, they hired an Alonzo a couple of years ago that couldn't dance. They took away- and they have a few more cats in London than we have- Carbucketty- They have more on stage.
(Someone asked: Why would they hire someone who couldn't dance?)
"That's the whole thing. They took all of his dancing and gave it to the other- Carbucketty and other cats. So, the Alonzo over there is kind of, like, watered down. -But on the video- I haven't seen the video, so I don't know.
"Gillian and Trevor wanted the video to be the Broadway Company and the Broadway Production. They felt the story was being told & that's what they wanted. But because of our union....they wouldn't let it happen. So, that's why they went to London- and then they took a few of our people over."
(Jon-Erik comes over)
"He's the best Pouncival! He makes me laugh- I watch him sometimes and I laugh my butt off! You crack me up."
Jon-Erik: "I'm glad."
(On the storyline of CATS)
"Everyone has been told the story but we've been told by so many different people that it gets a little twisted.
"Keith had never been told. I'm telling him and he's like "Really? So that's what that means? Fabulous!" It's kinda crazy.
"In London they literally, you go through 'cat' training and improv training. Here, learn the show and in two weeks you're in the show. They don't really go into all the details.
"They kinda tell us who to watch. Like, to get the felinity and all the feline moves. So, I kinda watch the people and I- "Oooo, I like that. I'm gonna steal that. And I like that. That works." And you just kinda keep kinda building- layering.
"My frined saw me opening night and I'm like "You need to come see the show now because my show is totally different and I'm a totally different cat than I was when I first started. I was hoping to sing the right note, to be in the right place at the right time.
(Talking about Grizabella)
"This is what I understand- I'm not saying that this is what even the Grizabella here on Broadway- What I was told in London is that Grizabella basically is a cat what's made a few choices- we can all make a choice or two and our lives would be totally different.- And she left the tribe and was very glamorous. I would think like today in that circuit people with all that- Cindy Crawford- all those big, top, the movie industry- that type of fast crowd- the drugs, rock and roll, things like that- that kind of fast, hard lifetyle. And got in some trouble- And now she's older and realizing maybe that her choices weren't the best- not that she regrets any of them, but she wants to come back to her family- we all long for family. And so, she's coming back to the tribe and we're like, 'ugh!" through the whole show. And finally, during "Moments of Happiness", Deuteronomy keeps seeing us turn our backs on her. And in "Moments of Happiness" she sneaks in, and we don't know that she's there. And she overhears him- not scolding us- but saying- teaching us a lesson. And that's when we all kind of like, stand up that moment we all like- a door opens, you know, "oh my god, that all makes so much sense. I see it!" And then it kind of disolves and you go back into your normal life, you know, and you're like, "Yeah, whatever."
"And so at the end when she comes back, she's like, "You know what? Don't accept me. Fine. But I know you've been taught this lesson- I know you've been told this. And I just want you to know.... Shame on you! All of you! "Memory- yada, yada And all that" And she's like, "I don't need you. It's your loss and you'll regret this someday. And then we all like realize...then we realize as a group- Deuteronomy does not pick her to go- no- we as a group pick her. And that's what's so powerful is that we're the ones that shun, and then we all realize that we've made a mistake, and that she is just one of us."
(Someone asked about Victoria being the one to touch Grizabella)
"Victoria is the youngest and the most innocent."
("Oh really? I thought it was Jemima/Sillabub.")
"Sillabub- Well, actually the story- They actually are the same cat. Sillabub and Victoria. Originally, they wanted it to be one cat. But they couldn't find a singer that could sing that and a dancer that could dance that. So, they split the two cats up and made a Sillabub and a Victoria. So, these two are bascially the youngest and the most innocent and the most truthful. And they are intrigued by her because they almost see- Grizabella sees her in them and they see them in her. Grizabella was like Victoria."
(Someone asked about Alonzo's shadow dance during Macavity)
"My interpretation is that... I'm very protective of Demeter. 'Cause she's come back into the tribe and she's all "Macavity!" and all that. And so I'm very protective of her and so I'm kind of like, shadowing her to make sure that she's going to be alright."
(Someone asked: What do you do when you get your make up on and your nose itches?')
"That's a rough one. It's hard! The worst is a runny nose. It's bad. Your sinuses and sneezing. It's aweful!" (as he talks he demonstrates ways of trying to take care of the itch without smudging the make up too much.)
(Someone commented about sweat on the stage)
"There's a couple spots in the show that I've learned. I've slipped and fallen on by butt. Almost tonight- Tonight during the show, when I get up to run up to Keith to get on his shoulders, there was a spot that someone must have been lying with their unitard- the sweat had been on there and I slipped- I was like, "Oh my god. I can't slip tonight with everyone out there!"
It is a probem. Actually last week we were talking about, "People, if you see that you've left some sweat you gotta clean it up!" -with your tail or legwarmer or something. I sweat alot. There's one part where Julius is lying down and it's during Old Deuteronomy and here we're all lying on the stage and I get up and there's this huge puddle of water and I'm like, "Julius. Will you wipe that up?" 'Cause it's so gross... you put your hand in it and- ewwww. But that is a big problem."