Trip Report from Sunshcat who saw the show on July 8, the first show of the CATS V Tour.
*Note, I got this off of musicals.net and assume since it was posted there that I can keep a copy of it here. If Sunshcat doesn't want her report here, she can e-mail me and I will take it down.
Sunday July 8, 2001
First public performance of the new Cats tour
This was my very first time ever visiting Atlantic City I arrived a little early. I found my way to the main street and with the help of a very friendly woman I was put on the correct bus to Harrah’s Hotel/Casino, and the very friendly drive promised to let me off in the correct place. On the way I called Adas and she informed me that she missed her bus and would be a little late. So I decided to have a little lunch and by than she should be there, so I thought. During lunch she called and said her bus broke down and the new wasn’t any better this one was breaking down every fifteen minutes. She told me to go to the box office and find Dax and Carbucketty. After finally finding the box office and not seeing either guys I decided to stand in the box office line to pickup my tickets. While standing there I saw Car he came over to talk to me for a bit and asked where Adas and Dax where, by this time Adas had called again and said she might not arrive in time to see the show. Car left and went to stand in for the theatre after I got my ticket I did the same. We talked a while and than Dax showed up but still no Adas.
They than let us into the theatre and when the lady lead us to our table we were a little disappointed. Dax ask the lady if we could have a better seat and with a little coaxing she sat us in the second row form the stage and with three extra seats for Adas, Amanda and Nicci. They had this little one page flyer for the show that listed the cast, credits, musicians and staff.
As I wrote this report I tried to keep an open mind since this cast has only rehersaed for three months, and that this was their first public show. So I’ll try my best not to compare this new tour to the Broadway version.
They cut out a lot for this performance because the casino didn’t want its patrons away from the slot machines too long. The show was supposelibly cut to 90 minutes but it went over by about 15 minutes. The cuts were as follows; the whole Bustopher song, Pekes and Pollicles and Growltiger. They shortened The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball, The Jellicle Ball, and Mr Mistoffelees.
This report was done by Carbuckety who saw the first three shows in Atlantic City, NJ. It's very long. :o)
*Note, I got this off of musicals.net and assume since it was posted there that I can keep a copy of it here. If Carbuckety doesn't want his report here, he can e-mail me and I will take it down.
Friday July 6th.
Up at 4am to finish packing and get to the station for 6. What a horrible way to spend a birthday...but the end justified the mean... and I eventually (a day and a half later) got to Atlantic City. I took the train because I wanted to see the country. I wound up seeing the country from the rail yards. =) Saw a few interesting things. There's a "George Washington Masonic National Memorial" and Swedish Graveyard in Pennsylvania.. (Apparently there's a swedish museum somewhere around Philly.)
Well, spending a day and a half on your rear looking at the dirty railway areas of cities is an interesting way to see the US. I alway though NO was a dirty city--we're "The City that Care Forgot" after all. Well.. Seeing the back of Baltimore to Philly, and then most of NJ and the industrial remnants along the way.. Well.. we're not as bad as I had imagined..
I don't get one thing, though--row houses? Why did they build houses right next to each other with no alleys, but different color brick? We have those sort of old style houses in NO, but it's only in the French Quarter. I think they stopped because of the fire hazzard. (The whole city burned down once because of it.)
Saturday July 7th
Well the luggage people took forever for the one little bag that Ihad checked--they took so long, if fact, that I missed the NJ Transit train to Atlantic City--had to wait ANOTHER three hours for the next one. *grumble* Something that I found a bit odd about the trip from Philly to AC was that the woman sitting behind me had a can of air freshener with her and she used it on the train.
Arrival in AC--I, stupidly, decide to walk from the train station to the Inn.. and, of course, I get lost. I got lost in Lansing, I got lost in New York, and by golly, I like to keep a good thing going--I got lost in the bad neghiborhood of Atlantic City. The inn keeper neglected to mention that there's a continuation of the boardwalk at a 90° angle to the main one.. I went to that one. Eventually, I call a taxi and get to the Inn.
The Inn is a quaint little place. No TV, No A/C, No phone, and I chose a room with no private bath (10$ cheaper.) It was decorated in antique Victorian style (with a bunch of tacky silk flowers all over) Well, it was better than the Hostel in NYC because it had a fan and I broght a mobile with me. =)
Sleeping on the train is next to impossibly...getting lost walking around AC for two hours made me even more tired... It was a nice long sleep.
There is CATS stuff--I tell you!! keep reading..
Sunday, July 8th..
Show day...I bought tickets for both the matinee and evening performances. The ticket people tell me that the shows are for 2 and 4 and to get there an hour before to get tickets. I get there an hour early, noon, so I could have something to eat before.
After I get done eating I wait in line for tickets forever--not because the line was wrong, but because they gave the wrong time for tickets. This was a new show for them and they were slow opening, but they were also opening at 3pm, not 1 as the telephone box office person told us!
I decided to wait in line anyway--I had nothing better to do. Eventually the 5 or 6 people in line dwindle down to a few. In front of me was Fleetpaw and her family. =) I talked to them for a little while. (I though she was Marzi at first--Cats fans usually are easy to spot when they wear pins and shirts--and I knew she was from Jersey--I think we saw Marzi in line that night--head bands and make-up.
While in line we learn that seating is not general, as we were told on the phone, but at the discression of the ushers, and "paid" customers had to sit in the Mez! People with Diamond and Platinum Cards got to sit on the bottom! (Plat and Diamond cards require one to spend at least 700$ on slots/month!!!!) Anyway--I saw Cindy in line for the show... She said that Adas, Stoff, and Manda were caught in traffic.. (Glad I didn't take a bus.)
We lined up upstairs for entrance into the Mez and talked a bit. Dax came along after a bit and joined us. He was able to help us get a better seat towards the bottom.
Tip: if you see the show in AC get there early and ask to sit on the bottom/second to last rung by the stage. There's a 4 seat table, two 6 seat tables, a stair/ramp thing for the cast, several other 6 seaters that you won't get, another set of stairs, two 6 seaters and a 4 seater. Be specific about where you want to sit. Say you want to sit on the bottom next to the stairs, if possible, if not, then on one of those other 6 seaters. The 4 seat tables don't have good views. The tables on the sides of the stairs/ramps are partial view, but have great interaction/view. The ushers don't seem to mind sitting children here.. If you need a reason say you know someone in the cast or something. =) If you get down there--tip the usher.
We sat on the second rung the first show, ALL the way at the top (ok-view, but it's better to be close,) and I was at the bottom for the third show...
Here's all three show reports 14, 15, and 16 lumped into one:
To start: I had lowered my expectations for this cast. The "non-union" talk seemed to present the show as being substandard to previous versions of the show and I didn't want to be dissapointed. SoI was quite delighted when I saw the first show and it was WONDERFUL. This cast is at times better than broadway/Cats IV, at times, it's not as good.
If you have any doubts about going to see it because it's non-union erase them NOW. If you want to see Cats then this is as good as anyother version.
(Additional notes about actors: I may present opinions that one actor is better/worse than an actor had previously seen. It takes great talent to be in the show and anyone who's hired, professionaly, for any role in the show obviously has great talent. However, I do have opinions about how roles are presented. I may not find a particular actor as good in a role as another. This is not a bearing on the talent of the actor...It's my opinion of the performance--please take it only as that.)
Cats V
Overture. When we got into the theatre, I didn't think that they'd go down the asiles. Then there was screaming and well... We know that they did. Adas got "flashed" by Misto. It was cute because she wasn't suspecting it, despite a warning from Stoff..
OH!!!! and news! They were taking pictures for the brochure or something at the 3rd performance!!! Maybe they were publicity photos...maybe brochure photos..
Prologue. Like all other Prologs--well this one gave us a general introduction to the new cast. Munkus is very nice looking--they all have new warmers and tails.. I love the way they look., I just with they had new costumes to go with them! For the third show the soundboard operator was asleep or something.. He was late turning on the for three or for lines and he forgot to turn it off at points so there were whispers coming from the speakers at times through the whole show.
And, I must say, Everett Taylor was one HUGE Plato!!!
No trapeeze? There was one on the last tour, no?
Naming. They have a slightly different way of staging it. Cute. Some cast members hop up on the ledges next to the tables. Dax got head rubbed by a mungo..
And some notes on the way it's staged:
Richard Stafford is listed as choreographer. This really isn't based off of the tour, but it's a new staging, I think based more off of Broadway. The IV tour's choreography was "reproduced" by "T. Michael Reed" who's been gone for a while so I guess they started from scratched. (I wish they would have used "reproduced" describe Stafford's role.)
Invitation. McCree O'Kelley's forte must be dancing, because Munkus sings the invitation. He really doesn't have but two or three spoken lines in the show. It's kinda strange to watch, but you get used to it. (This happens sometimes in other productions as well when the Misto isn't a strong singer.)
Grant Turner has an interesting voice. It's different (in a good way) He's got a little tint of soul in --but not Gosphel soul--more like rock and roll soul. He's also got a hint of, what the Brit fans would call, "Posh"ness to his voice. He has some great make-up too. I was kind staring at the details of the makeup jobs of whoever passed the first row. Munkus's was very nice, as was Tumble's. Ronnie Nelson's was a bit better at it than his understudy.
Gumbie. Julie Garnyé was the best Gumby I've seen so far! Her hat fell off durring the first show, but she kept going. We heard more of Munkus's neat voice again and the girl trio was good too.
Rum Tum Tugger. Stan Stanley (odd name) was also one of the best Tuggers I've seen so far.. He didn't do the cute things that the other two did. (Kevin Lorque's "Shake your bon bon" and the "call me hand signals" and Bienski's general antics.) I do like taller Tuggers better though. The new warmers/boots were a neat addition to the costume. Poor tugger, though, couldn't get anyone to dance with him at one of the shows.
Grizabella. Griz has a good voice. Nice pathos. Demeter and Bomba are great as well. They make a good pair. I wish they would have followed the tour and had pounce try to touch griz rather than plot to scratch her. =/ Broadway version again...
Bustopher. Well he was cut, but I did see him at the theatre. I though some lady was carrying a giant plush monkey down the foyer of the casino while waiting for tix. As she got closer I could see it was Bustopher's coat...
Mungo and Rumple. They couldn't be cuter. =) I liked they way they ended the number.
Old Deuteronomy. We have a Tugger with a good voice and a Munkus with a good voice thatmakes for a good Old Deut song.
Pekes and Pollicles. Not in the show, though Ronnie Nelson does make an odd appearance as "Rumpus" in the program...
The Jellicle Ball... *vent* ARUGHHHHHHH!!!! They cut the solo lines.. The evil evil evil people. They could have cut Moments of Happiness!! *grrrr*
Anyway... it was a casino version and I knew that they had to cut big chunks of other parts of the show. =/
The Jellicle Ball was very good... what parts of it they left in.. I guess, it's my favourite section of the whole show.. the dance from where Misto makes the lights flash to scare off Griz. I just love that part.
Not a rant on lighting:
Memory. Cut.. a good cut.
Moments. Deut is as boring as ever.*snooze*
Well this is a good opportunity to look at the background characters in detail.. Half the fun of cats is watching the b/g characters..
A note about the distrobution of Tanto/Corico's roles:
CatsIV had Tumble delivering the phychic message to silla from Old Deut. In V they changed it so that Pouncival and Cassandra do it. It's a cute staging of it too. =) I like the way they look at each other afterward. (David is a neat Pouncival, even though they made the wig too short.. ; )
Gus: AHHHHHH!!!! I love this Gus!! (and the Jelly is very very good too, though Kris Koop will always be my favourite--she does remind me somewhat of Kris Koop, though--I'll have to wait till I see her as Griddle..)
This Gus is the best Gus I've seen live. He's plays the ham actor very well and his gestures are well done. I love this staging. I can't wait to see how he does Bustopher/Growl and how the Jelly does Griddlebone.
Growl. cut...
Skimbleshanks. John Sechrist is so very very very very animated and full of energy. I like the way that this was done. Very cute--though it seems that they've have little problems here and there with the train set. It's new to them and they only had a little practice with the second act.
Macavity. Bomb and Demeter make a nice pair. They're of similar height but they work well together. And, while Marlene was a good Bomba, Sharon Huneycutt gave it a fresh interpretation.
That leads me to another thought: As much as I hate to say it, I wish they'd impose length limits on how long actors in the US stay in the show like they do in London. It just gives the show a fresher feeling. I doubt they will because it's non-union.
Keith and Lenny were so good in the Macavity fight--I don't know that there will ever be anyone to compare to the wonderful way they did it...So it'll be unfair to directly compare the way they did the show to the new guys..
Everett Taylor's size made for an interesting Macavity. Add to his hugebulk the Plato costume, with a macavity costume over it, and those fluffy macavity fur and he just looked like a giant. He's also always smiling, even during the fight which was different.
Ronnie Nelson: has an cute interpretation of Alonzo. I can see the cockyness that's part of the character, but there's also sort of a playful nature in there. I liked how he played the character. (Hope his foot is better.)
Misto. Tugger was good, as I said before Misto is not a singer so Tugger does the whole thing. Misto's solo dance is so friggen cut up it's hard to make heads or tails of it. I hope they add in all of the missing parts for the full tour. The solo dance is ones of those parts of the show, that if you cut portionsof it out, the rest just looks stupid.
Memory. Like anyother memory. Gretchen Goldsworthy is a good griz. Liked her.
Journey. I'm sure everyone's heard--Griz got PARDONED on the first show. The Heaviside Layer UFO got stuck and well, all griz got was a tire ride.. Poor Griz was wondering what to do. I think as Adas put it, Griz finally died in the next show.
The Ad-dressing was same as usuall--I thinkt hey may have changed a bit of the choreography, just a little.
The bows were wonderful.. I was one of a few people to give the cast a standing ovation on the third show--I think it may have earned me a hiss from Munkus on his way back to the stage. ; )
Other characters:
Victoria: I'm not a victoria fan. She was a good solo dancer. I liked her new tail with bits of creme flecks in it..
Tumble: He, as I said before, has cute makeup. He's a bit on the slim side, as previous Tumbles I've seen go, but it's no big deal--I suppose it's because he also understudies misto.
Sillabub: A very nice voice and interesting make up.
Cassandra: Very slinky--Like all other cassandras. I like the way she played the role though.
Pouncival: Met his father in line for tix--a very proud parent. And Adas introduced us later. I never know what to say to cast members. It's kinda weird to see the person in full make-up and cossie after meeting them. He's a very playful pounce. His make-up is more in the Hamburg style, I think.
Lighting Rant:
If there's nothing that this tour does better than anything else, it's the beautiful lighting!!! I guess they were finally able to introduce new more computerized lighting techniques into the show. Broadway hadn't been updated since 82 and the last tour was done in 87 so that's a decade plus of improvements to lighting and it shows!
Final: If you have the opportunity to see the show--GO GO GO GO GO. It's good. If you're seeing it in NC then you must write a nice long trip report on the whole show..
Trip Report from Adas who saw the first show of the CATS V Tour.
*Note, I got this off of musicals.net and assume since it was posted there that I can keep a copy of it here. If Adas doesn't want her report here, she can e-mail me and I will take it down.
You have to give credit to this amazing group of young and talented performers. When is the last time that anyone here can remember throwing together a one of the hardest musicals ever performed, contorting your body for 10 hours a day while crawling around on the floor in an overheated studio with 29 people you’ve never met. Picking yak hair out of your teeth? Doing your turns with a 5lb dead weight attached to your rear? Getting lowered from a rope suspended 30 feet in the air while wearing a Lite Brites? Oh the joys of fame :-) *FYI: If you are doing ANY of the above in your basement at night, seek help*
Let me assure you that the newest bunch of kitties opened CATS with a flare that deserves a veritable online standing ovation. Let there be no doubt in anyone’s mind that the new crew not only holds to the long standing (18yrs) of dance quality that CATS is known for, but in some ways surpasses it.
Credit to the techies, that new lighting is AMAZING. Gives a new flare to the tire ride and makes the Heavyside look a little less like hell and more like the “tunnel of light”
As I see a few of the new pusses have leaked on the forum, let me start by sucking up to them. Not that I need stretch it as they were just plain good.
David Blonn/ Pouncival: 1..2..3..awww…in the name of being “cute” for all of you theatre goers out there, David is busy wearing out his kneecaps with an adorable tail-chase that is a “must see” addition to the kittenish antics the character is known for. That, and his “surprise” attack on any wayward spoon/knife that may be left over after the Gumbie Tap make him a fun cat to watch. (He plays Pouncival as that squirrelly little kitten that probably shouldn’t be left at home with your new drapes.) Be sure to watch his face during Gus when he denounces the kittens. I think you will find that he put a lot of effort into shaping what he thought the character should be. (Not to mention, what a cute lil bootie)
Ronnie Nelson/Alonzo: I think I mentioned this below. Ronnie defiantly portrays the evolution of Alonzo from punk to responsible adult. Nice work on looking injured in the fight scene. Really gets into the kitty pile scene. Go Ronnie! Gillian’s gonna loooovvvve you.
William HarteryAsparagus: While it was not performed in AC, I really really like him as Bustopher. Very smug. Gus could make you cry he does such a great job. I particularly enjoyed the “afraid of the audience” skitters. It was done beautifully and you really wanted to comfort him on it.
Julie Garnye/Jennyanydots: Best one I’ve seen AND I might add can pull off a unitard. Go her. I cant really see her as the older aunt. More of a fussy, do gooder cousin. Once the heavy coat is off she has more energy than any other Jenny I’ve seen. Julie seems to be a really great person as well as she has patiently answered a lot of emails from fans ;) *you know who you are* and was willing to chat with people. The role will come and go, but I can see her as being someone that will/has made a lot of people happy. Keith-esq in this way, wouldn’t you agree?
Bryce Bermingham/ Mugojerrie: Perfect casting at work. Young, impish and energetic…(and that’s when he’s not on stage) Bryce could charm a cat out of his tail. A flirt on and offstage, you are going to love what he’s one with his character. Able to leap buildings in a single bound……well maybe not, but he able to carry a tune and do cartweels, and that might be even better. The only time I’e ever seen a dancer work that hard and still be able to sing without gasping..was…well…never. Niiiccceee lungs. One of the best at the “naming”…he’ less scary and more instructional.
Trip Report from Gina Sabatino who saw the 7/23/01 show of the CATS V Tour.
Before I say anything, I'll say it was the best night of my life! My grandma is a diamond card member, so she got us awesome seats at Harrah's. We sat really close to the stage in these really cushy armchairs. Might I add, that my uncle and sister were acting really suspicious all night. They kept telling me to sit on the end because Rum Tum Tugger might need someone to dance with. So, sure enough, along came Rum Tum Tugger looking for a dance partner. I couldn't believe it! I was on cloud nine for the rest of the show. So, the show was absolutely amazing. When it was over, I wanted to meet Stan (Rum Tum Tugger). We waited forever. But while we waited, I met Shylo Smith, (Victoria), awesome girl, David Blonn, (Pouncival), so nice, Mcree O'Kelley, (Mistofelles), best guy ever, and finally Stan Stanley. They were all so nice. They took pictures with me and gave me autographs and so much more. Mcree told me later that if I came back to see the show a second time, I should let him know and he would "hook me up". Well, he certainly did. I went back closing night wondering what would happen. I sent Mcree and Stan a note telling them I was there. Mcree came out and said hi. He took me backstage and showed me so much awesome stuff. We had awesome seats once again. And Mcree and Stan both waved to me from the stage. So if they're reading this, I just want to say thanks a bunch for the best night of my life!
:0) Gina Sabatino :0)