Hi Everyone,
I saw the matinee show this afternoon. I thought that I would mention that the Gumbie Cat comes out of the stove oven instead of the trunk and that they cut out the Pekes and Pollicle number.
The actor who played Old Deuteronomy was about the same size as Mistoffelees so when Mustoffelees jumped up on him it looked funny. I've seen the same thing either in London or on Broadway but I can't remember where.
During the matinee Colin Cunliffe had the part of Mungojerrie...he did a good job except for some of the acrobatic stuff (he seemed to have a bit of a problem with it during the Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer number).
William Hartery as Bustopher Jones, Gus, and Growltiger was good. During the Bustopher Jones number he threw the flower out into the audience so he kissed Jennyanydots hand at the end of the number so that she could faint. The ship during the Growltiger number was basically a curtain that came down and there was a ships steering wheel and these two other items where Growltiger and Griddlebone could get up on them to jump ship during the number (and where Genghis could get up on to come on board). I noticed that Growltiger crossed himself before he jumped off.
McCree O'Kelley as Mistoffelees only did 19 turns during that Mr. Mistoffelees number. He was ok but I'm sorry to say that he was not the best Mistof that I've seen. The actor that I saw in that part in London in 1999 was a better tap dancer and was more in Jacob's league. Julius (the last Misto on Broadway) was better than McCree. I can say that McCree did put some personality into the part though.
As for Grant Turner as Munkustrap I would put him behind Michael Gruber in the singing voice area - sorry but Michael is a better singer. But I would put Grant ahead in singing against David Ashley in London and the actor who portrayed Munkustrap in the final months of the Broadway show. I hate to say this but I thought that Grant was a much better dancer as Munkustrap than any of the actors that I've seen in that role (yes, even Michae...sniff). When I spoke to Anya on IM a little bit ago she said that his name was familiar (his home is in Australia which is where she lives) and I told her that according to the playbill he had been in Tap Dogs and Steel City in 17 Countries. She said that if he had been in Tap Dogs that he would have to be good.
As for David as Pouncival...well he did this fantasic move at the end when each of them came up separately for their applause at the end.
At the end it looked like Grizabella was boarding a space ship after she left Old Deut on the tire - you'd have to see this thing to understand what I'm talking about.
Something I didn't like was that they used that stupid fog machine too much - if I remember correctly they only used it in London and on Broadway at the end for the tire scene but here they used it through out the show. Also someone who had to be sitting close to me smelt like they had jumped in a vat of perfume - oh I hate that - it bothered my sinus' and eyes the entire time.
Well that's it for right now...
Take care...
Lioness
I finally got to see Cats again last night after having to wait impatiently for so long. This version was truly amazing. It was just as good as the Broadway show was. I think the word "spellbound" would best describe me during the performance.
The cast was brilliant. They definately lived up to the legacy of Cats, and exceeded my expectations (as a fan) of the show.
Act One (I left a couple numbers out)
-Jellicle Songs-
Great start of the show! Everyone onstage was very enthusiastic which made it all the more fun.
-Invitation-
I was surprised to see that Munkustrap sang this entire song. In all the other productions I saw, Misto sang the beginning of it. It was unique to see little changes like that. By the way, Grant Turner (Munkustrap) was excellent as the storyteller/protector of the tribe.
-Gumbie Cat-
The tap dance was incredible. Julie Garnye' (Jennyanydots)was very lively and animated during the number and throughout the rest of the show. She was lots of fun to watch and looked like she was having a blast playing her character.
-Rum Tum Tugger-
Very fun number. Stan Stanley (Tugger) was the perfect heart throb/idol of the tribe.
-Bustopher Jones-
William Hartery was lots of fun in this role. Another thing
I noticed was Dave Blonn (Pouncival) and Brad Barnes (Tumblebrutus) acting up while Bustopher was singing. It was really funny. They were reprimanded by Skimble, which didn't do much good anyway. Pouncival was comical in almost every number, whether acting up, picking fights, or imitating others. Dave did a great job of portraying the kitten in the tribe.
-Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer-
Outstanding duo. They were very lively and looked like they
were having lots of fun. Bryce Bermingham (Mungojerrie) was
very entertaining. He leaned over my shoulder during the naming (which was fun for me cause I love it when the cats come out in the aisles). He also got in a couple of fights with Pouncival.
-Jellicle Ball-
The lighting combined with the dancing was unbelievable. I think this is the one number that I sat there with my jaw dropped. It was amazing.
-Intermission-
The very annoying and rude man who stole my seat before the show got even more rude and acted like a total a******, but thats a different story. I didn't let him bother me because I was there to see the show, and I DID NOT allow him to ruin my good time. He ruined his own good time by acting like everything was boring.
Act Two (again I left a couple out)
-Growltiger's Last Stand-
It was cool to be able to see one of the first performances of Growltiger. William Hartery was great in this role as well. The pirate costumes were really colorful. Wendi Bergamini (Griddlebone)was great. She was really funny and since Grid is one of my favs, she stood out to me.
-Skimbleshanks-
I have never seen a Skimble this energetic before. I think I might borrow Adas' description of John Sechrist in this role: "A hyper neat freak on speed".
-Macavity-
Everett Taylor was awesome. His Macavity was really scary. It certainly did a good job of scaring me. For a minute, I forgot how everything turned out in the end,and I think I was biting my nails in the fight scene. Jessica Patty (Demeter) and Sharon Huneycutt (Bombalurina) also really stood out.
-Mistoffelees-
My favorite part of the show was excellent! McCree O'Kelley
(Mistoffelees) was more of a confident Misto rather than a confused one (video/Bway). It was cool to see Misto played differently. Something rather amusing happened in this scene but I didn't notice it until someone told me about it afterwards. Jarrett Boyd (Old Deuteronomy) became ill and couldn't come back on for this number so they had to bring Don Adkins (swing) in his place. So Misto not only brought Old D back but he also managed to make him taller! Cool trick or what? (lol)
-Memory-
Amazing. Gretchen Goldsworthy (Grizabella) was one of the best I have ever seen in this role. My aunt and I were crying. You could clearly see the emotions of the character.
-Addressing of Cats-
A perfect end to my favorite show. I was really glad I got to see it and I hope to see it again in the near future. Thanks cast for the wonderful performance!
~Joy aka Reeza (who just realized it took her 3 hours to type this up)
Hey there,
I saw Cats yesterday afternoon in Charlotte and I just wanted to say how impressed I was with the production. For a while there, I forgot I wasn't at the Winter Garden but at the Blumenthal! I could definitely tell that the cast was giving their all every second of the show! If McCree is this good now, I can't even imagine how wonderful he'll be towards the end of the tour!!! I also found Jessica Lea Patty's (Demeter) voice to be stunning! I'm so thankful that Cats made it to the Carolinas. Come back as often as you want!!!