Chapter one: In which I get ready to head up to Schenectady.
Tuesday, January 22, 2002
A normal day, in which I watch videos, surf the web, and post to the various CATS RPGs I am a member of. Only this day is ever-so-slightly different: I'm heading up to Schenectady to see CATS!
Eventually, JelliclePat, who likewise shares my...well, not obsession, but close enough for government work...with CATS arrives at about 3:10 PM. The ride up was uneventful; no accidents, no jackknifed tractor-trailers (although there were a couple speeders doing about 90 mph...but the bears (State Police...they have hats similar to Smokey the Bear, hence two of their nicknames: bears and Smokies) nabbed 'em). After a quick stop at a service area to use the bathrooms, I take the tail my mom made (only because I don't have thetime or the skill necessary) out of the pocket in which I had concealed it. (What? You thought I was going to let it hang out all the time? Well, maybe I should have...I'll do it when I see it again at Ike Hall)
We arrive in Schenectady about 5:45, because we're meeting some others at the Friendly's near the theater. Turns out it's Demetrix and her mom! We have a nice chat, I give Deme a fish-shaped bag of jellybeans (picked it up 'cos I thought she'd like it, and she did), and we have dinner.
Chapter two: In which the four of us (Demetrix, her mom, my friend, and I) head over to Proctor's
After dinner (which was excellent), we got into our respective vehicles and drove down to a municipal parking lot and walk back up to the theater; after all, we couldn't just leave our cars in the Friendly's parking lot!
After a short walk, we arrived at the theater. I immediately take a look in the music-shop window, and I see music from CATS (Hardly surprising, really, since the shop is in the same building as the theater...)! But I hold off, and we arrive in the theater proper. Unforunately, we're on opposite sides of the theater, but we are still in the same row.
The show was excellent, but unfortunately, they didn't have "Pekes and Pollicles"...Ah well. Perhaps next time they do the tour, they will.
When we get to the Macavity/Munkustrap fight, everything is utterly quiet, save for the music. WHen Mac shorts the lights, though, there's some sort of a cry from where he's standing...sort of like what you'd expect if someone got unintentionally shocked. Perhaps it was real; but my personal opinion is that they added it for effect. However, it added a touch more realism, although some would say that it made it "too realistic". Can't please everyone, though.
After it's over, we meet up with Demetix and her mom again, and head out to the stage door, where we get some autographs...and accidentally give a present meant for the entire cast to Macavity (big oops!)! Hopefully someone will take care of it. (Thank goodness we didn't give it to Misto... if we had, I doubt anyone'd see the gift - OR him - again!)
Anyway, after collecting a few autographs, it's time to say goodbye and head home...we need the rest. At about 1 AM on Wednesday (the performace started at 8 PM Tuesday, and ended at 10 PM tuesday, and it takes about half an hour to get to the Thruway from Proctor's, two hours to Kingston, and another half-hour to forty-five minutes to home...hence the 1 AM arrival), we (my driver and I) make it home, get partially undressed, and head to our respective rooms and crash for the night.
Chapter three: The Morning After
Wednesday, January 23, 2002 The next morning, I woke up with a horrific headache, and not because I'd been drinking...not old enough yet! No, it was the ending of the adrenaline-caffeine-sugar-nip rush that kept me awake until we got home...and I discover that I'm still wearing my tail! Ah well...guess when you need sleep, you don't notice stuff like that!
Chapter four: Waiting for Ike Hall
(Sometime in the future)
The future is an unwritten book, but I can say this much for certain: I'm dfinetly going to Ike Hall to see it again...and maybe this time, I'll have enough time to check the stage for a certain small item that's iridescent black...if ya knows whut I means...but that's the future, and there are so many differtent paths in the future.
As Jon Pertwee said in "Inferno":
"An infinity of choices...hence an infinity of universes...an infinity of futures. So free will isn't an illusion, after all!"
My son, Marmelith, and I were able to catch a performance at each end of the new CATS tour's stay in upstate NY - the Tuesday night performance in Schenectady and the Sunday afternoon one at West Point. I have to say that -by and large - we had a wonderful time.
Each production of CATS has its own feel and its own strengths and weaknesses. This tour production remained faithful to the original without being a carbon copy. The ensemble work was excellent, and the byplay between individual cats was fun to watch without it detracting from the main action.
Thoughts in no particular order:
Grant Turner was out for the two shows we saw, but Colin
Cunliffe made a very strong Munkustrap (or Makastrump, as a
local reviewer would have it. But then, he also said Mr.
Turner played the role on Tuesday. Oi!) Nicole Johndrow
(Sunday's Bombalurina) had somewhat more presence than
Sharon Huneycutt, but both were excellent and worked well
with Jessica Patty's Demeter. (Ms. Patty's blind groping
after 'Can you see in the dark?' really worked.) Dave
Blonn made a wonderfully playful Pouncival (Keith should be
proud), and while Brian Collier's Tumblebrutus could have
been a touch nastier when chasing Griz, the rest of his
antics were a joy to watch.
Shylo Smith was a delightfully bold/shy Victoria, and her slow split during her solo was the smoothest I've seen to date. William Hartrey was a treat to watch as Bustopher Jones (love that cross-footed walk!), while his Gus/Growltiger played off Wendi Bergamini's Jellylorum/Griddlebone nicely. Ronnie Nelson, in London rather than video make-up, made a very sensual Alonzo. (Why is he also listed as Rumpus when there's no 'Pekes and Pollicles'?) Katie A. Wanner is a sweet-voiced Sillibub, contrasting beautifully with Gretchen Goldsworthy in 'Memory'.
Bryce Bermingham and Pamela Rainey made a good team as Mungo & Rumple, and didn't deserve to have the middle third of their number cut. (Can anyone explain the reasoning on that?) Mr. Bermingham also doubled as Genghis (with a Brooklyn accent, no less!), since there was no Coricopat. (C&T's lines in 'Jellicle Songs...' were taken by M&R, while *their* lines were given to other cats entirely.)
Julie Garnye did a nice job as Jennyanydots (that one Beetle could've pushed a bit harder, though), and Melissa E. Emrico made an elegant Cassandra, while Everett Taylor was excellent as Macavity. Stan Stanley and Warren Freeman were delightful as Tugger & Skimble respectively, but the one to watch is McCree O'Kelly as Misto. Kudos, as well, to director Richard Stafford, who did an excellent job of adapting Gillian Lynne's original choreography to the reduced cast.
Of special note were Jarret Ali Boyd as Old Deuteronomy and Gretchen Goldsworthy as Grizabella. Mr. Boyd starts to leave the stage at the end of Act I, but turns back, intrigued, when he notices Griz start her attempt at the Jellicle Ball. Ms. Goldsworthy's 'Touch me!' was so full of despair that it prompted spontaneous applause at the Tuesday night performance.
Aside from the lack of 'Pekes & Pollicles', the biggest drawback was conductor Jonathan Gorst. His tempi were consistently slow, which did a grave disservice to the dancers, as they couldn't get the lift they needed for some of their jumps. The result was that the Jellicle Ball and Conjuring Turn dragged a bit, and the Cat Fight wasn't as vicious as it might have been. In addition, on Tuesday Mr. Gorst didn't give the audience a chance to applaud the end of 'Gus' at all, and on Sunday he cut the applause off too soon.
Though a proscenium stage does tend to limit audience interaction, the show as a whole was great fun to experience. (Light-up eyes during the overture on Tuesday, but not on Sunday for some reason.) Cats did come into the audience both days for the Naming, as did Tugger for his dance. The junkyard set was, of necessity, confined to the stage area; however, Christmas lights were strung out into the audience area in both venues. Another nice touch was the pseudo-Victorian 'melodrama' curtain and set for 'Growltiger'.
The audience on Tuesday contained a lot of first-timers - you could tell from the startled gasps when the shoe dropped. Afterwards, many of the cast graciously stopped to talk and sign autographs. (I *still* don't know if they ever got the chocolate, though.) On Sunday, we got talking with a family who'd *never* seen the show before; by intermission, they were in love with it. (If you're reading this, and remember the young man with the tail and Munkus-mitts, please respond. I'd *love* to know how you liked the second act!) Oh, and several people admired Marmelith's tail. One little boy even wanted to know if it was real!
All in all, this tour is a wonderful gift from up-and-coming performers who obviously love what they're doing. Hmmmmm...maybe I should start a petition to bring it to Kingston...
JelliclePat