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Anyway, ok, first a bit of background-- I was all super-organized and got a group of 10 of us to CATS on Friday! It was briiiilliant~~ And that night I managed to write notes, but haven't got them into a show report... (I may yet, though.) But, see, thing was, I really wanted to go again.... And, since I currently have self-determination with my money (or the government's... love my student loan ^^;)- even if I don't have much money to have self-determination with... well, I made myself a deal on Monday saying if I could finish my harmony paper by 3.00, I'd be allowed to go down to the Hippodrome and buy a ticket for the next day. And then I actually DID it! Heheheee. OK. On with the report -- which was written all in that night, from about half midnight to 4am~
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OK wow wow wow wow wow (wow is such a hard word to type correctly several times in a row, especially when your fingers are all floobly and shaky still!!!!!! *bursts into giggles*)
OK.
Soo. Oh, wow- CATS UK Tour '06 people, you rock SO MUCH.
...OK, so first of all I do feel a little evil for, well, being able to write this trip report at all ^^; Because, yes, I went and saw CATS... again... all by myself... without telling ANYONE. ...Well, I didn't think they'd want to go again - no, that's a lie, they would, but those I subtly hinted the possibility at said they had no money. Which is probably true. I certainly have no money, now XD Buuut, thing is, since everyone had to pay me £29 for tickets on Friday, and since that money came through, I FELT like I had lots of money~~
..And I feel rather especially evil to Lina who will probably be finding this out!! Um! ...Sorry!? Do you want to go again Friday!?? (Seriously.) And we'll see it in Oxford! ^___^
And now, moving on......!!!!!
a transcript of Jesta's ramblings scribbled on index cards while waiting in the her seat for the show to start:
1. Eeeeeeee!! I can't believe I'm doing this!! Every step of the way - can't believe I'm here. I want to do it AGAIN already & the music hasn't even started yet. I want to savour this anticipating moment ..... & I want it to start.....
I saw a load of kids (a LOAD, sriusly) outside... I hope this make it good... They should - I'm sure it's really exactly what an average 10-yr-old would love, right? I think they're all up on the balcony tho, which is a shame & not fair on them.... Sooo much the point is to be here in the stalls! So, yes, I'm in sear S24 - aisle seat YES - as specifically requested, quite a way back & again I've forgotten my glasses, but I'm sure I can see fine....
Another thing - I'm early this time! ...even though I went out to catch the bus at approximately the same time as we did on Friday, grr!
I've left my little tea box of gifts on the front of the stage, just half tucked behind an oversize Pepsi can... (Ohhh... the set is so amazing to look at close up! We found loads of stuff when we looked on Friday - modern & older brands - this is clearly a long-established junkyard XD - Whiskas, Fanta, Brillo to name a very few... and - what I'd NEVER noticed before - a truly ENORMOUS bra!! (Enormous, ie, even in this scale, surely!) Cloth newspaper and broken giant china cups with blue pattern...) Anyway - my gifts!!! I picked up some of that colourful oven-bake Prima clay stuff in charity shop for 50p today (bargain or what?!?) ... and so, instead of doing my music history essay, naturally I made: a dark blue circle with CATS and the yellow eyes (this is addressed to Tugger), a dark blue rectangly thing with a moon & stars & "The Jellicle Moon is shining bright..." on in very small tippex writing (for the mellifluous voiced Munkustrap!), and a mini bouquet of roses for Grizabella. I also left a note saying EVERYONE was wonderful and that I wished I'd had enough time to make random clay things for them all!! Never mind, maybe in Oxford, eh?
OOOH, they've just put the safety curtain down I wonder why?? Hm, tis probs not exactly logical to suppose it means they're starting.... Tis quite a boring safety curtain - squiggles & comedy/tragedy masks in the bottom corners, but not even the Hamlet quotes ("What? Has this thing appeared again tonight?" / "For thine own especial safety", I think, with the references.) I used to puzzle over age whatever-it-was.
People are pouring in now. Still no one my row or for several rows in front... maybe they're going to arrive in a mass... Maybe it's the kids ... Might be good if so - kids're short! Tho they might be noisy & the cats would talk to them & ignore me.
Oop, safety curtain up again! How bizarre!
Heard orchestry tuney noises a while back. There's a constant plume of smoke from the RH of the stage and has been for a while... I hope nothing's on fire.
Ooh, spaces in front filling up a bit. Not kids - old couple :) & some more... - smiled at a lady in front... Ooh. Interesting. She seems to be on her own & she seems to have Specifically Requested an aisle seat... A fan?
Ooooooooh... hyperventilation!! Start already! I wish I could take photos... I note some people ARE, regardless!
I... did not quite lie to ppl (like Lina!! ^^;; Gaah!! I'm sorry!!) I think I said I was "seeing Music people"... which is true... kind of!
...I think I might get opera glasses. Even though I am in the stalls. I mean, there are worse uses for 50p... Or maybe I won't... would I use them?? The whole point is there's always so much to look at at the same time.. Maybe I shall just ready a 50p and get them if the need arises.
...the more technical bit here is going to be getting back home, isn't it? ^^; I should probably take a taxi, but that's expensive, and this little excursion is already straining enough on my budget! (Still, £4 student discount! ^_^) Will have to check out buses, hope they're still running.
I'm going to clap and cheer as loud as I like.
Boxes are so weird. Specially for CATS. Why would you want to sit all by yourself, facing 90° away from the stage??
My presents are still there... I had a bit of a sudden fear that someone might think it's a bomb or something and confiscate & destroy it! Hasn't happened yet, anyway... I left a post-it on the box saying "Please Open!" ... I don't know if that makes it seem more or less dangerous ^^;;
OOOH. A girl with furry cats' ears!
...I just wish people could wear a sign that said - "Yes, I am a REAL fangirl - I am aware that there is fandom/fic/etc; no, you wouldn't freak me out by talking to me; yes, we probably have met online, & if we meet IRL I will be prepared to squee incoherently with you about the sexayness of this Munku..."
...Cos at the moment I'm just not sure. They're not the right kind of ears, but on the other hand, she looks too old to be just dressing up for no reason...
There's a free sear nearer the front... unless a cat sits there... I want it post-interval!
oooh too dark to write.
EEEEEeeee!
d'oh, someone's sitting down.
silly latecomers.
thus endeth the ramble. Right, at this point, the overture began, and we begin our trip report, as I try to untangle my memories and the notes that I kept trying to scribble!!
Overture! Flashing blue/white lights all around the stage.... LOUD music-ful Eeeeeee!!! Aaand then, once we get to the "Jellicle cats come out tonight..." tune, the cats start appearing!!! Not as many incredibly dramatic audience reactions as Friday XD But, yeay, especially when they flashed their (REALLY WEIRD BUT I WANT A SET) LED eye things at people ^_^ Amoose. Cori and Bill(?) ran down my aisle! ^__^ I LOVE MY AISLE SEAT.
(..although the full benefits of it have so yet to be revealed. Stay tuned.
The big circle of lights rose up from the stage as the overture reached the end... (still not sure what exactly that's meant to be ^^; but whatever!) .... I can't believe I'm here, I write.... 'must stopwriting..', I write, and then fail to do so... Final quote from the overture: "eeeeee!!¡¡" (Yes, upside-down exclamation marks. I don't think they were exactly intentional though- I just couldn't see what I was writing.)
Jellicle Songs Ohhh... you know the incredible tension before Munku makes his first note... Well,.... it was there in full force!! Deme leapt across and did the mega-side-leg-raise-kick thing again... From this point onwards and on again for the entire show I just began to realise again how actually incredibly cat-like the movements are... Seems obvious, but.. eh :) Kudos to Gillian Lynne!! Eeee... just, overall, I loved this so much better than Friday!! I mean.. maybe it actually was because I was all on my own - and on this point, without even anyone next to be for five seats or so - and I didn't have to be all thinking 'how are they reacting?? what does this look like to the uniniated??' Or maybe it was just even better! I don't know! Don't care! It was wonderful!
..Carbucketty, I think it was, proved the point about "double somersaults" VERY well. & Tant & Cori followed up -- I don't think I watch them enough in general. They were cooool. Also after the interval, when they're the first on, and you get to see some serious study in moving in exact sync!
Heheheee, I LOVED "Jellicle Cats are queens of the NIGHT! Singing at astronomical HEIGHTS!..." which was exactly how they (some of the guys especially, it seemed) sung it! ^__^ And the top C. And various people's rather shocked reactions. And, slightly randomly-- Bomba has never been an especial favourite of mine, but... well, maybe now she is. She just, like, lit up the stage with this playful, uh, sexiness ^^ whenever she appeared! Plus, well, we'll see later probably my theorizings on character relationships and roles and why she's cool in that respect....... Haha, also, randomly, I never got the Rossini reference before! (ie Cats' Duet!!!)
BUAHAHA, the Naming was so great because Tant and Cori came down the aisle and utterly freaked out and embarrassed the girl sitting opposite me. And I laughed, for I am cruel like that, apparently ^_^ Hee, it afforded me great views of T&C and their costumes tho! I like the short-haired-ness of them and everything... And, hm, just in general.... I really like the makeup! Because I just kept thinking how actually similar they all looked (well, mostly - Misto's a notable exception!) to.. the video, and just my general perception of them. The sort of general set of the face... which must have been really down to make up, so I'm so v. impressed! ...Yeah, be warned, quite a lot of this report may will be filled with nostalgic thoughts on Why CATS Is So Great Anyway!
Eee, Victoria. Gah, I want to a) learn to dance and b) have the body of a dancer! ^^ Victoria was less vocal (with the aAHs!) than last time :) So very stretchy and shiny ^^^^
Uhhhh, here it seems I've lost the cards for Jenny and Tugger's number. I'm sure I did write stuff, because I remember what I wrote.... well, I guess there's no problem then ^.^
I should have enthused enough over Munku's voice in Friday's trip report, if I ever get that properly written... But in case I haven't, and because since writing that sentence I've realised that it is NOT POSSIBLE to enthuse too much about Munku's voice.... MUNKU'S VOICE! Is sooo cool. Is so incredibly deeep and melodious and mellifluous! (my new word <3) And absolutely soaring over the higher notes in The Old Gumbie Cat. Love it to pieces! Also, Dem, Bomba and Jelly were so great with their bits! About the fastest I've heard them go and so very... dunno, energyful and mad cool!! I'm just trying to think what to say, because basically I really loved this number even before Jenny hit the scene!
...And when she did...! Hee, she got quite a laugh from the audience for just turning up! ^_^ (Ooooh, and Misto, under the watchful eye of Victoria, did his thang with the trunk..) Ahh, Jenny was great ^_^ Lovely piercing voice!! I love the Beetles' Tattoo!! ...Though Munkustrap, standing at the back, looked a bit unsure about it! Hee. When they all whirled round in a circle like arms on a wheel, they nearly knocked (an irate) Jenny over and she literally fell into Asparagus' arms and to regain her balance~
Ohh, I think I also meant to mention at this point some first impressions about 'social groupings' I saw in this particular junkyard XD Food for thought or for fanfic, perhaps? In the abscence of El or Etcy (they are greatly missed! At least by this fangirl!), Jemima and Victoria were hanging around with Tant and Cori a bit (I like that... also that Tant was therefore a squeeing Tugger fangirl too-- dunno, it's just fun to see them... having fun and being all kittenish too!) ... Misto was again on the fringes of the adult group and sometimes with the kittens... Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer were together. Sometimes just them two, sometimes they'd drift together with Tumble Bill and Carbucketty... ....There will be SO much more on the subject of MJ and RT to follow XDDD
Oh yes, also, halfway through this, people arrived(!!!) to sit next to me! Very nice people though, as I found out in the interval.
Soo yeah ^_^
OK
Next....
EEEEEEEEEEEEeorwuoigroigrifwoeqoiqoiefoiohgrshogrwherdfm ,crx .,!!!1 TUGGER!!!! (ooh look, I capslocked it by accident, what a shame..)
Ohh, seriously, this guy is great. I think somehow I'd forgotten just how great he was on Friday, because he was great then too, and though I'd known it my head, I'd forgotten what it sounded like, what it felt like.... It felt like: SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! He ripped his way through the paper, posed, went "Uh uh.." and then a fantastic "MEEow!" Eeeeeeee~~~ Ohh, I'm just trying to think how to describe his voice... it was so... like, strong and .. 'solid' sounds too kind of thick and blocky because of course it was wonderfully flexible too...... And he had a wonderful way all his own of doing the lines: "IF.. you offer me pheasant.." ...OK, and that's just his voice. Haha. But it was SO GOOD. Of course he also looked - and moved - like... wow.
After Misto's "terrible bore" comment, Tugger just flung his arm around him as before-- only this time I got to see Misto's expression a bit clearer as Tugger's hand landed on his fluffy chest thing-- it was like "Ew! Don't do that!" Buaha.
The Bomba-dropping moment and the prelude to that was great-- After Bomba's line "...curious beeeast...", he seemed to walk away in a very deliberately playing-hard-to-get way... Bomba followed... he beckoned.. turned... she rubbed against him back to back... ...And I also seemed to see that he was looking somewhere distinctly lower than her face when debating on "..what I find for myself.." ^^
TEEHEE. And as for the audience-invasion moment... Well, I couldn't see wonderfully well; I definitely couldn't see who it actually was Tugger sat down with -- I assume it was a female personage this time unless he felt like randomly giving substance to many a fan's fantasies... -- because something must have happened to make him go- "Oh, YEAH!" and then disappear almost completely below seat-level!!!!
Aaaand the ending. The ending, the ending, the glorious ending. Have I mentioned how much I love this guy's singing?? Yes? Oh, fine, then. Well I loved how he did this too -- landing first on a note just below "booou..." and sliding up, then a crazy fast bit, and an incredibly great strong high note... ...Have I also mentioned how much I want to be Teazer lately? No? Buaha, well, for various reasons as you will see, but she was SO funny here. Taking Etcy's role... (...Mungo was NOT pleased with this, by the way!) The audience founding the squeeing so amusing XD ..I found it very logical, but whatever! Aw, and the older ladies beside me were beside themselves with giggles at Tugger's, er, hip movements... But yeah, Teazer's attention was focused increasing on a VERY specific part of his anatomy that was not quite his hips!! I dunno if this worried him at all... The outro was awesomeness itself too -- the squeeing picked right back up again! And several of the girls were literally chasing Tugger around the stage!! (Of course, he totally didn't mind. Loves being the centre of attention, obviously... ...more slightly deeper theorising on character maybe to come, yes.)
Ohh. Wow. Yeah. Well, with a final EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE- I will move on from this song :( For now. Perhaps more will come when/if I find those notes of mine.....
So then. What a contrast. Grizabella, as I mentioned last time, is excellent. Her singing started so soft, haunting... building up with bitterness... Approaching Munkustrap, she got rebuffed suddenly or something on "Opens--" and did a fantastic sort of whole-body cringing shudder back..... Demeter's singing I thought was so much better than last time! I don't think there was anything particularly wrong with it last time... just... yeah, this time it was right! Misto too actually, incidentally XD And I do remember thinking on Friday when he sang his first line in Invitation: "ahaha, can't sing!! Clearly hired for the dancing!"... which is fair enough. But anyway, yeah, this time there we NO bits when I thought they weren't hitting the note or anything like that...
More on character relationships and role. Bomba and Munkustrap were very much together on this one -- I'm seeing her more and more in her role as quite a 'tribe protector' too. - Slightly more surprising was the way that Cass acted in exactly the same way -- just stopping anyone approaching Grizabella, either to hurt or help her. Ooh, there was also a bit of an Alonzo/Cassandra moment at this point, for any interested shippers ^.^ Just standing together, but Alonzo with his arms around Cass from behind.
Bustopher Jones! At the start, very cutely, Munku, Misto and Asparagus(? Skimble maybe, can't remember!) have a little organizational conference! Teazer runs on with news that Bustopher's coming (...I then notice that Mungo and Teazer are mysteriously nowhere to be found for the rest of the song..!) -- and Munku, in the middle, points to Misto to go and do whatever, confers with whoever the other one is, and then does ... you know that hand gesture when you point, like: "Check! Gotcha!" ^^ And then off they went! Bustopher, yay, was very self-important and -involved and amusing and slightly strange (well, very, really XD) (He very distinctly said "...dwink at the dr(w?)ones..." ^^) Misto helped him to his dusted-off top-hat-seat... Hee, it was hilarious to see him 'fencing' with the spoon when Bill & Carby were sitting in front and taking swipes at it/him/his tail/whatever! Equally funny was Misto being all strict and telling them to desist whenever they acted too rowdy! XD
Oh, randomly, they even got a guitar into this song!! And I lovefied it muchly. Not electriccy - strummy at the transition of verses. Very happy-making!!
This Bustopher did his own interpretation of the lunch-at-the-Tomb line again ^.^ He DID look full of gloom -- or rather disgust! "..Then I've lunched at the TomB.. on cabbage *FACE*, rice pudding - eugh!! - and... mutton *face!* *shudder!*" So he's a picky eater, as well as a voracious one XD
MUNGOJERRIE AND RUMPELTEAZER. These guys were, like, PERFECT. I know I said I found my perfect pair last time around-- and I still hold that I did -- but these guys were.. also absolutely flawless! I loved their accents. I loved Teazer's giggles -- two different ones, the first a half-stifled: "mnyEAHE!" and the second a full blown: "Ehehehe!!" which earned a sincere "SHH!!" from Mungo. I loved their wonderful way of working together!! (& throughout the show. I should have mentioned this in the last report, but I'll say it again: their general policy throughout seemed to be: "If in doubt, make out!" XD ...Noo, that makes it sound all shallow, they were just incredibly physically affectionate and it was LOVELY.) But yeah, dancing, jumping, bouncing, perfectly in time... I love the little choreography touches like around about the catburgering where Mungo passes the booty to Teazer in this smooth move... I loved so much that it was the full, xtended version! XD And I was struck and impressed by the fact that, yeah, there are only two of them on stage, and that's kind of unusual in CATS, and they manage to carry it so incredibly well! I loved Mungo's posh accent on "..Victoria Grove" both times. Ehee, and their fantastic reaction to the vase-which-was-commonly-said-to-be-Ming... Teazer: "eeeep... *creeps away VERY QUIETLY and hunched up... then grins..." Mungo: "eeeep... starts off in what he hopes in a nonchalant fashion - practically whistling & with his hands in his pockets!*")
The cartwheels were brilliant, and everyone loved them. They got a fantastic and very well deserved round of applause at the end of that-- which they lapped up, bowing grandly! ^__^ ...only to be interuppted by meanie Jellicles with their bags of loot!! They ran to make their escape -- Teazer right through a surprised Misto's legs - and when surrounded just clung to each other! Cuuuuuuteness!!
What caused some amusement in the prelude to Old Deut is that just as we were expecting... well, Old Deuteronomy... a totally RANDOM PERSON decided to walk down the aisle and sit down somewhere in the middle of the stalls! How bizarre.
Anyway, after that, we got the real Old Deut. ...(How many times) have I mentioned how great aisle seats are and how they really are The Way Forward!? Cos I got a really nice close up view of both Misto & Old D and their costumes.... And Old D's is sooo very fluffacoius with a great big fat tail... and really, really does all look like enlarged carpet pile, and he really really is the walking rug!!! Also, Misto's chest is all soft and fluffy too.
Aw, Munkustrap had to hold the kittens back to stop them mobbing Old D before he'd made it up the stairs ^^
And then! Pekes and the Pollicles!!! ..I think I saw more of Munku's Frantic Organizational Side this time than I thought there was on Friday. Maybe I was just watching closer. Hee. Anyway, here he was, rushing around, pointing out to Alonzo that he should be over there and, Skimble why aren't you that side, RIGHT, here we go, so help us Everlasting Cat...
Adorably and hilariously, sitting up above Old Deut, Jem and Vicky... was Tugger... who then proceeded to fiddle with Vicky's tail. Vicky looked around a moment later -- Tugger gave her this: "Who, me??" look, and then was like: "Yes, ok, fine, it was me... *nuzzle*"
...Soo, off went brave Munk to start his song. And off went Tugger, imitating him a few steps behind. It was brilliant, cos he even got his own "DUM!" from the audience on which he did a pelvic thrust behind Munkustrap XDD
Munku's stress levels, of course, were only to increase as the thing went on.... First he had to forcibly grab Teazer and (Carbucketty again, I think-- Mungo helped him put on the boxes) to prevent them from either advancing or retreating... Then he had to organize them all into the RIGHT marching lines... (Heee, aw, everyone shouted the correct pronounciation of "PLAIN!!" at Mungo when he sang!) And Teazer was cutely distracting throughout XD ..I love that ridiculous dog's head thingy... I think I'll have to make it a layout again or something. ...When Tugger started off on the bagpipes, all the groups formed into little circles and started Scottish dancing!! ...Tugger then proceeded to LEAP into the middle of each of these groups and generally cause a horrible muddlge :)
Instead of the trampolining Rumpus on from the wrong side of the stage, this time he actually "stalk out..." .... only, of course, not until several seconds after expected, which meant everyone had given up on the word "CAAAAT".. which then had to be resumed at more or less the right pitch "...aaaAAAT!"
...Munku looked near breaking point by the time he snapped: "There wasn't a single one left on the STREET!"
Old D delivered his cheery message... (Seriously, what?! They've just - attempted - to do a random play, and then you tell them that everybody's going to die!?) ...But, yeah, unlike the vid - I approve of this - the crashyness came as as much of a surprise to him as everyone else.
Hm, also, never really noticed before, but tis funny how - considering what happens later - when Old D and Munku are patrolling around the stage, Old D tries to send Munku away! Really smart... Jem and Vic appear -- or rather Vic appears from off stage.. Jemima just melts in from the shadows where it seemed like she'd been all along...
...OK, there is no way I can describe the Jellicle Ball like it deserves... OK, a few random memories:
Cass and Dem dancing together! Cute~ Didn't see Alonzo and Misto this time, but wasn't watching that side of the stage.. Bill, Misto, Vic, Jem, Cass do their dance.... Mungo is right around behind sort of failing to do the dance and making fun of it! ^_^ I <3 MUNGOJERRIE (AND ALSO RUMPELTEAZER.)
Crazy lights and crazy guitar herald the ball itself...! Ohhh how I wish I could dance!!! I mean, dance and be free and enjoy, rather than trying to remember what I'm doing next the whole time :) Dance like singing... Anyway, yesh, this was SOooo very energyful and amazing. And Misto's "When it doubt" rule? "When in doubt, start spinning around on one foot." Unfortunately I didn't see him begin so I'm not quite sure how many turns, but it was A LOT in any case..... Buaha, and speaking of spinning... I just love (though don't entirely understand) when they're all spinning, and Old D moves among them and tries to get them to calm down -- only the instant his back is turned, they're spinning around again!!!
Grizabella returns. Demeter and Victoria think about reaching out to her but are stopped... Again, roles of Cass, Bomba and Munkustrap. Munkustrap at the end... doesn't really seem to know what to do- he just just keeps his distance, stares at her like, "Just.. go." and then runs off, only turning away from her at the end.
Ohhh, what do I say about memory that I didn't say last time? It was so beautiful. This girl (or whatever, but she is quite young!)'s voice is amazing, especially with the beautiful breathy light quiet haunting tones at the start we don't so often hear with Griz........
interval
(...and also, 1.53am. But... guh, got to write this now or I'll forget it!!)
Thusly, during the interval, I talked to the nice ladies next to me. The one next to me had never seen CATS before, but seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it ^__^ ...I don't focus enough on Bill and Carby! Dunno why... whenever I saw them they were just acting deliciously mischievous, laddish, y'know.
writings written during the interval:
...Someone near by saying to a girl how "there's no story, it's just poems about cats."
Um.
For all that, I am appreciating even more how well constructed the whole thing is, dramatically and musically. Balancing the moods of songs; never a dull moment - never a pause without it being an obvious time to applaud -- and as Edmund (the lighting expert) pointed out - never a fade to black (which makes total sense for the continuous action..) Also.. what are maybe the two most plottish threads - Grizabella and Macavity - are wonderfully prepared and "trailed" throughout... There's such a build up to Macavity, especially! And then it hits you at the end - BAM BAM BAM with Macavity Misto Memory. And then finishes off in style. (Hee, I'm remembering the very first time I ever watched CATS- on vid at Rachel's house... and how Rebecca said: "We'll just watch to Macavity, then we'll go to bed...!" Buahha. XD.) & I purely love the song-within-a-song-within-a-song of that is Growltiger & Billy McCaw... but all that is to come!
LOL so much at the FREAKED OUT people in the Naming!!
:( I don't think there's as much (any?) audience interaction in Act 2 (Well, Maccy... ... ED: and... well, you'd be surprised!! XDD)
Act 2!!!
Griz comes in for Moments of Happiness!!! I had no idea!! Is that usual!? I mean, she does camoflague quite well sitting up at the top there... ...And, heh, I missed her disappearing and Gus appearing :)
Gus! Hobbles over... Old D directs his attention towards the audience..! 'Yes... they're all here.. for you! loook!'
(...Totally random, but I had a.. well, totally random... moment of connecting Jelly and Glinda in Wicked! Possibly via Griddlebone. Could work.)
Gus... The guy playing Gus was of course also playing Asparagus, Growltiger -- and Bustopher Jones! Gus was very clearly characterised... The shaking, of course (hehe-- Jelly grabbed one hand to stop it, and then other started going frantically!), and lost sort of eyes, and vaguely chewing half the time... He starts singing unsurely, gathered confidence... looked to Jelly for affirmation... aww, they were lovely, she was all supportive & loving... & they both held "Fellllll" for a Very Long Time!
Is Misto Dick Whittington's Cat reincarnated or something? XD Because Vicky looked at him significantly at that line! Suppose it's the b&w colour scheme which seems usual with Whittington's cat...
Tugger (character analysis time...) sat to the side, alone as - actually - per usual, a bit hunched up and looking frankly quite depressed. He seemed to be trying to make this appear just like boredom later but, ... yeah, maybe something about Gus' condition depressed him-- like, guh, someday I might end up old like that...
Victoria was first confused (at the Queen Victoria reference) and then offended! (At the suggestion that these young kittens know nothing!)
Ehehee, Growltiger! The ship goes up quickly indeed... (Paying attention I could see just how carefully all the entrances and exits are worked out to give time for all the costume changes... very impressive...) The very suddenly Growltiger neatly caught a sword and started running around menacing and laughing excellently. Once again, I LOVE THE PIRATES. Munku's pirate accent... priceless. Also all the injuries Growltiger kept inflicting on his (rather stupid, to get that close to him!) crew!
Griddlebone....... The Crew sidestepped along the stage in a Very Subtle Way... (Heeee... 'Skimble' seemed to be the one to smell her arrival... he then, um, smelled his armpits!!) Skimble gave Griddlebone a slap on the behind as she passed-- she turned around at once.... and started pawing him right back! And when Growltiger arrived on the scene, she swooned quite deliberately in his arms. Growltiger BREATHED very loudly and apparently stinkily in her face-- she immediately turned away to gulp air... and then the ill effects ran all the way down the assembled crew one by one XDD After some heavy hints... "...crew were SLEEPING in their BARRELS and their BUNKS!", the crew indeed disappeared, and yaaay Billy McCaw!!! Ahaha, but first, Growltiger's quite seriously PAINFUL "manly baritone" -- sung at throat-killing volume an octave higher than usual/on the OLC!
Eeehee... Isn't The Ballad of Billy McCaw just the coolest randomest thing ever!? Seriously, I luff it so. The rest of the audience did too ^.^ ...Grid was so, so frustrated!! (..Like POTC 2, wherein the entire plot is driven by Elizabeth's sexual frustration... ...ok, never mind. Loook, it's late, I'm sleepified and still quite strangely hyperactive and weird!!) Growltiger hardly let her get a word in edgeways. Aaaand, up crept first the rest of the crew, flanked by the Siamese.... who then all started joining in, singing, swaying, and PLAYING IMAGINARY INSTRUMENTS! XDD I saw at least (was keeping an eye out this time!)- a violin, flute, something like an oboe, a guitar...
Sword fight. This play, as Dan says, has everything. Except ninjas, apparently.
"Growltiger to his VAST surprise was forced to walk the plank!" Buah! I love that line so much, so I'm so glad he delivered it so clearly like that!
...and the bells ring... and it's such a lovely, sad overlap back to Gus... :( Poor old Gus.. Rumpelteazer seemed seriously affected by it all --- she started up to reach out and run after him. Then Old D gave her a big a hug, and cheered her up (miraculously quickly XD) with news of the railway cat's arrival!
...Guh, I seriously was not watching closely enough! I have no idea how Skimble sneaked up into his sleeping-place without my noticing. Hee, in waking him up, Alonzo tentatively picks up his tail & drops it again. ...Skimble is sooo very... enthusiastic XD And OTT and brilliant~ Mungojerrie's reaction to being flashed by the Bright Green Eyes was excellent -- he was thrown all the way backwards through a messy half-back-flip thing and slid over to where the girls were all laughing at him :)
Skimble kept making all weird laughing noises!! "..more or less! Whooahahha!"
Aaaand, for your random instrument update of the moment, there was some quite funky sax stuff going on in Skimble's solo ^.^
Hm, I think around this point I noticed Misto & Tug just standing on the sidelines, and looking rather skeptical. A couple of times Tug would flick his tail around in imitation of Skimble.... I think he's just lonely! But they did get slightly involved in the construction of the the train - or at least Misto did... Tugger sort of watched, but at least he moved about a bit! Eheeeeeeee, this song, though, is just so HAPPYFUL! The construction of the train was excellent..... As was its collapse XD -- Whereupon, not too surprisingly maybe, Tugger stood in the spotlight, grinning in the middle of the ruins -- what an enjoyable horrible muddle!
...Skimble gave a wave of his tail... and so did Tugger... and so did Old D!!!
Hahaha, and in one of my favourite little moments -- Tugger kindly helped walk Old D off to the side-- and started rearranging his hair into a little point at the back!!!! ...Old D then started looking confused and patting at his hair heheheee.
Encore encore happy encor--BANGCRASHBABOOOOM!
BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~
...Let's psycho-analyse Demeter here for a minute. Her cry of "Macavity?" definitely has a question mark after it... and it's definitely not actually 100% clear if she's hoping for an answer of yes or no. (I didn't see it so clearly this time, but definitely on Friday I was getting a very strong picture of her as actually very young-- defying authority, and having done all sorts of things.... and not letting herself appear vulnerable most of the time, being all defiant on the outside. ...And from there we can have all sorts of lovely ficatious possiblities with Munku who is torn between looking after her in a not-so-personal-way -- that's his job, she's so young.... and then on the other hand really having these feelings for her he can't explain or ignore... ohh the drama, etc! More of that to come!) ...Macavity arrives. She reaches out for him, desperately. And he looks right at her, tilts his head, and laughs. There is NO QUESTION of this being any sort of healthy relationship they ever had... and no question of Demeter actually thinking it is either. And Macavity knows exactly what it is he does to her. ... And Dem has Issues and a half. To be continued...
I LOVE MACAVITY. The song! ...Or, whatever. In this frame of early-morning mind, and certainly while watching the mesmerizing red cat... well, there is something quite scarily sense-making in Demeter's unhealthy obsession. But, anyway, THE SONG!! Oooooooooh. Both Demeter and Bomba's performance was excellent.... Demeter was so incredibly, well, sexy! Like, the most I've seen, I'd say. "...in the AIIIRR....!" Very strong voice..... and then she just falls into a crouch... And finally after a quite traumatized "Macavity's not there!" at the end of her verse, she completely collapsed to the ground, and stayed there.
Heh, I'm sure there's something inferred with the way they did: "I know he cheats... *Dem oddlooks* ...at cards. *Dem scowls*" ...And the way she said "his footprints are not found in any files.. of Scot....land..yard...." made me wonder what eeevil files they are found in that Deme has no doubt been perusing! (OK, I am actually AWARE that I am making no sense now XDD ...the feeling was there at the time, is all!)
And I love love love the bit with all the girls singing and dancing together. Mmmm. I also appreciated the way it wasn't overmiked to painful distortion levels here! ^_^ Yeah. Wow. Intensity!! ♥ ♥
...OK, and for our next Random Plot Bunny, only this one really is TOTALLY random.... Life as Macavity Body Double No. 2 XD 'Cos obviously he's got quite a few XD ....Or, ok, FINE, he can just teleport himself.
Anyway. Here comes more intensity and angst and Demeter psychoanalysis! She is the only one who suspects there's something up about "Old Deuteronomy" -- although, to their credit, the others, starting with Munk and Bomba, are aware of her misgivings, and start to act wary....... Anyway, yeah, so there is clearly something that makes Demeter absolutely go against Macavity there and reveal his efil plan (not to mention physically attack him! And get thrown across the stage for your troubles! (...although none of the throwing-across-stage was particularly hard) I mean!) There was an Extreme bit of guitar noise and lights as Macavity was revealed. Brilliant. And then.... (I liked this better than Friday!) -- He looks back at Dem, and she's reaching for him -- he grabs her arms very firmly and half drags half throws her right across to his other side, then stops, stopping her from going anywhere, like: '...first I'll just maim your other lover, k?' Is there no end to the angst!?!?
Fight scene. Brilliantness avec lighting and music.... Alonzo got whirled around on Macavity's shoulders quite scarily -- although, like I said, no one got thrown down particularly hard. And, yeah, Deme, looked conflicted and desperate and awful --- and especially upset when Munkustrap seemed to be losing, I may say -- climbs to the top middle of the stage, hardly daring to look...
Then Macavity does his thang with the lighting! (& everyone laughed, mostly out of shock I suppoes, at the fantastic pop as the lights were killed.... but, eh, I think it's really not so funny as scaryful!)
And THEN.... Eeheeeeeeeee.... Munk and Dem eventually met in the light of the torch... looked at each other-- came closer -- nearly kissed three times, but didn't quite manage it, awkward, eventually just collapse into each other and hug... and then Munkustrap starts groping Demeter's leg (...shut up, it was really cute and emotional at the time!!) and they're all close and huggy -kissy and awwwww~~
OK, and then? TUGGER!!!!!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ He's so excellent ^__^ By the way, he had an English accent, most of the time, and it worked! By most of the time, I mean... well, he was kind of like a British pop singer guy (...What did I just say!?!) -- ONLY A REALLY GOOD ONE!!! (!!!Gah!!! Sorry!!!!!) ...And there was just a second in there where he reminded me of Fiyero, of all people XD And in the dark it was just him and his giant shadow projected on the back wall...
Misto-time! Heeeee, some VERY enthusiastic explosions there, Misto. I loved Tugger's reaction to the first one: *bang* "AAAH!!! *rather high-pitched XD* ...*then tries to stride off nonchalantly with a look like: "Did you see that?? He tried to set me on fire!" ...Did you know that the mug comes out of a special mug-cannon at the front of the stage?! Why did I never see that before!? It's amazingly cool! Tugger & Misto then danced around arm-in-arm rather cutely and amusingly.
Aaaand... off he dances!!! Eehee, I do love the lighting-ness!! So much fun! ....And theeeen.... the spinny bit! I counted 22.... only he seemed to be sort of wandering off in a righterly direction... and then he fell over!!! Eeeep~ XD Never mind, he made it look cool, doing like an on-one-knee "TA DA!!" pose XD
(Note: it's now 3am. Oh dear. ...I don't know if I WANT to reread this in the morning, cos it'll probably be waaaay too much effort to make sense of in any case XDD I think I'll just post it as is, leave the sense-making to you.... and get on with my neglected coursework!!)
...Misto got a nice round of a applause after retrieving Old D.... (...Tugger did his thing of walking around after Misto in a circle around the red sheet and trying to copy the magic-ness and generally attention-seek ^^) And, then, though, Tugger was serious, respectful, beautiful; standing straight backed and facing Old Deuteronomy in joy that bubbled out for the big chorus~ While they were all celebrating, Misto stood to the side for a minute and was like, "Hey... yeah... I did it!" ^__^ Awww. ..ohh dear, though, Misto must just have been quite dizzy today because he fell over AGAIN when he did more spinny things!!! Still, that's kind of the point of that bit-- just do as much as you can, you have to take a bit of a risk, or it's not fun for us! Old D. was so cute, joining in a bit of the dancing/walking forward and back in lines ^^
OK. And THEN!?? They all rushed out into the audience again... And then!? Then, like, my entire YEAR was made. ^__^ Cos..... Mungo & Teazer rushed down my aisle...... Mungojerrie came up to me, ruffled my hair about and then rubbed his head against me!!!! ^______^ Seeee?!? I love Mungojerrie! Maybe cos I was wearing my CATS t-shirt rather ostentatiously now, and my hair was about cat-length- I looked as cat-like as possible in the circumstances I thought... I felt beautiful ^.^ This Mungo (reminds me a bit of my friend Dave, actually-- just a very lovely, physically affectionate guy!) was so lovely and (fanficcy-correct XD) perfect -- and gloriously mischievous, because he then went and said hello to the same girl who had been so comprehensively freaked out by Tantomile earlier XD She also had very long hair which may have appreciated the ruffling a little less ^_^ ...I just sat there, grinning like an idiot. So happy. (I reeeeally wished I'd made a present for Mungojerrie - and Rumpelteazer, actually, because they were both perfect, and I was honestly thinking that BEFORE this...! ...I did leave an extra note in the box afterwards: "PS. Mungojerrie, I love you! XD ♥" ...Buahaha, ohh I hope someone found and opened the box, and I hope they didn't get tooo freaked out...!)
Jem! "Daylight"! ^-^ Singing was just better than Friday for me ^_^ (...Though I still don't LIKE her vowel sounds, I guess I'll just have to deal!) Although, there was this mysterious noise like a giant hairdryer in the background of her singing ^^; I'm sure that wasn't meant to be there!
And before 'Memory' - I did so loved Munku's narration! Beautifully done.
And as for Memory.... well, I don't seem to have much in the way of notes on this. I was just listening and drinking in all the beauty and sadness of it all (...although, admittedly, quite possibly still grinning like an idiot ^^;) "Touch me..." was so desperate and moving! Aaand, oooh, I have written down about the very last line. I liked it. "Look..!" was great - a fragmented exhalation... Aaaand, even more oooh because this is what I've always wanted to do because I'm not very good at low notes-- Griz went up the octave for the last note of "beGUN!" ^.^ ...Yes I know, I'm sure that's very important news to all of you... ^^
.......I can't believe I just went and saw CATS. Heheheeee~~~~
The "do do do dooo" theme.. (..y'know the one! The Invitation one... and more to the point, the one that plays now, after Vicky touches Grizabella!) -- was slow, gentle, synth brass.... Mungojerrie (I LOVE MUNGOJERRIE) and Rumpelteazer seemed a little slow on the uptake, too busy with each other to notice that Griz was walking past them until she did! Mungo then just touched her coat :) Old Deut seemed to be calling the Giant Hand From The Sky - you know, making a grand arms gesture... Tugger just looked confused!
...Uhh, why, TWICE now, when they get to "The mystical divinity..." do I expect them to start singing about The Great Rumpus Cat again?! XDD
Addressing ^.^ Slightly faster, yes (and, eh, maybe I like it slower, but it's really close enough to make no matter-- besides, it was REALLY GOOD.) Old D. was very very lovely and expressive ^-^ "Myself," he said, "I do not hold with that!", as if brushing the silly idea away, "I say you should address a cat!" ...and interestingly, looking at Tugger as if in reference to an earlier conversation or something when he sang about how a Little Token of Esteem Is Needed. Heheee... loved the way he introduced the idea of... hmmm... caviar!! Or... Strausbourg pie!! Tugger seemed to be the only one allowed to move at this point, so he made appropriate "yum" faces ^_^ Aaand. There was a harpsichord bit ^.^ AND OOOooooooh Caaaaat was FANTASTIC. Sliding all the way down an 8ve on Ohhhh! Suitably impressive and respectful, I thought!
....So! The end!!!!
Although not because YAY FOR ENCOREY ENDINGS ~
MJ & RT encored double cartwheels!!! Which I very nearly missed *shock horror* .. because I was too busy looking at Cori and Tant and everyone running down our aisle ^.^ Yeah, for a bit it was Mungo & Teazer and Tugger and Bomba and maybe a couple others left on stage to entertain ^_^ Encores of (the music of) Skimbleshanks, Jellicle Songs, Mister Mistofelees (avec words), and then Rum Tum Tugger and Memory and ending with just the orchestra :)
There was some CLASSIC OOC behaviour after the bows though XDD (..Tugger probably got the loudest cheers XD Followed possibly by - well, Grizabella obviously - but also, I was quite pleased to hear, Mungo & Teazer. Seriously, there were really great and people clearly loved them a lot too!! I cheered a lot ^.^) But yes, classy OOCness!--- Dem and Deuteronomy dancing very much at each other from across the stage.... Grizabella coming up and dancing very CLOSELY with Deuteronomy.... Tugger turning up and taking a little more interest in Griz -- which suddenly turned into a LOT of interest as she shook her coat off her shoulders and then ran off, pursued hotly by the Rum Tum Tugger!!!!
........my smile was about as big as huuugeness, and I was still shaking almost as much as Gus! I left the theatre and got straight up Park Street (one of the evilest hills around here) on the sheer lift of joy... I saw Simon from my church student group on the way-- he didn't see me straight away, so I said "hey!" in a quiet way-- he looked and his face just lit up! (I assume mine was already shining like a 100W bulb ^.^) ...I love people! Happy people! ...I am going to be sooooo very sleepy tomorrow!
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Update, tomorrow morning: I went to sleep with my curtains open, with light from a nearly full Jellicle moon and the stars flooding across my bed... After four hours sleep, I woke up again, 8 minutes before my alarms, and in spite of my red-ringed eyes, I was still smiling like anything~ ♥