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Cats. No, not
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Cats. No, not
Cats. No, not the animal, silly, the play! I'm watching my old VHS of it now, after having negotiated mother into giving me the old TV, h'm...
But I digress. Cats is the longest-running show on Broadway. Essentially, for those who've never seen/heard of it, imagine about twenty people running about in a giant junkyard, in cat costumes, singing and generally acting... er... catlike. It's... it's better than it sounds, really. The songs are mostly a series of poems by T. S. Elliot, set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber (which basically makes it gorram awesome, so...)
It was my first exposure to Broadway (saw it live in London, w00t, after having obsessed over the filmed stage for years).
Anyone else seen it (live or the filmed stage), heard of it, heard the songs... Thoughts?
I've seen it twice. Once years ago in a professional theater in Chicago and just a few years ago in a small community theater, and I loved it both times.
TNÖ, have you heard of Starlight Express? That's another great one by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It's the "story" of a little boy's fantasy that trains race on the ceiing of his bedroom. The train cars are performers on Rollerblades, and they skate on ramps all around the audience. Really cool. Just as each cat in Cats has a distinct personality, each train car is unique and sings a different style of music. ALW is a genius. He writes in so many different styles. Then there's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I think he wrote that when he was about 16.
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submitted by TNÖ, age 15, Deep Space
(June 6, 2009 - 8:18 pm)
(June 6, 2009 - 8:18 pm)
It's pretty good, tho' I've only seen the VHS myself... And I beg to differ, but Phantom of the Opera is the longest running show... I think:)
Cats isn't on B'way anymore, is it? The play is great, but the recording is decidedly... less so. It's hard to hear them when they're talking in unison, etc. But nevertheless the show is great!
(June 7, 2009 - 3:10 pm)
Nah, it's Cats, then Phantom, then Les Mis, last I heard. All of which, incidentally, were originally produced by the same guy. And all of which are brilliant, I say! Brilliant!
I love the VHS, personally. Sure it's a bit hard to hear at times, but after having watched it a gazillion times (and figured out closed captioning on my spiffy new (for me, but actually really really old and previously lived in the basement for six years) TV, I basically have the whole thing memorized so I dun care. Also, the cast is just shiny. *nodnod* Especially Elaine Page, oh gorram Elaine Page...
(June 7, 2009 - 9:39 pm)
Cats is in my top ten favorite plays, i love the music in it! I've watched it on VHS since i can remember!!! Which is you favorite song?? I saw the stage production once when the show was visting my hometown. It was really good, i was about 7 at the time. I remember that at the begining all the cats came running down the isles wearing weird glowing green goggle staring at everyone, i got a little scared. The rest of it was amazing though!
(June 7, 2009 - 10:32 pm)
Oh, my favourite's definitely Macavity, closely followed by Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. *nodnod*
As a side note, the cat names in Cats are infinitely superior to those in Warriors.
(June 8, 2009 - 5:39 pm)
I saw Phantom on Broadway when I was 8 years old with my sis and grandparents! It was SO cool! I have this picture the my grandmother of my sister and I standing with my grandfather outside the theater and I am SNEEZING! It is so weird, but funny.
(June 8, 2009 - 9:57 am)
I love Cats! It's awesome!! :) (never seen it live though)
(June 8, 2009 - 3:19 pm)
i looove Cats!! My fave kitty is definetely munkastrapp but bombalerina cumz rite after tat! an mungojery and rumpleteezer are hilarios and i hate that evil dude hoo kidnaps duteronomey hes craz!my bff likes it to, she actually the on that introd it to me, she gave me for bday and like, me luvd it soo much and i hav a cd to and my mom made me read the poem bok to its not as intrestin as the movei.
(June 9, 2009 - 12:55 pm)
1. Ah, that's weird, Bombalerina's my favourite. Followed closely by Macavity ("evil dude", as you said), and then Demeter, and then Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer (who really can't be separated...), and then Grizabella, and then the Rum Tum Tugger and Mr. Mistofoles tie. I liked Growltiger's Last Stand a lot but for some reason it isn't in the filmed-stage.
2. The poem book is exactly the same. Just without music. How is it less interesting?
3. Ok, I really really hate to jump all over you (especially if you're new, are you new?) but GRARGH. how hard is it to spell correctly? I mean, "movei"? You switch two letters and it's spelled right. "Rite" I suppose is alright, but "cumz"? "cumz" takes longer to write than "comes". It's like how people respell "hot" as "hawt". *head explodes*
4. Please do not feel the need to defend yourself against the above, 'kay? I'm just saying, you can take it or leave it, and feel free to just ignore me. Just had to get that ^ out of my system.
5. Macavity could eat Edward for breakfast. That is all.
(June 9, 2009 - 6:59 pm)
Ah, yes, my apoligies. I had just been texting a friend, and sometimes I find it hard to transit between types of typing. Also as I play the piano and do choir, and don't like poetry that much, I don't quite like the book. Although, I do like to read, mainly romance novels and the occaisonal sci-fi. It's just that poems don't do good with me. Again, my apoligies for the atrocious spellings.
(June 10, 2009 - 11:18 am)
Haha, woah weird!! Do you know a Jenni T. in TN??? I thought you were her at first!! :):) Are you new??
(June 10, 2009 - 12:04 pm)
Yeah, I'm new. I already answered your other question further down.
(June 10, 2009 - 2:38 pm)
Which one is Bombalerina?
(June 10, 2009 - 12:33 pm)
The red female one, she and another she-cat solo in the "Makavity, Makavity, there's no one like Ma-ka-vi-ty," song after Dueteronomy is kidnapped.
No, I don't think I know a Jenni T...........................OH! I do know a Jen T, though. Where does she live? Haha, Jenni and Jenna, lol!
(June 10, 2009 - 2:36 pm)
And she's basically awesome, heh. Plus the person whose name escapes me who plays her in the filmed stage is both really, really fit and has an amazing voice. o.O
(June 11, 2009 - 1:54 am)
Yah, now I remember! She is cool...
(June 11, 2009 - 12:39 pm)