The very last 'open-to-the-public' show of CATS, at the New London Theatre, had already opened the theater doors and excited fans were streaming in. Cameras were clicking.....the Press was everywhere.....the atmosphere was charged. The happy, almost giddy looks on the faces of all those holding tickets, were in stark contrast to the anxious, worried and sad looks of the folks in the LONG line, winding around the corner and down the street. The line was for people hoping to find that IMPOSSIBLE ticket being turned in or unclaimed at the box office window.
Of course.....there were none.
Remarkably, there had been, earlier. My sweet friend in the box office window was not the usual 'ticket person.' She was a NLT/RUG big shot who had decided that it was HER role to be the decision-maker when it came to those precious few last remaining tickets. Tough job! It was near pandemonium within a 10 foot radius. Everybody had a story. 'Will call'.....exchanges.....lost tickets.....inadequate vouchers. Everybody was pressing forward....needy and desperate. Poor gal had to listen to it all! And she did so with a patient, caring smile. I'd nominate her for Sainthood.
Arriving in London without a ticket, I become very lucky....one way or another.....and had indescribable fun making sure a couple of dozen folks had seats for the closing shows, those last few days. A forum member here and I had schemed diligently for weeks to help secure tickets for each of us for that 'second-to-last' show of all shows.....knowing that 'The Holy Grail' of tickets were the 'By-Invitation-Only' tickets to the FINAL show....but THAT is another story.
The crowd surged forward when the doors opened, filing right past that long line....the line of a hundred wishful hopefuls.
Pretty soon, the crowded sidewalk had thinned out, leaving a few gawkers....a few of the Press.....a few friends and family members who'd be coming back in 2 hours and 40 minutes.....and leaving that long, unmoving line....with folks now silent and resigned.
In the theater lobby, which was also emptying, an elderly Oriental woman, with her extended family made up exclusively of young grandchildren.....was caught in an impossible situation. They all had tickets....yet for some strange, incomprehensible reason.....she did not. Something about an invalid ticket voucher she was holding limply in her hand.
What to do? All go in and see the show and leave Grandma behind?.....One of the young kids stays outside?......Turn all the tickets back in?
The show would be starting soon and she had to make a decision.
So did I.
As agreed during an earlier exchange.....I walked up to the Angel in the ticket booth and gave her a knowing look, which she recognized and returned.
That is all it took.
The last ticket issued by the NLT for "CATS, The Musical", was inconspicuously slid through the window opening, from her cupped hand to mine. I touched her hand with my other-a grateful 'thank you'. Her eyes answered.
I spread my arms to gather in the large Oriental brood and herded them towards the escalator and ticket-taker. Just as the Grandmother began to protest, a ticket was slipped into her hand. She looked down. Then she looked up. She understood without words. She said something to the kids and as the group rode up the escalator to the theater, she turned....and bowed ever so slightly.
With that....and about 6 minutes before the lights went down, I went outside and walked briskly towards the back of that STILL long line.
Oh, to be able to help them all.....I spotted the lonely looking 30-something woman standing by herself in the line. She clearly was not with the folks in front of her or behind her. "Come hither," I motioned EVER SO SLIGHTLY, with my index finger. No one else noticed. Thank goodness she came, leaving the line without hesitation. Thank goodness.
"Ever seen CATS?" I practically whispered.
She looked up with HUGE searching brown eyes and whispered back, with practically no sound, "No."
Perfect.
I motioned with my head to follow me. She did. We walked past the long line and around the corner. I opened the theater door, let her in and quickly walked through a now empty lobby to the ticket-taker at the bottom of the escalator. I produced a ticket which was taken, torn and handed back. I nudged her onto the escalator, all without words. She mouthed, "Thank you" as she climbed....up,up,up towards The Heavyside Layer.
I walked back to the Angel in the booth. She knew what I was up to, by the welling in my eyes. She had them too, but for a different reason. She had just told the folks at the front of the line, that there would be no more tickets....and the box office was now closed.
I nodded at her....and she at me.
Then I went upstairs myself.
CATS has brought me joy for more reasons than one.
My story does not come close to Kid's... but it affected me nonetheless...
All during my initial days of fandom, I heard about the intimacy some people had with the show and the performers. The stories came from the Winter Gardens in New York and the New London Theatre in the West End... For each story, I said, "One of these days, I would like to know how it feels..." WG closed first, robbing me of Broadway's CATS... and then NLT closed soon after... I almost felt as if I would never have that chance...
Then, the UK Tour came about, and the cast had several members of the NLT cast in it. One of its stops would be Edinburgh, and three friends promised they would help me out if I could only get there... And I managed it... barely.
When Ahdeya and Michaela show up at a stage door, the cast members usually know something is going on. Those who know these two know them to be wonderful artists, and they would try to touch as many of their favorites and newbies alike... On Wednesday afternoon, right before the matinee, they took me there to that door, and one of the first to arrive was Norman Bowman and Rebecca Vere (Munkustrap & Jellylorum). Norman was curious as Ahdeya said "Munkus!" and she and Michaela went into the artist portfolios for pictures of the Silver Tabby. Rebecca was a bit wary, and she decided to go on by. However, she lingered near the door as three ladies (Rio was part of the group, and my hostess) gave Norman (her boyfriend) gifts... Being the literal odd-man-out, I decided merely to be the cameraman. Armed with a 35mm Pentax, I snapped pictures only of those members who stopped for the pictures. As such, I was able to observe... And Rebecca did not look very happy about the whole thing...
On Thursday, our third performance, we decided to shop a bit. Ahdeya seemed to agree with my assesment that Rebecca did not look too pleased at Norman getting presents... so... We were able to locate a Disney store, and Ahdeya found the white cat from Artistocats. Fluffy white and a pink bow, we chose it, and I split the cost with Ahdeya for it.
That night, we stopped the two of them again, and Norman got one more picture. Seemed he was a soccer fan, and his team lost the CUP match... Ahdeya made his a mournful Munk dressed in the team's colors... And that is when we surprised Rebecca with the little white "Griddlebone."
The hesitant and wary expression disappeared when a sunny smile appeared... And her picture with Norman was a lot more pleasant than that solo picture we got the first day. Her smile said it all... That night, we had a very cheerful Jellylorum, and a very bubblely Griddlebone. Her performance was very enhanced... just because a pair of fans thought of her...
But this experience had one more surprise my way... Summer Strallen (Cassandra) had been very naughty that last performance by playing with one of the stewards during intermission. Poor guy could not interact with her, and he kept trying to shoo her away... And right at the last... she popped out of the door. "Summer," I said, "I really would like a picture of you.." She immediately posed... and then signed my book... Later, I had that picture painted into her likeness as Cassandra. Michaela transformed her, and I have the picture hanging on my wall - along with her signature... Although I was not able see any more shows in England, Ahdeya sent me two more pictures, autographed by performers from that show: A Growltiger print signed by Patrick Clancey (who popped up in front of Michaela and me the last night - thinking to surprise us...) and a Victoria drawing with Emily Anderson's signature on it...
But of all the many memories... the happiness provided by a small gift to a performer made a wonderful experience very beautiful indeed...
Cats has brought me joy because now i am much more confident about myself, before i was a cats fan my favourite musical was Chicago, and i was really tarty. Now my favourite musical is cats, I am a much better person in my opinion. Cats has made me practise my singing, i now have singing lessons at school, and also my dancing, i already went dancing wheni saw cats but now i have joined ballet. Cats made me get more interested in performing on the stage, it also has helped me make friends with other cats fans like you lovely people :p and after waching Victoria's solo, i can now totally fold myself in half and also balance on my bum like her. I LOVE CATS!!
My first time seeing/knowing Cats was in 1998 June or was it July? Can't remember.
I was in the deepest pit of my depression at that time and was thinking, constantly, of why I was still living.....
However, Cats was on PBS and quite by accident, I saw it.
Fell in love with it and, more correctely, with Michael Gruber.
I started looking for his website. Found it and found out too that he was still on Broadway Cats.
Within a week's time, I was on my way to NYC, for the first
time, alone. I met him and many times after he left Cats for other shows.
I am still very much in love with Cats. It saved me from my drpression and gives me joy and peace-in-mind from the time onward....
