my devirginysation

[mimidavis]

Until yesterday (er, Tuesday, 14/10/2003) I was so to speak a Cats virgin (what did you think I was talking about?). Here is how it went:

WARNING! I?m not too much of a fan of the show. So please don?t take any offence if I have anything to criticize, it?s my biased opinion. I guess it?s mainly cause it?s not quite my type of music/al, and I love to criticize things.

I liked the show more than I expected. However, even I was surprised how fast the impression it had made on me faded. After seeing other shows like Dance of the Vampires or especially Rent I left in a stage of daze which decreased slowly over days (or years, or never). Cats was forgotten five minutes after I?d walked out the door. At first it might?ve been because I went to see it having a negative impression of what I was going to see and staring at certain actors too much to really get the whole thing. Then tried but not much changed. There were a few actors I really liked, other that were considerably bad and the rest that didn?t seem worth remembering.

I?ll start with the set design. I liked the majority of it. It?d just have been good if they?d managed to stick to one scale throughout the background. Especially the tire set me off because it just seemed so much too big, considering everything around. Of course it kind of had to be that way considering it?s function in the show, but? they could?ve just used something else? I think.

The lighting was fine, I loved the ideas during Mr. Mistoffelees.

The translation. It was okay. There were a few lines that irritated me especially during RTT. I?m not much of a singer, but I expect they had to keep the ?ou? sound of ?about it? cause otherwise I see no sense in translating it that way. I?m not too familiar with the original libretto, but even of the few lines I DO know, a lot seemed to be turned into something rather weird. Better than Rent nonetheless [img]wink.gif[/img]

The choreography? there were bits and pieces I really liked. Unfortunately there were a few scenes that were choreographed in a way that made me think a few of the actors were sleeping. In other occasions one of the tallest cast members would stand behind two really tiny ones and it?d look rather awkward. But yeah, it was good.

The cast? I couldn?t remember all of the cast-list cause I didn?t know many of the actors, so all the people in brackets are guesses.

Old Deuteronomy: Anton Rattinger? he was okay, didn?t blow me away but wasn?t bad either. They shouldn?t?ve put him in the prologue though. He looked like a Harry Potter garden gnome.

Bombalurina (Natacza Soozie Boon): She was good. I mean hot. She looked pretty as a cat. I guess she was all right voice-wise. Nothing that?d blow you away, but not bad either.

Bustopher/Gus/Growltiger: Ethan Freeman, one of the few familiar faces in the cast. I really liked him. There was really nothing I didn?t like about him. There really weren?t any ?highlights? he just gave a great performance throughout the show. I just really loved his facial expressions as Gus and in the pecks/pollicles scene.

Cassandra: meh? go away. Not the actress, just the character.

Demeter: (Susa Meyer): She was? hm, her and Bombalurina made a good team concerning hotness. The makeup didn?t suite her as well though. She was the only one of the females that ever made me think she has a good voice. I have to admit it?s kind of hard to convince me of a female voice, but still, one in the whole cast seemed a bit poor to me (might?ve been the songs though). I loved the Tugger/Demeter interaction, two can play that game honey ?hehe?.

Grizabella: Cornelia Dreese. Before I do the actual review I have to say that I never liked this part and absolutely detest all of her songs. She was all right, I guess. She?s no Elaine Paige. I guess she can sing and is all decent but she bore me out of my mind.

Jellylorum/Griddlebone: Tersia Potgierter She was hilarious as Griddlebone, really loved her. Wasn?t too fond of Jellylorum, but yes, Ethan and her played well together [img]wink.gif[/img]

Jenny/Gumbie Cat: (Nadja Solovieva) it?s the character that doesn?t impress me much, nothing to do with the actress, so I more or less ignored her.

Mr. Mistoffelees: Ben! Haha. After seeing his naked backside on a certain picture I now got to see his clothed front (and back) which left me even more impressed. My Mom loved him too (and no, she hasn?t seen the picture). I loved him.

Mungojerrie: (Markus Giess ?) was alright. He did good but had to play off a very weak Rumpleteazer.

Munkustrap (R?diger Reschke) didn?t impress me much. But again it?s the character that?s kind of nondescriptive, so I can?t really tell. He looked a bit too square to be a cat.

Macavaty/Plato: I can?t tell, all I kept thinking was ?is Macavaty SUPPOSED to look like a monkey??

Rum Tum Tugger: John! ::squeal:: hehe. Ah, you all know I can?t help but love this guy. He makes it seem as if the show was all about THE Rum Tum Tugger. RTT was hilarious, I mean when he always cracks up at the end it?s just? gah, I can?t even put it into words. I just love how he?s always enjoying himself like a little kid, especially when he tries to make the audience stop clapping during Mistoffolees and it actually works ::snerk:: I also tend to dub the non-tugger maneless cat he plays at the beginning campcat. I just love his ego and everything, and, yes. Maybe I?ll write more on him when I?m back to being sane (or at least as sane as I was before). You could tell he was enjoying what he was doing very muchly. I was surprised how much of the hard dancing he still did. I had kind of expected him to cut back after all his injuries, but he was out there having his fun [img]wink.gif[/img]

Rumpleteazer (Karin Sang?) hm. She was the first one on stage where the first thing that popped up in my mind was ?understudy?. She seemed absolutely insecure and had extreme problems when she was supposed to sing & dance at the same time. She kind of started to shout and, nah. She wasn?t all bad, but her insecurity was extremely distracting.

Skimbleshanks (Uli Sherbel): He was good. I like Skimble but it?s still not a role that?s convincing me, so, of course, it?s also hard for me to describe an actor in the part as ?great?. There wasn?t anything ?bad? in his performance, so kudos to him.

Victoria (? Not Bridie) she seemed to be VERY insecure. I don?t know who she was, if she was an understudy that hasn?t played the part often or was injured or anything. But even in the simple ensemble choreographies she was one of the weakest dancers. I first suspected that there was something wrong with her leg cause it kept shaking like mad (as if you?re overdoing something, I just know the same effect from me when I did my sisters weight-loss-Yoga-video for fun and kept stretching too long). Naturally, her solo wasn?t too great either.

Besides. I really enjoyed the whole Growltiger sceneage. I?d only seen the video before so I didn?t know it (John makes a good pirate ::nod: [img]smile.gif[/img] and thought it was highly enjoyable. I never really got what Gus was supposed to be all about, they should?ve cut Bustopher instead, in my opinion. So, yes, yay for pirate!cats.

Ben and John made me want to write Tugger/Misto slash, well, John/Ben slash, really, but I don?t do stuff like that.


My Mom?s review (written by me):
She liked Ben very much so and thought he didn?t get enough recognition (aw, but we love him!). She also quite enjoyed John. And Cornelia?s voice, however thought she wasn?t too great acting-wise. She also cast the opinion that there could?ve been more of Bombularina/Demeter, cause they both had good voices. Upon request she also likes Ethan. She also gets mad at me when I say I don?t like the show (heh). She did not like whoever played Victoria at all.

[Bombi]

I'm glad you did enjoy the show a little. (Or lets just say, I'm glad John played Tugger so you wouldn't be to disapointed! [img]wink.gif[/img] )
About Tug/Misto slash...that was just the way I felt after the show aswell! Or rather after 'Misto' had his paw on 'Tuggs' leg...at the very upper top of it and Tug was stroking Mistos chest...*g* (unfortunatley Tugger twisted arround and stared into our direction just as I was staring at the two of them *lol*)

*hugz*
Bombi

[mimidavis]

uh-huh, that's the scene that did it for me too... I was basically pressed into my seat with my eyes falling out thinking "whoa boys". Hehe, I loved them. I have a weak spot for Misto anyways, for some reason.

[Bombi]

They do make a cute couple! *lol*
I was scared to death when Tug turned to face us!
(Trying to get THAT* look off my face! *g*)
Btw did you do that Mark yourself?

Bombi

* [img]eek.gif[/img]

[mimidavis]

yeah... I was bored one day in class and started playing around with MS Paint... it used to be the whole bunch but somehow that Mark was the only one that survived... it's a bit deformed though ::le sigh::