I heart the Rum Tum Tugger

Cats was in town over the weekend, and while certainly one of the most bizarre shows you'll ever see (in concept), I found it just as entertaining this time around. Rum Tum Tugger remains a highlight (even just seeing him on stage with his mane-like collar had me giggling), and I'll always love the Macavity number when all the girls belt out the last verse. A surprising favorite in this production though was Grizabella. From the first time she sang, I thought her voice was beautiful. Strong, pure, and just the right amount of vibrato. Even with such obvious talent, I still found myself getting nervous as she approached the last verse of Memory. I mean, she's probably the oldest person in the cast, and, beautiful voice or no, would she really be able to belt out those last few lines?

Well I'm here to tell you that she could. "TOUCH ME, IT'S SO EASY TO LEAVE ME...." Oh. My. Gosh. My eyes widened and my mouth may have even dropped open a little. It was amazing, and all I could do as she finished the song was panic about her finishing the song. Because I didn't want it to be over. My sister once told of weeping at the end of a production of Les Mis--not so much because of the emotional storyline but more because the show ending meant she'd never get to hear Valjean's voice again. At a much smaller magnitude, I felt a little of that. She was so good, it was almost worth sitting through Growltiger's Last Stand. Almost.

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