Thursday, September 18, 2008

jellicle joy

tonight i saw CATS at the capitol theatre in salt lake.  it was my fifth time seeing the show, my second at that theatre.  i first saw it when i suggested to my dad ten years ago that it was coming to a nearby city and it'd be a fun family event.  he bought the idea and bought us tickets; he and i got our faces painted before the show.  we laughed.  we cried.  nothing is better than CATS.  a month later we were in iowa for thanksgiving and noticed that it was playing in des moines.  dad and tim and i ducked out of the family gathering and went to see it again.  just as good.  and i got to meet macavity afterward.  in japan on my mission, i saw signs that it was coming and lamented that i wouldn't be able to see it.   yet i was back in town on a study abroad and managed to find tickets to the show in osaka.  it was in japanese, which was a twist.  i saw it at the capitol theatre in salt lake a few years later- nosebleed seats and a small stage:  in my pantheon of viewings, that was my least favorite.
tonight we were in row D on the orchestra floor.  mr. mistoffelees was lamentably somewhat lackluster, but everything else was spot on, including the most important part of the whole show: grizabella nailed "touch me!"  and the jellicle ball is fifteen minutes of sheer joy and perfection.
it happened the very first time i saw it and it continues to happen: i have to hold back tears of beauty at the start of the show.  it's the greatest thing to ever be on stage.  the end.

2 comments:

Jack said...

Awesomeness. did you go because i sent you the link the other week, or did you already know about it and have tickets? i would just like to claim credit for your enjoyment of the beauty that is CATS.

--jeff * said...

i was going before you sent me the link. but i think it's pretty cool that you thought of me, anyway.