Well, many moons ago (1987), I saw a touring company of CATS in
Michigan. Wow. All I can say is that I could not get enough of it
afterwards. I don't remember much of the actual performance....but I
bought both the CATS book with pics of the original Broadway cast, and
several months later, for Mother's Day, I got my mom a copy of T.S.
Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" (the inspiration for the
play) which ended up residing in my room. (One can only imagine what
would happen had ALW given Cat Morgan a song.)

BUT ANYWAY, I digress.

During the intermission when I saw the play, Calvin E. Remsberg, who
played Old Deuteronomy (this was 12 years ago) chilled out on stage and
audience members could go up and ask him questions, get autographs, and
so on. Calvin signed my program and the CATS book, and I was a bit
starstruck...I knew to say thank you but my mom prompted me anyway! =)
(I should have sent him one of my Old Deuteronomy drawings!) THe people
before us had Calvin sign a matchbook for them (and we all know how
microscopic matchbooks are) and he remarked that it was the first time
he had signed one of THOSE! It should also be known that Mistoffelees
and RTT got the loudest applause at the end though, and they stayed on
after all the other cats left and people were getting ready to go home.
RTT almost had to literally yank Misto off stage.

Our local PBS affiliate showed the video of CATS recently (and I
recommend it, DESPITE THE FACT THAT GROWLTIGER WAS AXED), and it brought
back all those memories. For weeks on end as well, I also drew
characters from CATS (as very cartoonish cats, not as humans dressed
like cats or even real cats, as I was, of course, trying my hand at
cartooning). I'm sure some of those pics are somewhere in my parents'
basement. If not, I could draw them again...could draw them
again...could draw them again......thanx 4 listening...

by Matt