Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Joined: 12/31/69
#0Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:23amI think Elaine Paige is the only one played Grizabella.
Beergoggles
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/30/05
#1re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:33amagreed
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nelliecollins
Understudy Joined: 6/24/05
#2re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:36amI saw Natalie Toro as Grizabella out on tour and she was really fantastic. Among the best renditions of "Memory" I've ever heard.
#3re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:36amI am biased here as she was a dear friend of mine but I've seen a good 10-12 Grizabellas in my day and Laurie Beechman was the best hands down. She is the only one that made sense out of the movement done before the first act "Memory." Of course, I'm not gonna even mention the fact that her voice was SO powerful. You literally had to hold on to the arms of your seat when she rises at the end of act two and sings "Touch me..."
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#4re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:40amBetty was pretty good maybe even petter then Elaine... :/
Sant
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/12/04
#5re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:57am
Lindsay Danvers (in London's CATS) was the first to make me really realize what Memory was all about - and I had heard the song sooo many times before it. She really put emotion in every word of the song.
Chrissie Hammond (also in London) was probably the best in every way. She managed to make sense to the movement and song. And her voice... raspy, husky and broken like Bonnie Tyler's or Bruce Springsteens! I thought she'd never be able to pull off the final verse - but WHOA!! The voice carried through the song strong and emotional and powerful! It was actually brilliant to hear such a 'broken' voice to sing the song because Grizabella is supposed to be this "she's been around a long time and been through a lot" character, so it was only fitting that her voice would be a bit broken too.
#6re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 11:10am
I'd have to say that Beechman was the best I've ever heard sing the song.
Elaine Paige, who I do like, was pretty awful when she sang it for a PBS special (I think it was called Leading Ladies, or something.) I didnt understand what she was saying, and I certainly knew the lyrics! It was bizarre. Before that she gave the BEST rendition of Dont Cry for Me Argentina that I've ever heard (Im a big Patti fan, too!) She really knew how to put that number across to an audience.
Saw the london cast on PBS and she did it again, so I guess it is how she chooses to portray the character...I just did not get it.
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FosseBoi
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/30/04
#8re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 11:22amElaine Paige
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#9re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:08pmone of the worst ive seen was Sally Ann Triplett in London (and i only saw the show once co cant compare. Vocally though, the best one i think on CD is the one from the Hamburg CD (Andrea Borgel) or something similar, she puts so much emotion in the song that it is heartbreaking at the end.
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Sant
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/12/04
#10re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:11pm
Justin, glad to hear I'm not the only one who didn't like Sally Ann Triplett's performance... 
birdboy782
Stand-by Joined: 9/2/04
#11re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:21pmLaurie Beechman was ...unbelievable. I was so sad to learn she was struggling with cancer during her run -- it certainly added a huge emotional connection for her (which I'm sure would have been there anyway) ...but count my vote on her.
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#12re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:28pm
Laurie Beechman. She had the voice, she had the acting ability.
I wish that Judi Dench hadn't been injured in rehearsals. I would have liked to have seen her do it.
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#13re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:39pm
Listening to Betty Buckley gives me chills. I only wish I could have seen her in person.
Of the three times I saw CATS in professional companies, I saw Linda Balgord twice and really liked her, but I don't remember a whole lot of her performance.
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One Song Glory
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/12/05
#14re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:09pmElaine Paige.
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#15re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 5:06pmGay Marchall from the Paper Mill Baker's Wife this year was the French "Grisabelle". Her rendition of the song was wonderful. It was my first taste of Broadway ere in Paris. You got to hear her.
In my heart, I found the answered dream,
and in my soul I found the song, and in my friends
I found the magic, the love,
the moon up above- they were mine, all mine, all along..!
grizzabella
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/05
#16re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 8:15pmMy preference is for Laurie Beacham, too. She was poignant, strong, gutsy and wonderful. At least that's the opinion of a past-it, alley, glamour-cat!
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nmartin
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/3/05
#17re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 8:17pmI have no opinion on this. I just wanted to see if anyone chose Cyma Rubin's little girl.
#18re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 8:23pmI love Betty Buckley.
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#19re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 8:24pmSutton Foster.
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jonartdesigns
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/04
#20re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 8:29pmi woulda payed money to see lilias white do it (she's in the imdb replacements listing as i recall)
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#21re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 8:38pm
I'm lookin at the replacement list on IBDB.com. Some people to mention who were in Cats:
Bryan Batt
Brenda Braxton
Liz Callaway
Jennifer Cody
Charlotte d'Amboise
Jeffry Denman (final Munkustrap)
Gregg Edelman
Rob Marshall
Peter Samuel
Lillias White
BSoBW2: I punched Sondheim in the face after I saw Wicked and said, "Why couldn't you write like that!?"
#22re: Who's The Best Actress played Grizabella from Cats?
Posted: 7/6/05 at 9:20pm
I'd say Donna Lee Marshall who played the role on tour.
And yes, many CATS cast members went on to great things. I saw it in '92 with Lilias White and Bryan Batt.
I would love to hear Liz Callaway's rendition of Memory. Is it recorded anywhere?
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