Who was the best Grizabella? — Page 2

Buckely live, Paige on record.

I've only heard Buckley on the cast recording and on Broadway's Lost Treasures-from what I've listened to she was phenomenal. But that's not a big shocker. Saw Elaine Paige on the Cats video, she was phenomenal. But I saw Liz Callaway live, in a theatre, a few weeks before it was closing. She was beyond incredible.

I've always been a fan of Liz Callaway (her Young Sally is one of the highlights of the Concert Reocrding of Follies, and is a Young Sally that can't be beat). ANd to see her live was just, beyond belief. Powerhouse voice, yet sweet and not harsh or too brassy, and when you watched her Grizabella try to glide across the stage, it just broke your heart. Cats doesn't have much going for it plotwise. But Grizabella is the closest character to having depth. Liz Callaway showed that tremendously.

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Elaine Paige. All. The. Way.

Would have been interesting to hear Judi Dench's rendition

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Debbie and Patti were the Worst Fantines IMO

I didn't think much of her Grizabella either

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Note the words 'IMO'

Note them V-E-R-Y-- Carefully

It doesn't matter what I know, it matters what the opinion is.

And as far as my OPINION is concerned, I know a Lot

xox

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Updated On: 10/6/05 at 07:25 AM

"did anyone ever see Rosemary Loar perform the role? She was my teacher @ cap and she is amazing. Just wondering."

Rosemary Loar was the first Grizabella I ever saw. I was in the 8th grade and the tickets were my Valentine's Day gift from my parents. The 4th National Tour of CATS was the first "real" show I got to go to. A year later I saw the same tour and Donna Lee Marshall (that tour's original Griz) had returned.

On Broadway, I saw Laurie Beechman, Liz Callaway, understudy Heidi Stallings, and Linda Balgord. The only one of them all I didn't like was Linda. She played it like the feline version of Norma Desmond (which, although she was pretty good, I didn't think she was old enough to play when I saw her in the 1st Sunset Blvd. tour)

My favorite would be a tie between Laurie and Liz, although only on Liz's ON nights. I saw her a few times when she seemed to walk through the role and mark the singing, especially the climactic "touch meeeeeeeee!"

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