Your online source
for show souvenirs, memorabilia
and theatrical publications
The CATS Garage Sale Experience
What a strange mix of emotions I experienced as I walked around the disassembled set of the Jellicle
Junkyard for the last time! It was wonderful to see and touch and smell (grin) those costumes and
set pieces up close. It was wonderful to meet some of those talented cast members, to talk with
them and get their autographs. It was wonderful to take home a few bits of CATS memorabilia to cherish
forever. But as I thought of the performances I'd seen and imagined all the other performances that
had taken place over the past 18 years and realized that wouldn't be another on Broadway for a long,
long time... (sigh) What can I say? If you're a CATS fan, I'm sure you know exactly what I mean!
This is my favorite picture from the day. Ken Prymus and Anna McNeely... the second Broadway
Old Deuteronomy (who also did that famous TV commercial with all the kids in front of the theater)
and the original Broadway Jennyanydots... were kind enough to pose with me. You know what talented performers
they are but they're also very nice people. They both signed autographs for a couple of hours
and took the time to chat with anyone who approached them. When asked if he was getting tired of signing,
Ken laughed and said "No, I like to work!" adding that he loved meeting fans, especially CATS fans.
He seems like a very warm, cheerful man... he wrote "Keep smiling" on my poster :-)
And Anna is very funny... she was standing by the wigs when she signed the poster
and she kept rubbing her eyes and saying with a laugh that just being near her old wig was making her
eyes itch! And that now she remembers why she couldn't wear her contact lenses on stage when
playing Jenny!
Here's brave Anna toughing it out at the wig table, in spite of her itchy eyes. What a trooper!
That's our poster she's holding... it's huge! 41" by 55"!
And it's really only half a poster... it was originally made to fit together with another one
just as big on top. For advertising purposes, I guess.
When I bought it I had no idea where I would
hang it but of course I had to have it anyway! I think I'm going to put it up on the wall near
my electric piano... for inspiration :-) It will just barely fit.
Here's the Winter Garden as seen from stage left. That's the Big Shoe in the foreground surrounded
by some of the larger set pieces. In the background you can see the racks of costumes for sale, and waaay in the back
the beautiful balconies (not for sale... LOL!)
I wish I had a better picture of Julius Sermonia, the very last Broadway Mistoffelees!
But trust me, that's his cute butt :-)
My husband took this as Julius was signing our poster. The little picture on the right is a little
better... at least you can tell who it is! We took others, but they didn't come out, dernit.
Julius is very sweet, softspoken, a little shy and was very generous with his time and attention
at the sale. When asked if he was getting tired of the CATS score playing over and over again
in the background, he said, "No, I never get tired of it!" And when my husband remarked that he must
hear that music in his dreams, he said, "I wouldn't mind!"
