[jcstar]

Next year, I will finally see CATS in Ottawa!! I've missed it the three other times its been here.

From what I've heard the last NA tour that went through here was not so great. I hope this tour rocks.

Anyway, I've only seen the film version and my Mom saw the Broadway cast with Laurie Beechman as Griz (circa 1990?).

I asked her to describe the Heavyside Layer scene.

What I was told is what happensn when I sawsw the film, but she said the tire floats over the audience and up to the ceiling. The staircase comes down... etc.

Where does the actress end up? I've been tole she exits through the celing and ends up on the roof off the theatre and somehow gets back inside for the bows.

I have a feeling there is some truth to this.

I've just always wondered how Griz exits.

Andy.

[kitty17794]

There's probably a platform or catwalk up there somewhere...dunno for sure, but that seems most logical to me...

[Carbucketty]

On Broadway she wound up on the roof, I think. The giant paw / stair case let out there, IIRC. There was some contreversy about it because they had to cut a hole in the theatre's roof. I think the Schuberts required a $1million dollar escrow account to be set up before the show opened to pay for the theatre to be re-configured.

They also had to dig into the bedrock below the theatre to install something. It was either the star trap or the tire mechanism. (I think they also filled in the pool that was installed in the theatre back when Esther Williams was in Follies or something.)

On the tour, Griz goes up in that circular lighted "UFO" that's displayed during the overture. I've always assume that she walked along the catwalk and then took a set of stairs down. It looks rather wobbly and shaky. In fact, during one performance I saw, Griz got a reprieve because the techies couldn't get the contraption to descend.

[Alonza0]

I think on most occasions they just lower Griz down for curtain call in whatever she was taken up in. This is the way I've seen it anyway. *shrugs*

[Nedame]

[Moongewl]

Grizabella comes out at the end of curtain call...so if it's possible for her to get down, I think they take that option. She definitely ran out from backstage the times I saw the show.
I think, like Carb said, they take her up to the catwalk if they can and she runs down. If they can't...I guess she just stands on the UFO for five minutes?

[ultra_lilac]

Last time I saw the show she came back down in the UFO again for the curtain call...which was kind of weird, like the Cats in the Heaviside Layer can't stand her either.

[Rumblepurr]

Just saw the Tour in Sacramento - 25th Anniversary Tour (US)

During the Heavyside Layer scene, the tire is allowed to move forward on a track and the lift raises the tire to meet the descending saucer. Griz steps into the saucer and is raised into the fly. She remains there until the finale, and the saucer is lowered for her to take her bows.

Rumblepurr
The Writer Cat

[Vice]

[Pounce]

[Rumpleteazer4760]

All the times I saw the Tour Grizabella came out for bows from backstage, so I always assumed that she was raised up into some kind of catwalk with stairs, as Carbucketty said.