[ilovemusicals]

I have pretty much decided to sing it for my local musical theatre class in our music festival. I have personally not heard it done much but I dunno....what do you experts think?

[darkmage]

It's way overdone. In fact, 'overdone' is an overstatement. To make matters worse, the song itself doesn't make much sense when it's taken out of the context of the show--I've seen it billed as a LOVE SONG!??!?! Now in the show, it makes perfect sense.

As for an audition piece, it's probably been done a million times before. I wouldn't recommend it, nor would I recommend singing anything from Rent or Phantom for the same reasons. As a performance piece, though, it's your call.

My $3...

[Dvarg]

I think it's the most overdone song of musical theatre.

[Moongewl]

[Belle]

It's the most recorded song in the whole world. It is so overdone that there needs to be a new term for it!

Even in the show, it takes a really good Grizabella to bring out the poignancy and tragedy in the song, so the song connects to the audience and isn't just "Oh, I know this song! Laalaa, lalalalala Laalaa....."

Chrissie Hammond doesn't get people humming along. Others I've seen do.



IN SHORT: SO NOT SING MEMORY UNLESS YOU'RE GRIZABELLA!

[Flitterbug]

I think if you're going to sing it you need to really feel it... or at least be very good at pretending that you really feel it.

[LaGataNegra]

Well put, Flitterbug.
If you just think it's a pretty song, skip it.
If you understand the 'whole scope and tragedy of the thing'-knock 'em dead!

[music is my life!!!]

i think it's a good song but i'd do an uptempo.

btw on my own from les mis is way more overdone...

[Belle]

"On My Own", "I Dreamed a Dream", what else.... "I know him so well" and most of Wicked - are all probably sung more for auditions and talent shows, etc, but Memory wins on the pro recordings.

[Moongewl]

[sunshinekate]

[Rallers]

I'm with the it's-way-overdone crowd. I get a weird sense of pride that it's a Cats song that gets to be that, but I think it should be just laid to rest. It's a nice song. It's heartbreaking in the show. It's somewhat freaky if it's true that every 30 seconds it's being played somewhere.

[LaGataNegra]

Maybe try 'Take that look off your face" from Song and Dance-you get to act the pissed-off, heartbroken chick. I always thought that would be a fun one to sing.

[santtu]

I think that to some extent it is overdone.

Because it has been done by so many artists with so wonderful voices everybody now think they can sing it - and they sing it whether they have the vocal range for it or not! And I think that's what's really murdering the song - too many people/artists thinking they can sing it when in fact they just should just face the facts and not try to sing a song which is way out of their range.

Connie Fisher in Princess Diana's memory concert is a shining example! The song was just too much for her voice and her skills. And she's not the only one.

[Yip1982]

I do admit that Memory as a song has been overdone. I think it's very unfortunate to see it snipped out of the show, as I think it loses its power and meaning. As such I feel much better hearing it on the cast album and always with the entire score of CATS. This is why I can never stand to hear this song played at random.
I do fear that in time Music of the Night from POTO would probably catch up with Memory to become another overplayed song...

[LaGataNegra]