the girl who actually sang Jemima's part has a voice beyond description. It's absolutely ethereal. It could give hope to the hopeless. Helen Massey is her name, she's actually an opera singer nowadays. Absolutely stunning.
The musical is set on the night of the Jellicle Ball, when one cat is selected to be reborn in the Heaviside Lair. The plot is fitted around music & dance numbers - each being the presentation of a Jellicle to suggest why they should chosen. Grizabella's appearances illustrate her suffering and rejection from the tribe. In the end they accept her again and she is selected to be reborn. So, I think this musical is about forgetting grudges, and accepting others with kindness and an open heart.
I love Elaine Paige's performance of this song. And to those who are saying they don't understand why Jemima wasn't the one to touch Grizabella I think the whole reason that Victoria was the one to touch Grizabella was to show that Jemima's acceptance of Grizabella was leading to others' accepting her also.
While I agree, I think Elaine's version is the best version of this song, Betty wasn't trying to make this song happy. I don't even think that's possible. It was just that hers was more nostalgic, thinking of those memories, living those memories while Elaine is more about the tragedy that resulted from those memories. It's hard to explain, they both work, but I think Elaine's interpretation is much easier to understand and receive.
I'm playing Grizabella in my high school play this year and they told me to look at different versions to get an idea of what I should do. I told them that I all I needed was to to look at Elaine Paige's version because she's freaking amazing. I'm a good singer but I know that I'll never be as good as her...but I can try :)
So, the main story is that there is a big group of cats called the "Jellicles." It is on the night of the Jellicle Ball, were all the cats come together to name one cat to go to the "Heavy Side Lair," which is like human Heaven, to be reborn as a new cat. There are many cats to choose from, and one of them, Grizabella, is very old. She left the jellicles to live a succesful life, and suffered many hardships, and now only wants to be accepted again.
I absolutely LOVE the passion that these two women put into the song, especially Elaine Paige. She is one of the very few people who have performed in any musical I have seen, live and on movie form, that has brought be to tears. I absolutely adore Elaine Paige
this performance is just SO beautiful! i love the emotion displayed when Elaine sings...it makes me cry every single time! and Veerle has a gorgeous voice too..and a gorgeous face to match! Just amazing...it will NEVER get old
I would not be the one to compare performances, I have loved Betty Buckley's performance for so many years. Now I can see why there is such an argument over who is better. Now my turn to weigh in. They are both fantastic, bring their own to the part. Absolutely amazing.
Wow!!Elaine Page has perfectly captured the emotion that Grizabella is conveying in this song. Oh! This is a very emotional song for me that it makes me cry and also hope at the same time.
I have watched this movie hundreds of times, and to this day I cannot listen to Elaine Paige sing as Grizabella without crying. It is simply not possible for me not to.
LOVE IT!!! Elaine Paige is just STUNNING!! I cry every time I hear she scream "Touch me, it's so easy to leave me !!!!" Six people have no feelings....
"Sunlight through the trees in summer, endless masquerading, like a flower as the dawn is breaking" that's when Grizabella joins and Jemima stops singing.
I am a thrice published novelist with several poetry books and a couple of screenplays, and yet I can't put into works what this song does to me. When Jemima sings with Grizabella, and Elaine Paiges climax of the song...I wish I had the words, I truly do, and yet they fail me. Elaine Paige is a goddess of song.
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This song is full of beauty and power, spinning its wonderful and sad story like a web in the morning rays. And in the end, the innocence of one cat shines through and breaks the darkness in Grizabella's broken life with a single touch. This is the most touching song of any musical I've ever watched. A true masterpiece.
This is my favorite song out of the whole thing. It's just so full of emotion. And I love watching the video. The part at the very end where the look of relief and joy overcomes Grizabella is just heartbreaking yet so wonderful. T-T
@fatheranthony4pope no, what alot of people think is that Grizabella is the glamour cat, you can see her in the first scene as a younger cat . and she left the jellicles, and tried to come back, but no one exepted her, so now she is old and alone, but when they finally exept her(at the end) Old Deutoronomy chooses her to be reborn into another jellicle life, so she can be happy again:)
I like Helen Massie's Jemima voice the best, but Betty Buckley is awesome as Grizzabella. Elaine is good too, but I prefer Betty. BTW, happy birthday Betty!
@magna621 Elaine Paige has been with Cats in the original production in London. If I am not mistaken she has also played Grizzabella a few times as well. I am not sure she has done it on broadway though.
I disagree with people saying that Veerle's (is that her name?) Jemima is the best vocally. Get the Original Cast Recording (not the Broadway one) and listen to Sarah Brightman's The Moments of Happiness and Memory.
I've never thought it was fair that Victoria is the first one to accept her...I always thought it should be Jemima or Demeter, since they're the ones who show her sympathy throughout the whole play.
