Loni Ackerman

Broadway - 05/09/1988 - 08/1991 - Grizabella

2012 Interview

Interview, Playbill.com Sept 2016
Loni Ackerman played the role on Broadway from 1988-1991.

How long did it take you to get into full Grizabella makeup each night? LA: I got it down to ten minutes!!

What is the pressure/challenge like of having to deliver “Memory,” the vocally demanding song everyone waits for all evening? LA: Waiting all evening, praying that the Goddess of Phlegm will not make a guest appearance!

Was there any one performance of “Memory” that stands out in your mind as your best ever? LA: No..I’m still working on it!

What was the most memorable onstage Cats mishap—either your own or by a fellow cast member? LA: Well… at the end of the show, the cast danced “happily” around the stage. The Macavity cat and I took to doing the jitterbug (much to the stage manager’s horror!). One matinee we jitterbugged so hard, we fell off the stage into a nice elderly lady’s lap. She thought it was great fun… we got into deep litterbox s***!!!!!!

Why do you think the musical has endured? LA: It's Cats!

What version of “Memory”—other than your own—do you admire? LA: Laurie Beechman. The cry in her voice was haunting…I miss her.