Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Cats' started its run in 1981. The lyrics to 'Cats' were written by Trevor Nunn, based on T.S. Eliot's 1939 collection of poems, 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'. 'Cats', the musical phenomenon, would eventually become the longest-running show in theater history. 'Cats' world-famous anthem, 'Memory', was sung by the character Grizabella. Originally performed by Elaine Paige, 'Memory' featured in full at the climax of 'Cats'.
As noted, "Grizabella is a very old, dishevelled cat who in this song harks back to her days as a glamorous dancer and declares her wishes to start a new life."
Elaine Paige told 'Playbill' in 1998, "There's just something about the way he (Andrew Lloyd Webber) writes, the structure of his songs and he does write emotionally charged melodies. That's probably the key as far as I'm concerned because I love to sing those kind of songs. I like to emote and get right deep down into the lyric of a song ... His way of writing and my way of singing kind of work quite well together."
Of singing 'Memory', Elaine Paige expressed, "It's very difficult, obviously, when you've been singing something for this long. Funny enough, quite recently (in 1998), for Andrew's 50th birthday celebration here at the Albert Hall, Trevor asked - for all the shows he's been involved with - all the artists to go and have a chat with him. Basically, we talked about the show again, and it refreshed one's memory of what we were trying to achieve in the first place all those years ago.
"It was amazing how just doing that, redefining it, can make it fresh again. That's really the best way to keep something fresh is to keep looking at it. But it's difficult to do alone; you need somebody else. You need a director to be observant." Elaine Paige was called in at the last moment to replace Judi Dench in 'Cats' and reportedly heard the melody to 'Memory' just the night before on her car radio.
"It was such a fantastic, haunting tune, and I was obsessed with it the moment I heard it, and I knew I had to record it. And, of course, at that time I had nothing to do with the show, but I was going to ring Andrew and say, 'You've got to let me record this,' but I didn't have to because they called me … Particularly with the song 'Memory', I think I felt that the show was going to do something. I just had a sense about it, like a sixth sense, that this was something different."
In 1982, Barbra Streisand recorded 'Memory' and was credited as "the person who made this song famous."
October 2016, Southend Theatre Scene: Do you ever get envious of other actresses who have played the same parts as you've played?
Elaine Paige: Oh no, you know I think the theatre and the arts are all about interpretation and different generations play parts in different ways. I'm just thrilled that I was the first to play some of these major roles - there's nothing that can beat originating a role. It’s wonderful to be able to create something from scratch.
Southend Theatre Scene: Can you remember the first time that you sung 'Memory' in 'Cats'?
Elaine Paige: Well, I came into 'Cats' very late in the day by default because originally Judi Dench was going to be playing the role.
Oh yes, she broke something didn’t she?
She broke her achilles tendon and was cast off to hospital much to her distress and discomfort. Taking over from her at the last minute, literally, I had a weekend to learn the role and 'Memory' was something they brought into the show during the rehearsal period.
By the time I got involved there was discussion about the lyrical content. Tim Rice wrote a lyric; Trevor Nunn had already written a lyric based on the T.S. Eliot poem called 'Rhapsody on a Windy Night' and then Richard Stilgo had a go at one. Also, Don Black had a lyric, so the first ten days of previews I was singing a different lyric or bits of different lyrics all shoved together every night, to see which one was the best. In the end Trevor Nunn's lyric prevailed.
Southend Theatre Scene: Do you ever get tired of singing it?
Elaine Paige: Never. I never tire of singing it - isn't it a funny thing? When I first heard it on the radio, I was coming back from a dinner party and I heard the tune on the radio and there was no lyric to it at the time and immediately I heard it I knew that it was special, for me anyway. It did something to me, that melody. I think it's one of his great songs, one of the greatest that he's ever written.
Definitely, it's got so much emotion in it, hasn’t it?
It’s brilliant. It’s really like an operatic aria really. It’s one of the most wonderful songs.
In December 2014, Nicole Scherzinger made her West End debut in 'Cats' as Grizabella, the 'Jellicle cat', as explained by the UK 'Telegraph', "chosen by leader Old Deuteronomy to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reincarnated." Elaine Paige made the observation at the time, "It was weird because I had never seen it. When the music started, I got goose bumps. The dancing was amazing and they sang up a storm but it lacked something in character ... It was slicker and more glitzy when we opened, I think."
Speaking to the UK 'Telegraph' in 2010 about the musical 'Love Never Dies', Andrew Lloyd Webber stated, "I often think of random melodies and I pretty much hear in my head what I want to do with the orchestra as I'm writing on the piano. But the most important thing with musical theatre is the story. That is where you have to start. With the exception of 'Cats', which is an oddball, it is always the story that is the most important aspect and when they haven't worked, as with 'Woman in White', it was because the story wasn't right. Why am I still hungry? I think it is just that I love the collaborative element. You depend on each other in a project like this. It is a shared adventure between the cast, director, designer, costume maker, lighting engineer, choreographer. One ingredient could be wrong and a great piece of work will disappear."
