Grizabella

 

"Grizabella, well...she's really an old, dilapidated cat who's had a very good life indeed...and has been in a few scrapes in her life...I think she has a few regrets, and I think she may now at this point in her life feel a little tired and lonely--and certainly feels rejected in this piece, because every time she appears, poor thing, they all shun her. And she just wants to be loved, and to be involved in the life of the community of these cats...and they don't want her around."

--Elaine Paige, Grizabella

Well, it's hard to top that description, especially since it's coming from the actress for whom--well, I won't say that playing Grizabella was her whole life, because I know she had other roles beforehand, but I will say that Grizabella was one of the main points of her life. However, I do have a few things to add.

Although I think most fanfiction writers prefer to focus on the younger cats, Grizabella is definitely one of the most interesting and mysterious characters. We know that she was once beautiful and adventurous, daring to go places that most respectable cats would not. However, exactly what that means, and what happened to her between that glamorous time and the Jellicle Ball when she returns, is up for interpretation.

It is always made evident that the other cats are frightened or disgusted by her, but we don't know whether this is just because of her ragged looks (under which is hidden a sparkling costume left over from when she was young, sometimes revealed as she ascends to the Heaviside Layer), or because of what they know of her past.

Not all cats immediately hate Grizabella--the younger cats are generally more accepting of her, but are either repeatedly kept away from her by their elders, or eventually persuaded by them that she is dangerous. Those that stay on her side eventually help her regain the Tribe's acceptance.

Useful Facts About the Role

 Grizabella only appears for four songs and sometimes in the middle of the Jellicle Ball for a few seconds, but she is considered the main lead. The same actress may (as in the movie) play a "chorus cat" in the earlier songs, but Grizabella's real entrance is "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat".

Her most significant song is "Memory", and for that you probably need an alto voice, although I've done it as a soprano. Acting and singing are equally important; dancing, not so much. Unless she's a chorus cat, Grizabella's only dancing will happen before she sings "Memory" the first time, and there it's supposed to look bad. If there is a flashback Grizabella who dances, she will probably be played by one of the actresses who has a smaller role and won't be missed, but is a good dancer.

You do not have to be old to play Grizabella!