"Memory" -Laurie Beechman-Winter Garden 6/19/97

In the '80s, Laurie Beechman followed Betty Buckley in the Broadway company of "Cats" and remained in the role for four years. In June, 1997, "Cats" was poised to break the record for the longest-running show in Broadway history. Beechman was asked to return for a few months and be Grizabella at the 6/19/97 performance, when "Cats" broke the record. Beechman died the following year, age 44.

[@JimBobSky]

The fact that she was battling cancer during this time just amazes me. Where did she get the energy to pull this off?

[@Juliaflo]

Ovarian cancer, at that.

[@tmf866]

She said that she sang that song every night as a prayer. She wasn't just good because she had talent, she was good because she knew she was dying so every night she bared her soul in that song.

[@chicagocarless]

@@tmf866 About to cry five years after my last comment…

[@douglasduff4466]

Beautiful Singer. Her Andrew Lloyd Webber Album is just fantastic ❤️

[@chicagocarless]

I have waited to see this again for 20 years. Longer. I hope people who view this know how incredible rare it is.

[@auroraspiderwoman5886]

Thanks--nice of you to say so.

[@tmf866]

@Robert Lee, Countertenor I had the privilege of seeing her perform this role four times. I remember that in at least one of them she didn't collapse dramatically to the stage as she does here - I now know that she may have been physically unable to because she was battling cancer while she played the role - instead she merely turned her head down sadly, and the entire audience burst into tears. She was *that* good.

[@michaelgiacobbe5884]

I did this with Laurie in 92-93 before Cats European tour. She was amazing and a lovely person .

[@chrisbaerart]

I saw her in the first national tour of Cats - it was phenomenal....blessed to have been there. She will be missed - one of a kind talent. Such a loss for the world of theater.

[@keithnelson9905]

I saw Laurie in Boston while on tour with Cats, I still remember how my body, heart and soul reacted to her, it was an experience I will carry with me always, BRILLIANT!!!

[@cherylb6755]

@@keithnelson9905~ I, too, saw her in Boston. She did a night or two of cabaret, and I was fortunate enough to see her. I cried the whole night. And I wasn't the only one. For me, her incredible power wasn't in her music - though her voice was extraordinary, but in her vibe, her spirit; and how she used her voice to send her spirit out to her audience. Incomparable. Ineffable.

[@orion8835]

It’s an extraordinary performance . How she got so many nuances in with distorting the musical line was true art. Laurie was an AMAZING high belter with tremendous effect and vocal quality.

[@art724]

So sad that nine months later she had passed.

[@gordonpeterson4384]

when I saw her, there was not a whisper in the audience and I got goose bumps.. she was the very best.

[@chrisbaerart]

Blessed to have seen her in the 1st National tour -she will be missed. This breaks my heart to bits. She was a phenom.

[@againDREAMING]

What a glorious talent and great LOSS for the world!

[@richardmayora1289]

What a gift...that we can come here and continue to watch her. She was a mesmerizing performer, so gifted and gone way too soon.

[@lindawagar976]

Laurie was a phenomenon in high school. There was never a doubt that she’d be successful.

[@maryrutkowski7195]

Her knowledge of her own mortality puts this version of this song into a whole higher level of spirituality... the singing and the acting... heartbreaking. Her journey with cancer makes this a masterpiece... not just a song.

[@douglasduff4466]

Gorgeous 😍 ❤

[@tomgallowitz4464]

Laurie ranks up there with Elaine and Betty as one of the greatest Grizabella's of all time.

[@garyglaser4998]

Are you high?

[@nalabees]

@@garyglaser4998 tis you that is not thinking clearly...

[@smurf902]

Even Andrew Lloyd Webber himself said in her documentary that she was the most touching Grizabellas ever cast. He knows, he'd already worked with her in Joseph.

[@douglasduff4466]

Beautiful rendition ❤

[@tomgallowitz]

@@nalabeesthank you, she’s amazing and think her having cancer made the song more personal, Betty and Elaine played her, Laurie in a sense was her

[@stephenvaught7042]

this is absolutely stunning. i am in tears

[@auroraspiderwoman5886]

Thank you---so glad it touched you.

[@orion8835]

It’s an extraordinary performance . How she got so many nuances in with distorting the musical line was true art.

[@christophermullen7271]

I got to see her perform when I was kid and it was fing amazing I still remember it clear as day how powerful her voice is live she was one of my favorite female singers of all time

[@sweetietsd]

Laurie's grandmother and my grandmother were very friendly. My mother knew her mother very well. I went to a show she did at the Walnut Theater in Phikladelphia. I met her there. I went to her funeral. I remember Sam Harris was there and he we weeping. I went up to see her in Cats on Broadway from Philadelphia on a Sunday night. I was excited sitting in the audience and over the speaker I hear "the part of Grizabella will be played by..." and it was NOT LAURIE BEECHMAN that night. She was very sweet and incredibly talented.

[@maryrutkowski7195]

Wow... amazing story. So you didn't get to see her? I'm sorry. Her knowledge of her own mortality puts this version of this song into a whole higher level of spirituality... the singing and the acting... heartbreaking. Her journey with cancer makes this a masterpiece... not just a song.

[@bogdog999]

Forever my favorite performance of "Memory".

[@fabiokaneziro8848]

...beautiful, elegant performance!!! in verse 4 "touch me" the explosion of her voice as amazing!!!

[@graaaaaaaaaaaaaaace]

Very beautiful performance. She sounds distinctly catlike throughout it. Undoubtedly one of the best Grizabellas of all time.

[@1midge1]

Mesmorising! Thanks for posting this gem.

[@jeffacosta123]

This makes me more excited to see CATS next summer. Sure, it's not at the Winter Garden, but it's always been a bucket-list to-do to see CATS on Broadway if it ever came back. I've seen it twice on tour, but it's going to be so exciting seeing it on Broadway finally next year :)

[@JimBobSky]

She was my favorite in this role.

[@patrickmulewski8169]

One of the best! Love her

[@raywil1000]

Wow what a truly awesome and emotional find - thank you for posting

[@auroraspiderwoman5886]

Very glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your comment.

[@josephlander3250]

Laurie Beechman was a stunning performer. Bringing incredible depth to every performance. Her Fantine was heart breaking. Her Grizabella the epitome of an "Everyman". No matter who we are or what our past, we are all worthy of being loved and touched. We are all deserving to be a part of the human family. She evoked this character so clearly. The absolute worst that I saw of Laurie, Loni Ackerman, Liz Callaway, Lilias White and a few understudies... easily Lilias White. It was painfully obvious that she hated the role.

[@chrissi2810]

So amazing to be able to see some footage of the Broadway production. Thank you for uploading it. You don't happen to have more footage, do you?

[@auroraspiderwoman5886]

Yes---more to come. Thanks.

[@teamelitediamonds6362]

the best.....ever....no comparison.

[@kevinmcguire5696]

I always wondered what happened to the Coca Cola sign. Great scenic piece. Glad I kept my Gumbie knife after all these years.

[@jesuisdora]

听得心都碎了

[@MrEgerman]

Is there a full video of this performance? I was under the impression there was no footage of the Broadway version.

[@southvale]

holy shit that's Michael Gruber too isn't it?

[@saveyourselves5923]

Is that Michael Gruber as Munkastrap??

[@auroraspiderwoman5886]

Yes, I think so.

[@alidaylami8073]

Do you have videos of Liz Callaway or Lillias White as Grizabella?

[@auroraspiderwoman5886]

Not that come to mind, although if Liz ever did "Memory" on TV I probably have it. Will check.

[@mkhmedinaglobal2]

So much passion in this performance, but the very big rubato at the songs climax was a bit too much for my taste.

[@figarothecat3707]

I'll say it- the back-phrasing is brutal and ruins the song.

[@corychapin5470]

Yeah I'm sorry...this is just awful.my god woman pick a key and stick with it

[@Declare57]

There's always someone who hads to advertise their ignorance and their arrogance. The winner, Cory Chapin!!!

[@corychapin5470]

Declare57 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💪🏻💪🏻👍🏻👍🏻😊😊😊

[@phillgreenland2390]

The greatest of all the Grizabellas, and a lovely, kind, funny lady. Thanks for bringing back these memories.

[@BHAKTIBROPHY]

I love that Laurie Beechman got to play Grizabella the night CATS surpassed A Chorus Line for longest running show on Broadway at the time. A lovely honor to a beautiful singer, and spiritual warrior. What a beautiful voice!

[@howardgoldberg1399]

Back in the day I could only afford standing room tickets - that’s how I first saw CATS. I will never forget the experience. I’d been a fan of Laurie’s from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat but was not prepared to hear her rendition of Memory. I’d heard many previous versions of the song (Elaine Paige, Betty Buckley, Barbra Streisand, etc.) but no lie, my knees literally buckled when she sang “touch me...” What a loss of a treasure.

[@phillgreenland2390]

Same. I stood at that red rail by the sound board many times, just to hear this. Wonder if we were standing together at some point. Breathtaking.

[@ralphonofrio1518]

I was the drummer in a show band ''Carnival'' we hired Laurie,at 20 years old, she was destined for great things..We all knew it...Everywhere we performed she brought the house down...A natural performer....RIP,my friend.

[@ValtronW]

.....how on Earth did you find this?

[@karrezza]

She is so opposite Betty Buckley, in terms of deliverance and the character gestures but I love them both!

[@michaelgiacobbe5884]

+karrezza I did Cats with Laurie, she was one of the most inspiring artists and an amazing voice that will truly be missed.

[@jimmcfall3678]

Dear god, that was breath taking and simply heartbreaking.

[@blackngoldcuttlefish3390]

she looks like and reminds me of an actual cat here (I mean that as a compliment, it's interesting how cat-like she comes across with her eyes and movements etc)

[@songbirdy]

I saw this on Broadway in 1986. The whole cast was like this as far as being cats. It was incredible to watch.

[@Broadwayriah]

I don’t know if it’s just me but did Grizabella always have a black scarf on her or was this worn on specially by/for Laurie?

[@brettewilson]

Elaine appears to have worn a black feather boa as part of her Grizabella costume in 1981, judging from the photographs of the original London production's cast that I've seen (as well as Carol Neilsson in 1985). Laurie's scarf does look longer and more narrow, however

[@evanisbaked]

As someone who absolutely hates cats as a whole, this performance is so good. IDC what anyone says, the emotional connection and real life parallels make Laurie the best Grisabella ever

[@mimisullivan246]

The best ever! incomparable

[@phantomv5627]

Who is Sillabub/Jemima in this?

[@hanskriefall8769]

Alaine Kashian.

[@fredbloggs6080]

Laurie beechman was great and she had the most naturally cat-like face. Who over-boosted the audio progressively starting at 4:53, and sharply dropped it down again at 5:20--was that in the original production or postprocessing of the video? It really ruins the effect.

[@chicagocarless]

That was the original production. It eventually blew out the speakers and they coughed a lot by mid-run.

[@fredbloggs6080]

@@chicagocarless They should have fired the FOH Engineer and replaced the speakers.

[@chicagocarless]

@@fredbloggs6080 truly. I probably saw the OBC two dozen times. And over the years, that climax got more and more painful because of those damn speakers.

[@ilovkittisncats]

godddd i love this musical so much

[@danstoblame]

Wow.

[@JasonCollago309]

am I the only one that doesn't like her rendition of memory???? way too scratchy and high pitched

[@LadyBloodyWrists]

Eric Morgan That's the intention, she's channeling the suffering

[@DavidAndTheDog]

You're certainly in a small minority, in not appreciating this performance. Probably the best interpretation this song has ever had.

[@SmolAliens]

I also don’t like it and I feel bad saying it considering the circumstances around the performance. But it’s just not my favorite.