This song is about solitude, about someone who's not accepted by rest cats. And for me - Betty perfect PLAY Grizabella, but Elaine IS Grizabella. I can't hear in Betty's voice ANY emotion. It's just perfect SUNG a song. Like Barbara Straisand's version.
In Elaine Paige one word from this song is much more emotion than in hole song Betty and Barbara altogether.
look guys. you're all right and you're all wrong. it's all a matter of how YOU want to interpret the song. it's rare to be able to compare two actors in the same role. i like them both
I don't care who acted this better, all I know is Betty Buckley sang this 10x better than Elaine Paige, and no one can deny this. You can spew out all you like about other aspects, but no one can truthfully say that Paige sins this better :)
"If you touch me (the Memory) you'll understand what happiness is..." She IS sad, she HAS lost her touch with what has made her happy, but "look, a new day has begun". It IS sad, she (the actress) SHOULD be sad portraying the role, but not hopeless. You can take it either way with Page or Buckley -- Elaine seems distraught (maybe that's appropriate), and Betty seems just sad. In either rendition, it's going to be how you receive it "personally". But Betty sings it better. She hit the homerun!
@MillerMo10 You may not understand the meaning of the character. She IS confident and bold. She has been struck down in a way, but her personality as the Glamour Cat lives on through this version, but not that of Page.
@mrmaulerman55446 -- You may be interpreting how YOU would portray the Glamour Cat, but maybe not how Weber wrote the song to be portrayed. "I remember, the time I knew what happiness was, let the memory live again." Clearly she's dealing with sadness, possibly even depression -- even the Glamour Cat can get depressed and you can't be "confident and bold" if you're not happy. What we see here is an attempt to draw from the past and a steadfast spirit, but it's clear she's hurting by the lyrics.
@MillerMo10 You could say that Elaine's is depressed, whereas Betty's is more.....serious. I've seen countless performances of Elaine singing, and while I think she has a beautiful voice, I dislike how over dramatic she is. The lyrics are undoubtedly sorrowful, but her performances at times come off as almost temper tantrums. Betty's performance here, to me, makes it seem like she's come to terms with her fate and, after Jemima encourages her, finds the strength to be her old self one last time.
Helen Massie: best Jemima voice. Betty Buckley: best Grizzabella voice. Too bad too many people give Veerle credit for that voice. And too bad that not enough people have heard Buckley's voice.
I have heard many singers' interpretation of "Memory" and none reached out to me like Ms. Buckley's. It's not just the best vocalization imaginable, it's her empathy with the audience that makes her among the greatest of artists. A few years ago she was in our city for only one performance. I sat a few feet from her as she looked at me while singing "Memory". It was my birthday. What a gift!
I think the essence of this number and why it appeals universally is that it is about each of us. She says "open up and turn in". Look within for that happiness from your own memory. Also, the "touch me" applies to reaching out and touching that memory. Not her! But that which you remember. Betty has nailed this and why I find her performance complete. Elaine is pleading and quite different.
You can't say that someone who took the original, changed it a little in the emotion and energy, and produced the same piece AS the same title, did it better than the original. Betty Buckley>all the rest. Some compare, but none compete.
Lovely. I see the uploader's point about the difference between Elaine's performance and this one. I'm just an intended music major, but the difference between the two performances definitely shows me what "interpretation" is, crystal clear.
the best english version i ever heard! her voice is so powerful....awsome!... i´m a big musical fan... and this is real a version with so much emotion.... love it! :)
Most people prefer Elaine's version (the movie of course...) but what people don't realize that Elaine was too old to still play that part at the time. She was straining because she just couldn't hit those notes anymore. I prefer Betty, she doesn't push and she doesn't give it all away (which you aren't suppose to when you belt or you push and strain)... just saying.
I honestly think that this song is open for interpretation. Just like every song from every musical out there. We all have our own perspective. I honestly like Betty's more, cause it contains a strength ideal to most women. I don't want to be perceived as helpless. Yes at times we all feel that way. But there's a time where we just got to move on. "Look a new day... has begun." Where is the sorrow in that statement?
@wickedfeylady I have never, ever heard a voice like this before. I thought Streisand hit it, but she's crap compared to Buckley. God is truly in this woman. What power, what control, I cry every time I hear this and I thought I'd heard it all at 57. What a gift she was. Words cannot possibly describe her voice.
Who else can trump an orchestra during a climax? NO ONE... Her Touch Me continues to be and will probably forever remain some of the most powerful music I've ever felt.
I wasn't crazy about the way she portrayed tha character at first (far too used to Elaine I guess) but when she broke out with that "Touch me", damn. O:
I think that if you are looking for a more dramatic version, go with Elaine Becker. She acts it out more, really displays the brokenness. No dissing Betty, though! WOW!!!!! Both are incredible, in my opinion.
I like Elaine better as Grizabella. The way she walks shows that she's an old and tired cat, and I also like her acting and singing better, BUT Betty shows that Grizabella is proud, and not so sad which is better for this scene I think.. Anyway! Love Cats! <3
Betty understands this song perfectly. Elaine's a talented performer, but she changed the song to make it some sob-tale. "Memory" is Grizabella explaining that although she has aged and has been ostracized, she is still the Glamour Cat.
It's a song of undying pride and a longing that others would still see her beauty. It is NOT a "I'm hopeless" breakdown.
@AtLastOnTheGround actually it kind of is. its supposed to be sad. its not supposed to be a happy song. elaine page did it perfectly well. i think she captured it better than betty did, no offense. i mean they are both equally talented in singing but elaine knows how to send out a feeling of sadness but hope.
@AtLastOnTheGround A sob story? Have you ever, ever felt alone before?It's that what you think of it? I never bought into that one-size fits all interpretation crap. Listen. The best thing about a story, not just a musical, not a just a book is how the many ways you can reach out and relate. It is not story, but the person that creates the emotion...
@AtLastOnTheGround ...The utterance the phrase "I love you" can be felt so sweetly by the burning fire of youth and bitterly by the by the broken-hearted people of the world. And from Elaine Paige's Grizzabella, all you can see is a hopeless breakdown?
You could well be right about Betty's understanding this piece 'better' than Elaine. That said, while Betty's performance gives me goosebumps, Elaine's rendering leaves me with tears in my eyes as well as goosebumps. Personally- I can't imagine being more moved by music than to have it bring tears to my eyes. Therefore I have to say that I find Elaine's performance more moving. But yes- I have to grant you that it may indeed deviate from the intended 'vibe' of this piece.
Uh, its the Tony Awards, cut by oh I dont know MOST of the CATS show?
Of course there is not much emotion. You seen Elaine's I bet on DVD only where you can do "Lets do another take with that Elaine", as it was not a live audience production...
Really? Was that written on the DVD insert? "Elaine Page chosen for DVD because she acts better!".. ah no, you just made that up. At time they made the DVD, Buckley was no longer in Cats. She won the Tony and moved on to other musicals! Cats dont show expression, they are subtle and cool, like Buckley
Meh. I don't agree. Nice voice, certainly... but the song is so powerful and lyrically, so touching with that hint of sadness and loneliness - that I prefer Elaine's version/portrayal. Both are good, but I guess it depends on how you look at/interpret the song and character. There's isn't a wrong - there is just a 'preferable'.
This IS how Grizabella is supposed to be... This is how Andrew Loyd Wright wanted it to be... It was his vison based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats... I love Elaine and Betty's singing... they are both very different...I like them both either way
DivaBehavior has nailed it on the head here. You have to understand the true character of Grizabella in order to truly appreciate the power of Betty's performance. Grizabella is not supposed to be old and pathetic...she is proud and despite an old coat...she's beautiful still. Betty just got it bang on!
You don't understand -- Grizabella isn't some forlorn, beggar-woman looking cat. Elaine Paige is magnificent, but her portrayal was misguided. Griz is still proud and still knows that she is beautiful and the Glamour Cat even if the others don't see it. Betty captures the subtle elegance and undying spirit of Grizabella; Elaine plays a withered away and hopeless Grizabella.
I picture Grizabella as scrawny and Betty delivers that for me. her makeup enhances her stunning bone structure in a way that makes her authentically feline. this Grizabella's pain is tucked away in a private place but she allows a glimpse of it. the power of her voice, especially when rising from a crouch, is amazing. brava!
Yep. I have to agree. Buckley has Ethel Merman's power; but, I still like Paige better (even though I love Ethel). Paige inhabits the character completely and she uses her voice (to great effect) to project the emotion of the character. One standard I learned when I was a student in NY has served me well. If you can communicate as well with the back row as you can with the front, you've done a good night's work. Elaine knows how to do that.
This song really touchs me very deep it is really one song That i remenber my past cats that i still love this song every time i hear it I begain to cry. No other song has proudced emontial response in me I rate this on a very high 10 and beyound.
I love watching it over again and again around 1:20 to 1:30 to watch Terrance Mann's reaction in the background to Betty Buckley's strong, power "Touch Me" :)
freaking GOD, betty buckley is singing a HIGH E flat, and there's not one strained vein in her look, no struggle, perfectly intune. this woman did it 5-7 nights a week, week after week for a LONG run on broadway, sorry but the modern girls should take notice. amazing amazing woman.
I love both Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley. My preference is Betty. Betty's approach is more "Sunset Boulevard" - the faded glamour cat singing with a sad, yet proud reflection. Elaine's approach is more of "something bad happened and spiralled me into homelessness" - a sad desperate sound. My feeling is that Betty's take is more appropriate. I also think Betty has more power. I just wish the Tony's version was full length like the 98 video.
Well Elaine Paige may be a great stage actress but Betty Buckley can outsing all of the women who's ever done this song, including Celine Dion, Barbar Streisand and Elaine Paige. She, and only she, gives me the chills when I hear her sing Memory.
I agree with you all the way! Her voice is absolutely fantastic, and i always feel like it shines best when she sings this song. The emotion she shows in this song is simply breath taking. All those other singers got nothing on her!
elaine page got all them beat. The conviction in her voice, the emotion in her face, and the authenticity of her movement does the song, and meaning of it, justice
When I found this it felt weird because every since I was a baby my mom played this song on a music box. It's beautiful. I still have it to so peaceful...
Both versions are incredibly lovely. still, I think betty gives it too much confidence for this particular part in the show, and elaine gives it that heart-wrenching weakness, still delivering with power, breaking her voice at the perfect places, etc. both versions are wonderfully well done.
I think she sings it really well and has that cool and eccentric aura.
But Elaine Paige´s interpretation is more convenient for me as Grizabella deserves compassion after being traded like an outsider for quite a while. When seeing her perform Grizabella it makes my heart melt.
Betty's "Touch me" is incredibly powerful and unmatched. Even more amazing is how effortlessly she does does it. I like Elaine Page, but at times she seems to be pooring a lot of energy into reaching those high notes (but maybe it's just acting). Still, but are suprelative singers
Way back when (meaning when Cats was "in" in the early 80s) I didnt care for BB's version - now I love it. When she stands and belts that note - you can see the faded regalness of the character - what she once was, and that she still has it in her to be that again. I think BB does this much better than Elaine Paige.
Elaine's portrayal of Grizzabella is very tragic and emotional. Betty's, as you say, is much more dignified. She is also more hopeful, whereas Elaine even at the end is still doubtful and sad. Both performances have their merits, and both takes on Grizzabella's character are equally valid. But if one judges purely on vocals, Betty far surpasses Elaine.
I don't think it's really fair to say which one acted the part better -- They both played Grizabella very differently. Elaine played her as jaded, abandoned, and unfortunate because she was once such a beautiful, fantastic cat.
Betty's Grizabella is more proud -- Instead of feeling sorry for herself like Elaine's, she still feels like she IS the beautiful Glamour Cat but feels unappreciated in her beauty.
Apples and oranges. I prefer Elaine's, but Betty's voice -- WOW.
yes... I agree with you... Elaine's acting really pierces through me... the way she shivers... that face she makes that really squeezes the tears out of me...
but... Betty's "Touch me..." is the most extraordinary version I've ever heard in my entire life...
I remember the first time I saw this video I inadvertantly stood up, too. she has power like this, coming up from the FLOOR?!?!? Holy God, what a voice. Chills, man, just chills.
The way the T in "touch" came out is almost scary. It's like she fired it out of a tank. Huge voice. Reminds me of Whitney's singing of the word "time" in One Moment In Time live at the Grammys. Same type of jaw-dropping belt.
And as far as her movements go...when a Cat is wounded or something is wrong, it DOES move in a strange way. It is almost like her paws are injured. Fragile. This is an EPIC performance. One for the ages.
1:30 again...that note...such power. If you were an actor on stage watching her, can you imagine what you must have been thinking when she hit this note?
This is friggin sweet. I met her last year at a family wedding haha just washing our hands in the bathroom together talking about broadway lol amazing.
from the opening of this song, it looked like this hapenned right after the jeliicle ball, which would put it in the wrong spot of the show, unless this is at the Tony's and not live, which would make sense and account for the change in speed, the missing lyrics, and the fact that the jemima looked abit more like bombalurina.
I think she has a good voice, & she showed despair & sadness, but I just disliked the choreography, & I thought that & the music was just too fast & slightly peculiar for all the emotions & the atmosphere that was being created.
I think some of that stuff is because this was at the Tony awards, so it's not done like it was done in the show at all. In fact, they stuck two very different numbers together for this performance and edited this song down too.
wow i said it was awesome earlier, but im liking it less and less as i watch it again. at the end when the playbill pops up, look at her face. she SMILES. plus the choreography when she falls is just really strange.
She smiled probably cause this is just a performance at an award show, in the night that she won the Tony award. This clip is not from the actual show Cats...
Heck. I came back to this video. The more I read negative comments about Buckley, the more I am convinced that this is a work of genius. YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO LIKE HER. HER EGO IS BIGGER THAN YOURS. I think anyone that has lived despair or studied depression will recognize her robotic and delicate actions. I think Buckley really studied for the role. Add her powerful voice and WOW. Beechman is like the new kid on the block who studied both her and Paige and found the middle. All 3 are great.
I really do like this performance. It took me a while to get used to her voice in this role. But I really do love it. When she belts, there's something ... metallic about it. Lol I know that may sound weird. But her belt just seems to have a steely sound to it. If you like this, you MUST hear her in Carrie: the Musical. Phenomenal performance in a horrible show.
She's not doing it very well though, is she? The voice suits the song well and 'touch me' is very powerful... I still think she could put some more emotion into her performance though.
I really believe this is almost a work of genius. She won the ultimate award and made Cats the longest running show. With her hands she is reaching out for someone to touch her. She is not "acting out" despair - she KNOWS despair and abandonment. After she is pulled to her knees and finally hits the ground, she does what cats do with their paws on the carpet or the grass. She has been totally diminished. Jemima does not pity her. She honors her. Grizabella rises like the lioness that she is.
I have to agree!!! Although, I give prop to Betty, she does sing well. The Touch me was amazing!!! But it seems like she is so delicate and when she touches the ground at 50secs she seems robotic. Of Course, I think Elaine Paige is much more emotional and sung it much more better!!!!
Brilliant performers can reproduce Paige Acting 101 Beechman was dying when she gave her performance It is real No one will reproduce the perfection of the Buckley performance in this video Glamor cat. Think Glamor Spice She maintains poise A lady with pride in herself is shunned She can't understand why She is tired She doesnt collapse to her knees. She holds herself up until the gravity pulls her to the floor Jemima is inspired by her She walks like her She lifts her with her young voice
yeah i dont understand why people dont like betty she was pretty good if you ask me. the other young girl was rubbish i hated it. but Elane will always be my fav
I just don't get it. I think Betty ROCKED in this roll. No one can deliver that third verse like she can-so much power!!! Most people here don't seem to like her in this role. On the other hand, I think was AWFUL in Sunset Blvd, but everyone else seems to love her in that role. I think Elaine Paige's Grizabella is beautifully tragic and poignant. But I have never seen her belt that "Touch Me!!!!" line. She's very emotional, but not the thrilling power like Betty delivers here.
bravo!
evensout 20 hours ago
I can't agree with AtLastOnTheGround.
This song is about solitude, about someone who's not accepted by rest cats. And for me - Betty perfect PLAY Grizabella, but Elaine IS Grizabella. I can't hear in Betty's voice ANY emotion. It's just perfect SUNG a song. Like Barbara Straisand's version.
In Elaine Paige one word from this song is much more emotion than in hole song Betty and Barbara altogether.
xMastJedi 23 hours ago
Betty singing this has been giving me chills since I first heard it as a child in the 80's...NO ONE does/did it like her...
photoboho 1 week ago
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This vid is a favorite on Freetown
randyrose512 2 weeks ago
This rendition gives me chills!Her vouice is so clear like a flute!! as the daughter of a musicion I grew up with Motown 2 This!!chacka69 2012
69chacka 3 weeks ago
1:28 is the single most powerful vocal sound I have ever heard. It is like a nuke going off.
UndercoverCracker 1 month ago 2
That belt just gets you straight to the bone. Haunting yet beautiful/
VivaLaEquus 1 month ago
So much power and elegance in her voice
VivaLaEquus 1 month ago
What a "Stand-up performance!
AJAragon1 2 months ago
Best version ever.
wickedfeylady 2 months ago
look guys. you're all right and you're all wrong. it's all a matter of how YOU want to interpret the song. it's rare to be able to compare two actors in the same role. i like them both
bertiejr 3 months ago
I don't care who acted this better, all I know is Betty Buckley sang this 10x better than Elaine Paige, and no one can deny this. You can spew out all you like about other aspects, but no one can truthfully say that Paige sins this better :)
BennyJayRuss 3 months ago
Chills.
Doggielovers100 3 months ago
The best version, PERIOD.
UndercoverCracker 4 months ago 2
@1:26 ...........simply bone-chilling.
JT826 6 months ago
"If you touch me (the Memory) you'll understand what happiness is..." She IS sad, she HAS lost her touch with what has made her happy, but "look, a new day has begun". It IS sad, she (the actress) SHOULD be sad portraying the role, but not hopeless. You can take it either way with Page or Buckley -- Elaine seems distraught (maybe that's appropriate), and Betty seems just sad. In either rendition, it's going to be how you receive it "personally". But Betty sings it better. She hit the homerun!
MillerMo10 6 months ago
@MillerMo10 You may not understand the meaning of the character. She IS confident and bold. She has been struck down in a way, but her personality as the Glamour Cat lives on through this version, but not that of Page.
mrmaulerman55446 6 months ago
@mrmaulerman55446 -- You may be interpreting how YOU would portray the Glamour Cat, but maybe not how Weber wrote the song to be portrayed. "I remember, the time I knew what happiness was, let the memory live again." Clearly she's dealing with sadness, possibly even depression -- even the Glamour Cat can get depressed and you can't be "confident and bold" if you're not happy. What we see here is an attempt to draw from the past and a steadfast spirit, but it's clear she's hurting by the lyrics.
MillerMo10 6 months ago
@MillerMo10 You could say that Elaine's is depressed, whereas Betty's is more.....serious. I've seen countless performances of Elaine singing, and while I think she has a beautiful voice, I dislike how over dramatic she is. The lyrics are undoubtedly sorrowful, but her performances at times come off as almost temper tantrums. Betty's performance here, to me, makes it seem like she's come to terms with her fate and, after Jemima encourages her, finds the strength to be her old self one last time.
ValtronW 2 months ago
Guys- There's a great interview right here on Youtube where she explains her interpretation/influence of her role as Griz. Check it out!
Look up: Betty Buckley on InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse
noodle0912 6 months ago
I almost cried that was so amazing.
raintalonwindclan 7 months ago
Helen Massie: best Jemima voice. Betty Buckley: best Grizzabella voice. Too bad too many people give Veerle credit for that voice. And too bad that not enough people have heard Buckley's voice.
raintalonwindclan 7 months ago 3
She sounded bloody amazing. That power!
UndercoverCracker 9 months ago
I have heard many singers' interpretation of "Memory" and none reached out to me like Ms. Buckley's. It's not just the best vocalization imaginable, it's her empathy with the audience that makes her among the greatest of artists. A few years ago she was in our city for only one performance. I sat a few feet from her as she looked at me while singing "Memory". It was my birthday. What a gift!
wholeNwon 9 months ago 2
Betty Buckley is my cousin. She sang this like no one else, and all the Buckley women have her same voice and singing ability - its crazy.
skyeandponyshow 9 months ago
Love Betty. Hate Elaine.
docdoc52 10 months ago
I think the essence of this number and why it appeals universally is that it is about each of us. She says "open up and turn in". Look within for that happiness from your own memory. Also, the "touch me" applies to reaching out and touching that memory. Not her! But that which you remember. Betty has nailed this and why I find her performance complete. Elaine is pleading and quite different.
bpawl542 11 months ago 3
You can't say that someone who took the original, changed it a little in the emotion and energy, and produced the same piece AS the same title, did it better than the original. Betty Buckley>all the rest. Some compare, but none compete.
Veneski21 11 months ago 2
Lovely. I see the uploader's point about the difference between Elaine's performance and this one. I'm just an intended music major, but the difference between the two performances definitely shows me what "interpretation" is, crystal clear.
xLinaChansDEADx 1 year ago
That "touch me" is not normal. The best belt of all time.
djp1129 1 year ago 21
the best english version i ever heard! her voice is so powerful....awsome!... i´m a big musical fan... and this is real a version with so much emotion.... love it! :)
lilsunna 1 year ago
I saw this on stage when i was young and when betty belted, it pierced right through me and i still remember that feeling 20 some years later.
heavyblow 1 year ago
She has to have the most powerful voice of all time.
UndercoverCracker 1 year ago 2
In my own opinion both Elaine and Betty did a beautiful job! Two wonderful talented musical actresses.
queenjulz89 1 year ago
IMO, the best version of this song.
PatNSD01 1 year ago 2
LISTEN to my MALE Version of this song in my Channel
josepacio1 1 year ago
Most people prefer Elaine's version (the movie of course...) but what people don't realize that Elaine was too old to still play that part at the time. She was straining because she just couldn't hit those notes anymore. I prefer Betty, she doesn't push and she doesn't give it all away (which you aren't suppose to when you belt or you push and strain)... just saying.
rachelizabeth1 1 year ago 4
betty buckley is quite talented but i prefer ms pages rendidtion
ChrisTheJeweler 1 year ago
I honestly think that this song is open for interpretation. Just like every song from every musical out there. We all have our own perspective. I honestly like Betty's more, cause it contains a strength ideal to most women. I don't want to be perceived as helpless. Yes at times we all feel that way. But there's a time where we just got to move on. "Look a new day... has begun." Where is the sorrow in that statement?
Elizannchan 1 year ago 3
i heard this song while watching my cat and my tears drop so easely
abbasathir 1 year ago
Who's Jemima here? Sarah Brightman?
IchLiebenBill 1 year ago
@IchLiebenBill No. I forget her name but Sarah onlyplayed in the London show of cats. Also, in the US she is known as Sillabub.
littlesongbird1 2 months ago
@littlesongbird1 Jemima wasn't in the Broadway show, period (The soprano parts in the OBC were sung by Victoria, to my knowledge).
VRNProductions 2 months ago
So good it gives me chills.
wickedfeylady 1 year ago
@wickedfeylady I have never, ever heard a voice like this before. I thought Streisand hit it, but she's crap compared to Buckley. God is truly in this woman. What power, what control, I cry every time I hear this and I thought I'd heard it all at 57. What a gift she was. Words cannot possibly describe her voice.
57IAM 1 year ago 5
When the climax of the song came, I said inwardly-
"Holy shit, I was not expecting this!"
I was taken aback from the volumes!
KatelynNinja1215 1 year ago
Who else can trump an orchestra during a climax? NO ONE... Her Touch Me continues to be and will probably forever remain some of the most powerful music I've ever felt.
queermm 1 year ago 5
THIS IS THE ONLY VERSION WOTH HEARING BETTY BUCKL HIT IT ALL TO A TEE
slr7817 1 year ago 2
I wasn't crazy about the way she portrayed tha character at first (far too used to Elaine I guess) but when she broke out with that "Touch me", damn. O:
justgoaway111 1 year ago 2
She sings like a cat would sing if cats could sing
Necromasty 1 year ago
Jesus....she has such POWER! And you can tell this was her moment to shine! This entire cast was awesome!
mianji8579 1 year ago
I know my wonderful Betty I take voice from her and she is completely focused and and joyful and loving her audience
debatenator95 1 year ago
Betty Buckley owns this role! Elaine Page is a great talent but never "understood" the sorrow of aging and redemption of sole in cats!
dnkintx 1 year ago
Powerful.
chrispmis 1 year ago
holy powerhouse voice! thats amazing.
I think that if you are looking for a more dramatic version, go with Elaine Becker. She acts it out more, really displays the brokenness. No dissing Betty, though! WOW!!!!! Both are incredible, in my opinion.
laterose1995 1 year ago
One of the most powerful voices EVER..omg! She song this song better than anyone most definitely.
UndercoverCracker 1 year ago
Lovely. Just lovely. I love everything about this, the makeup, the voices, the songs, the sweetness.
Trekkeee 1 year ago
WOW, Betty Buckley the best of them all! Nobody can compare to that soaring voice!!!
Elaine Paige
Barbara Streisand
Susan Boyle
mar6zz0 1 year ago
that darn betty...her and barbra put elaine to shame... elaines way overated.
Deathtocharles 1 year ago
Betty's Grizabella is the standard. No other singer, regardless of quality, will match Betty's perfect capture of the song.
Pretty cool for the mom on Eight is Enough.
mommazcookin 1 year ago
I like Elaine better as Grizabella. The way she walks shows that she's an old and tired cat, and I also like her acting and singing better, BUT Betty shows that Grizabella is proud, and not so sad which is better for this scene I think.. Anyway! Love Cats! <3
AddeChan 1 year ago 6
Betty understands this song perfectly. Elaine's a talented performer, but she changed the song to make it some sob-tale. "Memory" is Grizabella explaining that although she has aged and has been ostracized, she is still the Glamour Cat.
It's a song of undying pride and a longing that others would still see her beauty. It is NOT a "I'm hopeless" breakdown.
AtLastOnTheGround 2 years ago 59
@AtLastOnTheGround
Great comment. Bravo.
gitchigoomi 2 years ago
@AtLastOnTheGround wow, beautifully explained
tiana1017 1 year ago
@AtLastOnTheGround actually it kind of is. its supposed to be sad. its not supposed to be a happy song. elaine page did it perfectly well. i think she captured it better than betty did, no offense. i mean they are both equally talented in singing but elaine knows how to send out a feeling of sadness but hope.
ramera2317 1 year ago
@AtLastOnTheGround A sob story? Have you ever, ever felt alone before?It's that what you think of it? I never bought into that one-size fits all interpretation crap. Listen. The best thing about a story, not just a musical, not a just a book is how the many ways you can reach out and relate. It is not story, but the person that creates the emotion...
Infantcide 1 year ago
@AtLastOnTheGround ...The utterance the phrase "I love you" can be felt so sweetly by the burning fire of youth and bitterly by the by the broken-hearted people of the world. And from Elaine Paige's Grizzabella, all you can see is a hopeless breakdown?
Infantcide 1 year ago
@AtLastOnTheGround Your stupid,it is the exact same song,The same director and everything.
MERLINMAGE9 1 year ago
@AtLastOnTheGround
You could well be right about Betty's understanding this piece 'better' than Elaine. That said, while Betty's performance gives me goosebumps, Elaine's rendering leaves me with tears in my eyes as well as goosebumps. Personally- I can't imagine being more moved by music than to have it bring tears to my eyes. Therefore I have to say that I find Elaine's performance more moving. But yes- I have to grant you that it may indeed deviate from the intended 'vibe' of this piece.
Pelhampete 11 months ago
Comment removed
Pelhampete 11 months ago
@AtLastOnTheGround do you have some Andrew Lloyd Webber quote confirming all the self-serving crap you wrote on this comment?
deanriam 10 months ago
@AtLastOnTheGround I couldn't agree more.
MsTexas73 5 months ago
Uh, its the Tony Awards, cut by oh I dont know MOST of the CATS show?
Of course there is not much emotion. You seen Elaine's I bet on DVD only where you can do "Lets do another take with that Elaine", as it was not a live audience production...
karrezza 2 years ago
Really? Was that written on the DVD insert? "Elaine Page chosen for DVD because she acts better!".. ah no, you just made that up. At time they made the DVD, Buckley was no longer in Cats. She won the Tony and moved on to other musicals! Cats dont show expression, they are subtle and cool, like Buckley
karrezza 2 years ago 4
Meh. I don't agree. Nice voice, certainly... but the song is so powerful and lyrically, so touching with that hint of sadness and loneliness - that I prefer Elaine's version/portrayal. Both are good, but I guess it depends on how you look at/interpret the song and character. There's isn't a wrong - there is just a 'preferable'.
misscreations 2 years ago
the power of her voice at 1:28
loganisleo 2 years ago
This IS how Grizabella is supposed to be... This is how Andrew Loyd Wright wanted it to be... It was his vison based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats... I love Elaine and Betty's singing... they are both very different...I like them both either way
djm5222 2 years ago 3
Agree with Glennsa. Betty's performance shows she still has her pride and dignity.
ReeLeeNow 2 years ago
DivaBehavior has nailed it on the head here. You have to understand the true character of Grizabella in order to truly appreciate the power of Betty's performance. Grizabella is not supposed to be old and pathetic...she is proud and despite an old coat...she's beautiful still. Betty just got it bang on!
glennsa10 2 years ago
You don't understand -- Grizabella isn't some forlorn, beggar-woman looking cat. Elaine Paige is magnificent, but her portrayal was misguided. Griz is still proud and still knows that she is beautiful and the Glamour Cat even if the others don't see it. Betty captures the subtle elegance and undying spirit of Grizabella; Elaine plays a withered away and hopeless Grizabella.
DivaBehavior 2 years ago 4
I picture Grizabella as scrawny and Betty delivers that for me. her makeup enhances her stunning bone structure in a way that makes her authentically feline. this Grizabella's pain is tucked away in a private place but she allows a glimpse of it. the power of her voice, especially when rising from a crouch, is amazing. brava!
finngirl13 2 years ago
go Betty!
chavavog 2 years ago
Yep. I have to agree. Buckley has Ethel Merman's power; but, I still like Paige better (even though I love Ethel). Paige inhabits the character completely and she uses her voice (to great effect) to project the emotion of the character. One standard I learned when I was a student in NY has served me well. If you can communicate as well with the back row as you can with the front, you've done a good night's work. Elaine knows how to do that.
slicerprime 2 years ago
Remember, this was the Tony Awards, not the Broadway show. She is not singing as she would in production.
karrezza 2 years ago
This is the first time I've seen this..amazing performance.
Ladybyron100 2 years ago
This song really touchs me very deep it is really one song That i remenber my past cats that i still love this song every time i hear it I begain to cry. No other song has proudced emontial response in me I rate this on a very high 10 and beyound.
silliegirl50 2 years ago
I love watching it over again and again around 1:20 to 1:30 to watch Terrance Mann's reaction in the background to Betty Buckley's strong, power "Touch Me" :)
Elizannchan 2 years ago
@Elizannchan Oh wow- good eye. That's very funny!
noodle0912 9 months ago
freaking GOD, betty buckley is singing a HIGH E flat, and there's not one strained vein in her look, no struggle, perfectly intune. this woman did it 5-7 nights a week, week after week for a LONG run on broadway, sorry but the modern girls should take notice. amazing amazing woman.
readysetjake 2 years ago 8
I love both Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley. My preference is Betty. Betty's approach is more "Sunset Boulevard" - the faded glamour cat singing with a sad, yet proud reflection. Elaine's approach is more of "something bad happened and spiralled me into homelessness" - a sad desperate sound. My feeling is that Betty's take is more appropriate. I also think Betty has more power. I just wish the Tony's version was full length like the 98 video.
GeorgeBailey2 2 years ago 4
betty buckley definitely acknowledges that she is a cat with paws. not to mention her incredible voice
ihrtmusic12334 2 years ago 3
Well Elaine Paige may be a great stage actress but Betty Buckley can outsing all of the women who's ever done this song, including Celine Dion, Barbar Streisand and Elaine Paige. She, and only she, gives me the chills when I hear her sing Memory.
dhenderson116 2 years ago 8
I agree with you all the way! Her voice is absolutely fantastic, and i always feel like it shines best when she sings this song. The emotion she shows in this song is simply breath taking. All those other singers got nothing on her!
violetsaga 2 years ago 8
Absolutely agree with you dhenderson116; but shame on you for putting the Master of LIPPING (Celine Dion) in the same sentence as a Broadway legend.
tarjji 2 years ago
elaine page got all them beat. The conviction in her voice, the emotion in her face, and the authenticity of her movement does the song, and meaning of it, justice
lindblom1 2 years ago
When I found this it felt weird because every since I was a baby my mom played this song on a music box. It's beautiful. I still have it to so peaceful...
MoonClanTwilightStar 2 years ago
Both versions are incredibly lovely. still, I think betty gives it too much confidence for this particular part in the show, and elaine gives it that heart-wrenching weakness, still delivering with power, breaking her voice at the perfect places, etc. both versions are wonderfully well done.
annieoakley4 2 years ago 29
Very well said... this version is just... it doesn't seem to make sense because it is full of confidence.
Regardless, it gives me shivers.
StevieSayz 2 years ago
I think she sings it really well and has that cool and eccentric aura.
But Elaine Paige´s interpretation is more convenient for me as Grizabella deserves compassion after being traded like an outsider for quite a while. When seeing her perform Grizabella it makes my heart melt.
InjusticeHater 2 years ago 8
Totally agree wit u, they must let her reprise this role on Broadway
honggiangvogia 2 years ago 3
Betty was is and always will be the BEST
htuomnom 2 years ago 5
Betty Buckley gives Grizabella a lot more confidence and sass than Elaine Paige does. Both are extremely good.
redwolffclaw 2 years ago 9
I don't like this Jemima...
spillontopage13 2 years ago 6
what's the flaw at 1:24?
second syllable of "fading"?
StinkMonkee 2 years ago
Betty's "Touch me" is incredibly powerful and unmatched. Even more amazing is how effortlessly she does does it. I like Elaine Page, but at times she seems to be pooring a lot of energy into reaching those high notes (but maybe it's just acting). Still, but are suprelative singers
kmdouglass 2 years ago 9
Way back when (meaning when Cats was "in" in the early 80s) I didnt care for BB's version - now I love it. When she stands and belts that note - you can see the faded regalness of the character - what she once was, and that she still has it in her to be that again. I think BB does this much better than Elaine Paige.
oceans80 2 years ago 6
Elaine's portrayal of Grizzabella is very tragic and emotional. Betty's, as you say, is much more dignified. She is also more hopeful, whereas Elaine even at the end is still doubtful and sad. Both performances have their merits, and both takes on Grizzabella's character are equally valid. But if one judges purely on vocals, Betty far surpasses Elaine.
kmdouglass 2 years ago 11
true that... combine Elaine's nostalgic expressions with the powerful vocals of Betty and you got it all. Both are superb performances.
bashas 2 years ago 5
i think you guys nailed it kmdouglass and bashas
mayonaiseanonymous 2 years ago
Sarah Brightman sings it better than Celine and Susan
JustLikeACircus 2 years ago
Betty Buckley's voice is second to none and she makes a powerful performance of the song "Memory" in the album "Cats"
ttrojan69 2 years ago 6
BETTY ALL THE WAY
htuomnom 2 years ago 6
I don't think it's really fair to say which one acted the part better -- They both played Grizabella very differently. Elaine played her as jaded, abandoned, and unfortunate because she was once such a beautiful, fantastic cat.
Betty's Grizabella is more proud -- Instead of feeling sorry for herself like Elaine's, she still feels like she IS the beautiful Glamour Cat but feels unappreciated in her beauty.
Apples and oranges. I prefer Elaine's, but Betty's voice -- WOW.
AtLastOnTheGround 2 years ago 5
Also consider that you cannot judge much acting in this video since this was filmed at the Tony Awards at it was reduced immensely.
MacNair 2 years ago 3
Perfection...by far!!!!!
iujock1974 2 years ago 4
1:28 - end is so powerful, its gripping and flawless.
These moments in show tunes make me wish I could sing so much!
Elizannchan 2 years ago 3
Devoid of emotion?? This performance tore my heart out when I first saw it.
inlovewithJLT 2 years ago 2
I think Elaine Paige's version is better acted and more aesthetically suited for the role.
However, I must say that Betty Lynn Buckley's vocals make me die on the inside. In a good way.
AtLastOnTheGround 2 years ago 5
yes... I agree with you... Elaine's acting really pierces through me... the way she shivers... that face she makes that really squeezes the tears out of me...
but... Betty's "Touch me..." is the most extraordinary version I've ever heard in my entire life...
bonbonquest 2 years ago 6
Definitely better sung!!!
UndercoverCracker 2 years ago
I remember the first time I saw this video I inadvertantly stood up, too. she has power like this, coming up from the FLOOR?!?!? Holy God, what a voice. Chills, man, just chills.
FlyingTiger5 2 years ago 12
Such a pity the conductor made her rush the ending. She lost a wounderful moment due to that.
Lindow 2 years ago
Sends shivers down my spine. Aussie Debra Byrne did a gutsy version too.
coaldusty 2 years ago
Betty makes it look easy while sounding powerful...
ftjax 2 years ago 7
She reminds me of my Ceilidh(RIP-K). She has her kitty movements down pretty well and her singing is excellent as always!!!!
solar1eclipse2 2 years ago
wow. after she hits the touch me not like i'm seriously touched. she was amazing in this.
hellovictoriaanne 3 years ago 2
The way the T in "touch" came out is almost scary. It's like she fired it out of a tank. Huge voice. Reminds me of Whitney's singing of the word "time" in One Moment In Time live at the Grammys. Same type of jaw-dropping belt.
MT4Ever 3 years ago 8
And as far as her movements go...when a Cat is wounded or something is wrong, it DOES move in a strange way. It is almost like her paws are injured. Fragile. This is an EPIC performance. One for the ages.
MediaPointEnt 3 years ago 13
Keep watching this...just BRILLIANT - HISTORICAL performance.
1:30 again...that note...such power. If you were an actor on stage watching her, can you imagine what you must have been thinking when she hit this note?
MediaPointEnt 3 years ago 8
When she looks at forward with her head up at 1:40...WOW! Just magic in that face...her eyes just glisten.
MediaPointEnt 3 years ago 2
MF 1:30. NOW THAT is lung-power ! ~
WOWEE!
MediaPointEnt 3 years ago 2
I love Betty's version, but Elaine Paige's makes me cry.
bootsthemonkey 3 years ago
Betty Rocks!
smoothsk8r44 3 years ago 3
one word
FIERCE
number1coletrain 3 years ago 4
this is my favorite touch me of all grizabellas
AngelorPhantom1359 3 years ago 9
This is friggin sweet. I met her last year at a family wedding haha just washing our hands in the bathroom together talking about broadway lol amazing.
socksohno 3 years ago 3
I met Betty a few times and once was in the bathroom too--she was nice enough to tell me I had toilet paper hanging off my shoe..lol..Love her!
SHRINA17 3 years ago
This IS from the Tony performance. NOT from the show.
MickeyT54 3 years ago 3
totally with you there.
bombygriz 3 years ago
from the opening of this song, it looked like this hapenned right after the jeliicle ball, which would put it in the wrong spot of the show, unless this is at the Tony's and not live, which would make sense and account for the change in speed, the missing lyrics, and the fact that the jemima looked abit more like bombalurina.
omnigeek13 3 years ago
You're right, this is the Tony performance.
HouseOnSunset 3 years ago
nice hair
prowresler 3 years ago
OMG SHES AMAZING
Itsnotfair 3 years ago 3
her voice is like a laser beam. I've never heard anyone else sing like that...
MT4Ever 3 years ago 2
I think she has a good voice, & she showed despair & sadness, but I just disliked the choreography, & I thought that & the music was just too fast & slightly peculiar for all the emotions & the atmosphere that was being created.
It was cool though, I liked the Jemima [:
RumpleDoodle95 3 years ago 2
i agree about the fastness. she kind of ran on and griz never runs or anything.
Arneia 3 years ago
I think some of that stuff is because this was at the Tony awards, so it's not done like it was done in the show at all. In fact, they stuck two very different numbers together for this performance and edited this song down too.
studpup 3 years ago
wow i said it was awesome earlier, but im liking it less and less as i watch it again. at the end when the playbill pops up, look at her face. she SMILES. plus the choreography when she falls is just really strange.
mentalMOOcow 3 years ago
she smiles because the performance is over.
babbagecabb 3 years ago
She smiled probably cause this is just a performance at an award show, in the night that she won the Tony award. This clip is not from the actual show Cats...
studpup 3 years ago
omg!! everytime i hear this song i feel like crying.
broadwaylove52 3 years ago
she looks more like the witch from into the woods
tyrizzo1 3 years ago 2
Heck. I came back to this video. The more I read negative comments about Buckley, the more I am convinced that this is a work of genius. YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO LIKE HER. HER EGO IS BIGGER THAN YOURS. I think anyone that has lived despair or studied depression will recognize her robotic and delicate actions. I think Buckley really studied for the role. Add her powerful voice and WOW. Beechman is like the new kid on the block who studied both her and Paige and found the middle. All 3 are great.
diendama 3 years ago 4
Beautiful... it brought tears to my eyes!!!
bawlbag 3 years ago 4
By horrible show, I meant Carrie, not Cats... :-)
HPFan543 3 years ago
I really do like this performance. It took me a while to get used to her voice in this role. But I really do love it. When she belts, there's something ... metallic about it. Lol I know that may sound weird. But her belt just seems to have a steely sound to it. If you like this, you MUST hear her in Carrie: the Musical. Phenomenal performance in a horrible show.
HPFan543 3 years ago 5
is betty still alive?
cozmocon 3 years ago
Yes.
Jarrod005 3 years ago
wow!! what a powerful performer..she is captivating!
xoaLyYsSa 3 years ago 4
What's she doing with her hands?! The choreography is awful...
angharadceri17 3 years ago
Acting like a cat...
Jarrod005 3 years ago
She's not doing it very well though, is she? The voice suits the song well and 'touch me' is very powerful... I still think she could put some more emotion into her performance though.
angharadceri17 3 years ago
Perhaps her performance is just way over your head. That's O.K.
diendama 3 years ago
I really believe this is almost a work of genius. She won the ultimate award and made Cats the longest running show. With her hands she is reaching out for someone to touch her. She is not "acting out" despair - she KNOWS despair and abandonment. After she is pulled to her knees and finally hits the ground, she does what cats do with their paws on the carpet or the grass. She has been totally diminished. Jemima does not pity her. She honors her. Grizabella rises like the lioness that she is.
diendama 3 years ago 5
I have to agree!!! Although, I give prop to Betty, she does sing well. The Touch me was amazing!!! But it seems like she is so delicate and when she touches the ground at 50secs she seems robotic. Of Course, I think Elaine Paige is much more emotional and sung it much more better!!!!
neffyh 3 years ago
What power!
Jarrod005 3 years ago
Betty is the BEST
htuomnom 3 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I think the "TOUCH ME!" needed some more emotion... she should have given the song a lot more emotion.
angharadceri17 3 years ago
"TOUCH ME!" was the best part!
It was so powerful and amazing!
Jarrod005 3 years ago 4
Brilliant performers can reproduce Paige Acting 101 Beechman was dying when she gave her performance It is real No one will reproduce the perfection of the Buckley performance in this video Glamor cat. Think Glamor Spice She maintains poise A lady with pride in herself is shunned She can't understand why She is tired She doesnt collapse to her knees. She holds herself up until the gravity pulls her to the floor Jemima is inspired by her She walks like her She lifts her with her young voice
diendama 3 years ago 8
very astute insight into this performance, I think.
qimissung 3 years ago
She rocks.
qimissung 3 years ago 4
yeah i dont understand why people dont like betty she was pretty good if you ask me. the other young girl was rubbish i hated it. but Elane will always be my fav
totalxfreakyxgirly 3 years ago
I just don't get it. I think Betty ROCKED in this roll. No one can deliver that third verse like she can-so much power!!! Most people here don't seem to like her in this role. On the other hand, I think was AWFUL in Sunset Blvd, but everyone else seems to love her in that role. I think Elaine Paige's Grizabella is beautifully tragic and poignant. But I have never seen her belt that "Touch Me!!!!" line. She's very emotional, but not the thrilling power like Betty delivers here.
rogueromulan 3 years ago 4