(I wanted to publish this way before the National Tour of CATS closed but kept needing to work on it more LOL!! Although, it is good that I started early so that it was pretty much ready for publication right when the tour closed and I didn't spend months starting now working on this to the point where it no longer felt current. I didn't know that I was going to have so much to say about this show and I just kept realizing and discovering more things I wanted to talk about. I was originally just going to tweet about it, but then it turned into a full blown blog post.
I eventually published this and aimed to do so on June 12, exactly three months after my show and before their final week of shows in order to meet my deadline of actually publishing this before the tour ended. But now since I talk more about the end of the tour and all of my emotions about that in this too, I felt that it was more appropriate to publish this right as it was ending and after the fact as kind of a send-off. I'm finding that I'm still updating and perfecting this piece as I think of stuff I want to mention while it is live too, including this disclaimer introduction. lol Hopefully I will finally settle it soon though. I wrote a lot here and I feel like I may be rambling a bit, so feel free to just visit when you can. I kinda wrote this conversationally but it also seems to have turned into an academic essay as well, so please enjoy either way. lol
I've seen that fans send the cast fan art. I'm not artistically inclined like that lol, so I feel like this is my way of contributing to that too. Sources of mine include Wiki sites, all around Google and YouTube searches, book excerpts, and others that I cite.)
I'm a dog person, so therein lies a reason for the disconnect between me and this Andrew Lloyd Webber Tony Award-winning musical all this time. lol
But I get it now. After 30+ years, I finally understand the CATS hype.
And now I have a LOT of thoughts and feelings about it, as you will soon find out. lol
My aunt asked my parents and I if we wanted to see the Trevor Nunn directed North American Tour of 'CATS' at Morristown's Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), one of my favorite entertainment venues here in New Jersey, and we agreed.
I was actually a little indifferent to attending. I'm always up for seeing theater and I never saw this musical live before so I figured that now was a great time to do so, but this musical was never particularly interesting for me aside from it being nostalgic. It opened in London in 1981 and on Broadway in 1982, so therefore it was at the height of its popularity during my childhood (I was born and grew up in the 90s!). I remember seeing a video of the cast behind the scenes in their skin tight cat suits and being fascinated by that, but I never knew what the story was and was under the impression that it didn't have one, so that always turned me off to it. It was just always this weird musical to me. It still is one. lol
CATS either has fans who defend this musical with passion or people who are completely repulsed or confused by it or are just tired of it and there doesn't seem to be an in between.
But now I understand that this musical is based on a collection of poems called Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats written by T.S. Eliot for his godchildren, as opposed to a story with a three-act structure.
The next time I was in a Barnes & Noble, in Holmdel, I searched for and purchased a copy for myself. This was merely just days after my show lol. I bought the dark orange paperback one on the right. 🙂 Just so you know, surprisingly Grizabella The Glamour Cat isn't included in this collection, which is actually very symbolic of her role in the show. I'll explain later when I talk about her more.
I don't know if I am just used to them as the songs they already are or what, but when I read these poems, sometimes I wonder if Eliot himself thought that they could be song lyrics considering how rhythmically he wrote them. They read like songs to me even before they became them. And I am always tempted to sing them as I read too. lol
Perhaps if we based more musicals on poetry, we would get some more similar to CATS. It's a wonder why this hasn't happened yet considering CATS's success being one of the longest running shows of all time. (Or has it? I can't think of any.)
Throughout the show we meet the various cats of this specific Jellicle tribe through song and it just so happens that we are visiting the night of the Jellicle Ball and are invited to be their guests. Once a year under the Full Moon, or the Jellicle Moon as they call it, the Jellicles' leader Old Deuteronomy, played by Cameron Schutza, who comes across as the dad of the group both in character onstage and as himself offstage, makes his Jellicle Choice by choosing a cat to ascend to the Heaviside Layer to be reborn into a new Jellicle life, adhering to the whole nine lives thing that cats do. Basically he has to choose which cat gets to die, but less morbid. So there's our plot. Although if you think about it, why doesn't he just choose the eldest cat of the tribe? Why does there have to be a big choice and ceremony if that is the case?
Incidentally, the words "cat" and "Jellicle" are said so often throughout this musical that they start to lose their meaning and not sound like real words anymore. And this happens right away too, during their opening number "Prologue: Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats." "Jellicle Cats," by the way, is supposed to be a mispronunciation of "dear little cats," originating from an unpublished Eliot poem.
Although not based on poetry, Hair and A Chorus Line seem to follow the same musical theatre subgenre as CATS. They all incorporate casts of small tight-knit communities and have points to make and a goal to reach at the end, but they are more so vignettes and scattered songs that introduce characters and concepts rather than scenes with the purpose of moving a plot further along. And they're also very limited with or have singular sets. In fact, the storylines of CATS and A Chorus Line are very similar, except one is with humans and the other...cats. But with CATS, it's a simple fantasy. It's refreshingly free of political and societal commentary or any other in your face controversial or complex messages, although that is up to interpretation and it may have some religious allegories. I also now saw in an interview where it is mentioned how this show isn't dated and transcends the test of time and that it is universal. And that's true too. Everyone is familiar with this musical and cats in general. One guy decided to write poems about cats and then another guy decided to put those poems to music, and that's it really. It's not that deep lol. It's rather wholesome.
You would never really face huge racial casting issues here either. They're cats, so it doesn't really matter. The show has a history of diverse casting already and it has also been performed in different languages.
And yet, this all being said, there is still much to dissect about it, as proven by everything I have written here.
My first exposure to CATS in its entirety was the 2019 Hollywood film adaptation that I saw in the cinema, directed by Tom Hooper.
Yeah, I know.
I liked it enough. It was like a fever dream, but I found it entertaining as a result. I remember die-hard fans hating it and I didn't understand why but at the same time I empathized with them because they were more familiar with the stage production than I was so I figured that it wasn't loyal to the show they know and love.
And now I know it too. Oh My God. Seeing the musical live for the first time showed me firsthand what the musical is supposed to look like and made me realize just how bad the movie was and that maybe not every stage production should be adapted for film. For the 2019 movie, it is so unpleasant and visually awkward when in comparison to the stage production's fluidity of movement and illusion that the cast members are indeed playing cats. In the stage production, even though they aren't wearing cat heads or masks (Thank GOODNESS! This would be awful!) and you can tell that they are human with humanlike expressions, you can still understand that they are portraying cats. Some of the dancing is okay in the movie, but it was basically celebrities wearing CGI cat outfits, making them look like cats with human faces. Eww. And they even had to update the CGI to make it less awkward than it initially was! It would have been much cooler if they wore the normal cat costumes and had their faces painted like in the stage production! At first I thought that maybe it would be too time consuming for film and that's why they opted against it, but other films and TV shows do this kind of stuff all the time and not to mention the stage show as well. They get into costume and makeup for every live performance, even more than once a day, so why couldn't they do this for the movie for maybe less of the time? Was it laziness and the belief that they didn't have to?
In regards to the celebrity cast, like though musical theater loving former late night host James Corden is in it playing Bustopher Jones, to me he's not playing his character but rather just playing himself in a cat costume. There's this one part when he addresses the other cats for a reason outside of his song but it comes across more like a sketch from his show than the musical. It's a similar delivery and format. And his overall scene is just very nauseating. Seeing the live musical made me realize how disrespectfully and inaccurately they portrayed the character in the film. The way I see it, it's okay to acknowledge fatness and that those who are overweight may eat a little more than average, as long as it is done respectfully. But it's a different story to portray these types of people as uncontrollable, gluttonous, slobbery idiots. That's what's insulting and what they did in the movie. In the stage show, Bustopher is just a fat cat who appreciates food and perhaps eats a little too much. In the movie, he's rummaging through garbage and guzzling down a bottle of something.
Sounds entertaining, right? 😒
I believe that Corden is truly passionate about theater, so sometimes I question why he signed onto this and was totally okay with it instead of suggesting some adjustments, especially given his response to Bill Maher that one time. Don't get me wrong, he was a decent casting choice. The portrayal just happens to do a huge disservice for both fat actors and cats alike.
They even included plot points that don't exist in the original to I guess help translate it better for the screen but...Let's just say that THE FANS WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG.
Ever since I saw this show live I haven't stopped thinking about it. I even always listen to the original cast recordings when I clean up at work and stuff now. I never in a million years thought that I would become a CATS fan in my lifetime. I just love this musical now! Like I'm obsessed. It's brilliant.
So, I am finally irrigating the drought on this blog. Time to reflect now that the tour has ended on June 18 in Honolulu, Hawaii. I want to share some of my opinions and observations based on my recollections from my first live CATS experience as well as elements of the show that I was inspired to explore more afterwards that I have been writing for like the past three months. I worked so hard on this and dedicated so much time to it, so I might as well share it. This particular CATS tour was based on and the first since the Broadway revival in 2016/2017, starting in 2019. Maybe we can all band together to sue Hollywood for not doing it justice at ALL.
One good thing I can say about the movie though is that it follows the linearity of the stage production pretty well. It doesn't change up the order of when things happen much. However, neither is the same order as the book.
I could look at any production, whether it be theater or film, and pinpoint what I do and don't like about it. I don't think there was anything I didn't like about this show. It was that well done and everything worked. The lighting, the music, the singing, the set, the costumes, and OMG THE DANCING. This show is like 90% dance or some kind of movement. I always say that dancers never cease to amaze me, and this group is yet another great example. They were on their knees for like two hours and effortlessly glided across the stage in this manner...How on earth do they do that??? I could never do that! This show is clearly so physically demanding that you need the toughest of performers in order to achieve it. And the fact that they can easily sing while dancing as cats at the same time? Come on! That stamina! Their "Terpsichorean powers" were on full display in this.
Something that I've observed too is that they only stood like humans, on two legs, while singing and dancing music numbers. When they aren't doing either of these things, they're just lounging and crawling. Now I know that this is obviously beneficial for the choreography, which has been slightly updated from the original and is derived from the Broadway revival, and it's not like they can do these intricate dance numbers on all fours the whole time, but I also like to think that it's the cats' way of trying to be human for a while. Then when their number is done, they revert back to their normal cat selves.
As you'll see throughout my analysis here, the cats in this show have the coolest, most creative names that are so much fun to say. A majority of them are even a mouthful to say too (kinda like the title of this blog post :P). And lucky us, there's a whole song dedicated to this.
This is all where "The Naming Of Cats" scene deserves some recognition. This is the only part when the Jellicles act like actual cats and the first scene where the cats notice and acknowledge that they are being watched by a human audience. After a giant opening number of the cats introducing the Jellicle Cats, they pick up on the audience still having confusion, so they proceed to explain further, thus leading to easily the eeriest and one of the best scenes in the entire show.
They start this song off by singling out and looking at a specific audience member and singing "There's a man over there, with a look of surprise." Can you imagine being that guy sitting in the audience at their eye level and not knowing what is in store? I wonder how the guy at the first ever live show felt. I'd be like "Ah, sh--. I just came here to see a theatre production and now all of a sudden they're getting me involved in it for some audience participation thing." LOL
The only film version of the musical that truly matters is the direct-to-video release from 1998, directed by David Mallet. It's basically a recording of the stage show, hence why it is such a loyal adaptation. I'm wondering now if videos associated with this are the ones that I remember from my childhood. I think this particular production probably had a huge hand in why I recall CATS being a big deal in the 90s. I've been watching clips of this to familiarize myself more of what the show is actually supposed to look like because I consider this film the basis now and I want to see the similarities between it and the show that I saw. It's interesting to read the comments of people's different interpretations. "The Naming Of Cats" scene is labelled as "creepy" for the most part, but some interpret it as cats just explaining this important process in all seriousness. Reading this comment made me look at the scene in a different way. The song itself describes cats pretty well too, explaining that the reason why they stare into space is that they are in much contemplation and thought.
I had forgotten about this, but remembered it after the show: I've heard that in CATS, the actors come into the audience, another thing that this musical has in common with Hair. After reading up a little bit more about this, it turns out that it happens during this scene, as well as a few others. Apparently they would have physical contact with the audience as well as make long eye contact with them. I think I even heard that they would even go as far as climbing on audiences and sitting on their laps. I'm sure that this makes for a very intimidating theater going experience (I think I would be scared stiff if this happened to me LOL!), but if you think about it, that's exactly what cats do, the little bastards.
Unfortunately they didn't do this at my show and I'm not sure why. Maybe for awhile now they haven't been anyway or maybe they've discontinued it since COVID. What they did do was still very cool though. They get into the formation of when they are all clustered together, but then when they separate, some of the cats lay prostrate at the edge of the stage with footlights on just their faces. I regret sitting in the balcony for this part because I wish I could have seen their facial expressions combined with their stage makeup up closer.
The scene is uncomfortably long, but yet in a good, hypnotic way. It's so much unlike the rest of the show with just one plain consistent riff playing in the background and the cats don't sing but rather whisper and chant in unison. And now when I listen to it some more, I consider it very good ASMR. Normally I find the sound of whispering irritating (my brand of ASMR is nature sounds), but cats explaining their naming process is surprisingly soothing.
Plus, as a creative writer who loves and is always researching names and their origins, especially unique ones, this scene is really up my alley!
However, here is one thing I now question. They say that cats have three different names. Now does this mean that each cat has three names, or do cats have three different types of names to choose from?
Even though they explain this so thoroughly throughout the musical, I also still never fully understand what a "Jellicle Cat" is. lol Like how does a cat become a Jellicle? What makes them different from other cats? Are ALL cats Jellicle Cats? ...
Cats having secret names, lives, and thoughts, is actually pretty understandable considering that they are the type of independent pets that go off on their own and always find their way back, but even the stuff that seemed a little strange that I normally would question in any other musical I accepted here because it's just a strange show in general. It takes you out of reality into some otherworldly realm inhabited only by cats so you just accept the rules of this universe as soon as the light show begins during The Overture. A suspension of belief, if you will. I overthink a lot of what happens or is suggested in this musical, but then I ask myself: Why am I doing this for CATS when my thesis for this show is that it is allowed to get away with being nonsensical?
Sometimes my mind could wander when watching something, but for this, even if I began to, I was sucked right back in and completely invested. It was the Jellicle Cats' world now, and nothing else mattered. I think the uniqueness of this musical is what really made it such a mesmerizing phenomenon.
Okay so let me talk about highlights. First and foremost, the guy who played The Rum Tum Tugger had THE BEST stage presence. This was the main impression the show left with me. I was looking forward to Tugger showing up, because I remembered liking his scene in the movie and Jason Derulo's casting there was actually one of the better ones, and he stole the show as soon as he popped onstage with his "Who indeed??? HAHAHA!" And I was hyped! I was like, YEEESSSS! Now the show can really get started!
I've watched other performances of this scene now and what Tugger actually says when he first comes out is just a repeat of what the other cats say, which is "WHO WILL IT BE?" and then he still laughs. I could have SWORN that I heard "WHO INDEED???" though, but I guess I'm wrong or I'm a victim of the Mandela effect. LOL!
His first scene reminds of "Honestly Sincere" from the 1960s musical 'Bye Bye Birdie,' except with cats, with all of the female cats fangirling over him. Rum Tum Tugger is basically Conrad Birdie in cat form. (If we want to talk about a musical that I actually despise, it's that one, for personal reasons. At least with CATS I only misunderstood it.) I had some vague knowledge about this character's existence and his name prior to this show and even the 2019 film, but I never really gave him as much thought until now. He is a rock star cat, so he is best described as a conglomeration of Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger (whom he is actually a tribute to), David Bowie, Prince, and I'm getting a bit of Freddie Mercury too now. For London productions in 2014 they actually made him a rapper in order to appeal to more modern audiences and I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that they didn't keep this change, because it was the wrong move. There is no issue with him still being a 70s rocker and a product of his time. He is who he is and audiences accept it and still connect with him. He's that cat that meows about wanting to go outside and then as soon as you let him out he wants to be let back in. He even says this in his song. lol He's just a big diva. But I do want to look into more what went into the decision to portray him as a rock star because unlike traits of the other characters, this isn't stated in the poems.
He can also qualify as one of the main characters because his voice is always heard, probably due to his always needing attention personality lol. He has solos in three songs: his own, Old Deuteronomy, and Mr. Mistoffelees. This is much more than most of the other cats.
He never left my sight from that point forward anytime he was onstage and when he's not onstage you want him to come back. His energy was unmatched as he constantly sped rings around his castmates and darted in every direction. He worked with his costume very well, always fluffing out his fur and swinging his tail around suavely, even during more serious group numbers that in doing so he stood out. Like during the final number "The Ad-dressing of Cats," which sounds like a spiritual choir piece to me, there he was off to the side swinging his tail.
He was always joking and flirting with the audience and got the most laughs. During curtain call he received the most and loudest cheers and was never breaking character even when the others now were. He didn't want to leave the stage as he continued to play up to the crowd and blew a kiss to an audience member right before he stepped off. He was so much fun to watch! 😃
They got the perfect guy to portray this character. He did such a good job.
As soon as he exited the stage, I said to myself, "Who is he??? I need to know who he is!" So on the ride home or when we got home, I'm scrolling away at the cast list and I see this:
Um...let's just say that the casting team made the right decision casting him as the resident heartthrob cat. My legitimate first reaction upon seeing this photo was "Oh. He's hot." LOL
Looks aside, Hank Santos is very talented and if you got to see him in performances of this musical and in this role, you were in for a good time. Now I don't know if I am giving him too much credit for things that all incarnations of the character have done before, but I just found him thoroughly entertaining the entire show and felt that he needed to be commended. He's also funny never breaking character in behind the scenes content.
But thanks to online videos, I've now seen other Tuggers in action and it just further solidified for me even more how good Santos is in this role. Though these other Tuggers aren't bad, he just put so much into it and brought extra excitement, flavor, and enthusiasm without being too over the top, though I might be a little bit biased considering he is the one that I saw live. I'm very glad that he was the one that I was blessed to witness. Even the way he posed was more extra and fun. lol He seemed to have played him more youthfully and suavely too as opposed to other versions I have seen now.
He is an audience favorite. He certainly is mine. Whenever I come across others' comments and reviews about him, I agree with everything they say. I really like this one TikTok I found of a girl talking about working for the show when it came to Morristown. I also really like this TikTok too because she says exactly how I feel. He seems to be the one everyone talks about most. He was also the one chosen for most interviews and I even enjoy him doing that because he is so well spoken and insightful. He is an ideal interview. It makes my journalist heart sing! lol
I hope that I get to see him in something else or even in this role again. I'm also going to need videos of him performing as Rum Tum Tugger onstage because I need to relive that! lol I am so ecstatic that I have found a few, mainly of curtain call, and am so grateful to the audience members who filmed and posted them. But I need MORE! Keep 'em coming! Yes, I want more people who broke the rules to come forth! Tour's over now! It's fine! LOL XD
OMG YOU GUYS!!! I just found THIS on Tumblr on June 23 and I had to include it here! This is a video of the curtain call from MY SHOW!!!! It matches what I described earlier and the captions say it too!!! The people in the front rows are also in some of my shots I took of the set, so that's how I know too!!!!! I'm so happy to have found this!!! I can't stop sobbing!!! 😭 It actually reminded me that he did the "Call me" motion before he stepped off too!! Watching this brings back so many memories of how giddy I felt that night. 😃 THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THAT PERSON FOR RECORDING AND SHARING IT!!! It worked out so well too that they were on Tugger's side of the stage and able to get closeups of his little moments! I will treasure this. ❤
I don't really see it like this because I don't think the text dictates it, but apparently each cat who is introduced through song is stating his or her case for being the Jellicle Choice. This is more evident in the 2019 film. But to me their songs just announce their individual arrivals to the Jellicle Ball. Why would The Rum Tum Tugger want a new Jellicle life? He seems pretty pleased with the one he got. lol
This musical has a tendency to drastically switch tones abruptly. This is proven when right after Tugger's fun and upbeat number the music suddenly becomes downtrodden for the first entrance of the most famous character of the show, Grizabella The Glamour Cat, played by Tayler Harris, who of course killed it. And Grizabella kills the whole happy vibe when she shows up.
This is the character that we all know and I've known since childhood. When I was a kid in dancing school, I remember performing a recital to "Memory," the show's most iconic number, while dressed as a white cat. This was part of what instilled my love and appreciation for live stage performances.
Grizabella has fallen on hard times, so she tries to reach out the Jellicles, only to be ostracized, hissed at, and scratched. Now here is the thing that I have always questioned: WHY do the Jellicles hate Grizabella so much? Is it just supposed to be open to interpretation or is there a more concrete reason for it?
And it's legitimate hate too. They're not like catty humans who are nice to your face and then talk about you behind your back. They avoid her at all costs.
Ever since I was a kid I knew that they disliked her and I always felt like it was because she has aged and they all considered her this mangy, creepy old woman cat or something like that. Though she was created by Eliot, she's not included in Eliot's collection of cat poems because he deemed her story too grim for children. It wasn't until Eliot's widow shared this lost poem with Webber that she got included in the show. Her introduction song now combines her poem with another unrelated poem of Eliot's.
Thinking about this, can you imagine the musical without Grizabella? She technically provides the main conflict, so the lack of her would leave the show with even less of a storyline.
But while watching this show at MPAC, I started to form my own theories about her, because she isn't the only elderly cat in the tribe. In the second act, we meet Asparagus/Gus The Theatre Cat, usually played by John Anker Bow but I believe at my show he was played by vacation swing Jonathan Heller for his final show on the tour, but his debut as the character (along with Bustopher Jones). I'm so honored! :D
By the way, this makes me laugh--During his song when they are first introducing him, they say that they call him Gus because his real name is "such a fuss" to say. Is this a joke?? Have they met the rest of the tribe and the strange names they have??? At least his name is a normal word! Oh I'm sorry Jellylorum, his caretaker played by Allyson Duarte. Is "Asparagus" too much for you??? She has some nerve saying this! LOL! What's actually even funnier about this is that some of the cast members shorten HER name to "Jelly." 😆 They shorten others' too and it's cute that they give their characters these nicknames.
They don't even say Gus's name throughout his song like they do others anyway! How many times do they say "The Rum Tum Tugger" in his song? And that guy has four words in his name! THAT'S not a fuss?? But then again, he would want the fuss, so. LOL And then there's Old Deuteronomy, Mr. Mistoffelees, etc., and they have no problem singing about them. Jelly, come on, girl. ASPARAGUS IS (apparently) A LEGEND! SHOW SOME RESPECT TO HIS NAME! LITERALLY. And she's his caretaker???
I think she is the one who calls Bustopher Jones fat too in his song. And she often sounds passive aggressive when she says these kind of things! What is her problem???
Speaking of, Gus's song has a handful of cute cat puns too, kinda like the CATS The Musical/On Broadway social media accounts every time they post something. LOL
I'm glad that I got to see Gus live because in the 2019 film, they removed "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles" scene and I noticed too now that they didn't include this part in the original cast recordings either. Gus reminisces about a past role of his and the cats mock and pretend to be dogs here, which is a pretty funny touch. I remember this one scene in another video from my childhood where it referenced and featured a dog with googly bright red eyes and back then I thought it was random and wondered how and why a dog was being incorporated in a musical about cats. Thank you, North American CATS Tour, for somewhat explaining this to me, because I think this was the scene I remember. I think it was The Great Rumpus Cat presented in that way telling the story about the dogs. It's important to note that this song wasn't always associated with Gus in the second act. Gus had another skit called "Growltiger's Last Stand," which is a poem separate from Gus in the book and has seemingly been cut from the show, and the Pekes and Pollicles scene was originally in the first act. And by the way, "Pollice Dogs" is the equivalent of "Jellicle Cats" and it means "poor little dogs." lol
Gus is described in the same way as Grizabella. For instance, they're both said to have worn clothing and they both have glamorous pasts that they no longer obtain. But instead of shunning him like they do Grizabella, the Jellicles love Gus. They all crowd around him to listen to his stories about his life in the theatre and look up to him as an older and wiser cat. He's the grandpa who is like "These kids today don't know anything!" when saying that they upcoming cat actors aren't properly trained.
So what's the difference here? The only thing I can think of is that Grizabella is a female cat, so the hate that they have for her is simply due to sexism and misogyny.
THAT'S RIGHT! TIME TO CANCEL AND REWRITE CATS, T.S. ELIOT, AND ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER! LET'S GO! :P
Okay, for real though. This can't be it, right? They hate her because she's an old lady?? Come on! Yeah, I know that this explanation made sense to me as a child, but there has got to be more to it than this. But then again, even human women to this day are considered less valuable the more they age, so maybe this theory of mine does have some merit. It's also suggested that Grizabella left the tribe and now she's back, so maybe the Jellicles felt betrayed that one of their own apparently abandoned them and are therefore less likely to receive her now? Was she arrogant in the past due to her attractive looks and so therefore she was a bitch towards them, and that's why they want nothing to do with her now that her looks have faded? Is she somehow a danger to them?
I saw a recommended question on Google asking about the Jellicles' hatred towards her, so evidently I'm not the only one wondering this. When I clicked on the question, it revealed this article. The article mainly discusses the 2019 film, but it brings up a point that I have never considered before. It is implied that Grizabella may have been sex worker.
Ooooh. That makes sense now. The Jellicles come across a very religious bunch of cats in their own little way, so them looking down on her for possible sex work could be on par for a community like that.
This isn't even just a theory. It's actually in the original source material...somewhat. When Grizabella first enters and Demeter sings about her, there is a lyric that says: "She haunted many a low resort/Near the grimy road of Tottenham Court." On Grizabella's Wikipedia page, it says that she "now roams the red-light district near Tottenham Court." I didn't know or remember what a red-light district was, so I clicked on it and saw the definition: "A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found."
So...maybe there could be some truth to this. But then again, the lyrics don't mention the red-light district specifically, just Tottenham Court. So it's a toss up here.
After watching the 1998 film more, I'm noticing that it is less pure hate from the other cats and more so disgust, hesitation, caution, and avoidance. Like they want to give her a chance, but they're just not allowed to or they're afraid to. Whenever she approaches, the adult male cats in particular don't give her looks of disdain as much as pity, as if to say, "I'm sorry, but we really can't bother with you anymore. This is just how it has to be." This tells me that she has brought shame upon them somehow.
In her final appearance, Grizabella sings "Memory." I never realized this before, but her high note isn't "MEMORY!" like I always thought but "TOUCH ME!" This is her final plea to finally receive the embrace that she so desires. After kittens Sillabub (also known as Jemima), played by Sam Bello, and Victoria do so and Grizabella becomes Old Deuteronomy's Jellicle Choice, the Jellicles finally accept her back into their tribe. Spoiler alert. lol
Now this bothers me a bit. She sings a song about memories and all of a sudden now the Jellicles accept her again after everything they put her through? That's what made them change their minds about her? They literally could have done this before. Like when she first shows up and the innocent cats attempt to approach her, they are thwarted by other cats to protect them. But now for some reason they were okay with hearing her out? Why? Because Old Deuteronomy was there this time and gave the okay?
Whatever. She's happy with it and that's all that matters.
Regardless of what her past may be, here is an interpretation probably no one intended: Grizabella The Glamour Cat is the cat version of Mary Magdalene and Old Deuteronomy is the cat version of Jesus. Old Deuteronomy takes pity on Grizabella and her past sins and gives her a new beginning. (By the way, anytime I read The Bible and see the Book of Deuteronomy, I've always thought of this CATS character. So this musical has always somewhat influenced me without me realizing it.)
This leads to another iconic scene that I remember from childhood. Old Deuteronomy and Grizabella are risen on this flying saucer tire platform with lights and smoke to transport her to the Heaviside Layer. It was amazing and magical to finally watch this scene live for the first time in my life. This scene has always made me wonder if the Jellicles were a normal tribe of cats, or if they were extraterrestrial cats. It is so outlandish and mystical that it's hard to wrap your mind around it.
You can tell how grateful Tayler Harris is for this opportunity by how she expresses herself. She is such a genuine, down to earth person and I am so excited to see what is next for her and beyond. She is going to go far. She's going to play Elphaba in Wicked one day. Mark my words. 🙂
Another standout for me was Yuka Notsuka as Victoria The White Cat. Now this character I knew because of the 2019 movie and her portrayal in the film is significantly altered from stage productions. Victoria, played by Francesca Hayward, is the main character of the CATS movie, whereas the audience is the main character for the CATS stage musical. I consider Grizabella the main character really because her arc is the only one that exists throughout the show that the audience really wants to see resolved.
But because during the stage musical the cats break the fourth wall and address the audience at all times, the introduction for each cat is really for our benefit. Victoria fills this role for the movie because you need a solid character in a film for this purpose. It would be awkward for the cats to address the audience all the time from a screen so we just go along on her journey instead and through her we learn what it means to become a Jellicle Cat because she isn't a member of their tribe at first. That's the difference between film and live theater right there, which is also what gives CATS its identity. CATS is an ensemble piece without a main character, so needing a main character to transition this particular show to the screen causes it to lose something. But, something accurate that the film does represent is that Victoria is the first cat to embrace Grizabella. That's significant.
Like Rum Tum Tugger, regarding both character design and performance skills, she stands out and doesn't blend in with the other cats. She is the only white cat there, after all, and Tugger is the only one with a huge mane. It's noticeable when Victoria isn't onstage and your eyes are automatically drawn to her when she is. Notsuka is so dainty and graceful as this kitten and she is one of the main principal characters that doesn't have any vocals, except for some background ones. She is important simply for her dancing skills as her moves transition between some scenes and signal the beginning of others. Except in the film when she has to sing too. *Shrugs*
In fact, it would make more sense if she sang in the stage show because from what we gather she is a member of the tribe and knows everybody already. In the movie, I get that she needed a voice as a main character, but because she is still learning about the tribe, it would be understandable if she stayed quiet and just absorbed everything about the Jellicle world silently. She meets characters and joins in singing their songs. What gives her the right or knowledge to sing about cats she is not familiar with? Unless she is just singing along based on what she's learning as she goes...
Speaking of which, other favorites of mine are the thickly accented Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer (I have no idea why these two at times have cockney accents in comparison to the rest of the characters lol), played by Brian Craig Nelson and Taryn Smithson, although for my show Rumpleteazer might have been played by dance captain and swing Gracie Anderson. I was expecting Rumpleteazer to address herself with her signature "Rumpleteazah," but instead my girl pronounced the "er," which was kinda odd to the ear. lol
They're cat burglars, bringing new meaning to the term. These two were my favorite characters overall, although now Rum Tum Tugger is obviously giving them a run for their money. I liked them in the 2019 movie, so I was looking forward to their appearance live onstage. I enjoy duos that work well off of each other, and this is exactly what we get with these two here. One of the saddest things for me about tour ending is that this duo won't be performing together anymore. They also seem to have had the most detailed and brightly colored face makeup as well for some reason. The others had more normal colors for cats and just inklings while these two had bright neon orange, yellow, and white covering their entire faces. lol
I know I said before that "The Naming Of Cats" scene is the only one in this musical where the characters act the most like cats, but now I'm also thinking that Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are the only characters that are similar to your everyday cats. They're this fun mischievous twosome that isn't really a danger to anyone but more so just a nuisance that dedicates their lives to messing with everyone else's sanity. They are like henchmen without a boss, although sometimes they are associated with Macavity. This detail is more so prevalent in the 2019 film, which brings more question into Grizabella's ostracization there. Their explanation for hating Grizabella is because she got involved with Macavity.
No. Shut up, movie. Because if that were true, then Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer would probably be just as ostracized, unless nobody knew about their Macavity involvement until the events of the film.
Up until this point there has been only group numbers or all of the cats have just been hanging out onstage, so I love how they have the whole stage to themselves for their number, making room for their double tandem cartwheel move, which apparently is what they're known for. When the rest of the cats all disperse after the first of three Macavity threats, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer come out to play.
I found out that in the original London production their song is much slower and is the one they use for the 2019 movie and in the Broadway production their song has a faster tempo and Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer aren't actual characters but rather other cats dressed as them and controlled by Mr. Mistoffelees, who also sings their song, to demonstrate his magic abilities. The version used nowadays is the Broadway music but with Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer actually playing and singing themselves and I'm very happy about this. You have the best combination of both versions there and I like that they get to actually represent themselves. It's so strange to me that they wouldn't be characters in this. I wonder why they did that. lol
I read too that originally Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were both boy cats in the poem and then they changed Rumpleteazer to a girl for the musical. I like that they did this though.
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer also bring some other elements of the show and the Jellicle universe to my attention. My impression was that the Jellicles are all strays, but in their song it's suggested that Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are actually house cats because they mess with their human family's belongings all the time, so therefore the Jellicle Cats come from all walks of life and a handful of them do live with humans. This didn't dawn on me until more recently, but in "The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball," Munkustrap, the main narrator of the Jellicles, says, "Jellicle Cats meet once a year." So they don't actually live in this Junkyard like I've always assumed. This just happens to be their annual meeting place. lol And now I am realizing that this is indicated in more songs as well about some of the other cats. (I can't imagine Rum Tum Tugger being a stray cat. He wouldn't survive that. LOL!)
Another thing I wonder is if Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer (You know, these two really need a portmanteau name or something because mentioning their four-syllable names multiple times like this is a lot LOL...But of course, ASPARAGUS is where we draw the line! 😛) are supposed to be twins or a couple. They look exactly alike and get mistaken for each other, but I don't know if that proves anything for either claim. They're seemingly the same breed, so of course they're going to look alike. But this does make me wonder how the family dynamic is among the Jellicles. If Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are twins, then who else among the Jellicles are family related? They are the only two who are indicated to have some type of relationship with each other because they are both featured in the same poem. The rest of the cats never really say anything like being a mom, dad, kitten, etc., to other cats. In some productions though, Old Deuteronomy is considered the father of Munkustrap and Munkustrap and Rum Tum Tugger are brothers.
Munkustrap, played by Kade Wright on tour, is one of the best examples I have ever seen of masculinity. I noticed too that anybody who plays this character has excellent posture because he moves so elegantly and regally. He is also the first cat I think of when I think about this musical, next to Grizabella and Old Deuteronomy. He is the much respected leader and protector of the Jellicles, but he also has a very gentle side to him, only getting aggressive when he sees that his tribe is in danger. This all being said, Wright is a very nice casting choice here. Based on what I've seen of him in behind the scenes videos, he appears to be everyone's best friend. There is just something very likable about this guy and his overall down to earth demeanor. What I also really like about Wright, other than seeing that he acknowledges and thanks God and Jesus on his social media, is that while everyone else lists their past credits in their cast bios, he just says that ever since he was three years old, he has watched the 1998 VHS of CATS everyday and it inspired him to get into performing. That is so endearing and wholesome. He has also studied under and is now good friends with Jacob Brent, who is known for playing Mr. Mistofelees in the 1998 film and other productions. Michael Gruber, who played Munkustrap himself in the 1998 movie, also sent Wright some well wishes. I truly admire Wright's dedication to this show and am so happy for him. I love that not only was he in this, he also got to play the lead character. That is so special. Santos has also said that he saw a production of CATS when he was eleven years old and when he saw Rum Tum Tugger, he wanted to be him one day. I love that both Wright and Santos were now in a show portraying the characters that started it all for them, and for Santos, the same tour that he attended as a kid. It all came full circle for them and it gives me chills.
Another thing I love is how all of the cats have their own names, identities, personalities, and designs that define them. I always just thought that they were all random cats, and this was my mindset while watching it. At the time, I didn't know them all well enough to pinpoint which was which in a crowd except for a select few. There are the principal cats, but even every background cat isn't just labeled "Ensemble." Although Chorus Cat is considered a role in this as well too, however this appears to just be a vocal one for the vocal booths, instead the ensemble cats are Coricopat and Tantomile (whom I somewhat consider the antithesis of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer), Pouncival (GREAT name for a cat right there), Cassandra, Alonzo, Tumblebrutus (This cat does tumble flips throughout the show, so his name is very appropriate), etc., and sometimes cats that are in some productions and not others. Then it's like, wait who's that cat now? This is the only show I've ever seen that doesn't always have a set character list but instead has additional characters in their universe that may or may not be featured in certain shows. Like who is Carbucketty?
A random thing about Cassandra, played by Lexy Bittner, I find it interesting how much different her design is when compared to the multiple colors and spots and stripes of the other cats. She isn't as fuzzy, is instead a solid color brown, and her makeup isn't even as detailed. She is the most normal looking cat of them all, now that I think about it. I don't know why I am bringing this up lol, but I'm intrigued by how this sets her apart. She also serves as Mr. Mistoffelees's magician assistant so perhaps this is why. Maybe her style is supposed to indicate that she has magical powers too?
Want to hear something else that might blow your mind? Because it did mine. There are ensemble versions of Grizabella, Rum Tum Tugger, Macavity, and maybe even some others too. I was seeing mentions of Baby Griz and Chorus Tugger, so I looked this up to read about it more.
I'm under the impression that lead characters are not, or at least rarely are, in ensemble or ensemble numbers. I figured that cast members like Harris, Santos, etc., were backstage waiting for their big entrances when the rest of the cast is performing the opening number. But this isn't the case for CATS. Baby Griz, Chorus Tugger/Bill Bailey (not to be confused with another cat named Bill Bailey from other productions, apparently...some more confusion for me here lol), Plato (Macavity), and Peter (Gus/Bustopher Jones) are placements for these cast members to actually be in the opening ensemble numbers and not give away their characters too soon. After the opening number, they then go backstage to get into their official garb and remain that way throughout the rest of the show. This happens in the 1998 movie too. Elaine Paige (Grizabella), John Partridge (Rum Tum Tugger), and Ken Page (Old Deuteronomy, known as Young Deuteronomy in the Chorus) are shown in closeups in the opening scenes, but they're not their characters yet but rather their ensemble counterparts.
Do any other shows do this? Do lead characters make their appearances blending in ensembles as other throwaway characters and THEN get into their main characters? I've never considered or seen this before and I'm fascinated.
I said this already about Rum Tum Tugger, but everyone in the ensemble made their costumes work. In other shows for dance numbers you might see chorus girls working with their dresses, flipping their hair, etc., but for CATS they don't have these details, but they are able to work with others instead. For example, when they spin around, they would slightly wiggle their ears a little bit instead. For a cat musical, this is something different that they can do while in musicals starring humans you would never see this. And about their ears, there is something very interesting and adorable about how, when you see them closer up in photos, they are just an extension of the fur (well, yak hair) that is shaped and tied into ears and not felt ears like you would expect, or it's just fluff sticking upwards and outwards. Also, closeups of the costumes look like marker scribbles on t-shirts and unitards. For designs so iconic, it's so amazing to me how simple they look too, depending on the costume.
I love that me seeing this musical live is making me think critically about this show and some aspects of musical theater for the first time.
So for many of these things that I talk about in this blog post, none of it would work in any other musical because it would just perplex the audience, but somehow here it's like, Yep, this is what happens in this Junkyard. And this definitely comes into play for the climax of the show, which is another significant difference from the film.
MACAVITY The Mystery Cat. I've already mentioned him a bit, but now it's time to actually talk about him.
Yeah, did they unnecessarily destroy him in the film, or did they make him a better villain? You decide.
Because he is considered the main villain of the musical, they build him up throughout the stage show with various sudden sound effects that once again shift the tones very drastically and indicate that he is drawing near. He even gets one of the best songs in the show, sung by another duo and besties Bombalurina and Demeter, played by Erica Lee Cianciulli and Nora DeGreen. These two act as backup singers throughout the show but also tend to be the specific ones who sing about the show's "antagonists." First Grizabella, now Macavity. But I can't tell really if these two are threatened by him or turned on by him because the song comes across as this seductive jazz number. This is just attributed to both queens' differing relationships with him. (By the way, through researching this, I learned that female cats are called queens. But we call female dogs bitches?! What is THAT about???)
I had heard about Demeter's background, so I started to look into it more now. Apparently Demeter was in a relationship with Macavity and has been abused by him in past events prior to the show. Because of this, she is now a very anxious cat. He does attack her specifically in the actual show, but I'm not sure if their relationship is a fan theory or somehow canon. Munkustrap rescues Demeter and they become mates as a result of this, but this also seems to be according to some interpretations and depending on the production. Demeter is also sometimes portrayed as having a dislike for Rum Tum Tugger, probably because of how he is lol, but this could prove that she feels uncomfortable around aggressive male cats, suggesting her past trauma with Macavity further.
In the stage show and 1998 film, Demeter is the only adult cat who joins the kittens Victoria and Sillabub in attempting to approach Grizabella when she arrives, and I like this detail. A theory I have about the kittens is that not only are they innocent, but maybe a part of their reincarnation retains memories (ha, interesting that I went for this word choice) of their past lives, so perhaps they were once in Grizabella's position and empathize with her.
This brings up another question for me. When they first introduce Old Deuteronomy, they say that he has had many lives. So does he come back as himself every time or as a different cat? Do the other cats remember the cats' previous lives? I saw a theory that "Baby Griz" at the beginning of the show is supposed to be Grizabella after she came back from the Heaviside Layer, so perhaps the whole musical is told in reverse or flashback. Or MAYBE, now this is my theory here, we witness a whole life of hers in the musical.
In Demeter's case, both she and Grizabella suffer from mental anguish and dark pasts, thus sharing a mutual understanding between them. Judging by the fact that Demeter is the first cat to sing Grizabella's song when she first enters, this could be another indication that the two are somewhat kindred spirits considering Demeter knows her background well.
Another thing about Demeter is I THINK that she is the first cat we see in the show. The show opens with a car lights driving up and shining on a cat, who then runs back into the tunnel.
CATS is a show that gives creative liberty to not only the directors and performers, but to audience members. This goes for much of the background theories that I am talking about in this post. Because a lot of the musical is vague and ambiguous and certain details that people accept as possibly canon aren't in the text, we all have the opportunity to develop our own background stories for these characters and some ideas that fans come up with are pretty clever. We can't really say this about many other musicals because information is usually just given to us, although perhaps actors are always encouraged to do this to get more in personal touch with their characters. With CATS, DeGreen can form their own story about Demeter's past and it can still be considered plausible. Based on what they've said in behind the scenes videos, I also gather that the cast can even come up with their own bits to do onstage. Everyone has their own rendition of CATS in their minds and nobody is really wrong, as long as the theories don't go against the written work. I keep saying throughout this entire thing that a lot of ideas and interpretations depend on the production and I don't think I have ever before seen a piece of theatre like this have this much freedom to do that.
Bombalurina, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of Demeter. Confident, outgoing, and protective of Demeter. I like this loving friendship that they have with Bombalurina coming to Demeter's side and Demeter turning to Bombalurina in times of trouble. She is the female version of Rum Tum Tugger to me too, so maybe this is just her flirtatious personality coming through. Cianciulli was a very good choice for this character by the way considering how she carries herself offstage. Not only has she performed in this musical as the same character before for Oasis Of The Seas, the way she naturally talks and moves is very cat-like to me. If that makes sense lol. I really like her speaking voice. I feel like her voice is what a female cat would sound like if it spoke like a human.
I just don't know why Macavity would be somewhat portrayed as this sexy bad boy when Rum Tum Tugger is the one who is supposed to fulfill this role.
I mean, evidently Macavity cheats at cards though. Oooh, HOT.
However, he is also the most rugged cat out of them all, now that I think about it...
Macavity finally makes his physical appearance later in the second act, usually played by Sam Buchanan but I believe covered mid-show by swing Taylor Rosenberger at my show. He and his henchcats capture Old Deuteronomy, he shows up again disguised as Old Deuteronomy, gets into this whole battle sequence with Munkustrap and other male cats, dismantles the electricity, disappears, and is never seen again. He's like Victoria in the sense that he is just spotlighted for the dance sequences. We don't hear him except for roaring and evil laughing when he appears.
And here's another thing. He is a villain who does NOT get defeated by our heroes. Instead, he defeats them and gets away unscathed.
Rum Tum Tugger then calls upon Mr. Mistoffelees The Conjuring Cat, played by dance captain and swing Kieran Macdonald at my show in place of Ibn Snell, to conjure up Old Deuteronomy, which is actually some pretty interesting character development there, or a strange character choice. The cat that loves to be the center of attention is willing to personally put the spotlight on another? Now this is something that I feel like the movie did more correctly, believe it or not. Victoria and Munkustrap start this song off, and given her role as the main character and his role as the chief narrator, this seems more appropos. So why does The Rum Tum Tugger get to sing this song in the stage musical? Is he trying to upstage Mr. Mistoffelees? Is he trying to get on his good side because Mr. Mistoffelees expressed some distaste for him prior by calling him a bore? Is it just because of the song's musical style and it makes the most sense for the rocker cat to perform it? Or is it something else?
I'm noticing that fans like to ship Rum Tum Tugger and Mr. Mistoffelees, mostly based on their interactions in the 1998 film and thereafter, so they're surmising that this is Tugger's way of gushing about his so called boyfriend. Again, this is where the creative liberties come in. Fans even have a ship name for them: Tuggoffelees. So Tuggoffelees sings this song together, with Santos and Macdonald's singing voices complementing each other well and sounding similar to me, except that Santos had more of a rasp to differentiate them that I appreciate and is what the character calls for. At the end during curtain call at my show at one point they briefly held hands and started skipping together, so take that how you will. lol You can see that too in that Tumblr video I included earlier!! Although now it's looking more like twirling instead of skipping. lol
They could be flirting, but I don't know if I really buy into the theory that Rum Tum Tugger and Mr. Mistoffelees are romantically involved. And it's not even that Tugger is a ladies' man...er, cat either given how he rejects every female cat in this, though I guess in some productions he and Bombalurina eventually become an item. He could very well be gay or bisexual, but to me he is simply a Rum Tum Tugger man/cat, a textbook vain narcissist if ever I saw one. He just likes the attention no matter who gives it to him and is in love with himself. lol And Mr. Mistoffelees gives me asexual vibes.
Regardless though, it's nice to see a cocky and conceited cat like Tugger put Mistoffelees on a pedestal like this. It shows that he has a lot of respect and admiration for him and that maybe he isn't as self-centered as we thought after all. While Rum Tum Tugger and Bombalurina are pretty much genderbent versions of each other that kind of meet their matches in each other, Rum Tum Tugger and Mr. Mistoffelees are more of an opposites attract type of thing, the popular rocker kid and the quiet magician nerd. Bombalurina throws herself at Tugger whereas maybe Mistoffelees kinda sometimes plays hard to get, so maybe for Tugger it's the thrill of the chase and maybe Mistoffelees enjoys being chased and roasting Tugger flirtatiously. Usually he comes across annoyed by Tugger, but maybe sometimes he isn't.
In some latest productions since the Broadway revival in 2016, it is Alonzo who, along with Munkustrap, calls Tugger "a terrible bore," not Mistoffelees. In both the 1998 and 2019 films, it is only Mr. Mistoffelees who says this. From what I recall from my show, it was Munkustrap and Mistoffelees who sang this line, but maybe I'm remembering incorrectly because both Mistoffelees and Alonzo have the same color scheme. According to gifs from the tour that I have run into now, they're reminding me that it was Alonzo, played by Sammy Fossum. lol I don't know. Alonzo's perceptions really depend on productions and interpretations because from theories I've heard and read, he and the other male kittens and tom cats apparently look up to Rum Tum Tugger, which actually differs from Bye Bye Birdie because in that all of the boys hate Conrad Birdie. So why would Alonzo call him boring? I can understand how cats like Munkustrap, Mr. Mistoffelees, and Skimbleshanks may lack patience with Rum Tum Tugger because they seem more by the book in opposition to Tugger's chaotic nature, but what is Alonzo's problem with him? lol
But in regards to Tuggoffelees, I'd argue that, to some extent, Tugger is more hyped singing Mistoffelees's song than his own. lol
Then again, maybe none of them are supposed to be coupled off or have any type of sexual orientation. They're cats. Once again we're trying to apply logic to a show that doesn't need it or even try to have it.
Another interesting aspect about this scene is that it is the only time something is spoken instead of sung, which is especially unusual for a musical like this one that is completely sung through. Yes, "The Naming Of Cats" is spoken too, and maybe other moments here and there, but yet they are still accompanied by music and spoken rhythmically. Tugger says, "You ought to ask Mr. Mistoffelees, the original Conjuring Cat..." and proceeds to recite this full blown line introducing him. In the 1998 film, Partridge delivers it almost like a Shakespeare monologue to me by how he enunciates. The 2019 film has speaking moments all the time, but this is the only time to my recollection that the stage show has a normal speaking moment, and it goes to Tugger. In these few seconds, CATS feels like a straight play or a regular musical with speaking parts. I don't know why this is or what conclusion we can draw from it, though I think it could be because this is the first time in the show the cats face a conflict that they need to solve and a story is actually happening as opposed to just one theme song after another. A part of me intends to research it a bit more. It's pretty cool to me.
Like Grizabella and Old Deuteronomy, Mr. Mistoffelees is another cat whose name I knew without knowing much else about this musical. He is also easily recognizable and like Munkustrap has an obvious and consistent presence throughout the show's stage production AND films. He also sometimes acts as a second narrator to me. After Tugger's introduction onstage, Mr. Mistoffelees confidently shows up dressed in colorful changing lights, does his signature spins, and presto, Old Deuteronomy is rescued just like that.
Now do you remember what happened in the movie?
Idris Elba's Macavity is a teleporter and has way more of a looming bad guy presence in this version. AND he also assists in singing his own theme song. Yeah! Isn't that cool?? Doesn't that go against everything mysterious about him in the show??
It's like they have never even seen the original musical. Did they do any research at at all??
Anyway, he kidnaps all of the Jellicle Choice contenders and Old Deuteronomy throughout the movie because he wants to be chosen instead, and puts them all on a boat in this wharf. The Jellicles then ask Mr. Mistoffelees to bring Old Deuteronomy back, but throughout the film he lacks confidence and is all like, "I'm a practicing magician, I've never conjured before, I don't know if I can do it, I'm a fraud, blah blah blah." He's a total timid wreck. He manages to do it, I guess, because Old Deuteronomy returns, played by Judi Dench* here because feminism I guess or maybe they wanted it to be like Helen Mirren playing Prospero in the 2010 The Tempest film adaptation, and it's treated as a huge heartwarming achievement.
(*I understand a bit more why Judi Dench was cast like this in the 2019 film after reading some of Sondheim & Webber: The New Musical (2001) by Stephen Citron. In the chapter "Song and Cat Dancing," it talks about the background story of CATS and says that Dench was actually the initial choice to play Grizabella. However, because she tore her Achilles tendon, she was unable to take on the role and it was then given to Elaine Paige. Her role as Old Deuteronomy was probably a way to give her a chance to finally be in the musical, but I still feel like it wasn't the best choice overall.
On July 1, I JUST thought of this lol. Even though Jennifer Hudson was the perfect choice for Grizabella, why couldn't Judi Dench finally play the character in the film if they really wanted her involved? She was already the first choice for the stage show, and now Dench is an elderly woman just like Grizabella, therefore making her age appropriate for the role. Can Dench no longer sing and that was the conflict? Do they prefer younger women in general to play the character just in case Grizabella needs to move a certain way? This is another thing I need to look into more.)
Now, which do YOU prefer? LOL XD
Like I said before, for any other show, normally I would need some kind of explanation and the film version would serve that. Macavity having his agendas and Mr. Mistoffelees having his doubts are just normal character emotions. In the stage production we don't really know what Macavity's motivations are. It's said that maybe he does what he does because he wants to be the Jellicle Choice, but this is just something that is assumed because Macavity doesn't speak on his own behalf and it's not mentioned in his song. We definitely know that Macavity wants this in the movie because HE SAYS IT. OVER AND OVER AGAIN. But yet, we still don't know WHY he wants to be chosen. AND I understand Mr. Mistoffelees's worries in the film because the whole tribe is counting on him for something very important here and he's still learning his craft and doesn't want to let them down. I can't fathom how a tuxedo cat just dancing somehow brings their leader back like he does in the stage show, although in the 1998 film we do see sparks of magic.
But yet, the ambiguity just works so much more in a story like this! Again, it's the Jellicles' world, and we're merely just visiting. We just have to accept their rules.
I understand why they felt the need to add these extra details for the film because maybe film calls for more explanation, but I've learned from watching this that sometimes lack thereof can be perfectly fine for theater. Because I was more familiar with the film than the theater production, I was waiting on Macavity to have more of a presence and Mr. Mistoffelees to question himself, but I got neither. At first I felt confused because Macavity was foreshadowed so much throughout the show and the problem with him was resolved that quickly, but then I realized that I liked what I saw. I liked that it wasn't too detailed with a villain. It was way more effective to see the lights go pitch black and then have a singular flashlight shine through and the ensemble say "Macavity's not there" (this isn't accompanied by music either, but is spoken in unison) than to have Macavity be a typical villain that we have seen before like they did with the film. I liked too that all we know about these characters is what other cats sang about them. Grizabella's storyline and conflict is what takes center stage, and that's how it should be.
As a side note, it's also way more interesting to see the cats run the show and pretend to be mice and dogs with makeshift masks than have actual mice and roaches be characters like in the movie. Between this and the various junkyard props that they use, it shows the cats' playfulness and ability to hold their own and we get to see how they entertain themselves and each other. They are the only characters we see. And what crossed my mind too now is that another thing we're supposed to believe is that they have thumbs and can hold things like humans do. Like how is Macavity able to pick up electrical plugs and plug them together?? lol
One of the best and most memorable things about the 2019 film was actually Taylor Swift. She's pretty good as Bombalurina singing Macavity's song and being one of his minions, therefore making Bombalurina a villain in this adaptation. But this is also the first time she is featured in the film. Another female cat sings with Demeter about Grizabella, so therefore the Bombalurina and Demeter friendship is nonexistent, and hits on Tugger, so I feel that Bombalurina is actually pretty underrepresented in the movie, regardless of who is playing her. It's like they wanted Swift to make this big entrance instead of caring about the character herself because even when she does show up you see her as Taylor Swift acting, not Bombalurina.
But I also think that the song that Swift wrote specifically for the film, "Beautiful Ghosts," wasn't that bad of an addition. Going into the film without any prior knowledge of the musical, you wouldn't know that it wasn't a part of the original score. It fits in pretty well in my opinion but it still wasn't needed nor is it that memorable. CATS the movie would only work if it was a standalone film not based on anything else beloved, and even that is debatable.
Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella is of course the most redeemable part of the film though because she's the only one who actually acts as a character and is not just a celebrity in a cat costume. :P And we all know what a powerhouse that woman is. She is a very good choice for mature, iconic characters with strong voices, as we have already seen in the Dreamgirls 2006 film adaptation. She is the only cast member who takes CATS seriously. She even had Tayler Harris on her talk show, which was an awesome meeting of Grizabellas!
We also meet Jennyanydots The Old Gumbie Cat, another aged female cat in the show now that I think about it because a younger Rebel Wilson playing her in the 2019 film threw me, but she comes across a bit more middle aged than the elderly Grizabella, played by Michelle E. Carter, Skimbleshanks The Railway Cat played by John Zamborsky, and Bustopher Jones The Cat About Town, usually played by the same guys who portray Gus, as well. Each of their songs stand out in their own right. Jennyanydots's song for me is the most reminiscent of old-timey musicals set in the 20s-40s, Skimbleshanks's song sounds like a Christmas holiday jingle, and Bustopher's song would fit well in a children's TV show.
Jennyanydots is lucky too because she gets to perform in a Tugger-less show, given that her song is right before his and we haven't met him yet. Because he is such a scene stealer right after, his presence kinda overshadows the rest.
Now that I think about it, their existences, however minor, in the musical could explain why Macavity kidnaps their movie counterparts. For a lot of these characters, Gus included, they are each introduced with their own song and are one and done, usually not seen again until the end and at curtain call, unless they just blend in with the other cats. They still make their contributions, with Jennyanydots bringing the only tap dancing routine in the show, Skimbleshanks's scene using random forgotten junkyard objects to emulate a train, and Bustopher...being an overweight cat, therefore making him the most relatable character in the entire show LMAO! In theater, having characters go missing out of the blue is less obvious in an ensemble show like this one because you're focusing on all different characters onstage and it's up to the audience member who they observe. However, in film, this taking place would be a lot more obvious because you are now zoned in on particular characters and the film specifically shows you what it wants you to focus on. What they could have done is have Victoria and her new friends simply visit these characters and then leave them behind...there were ways around it! I remember now that Derulo's Rum Tum Tugger doesn't get kidnapped even though he is similarly introduced, and this is because he sticks around a good majority of the time in the stage musical too, probably because he likes the attention. ;)
This is also another example of how certain storytelling rules don't apply in CATS. Let me explain an issue that I have with Skimbleshanks, one that I've had since I watched the 2019 film. Surprise, surprise!!
Skimble is introduced halfway into the second act and normally this doesn't happen with principal characters so late in the game because everything has already been established and we're starting to wrap things up. Even the definition of principal characters means something different in this show. To me, a principal character in CATS has his or her own song or dance solo, with Munkustrap being an exception because of his narrator status singing throughout the show anyway.
At this point, we have just spent a good majority of the act with Gus and his TWO songs and are now waiting for Macavity's entrance, Mistoffelees's magic debut and theme song, Grizabella's plight solution and her big number, and Old Deuteronomy's decision. We have a lot of stuff to look forward to and conclude here now. But instead they take a quick detour out of nowhere and are like, "Wait a minute! You haven't met our train cat yet!"
I feel bad saying this because Skimble has one of the best songs of the show, seems to be a fan favorite, and is one of the least problematic cats of the entire tribe. He just minds his own business hanging out on the railway train and I think he takes care of the mail too. lol I also like that he moves differently from the other cats. While the others move very fluidly, his moves are very skittish and sharp, like he's always in a rush or worried. He's actually a very cute cat because I get this impression that he has a high sense of self-importance and has convinced himself that the train can't function without him when really he's just there. lol I think the same thing goes for Gus and Bustopher Jones as well. They just happen to hang out in their own areas and think that they serve more of a purpose there than they do.
But what is his significance in the show now that we have so much we're already focused on? Okay, yes, he is another cat featured in Eliot's poems and I'm not saying that he should be excluded and doesn't belong. This isn't a knock on Zamborsky's performance, nor is it even a knock on Steven McRae's performance in the 2019 film because his dancing in it is worth a watch. It's just that his placement feels so odd to me. If he was introduced in the first act like everyone else, I don't think I would feel this way. We meet Jennyanydots, Rum Tum Tugger, Grizabella, Bustopher Jones, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, even Old Deuteronomy, ALL in the first act, so we gather that okay we're meeting the cats of the tribe one by one here. Would including Skimbleshanks among them like this be cramming too much in the first act? I'm not sure. We meet Gus in the second act too though, so maybe he and Skimbleshanks balance it out. Gus's scene is more like the calm before the storm. After a jam packed first act, including the lengthy dance sequence of the Jellicle Ball that closes it, we're sitting back listening to his stories and reenactments of his former roles. But then here comes Skimbleshanks bringing us back to the first act's theme of introducing cats again. Maybe this is just how it is supposed to be once again considering that this musical covers a series of poems. We have to remember that this isn't a traditionally structured story but instead how Eliot's poems have been organized in a musical format.
Because my research for this blog post obviously includes watching clips of the musical and film, here's yet ANOTHER thing that the movie did wrong. They tried too hard to make it funny, which is remarkable considering that they stripped all of the natural charm from it at the same time. They included slapstick and random comments for Wilson as Jennyanydots and of course Corden as Bustopher Jones as if to get a cheap laugh, and it just wasn't necessary. Unless this is yet another difference between screen and stage to acknowledge.
When it comes to film, you might have kids getting fidgety, so filmmakers might feel the need to include physical comedy to keep the little tykes' attention, or the attention of any film goer for that matter. With live theater, there is a sense of wonderment watching adult humans dressed and acting as cats onstage right in front of your eyes that engulfs and engrosses you. It's just a surreal spectacle that one doesn't get everyday.
Also, duh, they're CATS. When was the last time you saw children NOT entertained by cats? I'll wait.
It's really not that difficult to make cats OR dogs enjoyable to watch. They really didn't have any faith in the cat design for the 2019 film and so they dumbed it down with stupidity and that's sad. It wasn't necessary because CATS has always been a family friendly show. One, they are CATS, and two, there is literally nothing inappropriate in it (Grizabella's possible dark past aside, because it is really ambiguous and nothing is certain about her). The only thing I can think of is that Macavity might be a little scary for kids so that might be a minor content warning, and Rum Tum Tugger can be a little provacative, but it was WRITTEN FOR KIDS, right from Eliot's source material.
If you go to a children's production with cats as characters or even children themselves playing cats, it's a different vibe. It's marketed as child entertainment with the attraction to it is usually geared towards imagination and playing pretend. With CATS the musical, yes you can apply these ideas here too, but there's still more of a maturity to it and its themes and yet this show never had an issue appealing to all demographics. It has always been fine the way it is. I don't recall that many funny, laugh out loud moments from the show really, but yet people love it all the same.
There is some debate about whether or not some of Victoria's scenes involve her experiencing heat for the first time, and there might be moments of intimacy among the tribe, but I don't really see this an inappropriate or not family friendly because they are cats and nothing sexual takes place anyway.
And yes, at my show, there were people of all ages (some even dressed as cats themselves) and I was even told by one of the managers or ushers there that this particular show gets crowded and busy because of so many people and how popular it is.
All in all, the movie should have never been made because there was no way around it. Because they had to follow filmmaking rules, they couldn't recapture the magic of what the original stage production had.
I often wonder how the movie would work if it was entirely animated. Apparently this was in the works too! Not even necessarily with CGI, but with classic hand drawn 2-D animation. What if it was a Disney animated picture? How would that have fared?
The show closes with "The Ad-dressing of Cats" and I like how this song, or monolgoue delivered by Dench in the film, is a follow up to the opening songs of the show. While the opening songs introduce and explain the Jellicle Cats, this closing song basically says "You know who we are and what we're about now. Go forth and address us correctly, and whatever you do, don't equate us with dogs." This cleverly exhibits their aversion to canines once again. lol
I was lucky enough to find this awesome CATS Fanatic Tumblr blog dedicated to fan art, discussion, and behind the scenes photos and footage of the CATS tours, the CATS US Tour 6 tag featuring my cast being my latest anxiety/depression cure and daily dose of happiness and joy lol. It's a lovely archive of media that the cast has posted throughout their tour. I am so grateful that Michael created it and I found it because I have stayed updated with the tour through it ever since. I especially love the Instagram Takeovers of the CATS the Musical account or show venue accounts that the cast members do when they take their social media audience through their days and answer fan questions. I've been learning plenty of interesting things from them.
I'm going to miss this too now that the tour is over and it's going to be bittersweet looking back at it, especially when new posts from the North American tour start to cease. What once brought me happiness is now gonna make me sad. lol I'm going to miss new social media updates of this tour too. We're never going to see new photos or videos of them dressed as these cats again. We can't look forward to any new CATS National Tour content again because it's all over now. That hits hard. :( But there is still the potential for them to continue sharing never before seen stuff, so that is something to look forward to. *As of June 24, the cast and crew has still been sharing CATS content, including stuff they weren't allowed to before, such as them in half cat form, meaning like faces in makeup but not in full proper costume, their makeup application process, stuff like that, and also videos from backstage and the wings, and I am living for it!!! I have been wanting to see stuff like this and wondered why they weren't showing it! And now as soon as the tour ended suddenly they are!! They seem to have a lot of stuff saved that they are now sharing! Perhaps I am in for way more content for longer than I thought! 😃 KEEP 'EM COMING, GUYS! I love this kind of stuff and am not ready for the CATS enthusiasm and content to end just yet! LOL!
That Tumblr blog is where I got a lot of my information regarding the cast for my show and it helped me understand the role of Swing and Dance Captain a little bit more. I'm so impressed with dance captains and swing Gracie Anderson and Kieran Macdonald for their widespread capabilities. Almost every photo on that blog has them, especially Anderson, dressed as and covering a different cat for every show and I give them so much credit for this. I see that they were the last two to exit through the oven during the final show's curtain call, which I discovered is a tradition after I looked it up when I saw someone comment about it, and it made me start crying again. Well deserved.
I also want to give some credit to Dominic Fortunato, the guy who played Pouncival. He has been so consistent throughout this entire run lol. I am always seeing him in stuff that he has posted about the show on that blog and I don't think he has ever really needed someone else to cover his role for him much. And he has been on this tour for quite some time now, like maybe a couple of years. No! Actually it's THREE years! 😯 He also made this nice little short film about the tour.
The main cast has the responsibility to portray their characters in every show, but swing has to learn a handful of tracks, complete with acting, singing, and dancing in each one. From my understanding, there could be times when they are never actually in the show but have to travel with the tour anyway and be prepared at any time for any circumstance that might need them to step up to the plate and know exactly what to do. I am so impressed with how all of the understudies and swings are able to keep up with this.
I have even learned that the cast members even do their own hair and makeup, which in itself is impressive considering they have to do that on top of learning their steps and lines. But not only do they have to remember the steps and lyrics for each cat, they have to memorize the specific stripes and designs of each cat too just in case they have to shift around due to absences! Musical theater people are truly a force to be reckoned with their triple multiple threats and hard work they put into everything.
By the way, looking at other character designs of this production, whether they are from past shows or other present shows not from the CATS US Tour 6, I like the designs from my show so much more. Less frightening and more appealing. You can see the human behind the cat better too. lol
I'm acting like I've never seen musical theater before. LOL! But I get so excited learning and knowing about this kind of stuff! It's funny for me to see them in their normal human forms too because I am so used to seeing them as cats. lol
The more I think about it, the more I realize how perfectly casted this show was. Nothing felt off and for a good majority of the cast, who they played onstage is who they are as people offstage. There's a lot of similarities between them and their characters and that's a good thing. For a majority of the cast too, CATS was their first national tour. I love that.
Oh, man. Am I finally reaching the end of my CATS reflection? I think I am. I'm sorry that this was so long, but I wanted to include as much as I could and didn't want to leave anything out. lol I could probably go on and on with even more analysis, but I guess we'll end it here. Maybe I'll write another post another time if I am so compelled. lol
I'll just tell you a bit about my intermission adventures of getting a closer look of the set and buying some merch before I finally close this out. lol
Because I sat in the balcony, I did have a nice view of the full set, but of course I wanted to go exploring. Here are some sweet set pics I took before the show, during intermission, and after the show. 🙂
The set looks like and acts as a playground jungle gym almost with places that the cast utilized to climb, tunnel, maybe even swing from, etc. There are so many opportunities to really get creative with it. Even the floor of the set looks cool. See the giant tiger face? And check this out! Each piece of the set even has a special meaning!
I freaking love this musical, bruh. LOL
Speaking of how the performers would come into the audience, I've also read that there have been performances where people were allowed to go onstage and interact and take pics with Old Deuteronomy during intermission. They didn't do this at my show of course, but Old Deuteronomy was the last cat to leave the stage after Act One and the first cat to enter the stage at the beginning of Act Two. He was sitting there just chilling out when people were filing back in and the house lights were still up. This leads into "The Moments of Happiness" scene that opens the second act, which is the least action-packed scene of the entire musical.
During intermission I also went merchandise shopping because I love doing that. I didn't want to wait until the end because it might have been busier then and I wanted to get it done.
I'm into novelty socks lately, but unfortunately I was told that they didn’t have any when I asked. I was leaning towards the shirts then a little because I usually get shirts at the shows I see, but because I wasn't a huge lifelong CATS fanatic and am organizing my wardrobe so I wasn't sure if buying yet another t-shirt to add to it would be the wisest move. I also was watching my spending. But I wanted to get some souvenir from the show! And I am so thrilled with what I finally chose and I made the right decision. I asked for a mug and they had one, but this is no ordinary mug. The girl told me that it is a magic mug, meaning that when you put a hot beverage inside, a special ink on the outside lights up with the iconic yellow cat eyes. It works and it's the coolest thing and I love using it now! It's my new favorite mug! Money well spent! 😃
They had a very lovely selection, which you can actually find on this website. I might order something else at some point (I'm still eyeing those t-shirts! LOL!). Now in July I'm noticing that they're not selling the mugs anymore, so I'm a little sad about that. :( I'm glad that I bought one when I did!!
Update: In July, I ordered one of the shirts! Teehee! I received it in the mail last night, July 22! :D
After seeing this musical, I've been feeling withdrawals and even considered seeing the Philly stop. These withdrawals will certainly get worse now that the tour has officially concluded, making me kinda wish that I was following it this whole time, though this would probably make the withdrawals even worse yet. And I've only been following this tour for three months! I can only imagine how THEY feel having been working the tour all this time, especially those who have been involved with it for years! What's sad too now is running into their posts and the CATS social media posts of them first announcing that they will be going on the tour or of the tour's earlier days, like of rehearsals too.
This tour and musical has clearly made such an impact on me. I certainly have a newfound respect for it. I have been following it ever since my show thanks to social media and that Tumblr blog, and as a result I feel like I have gotten to know the cast. I don't think I've ever felt so attached to a cast of a musical before. They all seem like such a sweet, friendly group with a nicely developed family camaraderie and so much passion among them. They are a huge reason why I love this musical now and I'm really going to miss them. Even if I ever see this musical live again, it won't be the same without them because they were my first live cast of CATS. I can't wait to see what they all do after this but it's going to be a little sad to not see them together doing this show anymore. It feels like the end of a school year or a graduation. Them saying goodbye to the show, their characters, and each other is making me emotional and crying nonstop. What really kills me is how they address their cat roles themselves.
I'm making more of a conscious effort to know casts when I can and feel like before I see their shows so I can look forward to seeing them live ahead of time now. lol But then again, I liked going into this and having no preconceived notion.
Since this tour has been going on for awhile, and this version since 2021, I initially thought that it was a neverending thing just with rotating casts. Last year it was happening with a different cast and many members from it returned for this leg. Some of them have done 500+ shows. But it looks like this is it now, until the next one. :(
This tour actually started in 2019 and then was temporarily discontinued due to the pandemic! Can you imagine?? And I just started getting into it right when it was ending lol. There were multiple international tours and other productions like Oasis Of The Seas happening simultaneously too! But I would have been seeing the casts continuously changing and maybe missing former cast members if I was following the US Tour 6 this whole time, so I'm glad that I joined this fandom when I did and saw the tour end with my cast only and no further changes being made.
I was really enamored when watching this show live for the first time and I feel like the next time won't have the same affect because I now know what to expect and it will be a new cast, but I would still definitely see it again.
I never thought that I would be feeling this sentimental and depressed about the North American Tour of CATS closing. I didn't foresee myself to be this invested. Not only did it make me appreciate the musical itself, it also somewhat reinvigorated my love for theatre and musical theater again. It was never lost, but I have now garnered a new spark.
Thanks to this musical, I don't look at cats the same way anymore. I'm always side-eyeing them now and thinking, "So...what are your three names? What Jellicle Ball are you off to?" LOL I've seen cats running about in the middle of the night near my home, so them all meeting up at a secret location under a full moon for their own dance ball and ceremony is totally believable to me. That's another thing that is unique about this musical too. It takes place during the course of one night and entirely at night in darkness, another reason for its mysticism.
Hey! There's another reason why I like this musical! I can relate to it being a fellow night owl! lol
I like cats more now lately because of this musical too. I still prefer dogs, but you know what? Cats are pretty neat too. They are very interesting creatures.
There are so many classic human musicals out there that follow the same tropes. "Wide-eyed young ingenue arrives in the big city to make it as an actress and finds love" is one of them. But, there is only one musical that comes to mind that stars cats and only cats. I also can't really think of any other animal that could master a full musical with dance like this considering how slinky and acrobatic a cat's movements are.
I just thought of another one on July 7: The Lion King. However, this doesn't fully count because there are more than one species in that and the cast doesn't fully embody the animals but rather use puppetry as well. Plus, it is a stage adaptation of a film that already exists and follows a more standard storyline.
I've noticed that audience members are encouraged to share photos of their playbills and I want to participate too, so here's my contribution. lol
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| Somehow I have two. I think one may be my Mom's lol and I'm not sure which one is mine, so I wanted to showcase both as well to not leave the one that might be mine out. lol |
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| July 13. Just found these in my living room so I thought that I'd include them in this too just in case they're mine. lol |
It was literally one of the best nights of my life. And now it is just a bunch of 🎶memories🎶. ❤
Much love to the cast, crew, and creative of the CATS North American 2022/2023 Tour! Congratulations on such a wonderful run! 😻
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