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cassandra-has-moonlit-eyes · 2 years

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Cats Vienna, 19.06.22 with a lot of rambling cause it is meee

Also I’m getting kind of emotional and then bitter at the end again. Whooopsie.

Today there was a really interesting energy on stage and every actor was like on 120%. You could feel that the ending is near.

Birgit Arquin who plays Bombalurina was absolutly on fire today.

Also a lot of the super swings:

Jo Lucy Rackham played Jenny. I love her Jenny. She is strict but also soft and her tap dancing is amazing.

Tommie Luyben as Carbucketty. Dance co captain. Also plays like 100 roles in the show.

Without Tommie and Jo they could have closed the show haha. No honestly. They are both absolutly amazing. They didn’t just play male or female roles, they also switched: Jo also played Coricopat and Carbucketty (loved her Bucky very much) and Tommie played Tantomile and Electra (loved his Electra). Both of them did not “just” cover minor roles but also major roles. I saw Tommie as Skimble a couple of times as well as as Mungojerrie once (I remember him because he shuffeled???) and Jo covering Demeter, Rumpleteazer and Jenny.

Also Sinisi as his propably last Misto. Never saw him in this role before and enjoyed him quite a lot. He seemed a little bit more chaotic than the other Mistos. He is also an absolute super swing covering Tugger, Misto, Alonzo, Coricopat, Carbucketty and Admetus (at least these were the roles I saw him in).

Next super swing today: Susannah Murphy as Electra, I saw her mainly as Electra, Jemima and Tantomile but I know she covered other roles too. Absolutly full of energy every time I saw her.

Then we had Snova as Admetus: next super swing, I saw him as Tugger, Munk and Macavity/Admetus and enjoyed him in every role.

Also Denise Jastraunig as Jellylorum. She covers mostly Jenny and Jelly but I saw her as Griz once.

Also today: Babara Obermeier played Griz and I love her as Jelly but I too love her as Griz very much. She is soooo amazing.

Some notes to today:

Sinisi Misto is tall Misto. I like.

I love how at the beginning of the Gumbie Cat Alonzo (Maniadis) usually lies on the car and streches his leg (this cat streches his leg a lot) but gets driven away when the Gumbie Trio comes. He usually goes down on the floor to cuddle with Cass (Dacres) before both put their tap dance shoes on.

Jo is an absolute amazing Jenny. She is very strict and you know her Jenny is a good performer because she is also strict on herself. I love the faces she makes during the Gumbie Cat, her tap dancing is so clean and sounds so well and she just has such an happy and joyful attitude like most Cats in Vienna for what I love the Vienna Kitties very much.

When Tugger (Hees) came in Bomba was really excited and Jelly was really annoyed. Sinisi Misto didn’t like being touched by him. Propably has to clean himself now. Snova also plays Admetus very happy and fun like Li (when Maniadis plays him he plays him more like he plays Alonzo which is also fun because sometimes he looked disgusted with Tugger sitting on him). Bomba’s facial expressions during her part were gold today. And she is an amazing dancer, really. Loved how offended she looked when he let her fall but then shrugged it off and joined again. Carbucketty hid behind her legs while the girls were screaming.

Griz entrence: I love Obermeier Griz very much. I love her voice and her acting. In the Vienna translation during memory she sings: “Hoffnung, in mir lebt noch die Hoffnung, dass ich nicht einfach sterbe, wie die Kerze im Wind.” Which roughly translates to: “Hope, I still have hope, that I don’t just die like the candle in the wind.” Hope isn’t a motive in the English lyrics (as far as I can remember) but I think it fits the character quite well. With Obermeier Griz it always feels like hope is something she gives the character: her Griz has hope that she will be accepted back. After she sings about herself, she wants to leave the stage but then Demeter (Vazzoler) starts singing her number and she hesitates to leave the stage and listens to Demeter. You can see hope in her face, hope that she maybe still welcome. Also Munkustrap (Fetterle) really had a sad look on his face when he listened to Demeter today. The hole moment, the tentions between Griz, Deme, Bomba and him today were amazing.

Bustopher Jones: Really funny today. Jenny started, she was so excited, then Bomba and Jelly tuned in, were to excited and Jenny shooed them away like move: I’m singing this number. Also after Bill and Bucky misbehave during Bustopher sings, Bill (Nathan Luke) roles to the right side, fist bumps Demeter, who tought his joke was funny and is then scolded by Jenny. Today he seemed sad at Jenny being angry at him, nuzzled her side and she petted his head and looked at him like: Is do still love you, even thou you are ein schlimmer Bub, and that was just everything. Jenny is strict but she loves her Schlimms very much (I use Schlimm for the cats that misbehave, Oberschlimms are Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer). No matter who Jo plays she has always great interactions with all the Schlimms (mostly with Bill, Bucky, Vicky and Electra).

Jenny was also so proud when she recieved the rose today she had to show it to Jelly and Bomba.

Mungojerrie (Mayert) and Rumpletaezer (Buchegger) were amazing today and got a lot of applause. Rumpleteazer bowed down like thank you, thank you, I know I’m amazing.

Don’t have much to say about Old Deut and the Pekes today, only that when Tugger entered the stage with the pipe he wanted to get Mistos attention by patting him on the shoulder but he just looked at him confused and danced on.

The Jellicle Ball. Like, I shit you not when I tell you that I sometimes went to see Cats just to see the Jellicle Ball. I love it so fucking much and Vienna has so many talented dancers, it’s absolutly incredible and always a joy to watch. I will miss this part most. It just hits so hard live especially the second part after the cuddle. Bomba section was amazing today, Bomba looked over her shoulder into the audience while moving her hips with a kind of cheeky smile and the Tugger/Bomba cuddle section was very ... interesting today (yeah, she grabbed his behind, and I was like you go girl). She was also came early during the girls V formation to flirt with Tugger again.

I love the part from the Munkus center to the end the most. It’s just so energetic and perfect and yeah. It’s everything.

Griz came back, again hoping to be exepted realising she isn’t and singing her sad song. She wanted to leave again, had a small shimmer of hope, reached out her hand but nobody touched it. Heartbreaking today really (maybe I’m over emotional cause the show is coming to an end).

Act II

Didn’t focus on much during Happyness and Gus but the pirates were funny again today. Misto was scared of Growltiger during one part and hid behind Mungojerrie who protected him for a while but then pushed him towards Growlitger cause they had to sing again.

Skimbleshanks was fun, as always. Murphy Electra is just the happiest Schlimm after she misbehaved and is laughing with Carbucketty. Also Misto was a little bit of a Schlimm today. He blinded the audience (ME) with his light and then he also blinded Old Deut who wasn’t happy about that and just laughed (yeah, Sinisi Misto is defently more chaos then the other very well behaved Mistos haha). He was so cheeky and laughed, tststs.

Tugger really wanted to dance end of the train togetzer with Tantomile and Cassandra but he had to help Old Deut with his back.

Macavity, amazing as always. I don’t know what was different today (maybe that I for once focused on Bomba and not on Demeter, lol) but Birgit Arquin killed the whole performance today, like absolutly, fave Bomba performance I ever saw in Vienna. Her dancing and singing were amazing, expressions and acting on point, extreme powerful energy all in all. Griddlebone Part, best part, when she was moving like a snake, like it lookes so good, from hips to head everything seemed A+. Absolutly amazing.

Snova Macavity also very good today. At the beginning Demeter was hypnotized by him and he grabbed her by her hips, pulled her closer and stunned her with her magic, so she fell asleep (usually they don’t touch here, as far as I can remember). I shit you not. I had goosebumps.

Misto number semed kind of chaotic today and I’m not complaining . Tugger kind of played different from usual I would say, more chaotic, fun and casual, maybe to match Misto’s chaos energy. Firstly Misto nearly didn’t catch the red vase, he pulled the rainbow out a little to late which nearly landed on Tugger (or actually landed on him, not sure anymore) who seemed kind of confused/taken by surprise. He nearly forgot to dance with Misto his leg up part, it wasn’t in synch but it fitted non the less and was fun and chaotic in a good way.

When he took the jacket from Misto, Carbucketty was already waiting to take it backstage. Tugger teased him and pulled it away, before haning it over Carbucketty’s head who just looked so done with his antics.

Meanwhile Misto Solo happing. Something was changed in the choreo. At one part Misto was lying on the floor and stretching his leg which usually doesn’t happen. Very nice conjouring turns.

He was also so surprised/shocked by Tugger hyping him up at the end. It was realy fun and entertaining, the whole number today.

Memory: So beautiful. Obermeier’s voice is everything and I don’t know any technical turms but she changes it to sound rougher of softer, she is sometimes louder or quieter and listing to her sing it is never boring. The touch me is so powerful and you can feel her hope. Nearly cried today what never happened before (maybe again because the show is ending idk). She leaves again, then the hope awakens in her and for the last time she reaches out, this time her hope is fullfilled.

Absolutly loved every bit today end it felt really short. It was so much fun.

Also, all this Grizabella watching made me think about her again. For me cats is a musical about community and this line with hope in German seems to me like she is coming back to her community so she won’t be forgotten when she dies. She knows she is dying and she doesn’t want to die alone, she wants to be with the cats that are dear to her. And she wants to be remembered by them, by her community. That really made me feel things today. You can read so much into her character.

Also the connection between Grizabella and Demeter, whatever it is, is just so powerful. Demeter as a character grew very much on me and I just love her compassion for Grizabella. And I love that she, even though she is scared, attacks Macavity when he returns, in order to protect the others. She is such an amazing character and all the Vienna Demeters portrayed her a little bit differently but so well. Made me really fall in love with her as a character. She is such an amazing, complex character (as complex as they get in Cats) and cutting her out of the 2019 movie was such a big mistake because it takes so much away from the musical as a whole.

#cats the musical #really good today #I have feelings #tw: death #hollywood can't handle complex female characters #and hollywood can't handle female characters that have complex relationships and compassion for other female characters #cats DAS musical

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cassandra-has-moonlit-eyes · 2 years

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Cats Vienna 29.05.2022

Went today again because tomorrow I will have a horribly stressful day and Cats is my coping mechanism 1 atm and I was lucky that I went because:

Anneka Dacres played Demeter! She usually plays Cassandra and I really wanted to see her as Demeter. I was so happy, when I read her name next to Demeter’s name on the cast list. She didn’t disapoint. She was such a incredible expressive and emotional Demeter.

Also Tommie Luyben played Electra. I think he wore an Old Deut Chorus costume but I’m not sure. I didn’t see it coming because I didn’t read the cast list that hard. I was like: Who is that on the trapez? Is it Billy? Nah? Then I saw that it was Luyben and I was like oh, that’s new. Three boii Schilmms for the day. He was a very fun Electra and played her similiar to how he plays Bill but more about him later.

I sat quite on the side so I couldn’t see everything but most of it. I was so happy when Dacres Demeter entered the stage. She has such a beautiful voice, I little bit lower than the other Demeters I would say. During the naming of the Cats she was right in front of me and I could see every expression she made, as always A+

Rumpleteazer (Vicky Riddoch) was gold. She wanted Alonzo’s attention at the beginning bat he wasn’t having it.

Bombalurina (Anneke Brunekreeft) massaged Demeter’s back at the beginning of the Gumbie Cat and they were both so happy to sing her song.

Today Tugger (Dominik Hees) petted Admetus’ (Nicholas Li) head when he nuzzeled him. Also today again, Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer and Jelly played his band. Also: With Electra being a boii today, only two girls (Vicky and Jem) where sceaming at the end of the song and Jemima (Anastasia Bertinshaw) had to take over as main fangirl fainting at the end.

Male Electra stayed at Victoria’s side after she isn’t allowed to touch Griz, same as female Electra.

Demeter was so sad and expressive during the Glamour Cat song. She was surprised and nearly shocked when Bombalurina joined her. It seemed like she thought she would have to sing this song alone.

She was also very sad at the beginning of Bustopher Jones and cleaned herself before looking at him. Also Tantomile (Meghan Peploe-Williams) and Cassandra (Susannah Murphy, small Cass, cute Cass) had a small interaction and smiled at each other. Alonzo (George Maniadis) really wanted Bustophers’ attention and waved at him. At the end Bustopher (Felix Martin) kissed Jenny’s (Denise Jastraunig) hand. “Küss die Hand”

First Macavity scare: I love how Fetterle Munk reacts to Alonzo leaving him alone. Today he reached out to him like he was asking him to stay.

Mungo (Jan-Eike Mayert) and Rumple were fun as always. Today I was sitting right there where they look at when they are watching the vase go down. Yay me. It seemed like they were laughing at me lol.

At the beginning of the Old Deut song they both were cuddeling and cleaning each other. Didn’t even try to get Tugger’s attention today.

Pekes and Pollicles is so much fun. I will miss how the number is now but I’m curious to see Gus Rumpus Cat next week! I love how Carbucketty (Johnny Randall) tries to impress the girls who a sitting next to Old Deut and sometimes Mungojerrie has to shove him in the right direction for his part as the main Pollicle. Also Misto (Stephen Martin Allan) took his time to come out as the Scottish dog and Skimble (Gerben Grimmius) looked quite displeased.

Jelly Ball time. Now Carbucketty can finally dance with Vicky (Hannah Kenna Thomas). As far as I could see Electra danced Electra’s usual part. Also the center at the end. Today, for a change, Tugger was cuddeling in Demeter’s and Munkustrap’s direction and not in the twin’s direction.

Second Act:

During Gus, the twins streched their legs and Alonzo who was sitting behind them had to push their legs down so that the audience could still admire him. They looked kind of offended.

I still have no real opinion on the pirate part, thou I find it kind of fun, especially the interaction between Growltiger and Griddlebone.

During Skimbleshanks Electra played Electra’s part as always. At the end, shortly before Skimble steps und Mungojerrie’s back, Mungo and Deme had a cute interaction. She clawed/stroked his back and they smiled at each other.

First Macavity apperence: Demeter hid behind Munk, Mungo behind Old Deut.

Loved, loved, loved Macavity today. Dacres is such an expressive Demeter you could really feel that one part in the choreo with that he made sweet love to me but I hated him. Also, she seems less scared of Macavity than other Demeters. She was also very offended that he cheats at cards haha. All in all incredible performance, especially the dancing but the singing too. You feel every bit of the choreo. For the first time I could like read her relationship to Macavity (of course with all my background knowledge lol).

Than Macavity comes AND Li was amazing as always. Demeter seemed to fear him but at the same time felt drawn to him. When he hypnotized her at the beginning and she fell asleep Tantomile had to wake her up again. Whe she woke up, she saw that Jemima was near him (Vicky and Jem sit left and right while Macavity dances on center front stage) and she was furious. She hissed ad Macavity and tried to get Jemima behind herself quickly.

When Macavity got her, Munk and Bomba freed her and Bomba again crouched over her to protect her.

Today I also had the perfect seat to see the Munk, Deme light/shadow thing and it is truely beautiful.

Misto pretty much as always. Didn’t notice much new today only that Alonzo doesn’t raise his hand but his leg when everybody wants to be picked as magical assistant. He was kind of “sad” when he wasn’t picked and started cleaning himself.

Grizabella (Ana Milva Gomes) had so much pain and sadness in her movements and voice today. She was amazing!

After Victoria touched Grizabella, Admetus touched her too very short and he then smiled at Victoria and the nuzzled each others head. Also Carbucketty took her hand and looked at her glove? There was pure joy on Demeter’s face when she took Grizabella’s arm and when she lead her to Bomba it seemed as if she would reconcile (?) them with each other. I felt that.

All in all, very good show today.

At the end I want to write a little bit about Carbucketty. I think in the USA he is usually called Pouncival and I like him quite a lot (I’m still so confused with the boiis so don’t @ me). In Vienna he seems to like Misto and Vicky, of course, they are the ballet cats, but also Bill and Bomba. He really wants Vicky’s attention during the Pekes and Pollicles haha. During the ball he mainly dances with Vicky and Misto and sometimes it seems like he wants to cuddle with Misto but Misto is not that impressed, so he cuddles with Rump on his other side (thou there were evenings when he cuddled with Misto). He is also usually the one that recieves the sparkeling jacket after Tugger takes it of off Misto and sometimes he acts a bit like a fanboy. He is also a bit proud and looks offended when Bomba admires Tugger and ignores him or when Gus talkes about the kittens today. Very fun character as like everybody in Vienna.

#cats the musical #pspspsps #demeter #electra #carbucketty

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