#ol deut

[munku-collar]

tehee would love to know more about your demestrap royalty au

Yay!!

So! This one is actually the most deviant from canon, and the jellicles get away with laws and traditions that are more lax than a true historical medieval kingdom. but the point is to romanticize anyway so <3

Old Deut is naturally the king. His eldest son Macavity started a war of succession after being passed over as heir to the throne due to his rash nature and rumored questionable deeds. Various nobles declared for either side. Macavity seized territory and married Demeter, a noblewoman from a smaller house which had no male heirs and was few in number.

The war itself was swift and bloody, and Mac's callous rage turned his allies away from his cause, and Demeter's opinion of him started to sour. Munk and Tugger's joint efforts managed to suppress Mac's forces. The castle was seized and Macavity brought to his knees. He was to be put on trial for his treason(some called for execution but Old Deut wouldn't just do that to his son) but escaped. No one knows where he is.

Demeter met Munkustrap the day Mac was apprehended, and was brought to court; they grew attached very fast. And it was a good thing too because it turned out Demeter was pregnant. Munkustrap was already planning on marrying her despite the protest of some snobbier/more cautious noblemen ("She was married to the Usurper!") and did so quickly after they found out, so Jemima could be passed off as his daughter via the ol' "my what a healthy premature baby!" trick. They both knew Jem would face a lot of scrutiny if the public knew Mac was really her father.

Despite the turmoil surrounding their meeting and such, they're very happy together, the picture of devoted romance, and generally well liked! They always shine at feasts and balls, and when Munk doesn't have council duties and such they can be found strolling in the gardens or sitting together in their chambers, talking or canoodling, or they're with Jemima being a happy family. Dem had a big hand in her upbringing, refused to let the wetnurse take Jem, and they're always doing things together, Munk of course joining them whenever able! Naturally they have Sillabub a few years later too (Deme's fertility issues at play there with the time gap unfortunately) and the princesses are beloved and absolutely lavished with affection.

Old Deut adores his grandchildren and the girls are extremely fond of their uncle Tugger and his wife aunt Bomba, and their cousins Electra and Etcetera. Some neighboring kingdoms find them a bit odd because gender is irrelevant when proclaiming an heir, but Deut is confident his various granddaughters will take good care of the kingdom when their time comes. Besides, their kingdom is one of the largest and has plenty of resources, so the opinion of others is a little moot.

Munkustrap will make a fine King one day, and with Deme as Queen the kingdom will be just and plentiful. For now though the responsibilities he does bear are more than enough. He will savor the time with his father and family as much as he can. When Old King Deut does eventually die, Munk and Deme are dubbed The Moon King and The Sun Queen.

Now that you've got the gist, send more questions!!!

#my shit #cats the musical #cats 1998 #asks #demestrap #munkustrap #demeter #cats demeter #demeter cats #royalty au #demecavity #tuggerlurina #old deuteronomy #jemima #sillabub #macavity #rum tum tugger #bombalurina #etcetera #electra #JH

[fictionkinfessions]

I can't wait to discover my tribe again :( It's hard seeing the Jellicle Moon every year and not having my family here with me to celebrate. I hope everyone is thriving wherever they are - Ol' Deut

#fictionkinfessions #fictionkin #oldeutkin #catsmusicalkin #mod party cat!

[babyawacs]

#obey #pros #blessing #memberships _is_exactly_how_they_get_people #iddiocyoffmyhealth #inconv enience_quell #palletten #pallettes #idiocy #singularity (((@judge))) .@judges @law @all @world @bbc_whys @france24 @haaretzcom @bild .@bild @phoenix_de @dw .@dwnews .@law @deutschland .@deut schland @hamburg @berlin .@berlin .@hamburg @muenchen @stuttgart #non_singularity_of_damages #def ault #around_the_wall #until_they_couldnt #quickly_nuts_the #state_attorney_kids #villainy #bo tch_is_vs #itis #CRIMINAL_SECURITYPOLICY #mercy_really #you_dont_understand #banana_republic_germ any_devious_version #blackwars_and_pets #ueberweisen_auf_aeh_deutsches_konto #ai_luck #aeh_nutsn ess_then #baby_lives_but_why #woopsie #trust_is_for_the #obvious #satisfaction #stateofmind #notwe hr_nothilfe_selbstverteidigung #inert #precondition #aaaw_had_i_only_ known_the_magic_cocacola_think_of_all_the_wonderful_sssexxx_with_germans #control_institutions #pros #rubbertitttts #tothem #hitler #labels #sexuell #actionability #ge fahrimverzug #tattippen #labels #batshxitnuts #hideous  #logic_consistency #forcertain #no #comma ndchain #not #immunised #too #buzzword #decoypingpong #itis #inverted #inferior #safe #were #the germans #dowhatyouwant #means #please #govt #obvious #medival_freeforall_vogelfrei_in_contrary_t o_taboo #squeakybox #itis #sgermany #sgerman #ai #factually #mischievious_intent #howiexplainmyki ds #defaulttrick  #the #eclowniomagnifico #howitworks #logic #how #description_precision #decoys #nuclearhedge #default #allexplained #intel_explained_to_mykids #aeh  #‎ jesus #at #pentagon # jesus_at_pentagon #and #harvard_angels #harvard #angels .@harvard .@harvard_law @harvard .@usso com #moredaggerthancloak #people: #mercyalways #factuality  #caused #thrownobjets #whostheprobl em #quicknow #hooooow #thequell #notsotrivial #witnesses #sympathy #wellsurvivethemfirst #effect #ai #asis #revolutions #participants  #possible_shxitball_twist_s #wisdom_is_precise #realmcontr ol #itis #acceptance #interest #layEr #youknowit #it. #is. #how. #them. #rule. #_ #reframed #de coyed #abysmal #this #andnowyouknow #s #intel #map #vibe #criminalgovernance #criminalsecuritypol icy #mystery #meadows #optionsleft #andthe #proof #by #rubbertitttts #countless #tricks #criminal #intel #bananarepublic #germany #furiouschina #cause #hooray #impliedparticipation #ambiguit y #relay #witnessprotect #interests #blammogame #ordered #rule #palletten #fact #allknew #itis #thenorthkorea #some #bio #messes #listed #always #mercy #in judges lawyers banks insurances cr itical why s why things occur are theylie totheir own people while quelling info they assume an d are full of shxit stigma based itis which trick works goodenough for rightnow with actionabil ity about it or b e l o w actionability they all must obey andthey do in chains of hierarchies itisnot allowed to live free i suspect or extremely impossibleto and theyknow because control is thegame youhandle thrown objects inthis by those that rule these realms thepowers intheir realm s around checkpoints inthese obey chains obvious

#obey #pros #blessing #memberships _is_exactly_how_they_get_people #iddiocyoffmyhealth #inconvenience_quell #palletten #pallettes #idiocy #singularity (((@judge))) .@judges @law @all @world @bbc_whys @france24 @haaretzcom @bild .@bild @phoenix_de @dw .@dwnews .@law @deutschland .@deutschland @hamburg @berlin .@berlin .@hamburg @muenchen @stuttgart #non_singularity_of_damages #default…

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[elfaegyo]

Lonely

Juhyun,  Bohyung,  Boah,  Narae,  Jiwon Heunteullineun neon soge meoriga kkaejil deut apa Mam hanado mojara momdo chung naegesseo Yag kaptman jakku neureoga sangcheoneun imi du baeya Eojireowo nunapi heuryeojyeo Pparabappappa pparabappappa pparabappappa Dashi Lonely Bari tto mamdaero ka Lonely Momdo kanuji mothae da inneun got Jukdorok wonhan modeun ge isseo Lonely (nan nan nan nan nan) Mot ol…

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#2012 #2nd Mini Album #B2M Entertainment #Lonely #November

[star-freckled-kitten]

What do you think was grizabella's relationship with each of the older cats before her expulsion from the jellicles tribe?

That’s a great question!! I’ve never given much thought about Griz tbh lol

Old Deut- Her ex mate, she and him were inlove when they were young, but her glamorous fast pace life style was too much for him, he wanted to settle down and have kittens (they did eventually but not how he wanted) and live a nice quiet life. Griz eventually got fed up with Deut’s constant wanting her to slowdown, and they broke up. :( they were on semi good terms before she was exiled.

Bustopher Jones- Bustopher was actually the one who encouraged her to presume her talent career (singing/dancing/fashion whatever you want it to be lol). With his many connections he was able to help Griz get her name out there. Bustopher and Griz were good friends, he was her confidant and always there for her when things got tough with Deut. He was happy that Griz got her fame she deserved, but was deeply saddened that he lost one of his closest friends.

Gus (theatre cat)-Griz was mentored by him in his younger days. Back when he had his memory and didn’t have Palsy, Gus would teach Griz everything he knew. Wether it was acting, singing or performing Gus was there to teach her. Gus was beginning to loose his memory as Griz was exiled, and sadly couldn’t remember her when she came back/was chosen.

Asparagus jr- He was another good friend of Griz. Since he was always it’s his father Gus, he’d form a slight sibling like bond with her during her days learning from Gus. They would barely hang out after training, but had a good time with eachother. He was sad that Griz left, but hurt that she did what she did to get exiled.

Jellylorum- Griz and Jelly had a sort of friendly rivalry. Since they both were training to be singers/actresses they’d often have to share Gus’s attention and neither wanted to. As Jelly and Asparagus got closer/became mates they grew even more distant. Griz was jealous that Jelly had such a nice relationship with Asparagus, and that her and Deut’s relationship was failing. Jelly never meant Griz any harm, but she certainly was angry with her for hurting Deuteronomy and Asparagus.

Jennyanydots- Jenny and Griz were as close as two could get without forming an actual romantic relationship. (Like Demeter and Bomba) They were often seen together, wether it was just chatting, singing or talking relationships. Griz often came to Jenny with her problems, and vice versa. The two were as thick as thieves. It hurt Jenny deeply that Griz chose the life of stardom and glamour that be in the junkyard with family.

Skimbleshanks- Skimble and Griz never really interacted, however they knew if eachother due to both Jenny talking about her to him. (Yknow how wives tell their husbands everything lol) and to his close friendship with Deuteronomy. Like Jenny to Griz, Skimble was to Deut. Skimble was always there for Deut during the hard times with Griz. Although they never really met in person (Skimble with his trains and Griz with her training), Skimble was angry with Griz after her betrayal and honestly happy that she was gone and couldn’t hurt Deut and Jenny anymore.

Whoo!! This was a looooong post, my many apologies!! I think I hit every elder in the tribe, if I missed any lmk!! Thank you so much for the ask!!

#cats musical #cats the musical #cats #grizabella the glamour cat #griz #old deuteronomy #ol deut #bustopher jones #gus the theater cat #asparagus jr #jellylorum #jennyanydots #skimbleshanks the railway cat #cats lore lol

[munkustrap2019]

#stan cats 2019 #cats 2019 #cats movie #cats the movie #coricopat #old deuteronomy #munkustrap #victoria #mister mistoffelees #he probably spent a long time with tugger planning this #and he's so happy that ol' deut' is enjoying it

[mortimers-cross]

Jerrie and Teazer looking so, so guilty. 

#Cats 2019 #Mungojerrie #Rumpelteazer #Twas only a bit of fun? #We didn't know he was gonna take Ol' Deut?

[indianasolo221]

Tugger & Nicknames

I think Tugger calls Bomba "Cherry bomb," sometimes "Cherry" for short.

Old Deuteronomy is "'Ole Daddy Deut."

Munkustrap is "Monkeystraps" or just "'Straps."

Demeter is "Goldilocks" or "Skittles" depending on her mood. "Goldilocks" or "Goldi" is a term of endearment, while "Skittles" is usually used to warn others that Demeter is *not* in the mood.

Jemima is "Jemmsy dear," or "Jemmibean."

Alonzo is "Al," "Lonz," or "Lonzie," again depending on Alonzo's mood.

Asparagus Jr. is literally just, "Jr."

Bustopher is "Busto" but never to his face.

Cassandra is "Cass," "Cassie," or "Sandra," to annoy her.

Coricopat is "Cori" or "Rico." He doesn't care which.

Electra is "Lettie."

Etcetera is "Cettie" and she loves it!

Poor George is always just "Georgie."

Gus is just...Gus.

Jellylorum is Jellylorum to her face and "Jelly" to others.

Jennyanydots is "Dottie" or "Dots."

He always lovingly calls Mistoffelees "The Magical Mr. Mistoffelees."

Mungojerrie is "Jerrie."

He called Plato "mini-Mac" once and it didn't go down well.

Pouncival is "Hurricane."

Rumpleteazer is "Klepto."

Skimbleshanks is "Shanks," and he hates it.

Tantomile is "Tanto." Like her brother, she doesn't really care what Tugger calls her.

Tumblebrutus is simply, "Sir Falls-a-lot."

Victoria is "Tori," but he doesn't use this one much.

Tugger started the nickname game as a kitten, and now he's involved Mungo and Rumple. It's a disaster.

#cats musical #cats the musical #rum tum tugger #he gives everybody nicknames #cats headcanons

[strawberry-jellicle]

This is your open invitation to infodump about an opinion you've been wanting to share. Go off, friend 💙

I wanted to talk about this for a while on this hellsite.

THE RUM TUM TUGGER ISN'T AN ABUSIVE DUMBASS

Let me explain.

First off, y'all need to stop applying ye ol yaoi ship tropes to anything mlm that has a height difference so jot that down. (Y'all know who y'all are).

Second, y'all need to stop treating sex positive characters like they're just mindless sex machines. Tugger is sex positive character but he's got more personality than just "hehe bisexual cat has sex with everyone and goes brrrr"!

Third, call it the projection but literally people misinterpret him. Tugger isn't a dumb asshole. Like yeah he's rambunctious, loves attention, and is a party animal, but he's also clearly shown to have deep respect and love for those around him. Tugger's like that 21 year old dude who is here for the laffs and has that good ol ADHD. He's a little shit but he's not malicious or out to get anybody.

Fourth, his song calls him a "curious cat" and "artful and knowing". He's clearly a smart cat that, yes gets stuck in things, but he's always exploring and learning things. He is possibly one of the smartest cats in the junkyard. He's curious! He's gonna go explore and obtain knowledge from his shenanigans!

Fifth, even though he does get up to funny stuff, he still clearly knows when to back off and pay respects. During Old Deuteronomy, Tugger sings about Deuteronomy alongside Munkustrap with the utmost respect and awe. And after Deuteronomy is settled in, Tugger does go to check up on him multiple times during the ball (in the 98 film at least).

Sixth, he clearly loves hyping up those around him and isn't an airheaded asshole. Ship it or not, but Tugger showed a lot of character development when singing for/with Mistoffelees near the end of the musical. He spends 5+ minutes doing nothing but singing about a cat other than himself and showing them off to the tribe! And after Deut is brought back, instead of taking the credit for himself he turns Deut towards Misto and is like "hey! This is the guy who did it! Not me!" Which, again, big character depth for a cat who thrives off the spotlight!

Tugger's just a silly kitty with ADHD/Autism who is here for a good time and loves those around him. He's a complex character that I hold so close to me and I hate when bisexual coded sex positive characters get misrepresented! You can headcanon him how you want, but don't take away the fact that he's a good character.

#jellicle ask #cats musical #cats 1998 #rum tum tugger #mister mistoffelees #old deuteronomy #lina speaks

[star-felled]

Cats 2019, but I try fixing the horrible script

Victoria in bag yeah whatever been there done that

Jellicles are and Jellicles do Je

Maybe the Jellicles introduce more of themselves and Misto's like "yeah that's my name lol but I'm also called Quaxo" segwaying into The Naming of Jellicles, OR cut out the song to make room for Pekes and Pollicles. Depends on how much runtime you're willing to have

Have Macavity watching but like not super obvious. He's watching from a distance instead of blatantly talking to Vic this time

Demeter can be worried about trusting Vic but if Munk trusts her then Dem trusts her

Misto's like "oh yeah almost time for the ball" Vic is like "wtf" and Munk explains and leads her to Jenny

NO EATING COCKROACHES

Tugger's still there, Jenny's like "how tf did you get inside my house. stop terrorizing the mice"

Tugger goes and does his song or whatever, Vic's expression is like "wtf is up with him" but Misto just shakes his head and calls him a bore

Tugger go "here Vic lemme show you how to have fun" and Vic lets herself go loose!! (and unfortunately joins Tug's fanclub)

Misto's like "UGH FUCK NO TUGGER NOT ANOTHER KIT (lovingly)" but everything's cancelled by Griz showing up

They do the Griz thing

Maybe Vic tries to touch Griz when Munk gently pulls Vic back, then she asks why Griz isn't cool anymore, but gets interrupted bc NO MORE "WENT WITH MACAVITY" HALF-ASSED EXPLANATION

A local building alarm goes off and Dem's like "MACAVITY" and Vic is like "WHO" and gets dragged off (spoiler alert it wasn't actually Macavity)

When they think they're a safe distance away they start Bustopher Jones but better

Maybe it could be like "ok we get you kits are scared but Jones is a respectful mature man he would take care of you" ((I oh-so desperately want Misto to excitedly agree bc uncle Bustopher hcs are the cutest))

LET MISTO FOLLOW THE MAN AROUND GODDAMMIT

When the rest of the cats are distracted Vic slinks off and meets Jerrie and Teazer. they cause chaos and honestly good on them

I like to think that, instead of the whole Vic getting stuck on bedpost thing, the twins try to bring her through the window but when they land they're caught and get reprimanded by Munk

Misto goes up to Vic like "that was fucking stupid of you now let's go meet ol doot"

Vic is like "uh okay (I've learned not to question things at this point)" and follows them, when she sees Deut she gets that fatherly vibe from him and starts to understand why they trust him

Deut goes "ohoho who do we have here" and when everyone excitedly introduces her he'd like,,, nuzzle her and go "welcome to the clan"

She's mystified and immediately trusts this man with her life cuz who wouldn't

Victoria watches Pekes and Pollicles performance bc it's a bop

Maybe bonding moment between Vic and Deut after the show where he's like "theyre a mess but they try and I love them for it"?

Tugger's like "DAADDDDD CAN WE START YET" and they start dancing,, Vic is all awed and then Deut goes "c'mon you're one of them now" and nudges her forward so she can join

It's a blast but in the middle of it Vic notices Griz in the background, so when everyone else goes to sleep she sneaks off Yet Again, this time Jemima following her cuz curious little kitten

They hear Griz sing and see her try to dance like the others, and they were gonna go invite her but then Deut taps em on the shoulder and says "we gotta wait for the others to accept her" except super vague. the kittens have no clue what he's on about but accepts it anyway cuz it's ol doot

I think keeping the choice be an audition sorta thing is fine, it kinda felt like that in the musical. just no more solos, no more solos ple

They're all just now waking up but Misto and Gus are Extra awake. like y'know when you go downstairs at like 7 am to get cereal, expecting no one else to be there but then There Is. they do that lil talk they do in the movie, dunno what I'd alter there quite just yet? Misto would be less outwardly anxious for sure though, gotta let the boy keep his calm

When it's like "ok who now losers" maybe Misto could start singing for Gus and hand it off to someone else after a line or two? then Gus gets his part and maybe we see some subtle character development coming out from Misto. show don't tell y'know that sorta thing

Gus is like "ok that's cool but I can think of another person to start singing now" and takes a seat when Munk gets the hint to start the next song

SKIMMMBLESHANKSSS THE RAIIILWAAAAY CATTTT THE C

The fake train they build gets fucking destroyed and it's bc MACAVITY

He runs around wreaking havoc, starts fighting with Munk but when Munk puts up a better fight than he expected he kidnaps Deut

Probably would've restrained Deut in some way before running around bc the guy could very easily beat him up

Anyways Macavity retreats and everyone's worried for Munk and Deut

Victoria's like "OH YEAH RIGHT WE HAVE MISTO" and he's like "????? you're asking me to teleport THE HOLY CHRIST HIMSELF??????" and starts mentally panicking

Tugger comes in like "oh but you OUGHT to ask mr mistoffelees the original conjuring cat there can be no dou

Bc he's hyped up Misto brings Deut back first try and gets more confidence in his abilities, we love a character arc

They go back to make the Jellicle Choice but then OH THERES GRIZABELLA and the clan is gonna kick her out but Victoria's like "no let her sing!!" but bc she's new no one cares but then JEMIMA goes "let her sing it's almost time!!! just this one bit plssss" and bc it's Jemima and they love Jemima they let Griz sing

Then she gets picked and cat god takes her away or whatever

Ol doot does the speech but like addressing the clan instead of breaking the 4th wall and then the movie ends and we DON'T have to deal with 10 minutes of end credits

✨ The end ✨

Extra notes / Things I'd change

Add in the bg interaction!!! That's what makes the 1998 version so fun, it allows the chorus cats to have so much personality despite only being bg characters

Pls for the love of all that is holy make the chorus cats more easy to distinguish and recognize, not only do they look different from the costumes of every other production Ever, they also all look the same as one another

If Misto still did that excited thing at the beginning of The Gumbie Cat I'd lose my marbles I think

Let Tugger interact with his dad more!!! Munk got so much interaction with Old Deut in the movie which I LOVED but Tugger got??? Nothing????? I get that Jason Derulo is expensive to keep on set but if you can put that much effort into that audio system you barely even used 4/5 of the functions of, you can spend a little on letting Tugger love his dad

We got so many Misto and Tugger interactions in the 2016 revival, is it too much to ask for that back... . ... .. ..

That's about it I think, I mostly made this for myself bc I've been thinking of making a fic based off this and wanted to give myself an outline :) I really like the idea of giving Victoria a story as to how she joined the jellicles but...... it was butchered so terribly..... .... .........

Anyways!! If you've got anything you wanna say or add on I'd love to hear it :DD (no pressure though ofc ^^)

#cats the musical #cats 2019 #cats victoria #please tell me thats the right tag to use for her ple #long post

[pwnyta]

Sven!

Boris!

Skimble, Munkus, Ol Deuts, and Griz! Grizabella is finally allowed with the Jellicles. Bless.

MAH BITCHES. Theyre checking into the hotel.

Coleen, Geraldine, Sherry, Ally, and Sibyl

The ladies listen to the rules very well.

If they wont let me pet irl I’ll manipulate the situations. Sibyl is a good girl.

#GI tag.

[munku-collar]

OG ship, Griz and Ol Deut

Canon for me. Kind of a doomed romance, because they had different dreams and expectations for the future, hence the breakup and Griz leaving. but they were very sweet with each other just starting out. I like it. Sad to think about too long :(

#asks #cats 1998 #cats the musical #old deuteronomy #grizabella

[yallseen]

Y’all Seen Cats (2019)?

I know I’ve mostly abandoned this blog, but I have some Thoughts.

To preface, I need to clarify that in this essay ‘Cats’ refers to the musical; while ‘cats’ refers to the animal. Also, when I mention the original production, I am mainly talking about the 1998 film, which was meant by Andrew Lloyd Webber to be the definitive version.

“There’s a man over there with a look of surprise

As much as to say ‘Well, now, how about that?’

Do I actually see with my own very eyes

A man who’s not heard of a Jellicle cat?”

A few short minutes into the show, the cast of Cats stops everything to address the audience. The entire cast makes a diegetic point that they are putting on a performance. They are performing both for their feline tribe and you, the audience. You are an important character. As much as they are presenting themselves to Old Deuteronomy, they are intent to welcome you as well. After all, they are cats. The animal often presents themself as regal and dignified “Would you look at a king? Would you sit on his throne?”. This is possibly the most fundamental part of the musical, and one that is widely ignored by the 2019 adaptation. Rather, the cast of ‘Cats’ (2019) are depicted as characters more likely to ask you for a cheezburger than demand to be called by their unknowable name. 

As a case study, let’s look at Bustopher Jones. In the original show, Bustopher is a high society cat about town. He strolls down the theatre district while dining on the finest cuisine London has to offer. The other Jellicles admire his station and remark on his size as a signifier of his success as a charming street cat. By contrast, 2019’s Bustopher is known for scrounging through trash cans looking for table scraps. His desire to be the Jellicle choice is only so that he is able to spend another life continuing to gorge himself on garbage. This kind of indignity serves only to make the character unlikeable, and for the audience to wonder why he would ever be selected as the Jellicle Choice.  

What makes this framing even more bizarre is that the audience character is substituted with Victoria; a cat new to the tribe. As a new member, she is our audience surrogate. This is strange because she is a cat. By all means, she should know all there is to know about being a cat. Why would she need that explained to her? I believe this problem arises from the way that a big-budget film has fewer limitations than a stage show. Sometimes that is a bad thing.

“Wouldn’t it be great if we could have Skimble perform in an actual train car? Or have Growltiger captaining a ship down the Thames? What about Gus performing on a real theatre stage?” I am entirely certain these things were said during pre-production of the film. That was the exact moment they fucked up. The point of the stage show was having cats running around an alley screaming, and trying to pull together props out of the surrounding garbage to put on their show. Taking that away muddles the original framing beyond repair and loses all meaning to the emotional beats. Who cares if Deuteronomy disappears if there’s no way to be invested in their final choice? Why bother caring about Grizabella? She certainly doesn’t seem to have any connection to the rest of the tribe. Sure, she’s got a great voice, but why on earth would Ol’ Deuts pick her? 

It becomes so nonsensical, that ‘Cats’ (2019) had to add in spoken exposition. The original never needed that. The performance and the choreography did that for you. When Demeter looks forlorn at Grizabella while recounting her life, we can understand that connection implicitly: she was once a close member of the group that abandoned them all in her youth. Because the new version lacks that, it adds in an unnecessary addendum to her story. 

The original choreography is a work of genius. Touch (a concept which is important both to cats as a species, and also lyrically to the musical) is a key point to the character interactions. Characters grope each other so frequently that it is an important part of my ‘Cats’ drinking game. This is so starkly contrasted by Grizabella and her inability to get any of the Jellicles to touch her. “Touch me” is the biggest line in the show, sung when Grizabella breaks down in the reprise of ‘Memory’. Yet, it is practically an afterthought in the movie. 

Even beyond Grizabella, the rest of the 2019 cast seems to have no emotional connection with anybody. There’s a strange forced relationship between Victoria and Mistoffelees, but that’s about it. While we’re at it, let’s get into some ship wars. In the original production, Tugger and Mistofelles are commonly interpreted as a romantic couple. Tugger sings Mistoffelees’ song in a way that tenderly praises him and gives him the encouragement to summon back Deuteronomy. It’s cute as shit. Victoria does something similar in her version, but she only met Misto like, an hour ago. And it feels like they met an hour ago. 

That’s another key problem with using Victoria as an audience surrogate. The cast is mainly talking to her, somebody they don’t know or have a preexisting connection with. Because of that, there are no deep moments of character interaction. No implicit relationships between the characters. It begs the question “Is this even a tribe?” I would certainly argue that it’s not. And it’s the reason many will leave the theatre with no idea what a Jellicle cat even is. 

Thanks for nothing, Hooper.

My friends are getting sick of hearing me talk about this movie, so I busted this out in an hour of caffeine-induced rage. I hope you enjoy.

#cats movie #cats the musical #cats the movie #cats the film #musical #musicals #yall seen

[skimblyshanks]

If you want all of my problems with Sideways’ video in a more articulate-ish post, here you go

basically, he had me for a good while, then lost me when he started making some implications in Part V and falling into a trap he tends to fall into when he gets heated abt the treatment of the orchestra and that’s ultimately forgetting the time it can take actors to learn and polish numbers vocally before heading into rehearsals with live accompaniment. when you title a part Dance Rehearsal I expect some more talk abt the full range of actors’ rehearsal for a movie musical, especially when there were many new faces, wholly new choreo, and a system of on-set accompaniment that was inconsistent and meant to follow the actors more than actually provide them that accompaniment. He barely brings up the rehearsal process in this part of the video which was ???? like he raised a good point tho, which was that all the weird tempo changes could have been discussed with the orchestra in rehearsal, but then kinda seemed to blame celebrity actors for the orchestration being weird? Like I think I get what he was trying to play at, which was more in the way of Hooper not structuring things effectively? But it’s like, he effectively pits Jason and Steven against the rest of the soloists and I’m not here for that. Even if he only really meant to pit their performances against Wilson, Corden, And Sir Ian, I can’t really say I like the implications he made. I’m also quick to bristle at “They came onto se not knowing the music” when it’s rather common knowledge how little time Francesca had to learn Beautiful Ghosts, on top of oh, idk, learning how to sing, period.

Again, I don’t think the implications were intentional, but this part didn’t need to be in the video. Also, he makes a point about how long the orchestra were working on the movie which yes, absolutely it’s insane, but the thing is that everyone involved in post were working up to the deadline, especially VFX who had to keep working PAST the premiere. Everyone in the production was crunched.

Basically, part V was like. Unnecessary, lmao. It really only serves to highlight his bias towards the orchestra alone, and kind of threw most of the cast under the bus, accidental or no. The strongest aspects of the video were the parts looking at how the movie missed the mark on the show’s score; how the false attempt at what we assume Hooper thinks is whole-show rubato damages the structure of the songs; how the inserts mess up the pacing. He had a really good argument going there; one that didn’t explicitly go after the actors, and I wish he had stuck with it, and ended with the further discussion of Hooper’s on-set methods and how they’ve increased in part IV.

Other gripes:

In his breakdown of the show, he left out the Macavity fight even though there are returns of excerpts from the jellicle ball, and it shows that they need Mistoffelees to bring deut to them.

he was doing so well in looking at the show’s score and what it communicates, then essentially went “They should have gone with the upbeat M+R arrangement bc it’s what most ppl know and I think it sounds better.” And that just. That annoyed me a lot bc mate. You talk abt the instrumentation and intended atmosphere of Gus: The Theatre Cat, did you not notice the jazz influence on Macavity’s number in the stage show? There could be an argument made abt the reinstrumentation in 2019 but it’s like, it’s still a jazzy piece. You can see them clearly working for Macavity. They are meant to be more morally ambiguous in the movie. I know you watched the 98 film all the way through at least once and they are v much not working for macavity there.

What annoys me even more with the M+R overlook is that there are still issues with the re-arrangement of the version they went with. He explicitly mentions that Danny gets stuck with a lot of movement during his solo lines in the song that work against his performance, but like. He looked at the stacked harmony in Gumbie cat and how they stuck Rebel on a solo that isn’t the top voice (what some ppl hear as the melody voice for that segment), and if he looked at the OL composition for M+R he’d have seen that the first two verses are meant to be sung almost entirely in unison, and with a harmony on “Rove” which Danny had to handle alone and while moving.

[partyinthemysterymachine]

a jellicle worldbuilding

fuck it here’s a wall of text infodump about my canon RTT and some worldbuilding, just copy/pasting bc i had the foresight to do so

i got an ask (thank you @jonathan-cranes-mistress-of-fear ! i love pushing buttons i didn’t mean to push) about what Symbolism i-not-so-quietly-hinted about in regards to Macavity and Munkustrap and their sweet sweet baby brother Tugger.

so while i’m still figuring things out like specific specifics and suchlike with these three, but essentially, RTT is Different. there are some bigger and obvious ones, like the heterochromia, the big ol’ irises, the suggestion of him being larger in body type (kinda accidentally got one of each lmfao coverin the bases), happier. all three of them have the same eyebrows and widow’s peak stripe. all three of them have it with color, tho RTT’s has a full background. doesn’t mean anything Deep. it’s a genetic trait. yeah, other cats have the same stripe/marking. i feel like there’s something Specific about it that i haven’t worked out yet. again it’s not Deep, but just.. a fun little thing, like a distinct birthmark. idk!!

in smaller details, while speaking about the stripe, RTT’s fans upwards while his brothers’ fan downwards. his teeth aren’t right; he was born with some pretty odd lookin’ teeth, and he didn’t grow in the pointy ones other than the canines. there was some concern for him for a hot minute there, but he seems to have done fine.

(note: i don’t HC the tribe as regular cats (tho i once had the idea of them looking like actual cats until the reach the Junkyard at which point, athros, because i was galaxy-braining it since i was 12 lmfao) but as, yeah, p much anthros. clothing is optional, more popular in other areas, right now in this tribe it’s unusual. the Jellicles are known to be kind of ‘old fashioned’. the tribe have guardians, hunters, craftsmen, etc.. they’re a tight little community. they used to be a lot larger, but nobody likes to talk about what happened.

the Junkyard has been Jellicle territory for a very, very long time and they are extremely territorial about it. strategically, it’s one of the best spots to be in. hunting isn’t super, but they have found some sweet spots that nobody else seems to have picked up on yet. obviously it’s a fortress but it’s also a city. there are hundreds of secret passageways, hiding spots, storage, etc. it’s very valuable. (and there’s a trouble tribe looking at it, as they’ve been doing in the last handful of decades)

visitors are usually either invited, or they’ll send word weeks beforehand. it seems very slow and rigid, but it’s more societal politeness and tradition rather than like, anything dangerous is going on. Jellicles and other tribes intermingle outside all the time. there are some chapped asses and that’s pretty typical anyway. at night it’s highly unusual and frowned upon to be cavorting about outside of one’s community. that’s what bad people do. looks Macavity

there are jobs and markets and places to go and enjoy oneself, so it’s pretty much our ‘normal’ life. just everyone has to go home. there is a nightwatch collective, one from each tribe, that enforces curfew. Munkustrap is a part of that collective. it’s a very honored and respected position.)

ANYWAY so basically the normal cat teeth are kind of still a necessity. like Macavity, he’s a maine coon, and chooses to fashion his fur in the mane style. so he regularly grooms it, and the rest of himself, because Fashion and Rebellion. (kind of really weird across the board to do it, though it’s catching on in other tribes and there’s some heat about it. usually only the sick are groomed like that. there’re a couple tribes that will groom short or outright shave a cat’s arms as punishment (or worse, their heads), and that’s always been seen as really harsh and super fucked up. Deut finds it disrespectful.)

RTT is a storyteller. consider him a bard LOL and bards/storytellers are like celebrities. their talent is highly valued, there are a couple competitions a year for them and RTT has been a tough one to beat in the last four years, holding the winning title of one of the events. he’s got fantastic stage presence, incredible social skills, nearly unbeatable improv skills (a part of the event he’s holding winning title of demands a story made up on the fly (topic given, you have x minutes, go) and he excels in that area. he’s got some weak spots ofc, but that awards the most points) and he’s a pretty great guy all around.

so back to the Symbolism. RTT and his brothers are pretty well known (and ofc there are many ‘well known’ cats, but i’m gonna stick to the Jellicles obv). their sore spot is Macavity, and he kind of a lot disgraced the Jellicles by doing what he did and becoming what he is. Deut, Munkustrap, and RTT took a hit. while they are respected, there’s a huge dent on their reputation and it has affected how they’ve been treated, talked about, etc (even a little tittering in their own tribe). so there’s a burden on RTT and Munkustrap’s shoulders to restore trust and honor, so to speak.

OK BACK TO THE SYMBOLISM so they were given color backgrounds and drip effects. Macavity and Munkustrap got it on their face and RTT got his from his chin down his front. it’s to set him apart from his brothers, obviously, but those two are down a shaky path. RTT feels like he’s picking up the slack from Munkustrap and doing what Macavity should’ve. (there are some societal hierarchy things but oh my god i can’t keep going off on worldbuilding tangents)

RTT is a pride and joy of the Jellicles. he does have quite a bit of weight on his shoulders. it’s not to say that all of his congeniality and such is a mask or a front. he’s genuinely like that, and he’s what you see is what you get. as anybody does, he has his demons. it’s hard to say which way the drips on those pictures are going; are they climbing or descending? whatever’s happening to Macavity and Munkustrap it’s affecting them both, and nearly at the same rate.

whatever’s happening to RTT is far from their spectrum, and pretty much everyone else’s.

there’re a lot of Expectations on Munkustrap. there used to be an important role for Macavity until, well, he Did Things. since that happened, people assumed it’d get handed down to RTT instead, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. Macavity’s role is still empty and there’s speculation on what’s going to happen, particularly because his exile happened quite awhile ago and his part was “forgotten” about by Deut. he won’t talk about it, even to Munkustrap.

Deut’s pulled RTT aside a handful of times since then. what he’s been told, discussed, and pitched eats him a bit. it’s going to be a lot of unnecessary trouble if Deut doesn’t sort it out soon. RTT is on a path he didn’t expect or want while he watches his brothers tie themselves, and each other, into sailor’s knots. Munkustrap and Macavity can’t tell if they’re ascending or descending; but RTT knows, and he also knows which way he’s going.

Deut better figure his shit out before it’s his turn to go to the Heavyside, or worse yet, when his brothers both snap for good.

#ches writes #ches writes things #long post #cats musical #cats the musical #worldbuilding #rum tum tugger #rtt #munkustrap #macavity #jellicles #jellicle tribe #froths at the mouth #fucking FROTHS at the MOUTH #me @ myself: damn bitch you got good ideas #leans on desk and immediately eats shit on the edge bc i'm a dumbass #anybody interested in knowing more #bc i'll probably talk about it anyway sucks for all y'all #i am everybody else's problem

[star-freckled-kitten]

I should absolutely draw younger ol Deuteronomy brothers,,

#cats musical #cats #cats the musical #jellicle cats #jellicle ball #cats 1998 #old deuteronomy #old deuteronomy brothers #ol deut #cats macavity #munkustrap cats #the rum tum tugger