#she looks a bit like bomba and a bit like demeter

[millenari]

you ever think about the difference in how bomba and demeter talk about Macavity in his song and just OOUUGGHHHH

Look. Listen. When Demeter talks about Macavity in the song she mostly touches upon his abilities and achievements to describe him. It almost sounds like she's bragging about him- she mentions twice that he can outsmart Scotland Yard and refers to his reputation as a criminal and also a magical cat. The only time she refers to his appearance is when she says he is 'outwardly respectable' which -as we all know- is either totally untrue or, at the very least, not true anymore.

Meanwhile Bomba focuses on his physical appearance, and when she describes him it sounds like a completely different guy than Demeter's supposed 'respectable' criminal mastermind: he's unkempt, he's uncombed, his eyes are sunken in, etc. Also in almost direct contradiction to the 'outwardly respectable' line, she additionally claims 'you'd know him if you saw him'. She compares him to a snake, an animal most cats sure as fuck don't like, and calls him a 'monster of depravity'. I'd say her descriptions lean towards accusing him of being inhuman, but these are... you know. Cats. None of them are human. But either way she certainly labels him as completely 'other' than the rest of them: he is a 'fiend in feline shape'.

(And certainly this can be explained away as the two of them just having difference preferences. Bomba, as we know, likes Tugger, and she describes him as a 'curious beast' so clearly she has a type here. Meanwhile Demeter is sometimes depicted as having some kind of love affair with Alonzo, but nowadays she's usually paired up with Munk, a guy who doesn't really seem to display much sexuality in comparison to the other male cats, and demonstrates a lot of competence and emotional intelligence throughout the play. So it does make sense that these two specifically would fixate on these two different aspects of the same man.)

However they almost seem to be in conflict about their hot takes on Macavity. Take the middle section I marked off for example: the first time that 'there's no one like Macavity' bit is sung, Demeter sings it. Then later on, Bomba sings it. But when Bomba sings it she changes the second line, which goes from 'He's broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity' to 'For he's a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity'. She also mirrors Demeter's choreo from the same section as she sings it.

That makes her slight change feel very pointed, especially with the how she gestures towards Demeter during that line.

Demeter, fundamentally, is saying, 'there's no one like Macavity, he can do all of these insane things', and meanwhile Bomba is saying, 'there's no one like Macavity, he's a fucking monster' and she makes sure Demeter knows that's exactly what she's saying too.

& on that note there's even more context there when you look at their demeanor. Demeter seems to have a lot of conflict about her feelings, which is portrayed through her expressions mostly, while Bomba remains almost kind of playful and certainly enthusiastic through the whole song. Demeter --who is vastly conflicted-- tries to talk about Macavity's achievements when describing him. Bomba --who knows exactly what Macavity is and was and feels no shame about it-- is happy to talk about what an abomination he is and how attracted she is to him anyways.

And that makes the 'outwardly respectable/cheats at cards' moment feel really important, because Demeter tries to claim something that may be one thousand percent not even remotely true, (potentially to justify her attraction to Macavity), and Bomba cuts in --sometimes with amusement, sometimes with annoyance, sometimes without particular tone-- and retorts, 'i know he cheats at cards'.

Which regardless of if you interpret that line in the manner that seems most obvious: 'I know he cheated on you' (especially when there's a loaded pause between 'cheats' and 'at cards'), or if you take it to be more general ('I know he's more nefarious than he seems' for example) that line very much seems to be Bomba cutting in there and essentially expressing 'girl, give me a fucking break'. And well, one of Bomba's character words isn't 'frank' for nothing.

I also don't have it pictured in the screenshot, but the third time that 'there's no one like Macavity' bit is sung, it's sung by them both at once, and that notable second line that keeps changing says 'There never was a cat of such deceitfulness and suavity,' which labels Macavity as 'deceitful' but also 'suave', almost as if the two of them decided to compromise on their respective perceptions of the man. Which matches how they, by that point, have begun to dance in sync as well.

#cats fan on main #cats the musical #this is just one interpretation of many of course #tho if you stack on that almost competitiveness that they might seem to have in their descriptions of him #(or how demeter sometimes seems to be surprised or annoyed by bomba's additions) #(or how bomba sometimes is sort of playful or even mean with her delivery of the lines where she contradicts demeter) #(while keeping in mind at the forefront that these two characters obviously love each other and share a deep and protective bond) #then at the end of it all you have a relationship that seems very layered and complicated and dynamic #makes my brain go brr #demeter: macavitys a ~mystery~ cat-- #bomba‚ cutting her off‚ hands cupped around her mouth: BOOO HES A FUCKING GINGER #jelliclerants

[pinksilvace]

Fern guides their mutuals and followers through Cats 1998 as if we're all sitting on the same couch watching it and I'm shouting out stuff: 3/?

shaking you by the shoulders it's about the SUBTEXT this is SUBTEXT you've got to trust me on this one I swear

7: Grizabella the Glamour Cat

OKAY OKAY OKAY NOW WE'RE COOKING!!! We're moving along with Plot #1 (Grizabella) and getting hints about Plot #2 (Macavity)!!! Wahoo!!!

Unfortunately, the beginning of this scene is cut off in the official clip, so I'm going to drag a few pics from this recording as well since it covers all the same bases:

Starting off strong with a Psychic Moment (TM) so we know Something Big is coming

Bombalurina always does this sort of haughty walk past/around Grizabella, since Bomba's 100% on Team Demeter and Grizabella (maybe) represents stuff that Demeter wants to detach herself from. I will say, this production is quite a bit more aggressive than 1998, but I like this portrayal a whole lot too!!!

One of the big and obvious things to notice is how the kittens are physically protected from Grizabella (and moreso her past/what she represents). In 1998, this happens more in the form of the older cats pulling the kittens (Mistoffelees, Jemima, [who Skimble does physically restrain], Electra, Etcetera, and Victoria) away from Grizabella.

Another kitten moment - Plato and Tumblebrutus convince Pouncival to scratch Grizabella (in this recording it's just Tumble convincing him) and are reprimanded by Munkustrap. This is definitely one of my favorite background moments.

First, it shows off a dynamic consistent throughout the show: everybody takes care of everybody. More specifically, there isn't a specific assignment of which adult takes care of which kitten or who is closer than whom, and however much I'll reference ships and siblings and whatnot throughout these posts, I can only think of one canonical relationship; the rest change production to production, even in replica performances. Hell, they change cast to cast. The one exception is that of Coricopat and Tantomile, who are almost undoubtedly siblings/twins. Even the thing going on between Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer is left vague. TLDR, I enjoy how everybody bears some amount of responsibility for the kittens in this community model.

Second, this is one of those parts that calls into question Plato's age. He's in the same nebulous area as Mistoffelees, Mungojerrie, and Rumpleteazer, where he primarily hangs out and has interactions with the kittens but spends more time on his own than most of them. This is where looking at the RCCL performace coincidentally comes in handy for this analysis; the interpretation of Plato's character in that one has him older and more responsible. I've seen versions wherein Plato essentially acts as a third protector, and that's a neat way for his character to progress! Anyway uhhh I like him and he's pretty :3

THIS, THOUGH??? THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART. Demeter reaches out to Grizabella, gets skittish, and rushes off to seek comfort from Bombalurina.

SO. Obviously, with all of the lines she sings, Demeter is familiar with Grizabella - if not on a personal level, then at least at a level distinct from that of the rest of the tribe.

What gets me. What GETS ME. is that Demeter only acts strangely (and stands out in general) whenever events have to do with one of two cats: Grizabella and Macavity. Most fans I've come across elect to go with the theory that these relationships are connected, especially because Demeter appears to have some sort of trauma associated with each of them. Their appearances also affect the tone of the Jellicle Ball in relatively similar ways, the main difference being that fear of Macavity translates to disgust of Grizabella.

Other folks have pointed out before that some stagings of this scene have Bombalurina (and sometimes Munkustrap) physically turning Demeter away from Grizabella, presumably for her own well-being.

Somewhat similar to what I pointed up above, this number establishes one of the few gender norms recurring through this show: the female kittens are guarded/protected/turned away, but the male kittens are left comparatively unsupervised. Considering that the only male kittens are Pouncival, Tumblebrutus, and Plato, one could argue over whether this is a gender norm in this society or whether there are other reasons for this. For instance, it is possible that Plato's older age and taller stature grant him independence, or that Pouncival and Tumblebrutus don't have solid guardian figures in the tribe.

Personally, I think it's more likely the choreography was directed with the mentality that the female kittens have a greater need for protection - which, considering the implied content of Macavity, Grizabella, and Demeter's stories, might not actually be wrong in-context.

So, it's obvious that Demeter wants to talk to/about Grizabella, even if she brings up apparently bad memories. She turns away from Bombalurina of her own volition. Whatever memories are stirred up, the badness of them likely does not have to do with Grizabella herself, lending credibility to the idea that she's connected with Macavity.

Tottenham Court was, historically, somewhat of an entertainment district in a poorer area of London. Allegedly (as in, I've only seen this stated in Cats circles and don't have time for further research at the moment), it was also strongly associated with prostitution in Eliot's time. "The Rising Sun" and "The Friend at Hand" are local pubs.

Essentially, the lines Demeter sings imply that Grizabella was a cat of the streets that hung around seedy areas, and that she eventually became so wretched as a result that even humans wonder how she's still around.

Some earlier lines - those that Grizabella sings about her appearance - are from a different poem of Eliot's and are used to describe a prostitute.

All in all, one interpretation of all of this is that Grizabella fell from grace by being "in kahoots" with Macavity. At this point in the show, the other Jellicles don't chase her off, but she is clearly not welcome.

I'll talk more about Demeter's deal in the Macavity section.

Electra loving Munk moment :3

#fern muses #fern's 1998

[afairytalestray]

So last week I saw the UK/Int tour of Cats in Switzerland and oh. My. GOD. I have thoughts and I am going to share them right now! I have vaguely attempted to keep them organised by timeline/character but I scribbled these down at the intermission and on the bus back to my hotel as quickly as I could before I forgot anything (fully made myself travel sick but it was worth it).

Act 1

First thing I noticed was that Demeter, at the start, was so shy and skittish around the other Cats. I think they were definitely playing into the idea that she had just escaped Macavity and come home. The only one she was ok with right away was Bombalurina. They two were so sweet together – Bomba was always making sure she was ok. Dem got really into her role in the Gumbie trio and was having a great old time.

TumbleBailey got to ride on the flying trapeze during JSFJC and he was living his best life. The boy was not happy unless he was gymnastic-ing.

The lift that Munkustrap and Victoria did in ‘98 was done by Coricopat and Tantomile which I thought was fun! Always happy for my boy to get more screen time 💪

Side note: This is my third time seeing Cats, but because of Covid it was my first time getting to see the Cats all come in down the aisles at the start wearing the green goggles! I was in the front row, so I didn’t get the full effect, but it was still cool.

Tugger’s song was so much fun. Harrison Wilde was so energetic! During the number he came down off the stage into the audience (again the first time I got to see this!), and began twirling the security lady and dancing with her. 11/10. Bomba was SO PUT OUT when he said “no” and booped her away – like, she was raging, it was so funny. Munk was so annoyed the whole time. Peak big brother energy.

I got the impression almost right away that Jennyanydots is Cori and Tanto’s mum, they were interacting quite a lot and she was always looking after them. Ditto with Skimbleshanks and Jemima - he was definitely her dad - he was so protective of her when Grizabella showed up, it was adorable! I hadn’t considered that relationship before (despite my love of Skimbledad), so it was super fun.

This Misto does not like rice pudding, this is not a drill! The face he pulled during that line in Bustopher Jones was hilarious, he looked so disgusted. Misto was definitely more of an adult than he was in ‘98 or the Broadway Revival. Liam Mower is a bloody FANTASTIC dancer; I couldn’t take my eyes off him! He was clearly loving life and I appreciated every moment.

This production said Casslonzo RIGHTS and we love to see it. They kept on snuggling up to each other when they were in the background and you can bet your ass I noticed EVERY TIME. We stan a power couple of protectors. Alonzo’s actor Sebastian Goffin's voice was so deep and I was LIVING. Like I was not expecting this voice to come out of this man. Twas brilliant. Cassandra was so beautiful I nearly cried like ma’am PLEASE HAVE MERCY. She was definitely an obvious protector with how she was always looking out for the other Cats. Also during the first song she was lying right in front of me and I had to try so hard not to explode.

Old Deuteronomy was such a loving dad to everyone, he had such a warm vibe and energy and I just wanted to hug him! Like all of these Cats were his babies and he adored them all. He and Jerrie and Teazer had a wee “oh, you”/slightly nervous giggling moment when they had just come back on stage after getting busted in their number and it was excellent.

Cori and Tanto were definitely portrayed as younger than they were in ‘98. Cori in particular reminded me of Misto from ‘98; like an adult and everything, but a young one who still had a bit of kittenish energy. Their wigs were pleated up the sides which I thought was unique and cool, I don’t think I’ve seen Cats wigs like that before! Cori was so pissed when Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer ran under his and Tanto’s arms during the back-and-forth dialogue-y bit of the Jellicle Ball and interrupted them. He enjoyed hissing a lot which I can respect. Nothing but love for my hissy prince. I actually think Milan was covered by a swing on my night. There wasn’t anything saying so, but I don’t think it was Milan? Idk, it could’ve just been the lights or my position. Either way, loved her. This tour gave the twins so many characteristics unique to it and they will definitely affect my headcanons from now on.

RETURN OF THE SKIMBLETABLE.

Ok but every time Grizabella showed up, Munk genuinely looked like he wanted to/was about to cry, which I thought was an awesome bit of character work. I really got the impression that she was his mum, and she had abandoned him when she left the tribe. Russell Dickson was trying to make me feel things and he succeeded, I was so invested in his performance.

Also, during the ball, he was sitting just below Old Doots on his tyre who was patting his shoulders. A WHOLE DAD AND HIS BOY.

Jemima’s actress Lottie Stephens was also a fantastic dancer who was leaning just on the edge of cryptid and I loved it.

Plato spent a lot of time trying to look like a very distinguished boy and it was so cute. He definitely still had some kittenish moments though. He wass definitely learning to be a protector; every time there was a protector moment on stage he was there, just to the side or behind the others, looking nervous but wanting to make Munk and co. proud.

Act 2

OK OK OK Moments of Happiness? Not usually my favourite song of the show, but there were two excellent moments of personal happiness for me. First, Shakeel’s Cori slinked right over in front of my seat and I became even more unhinged than before, to the surprise of probably 0 people. But SECOND was omg, so Demeter and Munk were sitting a bit apart at the front of the stage and the atmosphere and chemistry between them was literally off the charts. Dem had become more comfy around most of the other Cats throughout Act 1, but here she was acting really nervous and shy. So the two of them locked eyes for a moment and it was EVERYTHING. Like I cannot describe in a human language what they made me feel at that moment but it was SO MANY. Dem almost immediately looked away all shy like, but Munk kept looking at her until the end of the song in the most softest beautiful way. Like omg the acting was SO GOOD and I’m still not normal about it. Like you could tell both of them really liked each other but were too nervous to do anything about it and inside I was screeching infinitely.

Jellylorum my Queen. Aimee Hodnett was actually mind blowing I was totally enraptured. Her expressions and vocals were outstanding. When Old Doots said to Gus “you could do it again” before Pekes and Polls her face was like ‘exsqueeze me sir what are you doing? Desist immediately!’ But then she got involved and it was great.

I really enjoyed that Gus and Munk shared the narration of Pekes and Polls. Gus’ actor Hal Fowler was so expressive and dramatic and everyone was loving it and laughing along with him, and Munk still got his stressed-theatre-director moment.

TumbleBailey was super put out when Gus had his “youths today” lines, like, he proper turned around, folded his arms, and sulked. He was a whole baby and it was precious. PounceBucketty looked a bit more maturely cowed (he was definitelythe big brother of the two), but Cori was actually DEVO’D. Like my boy was so hurt, he needed a big hug from Tanto before Skimble’s song started. Tbh my reaction to Shakeel’s acting throughout the show was practically feral. On the outside I was calm, but inside it was like Guy Fawkes Night, Christmas, and Hogmanay all rolled into one.

Both Cori and Jerrie seemed to be close pals with Tugger – Cori even got a Tugger hug at one point. Shakeel’s Cori is very cuddly and I love it with all my soul. He doesn’t seem to like Jerrie all that much though, which is hilarious to me as a dedicated Coricojerrie stan. Good thing enemies to lovers is a popular trope amirite 👀

Jerrie has so much respect for Skimble it was so sweet. He was really active all throughout his song, helping him out and pointing out when others weren’t doing what they should be (the irony) during the “hilarity and riot” lines. Top notch stuff. He was also the bottom step of the Skimblestairs at the end of the song.

He definitely has respect for Alonzo as well, he was always on his best behaviour when Lonz was nearby. I loved these little character relationship decisions SO MUCH, like you could tell the actors had put a lot of thought into their characters and that they truly cared about the show.

Bomba was in the background for parts of Skimbleshanks, but she started making flexing motions at the “weak or strong” line and Tugger was next to her ooh-ing and ahh-ing appropriately. It sparked so much joy y’all I love her forever.

SPEAKING OF BOMBA HYPE – Macavity. Omg the song slapped! Dem was super spooked, but Bomba? She was absolutely ripping the piss out of Macavity and I loved every second. Not a single facial expression missed, every one clearly read: oh, you think you’re hot stuff? You’ve got NOTHING YOU LOSER. She was so smirky and sassy, almost like she was challenging him to come and have a go.

Macavity Fight was A++ 5 gold stars stuff. Demeter has a moment when “Old Doots” comes back, and it was great how at first everyone was like, “girl wtf get a grip,” only to be like OMG MACAVITY when my Queen rips into him. Mac starts to drag Dem away and then Munk starts to batter him. The fight was super dramatic and gripping, and when Munk went down he went down HARD. But then we got this magical moment when the whole tribe was like “NOT TODAY SATAN” and started fighting back together, and I feel like this production made more out of this moment than others do. Of course it wrecked me, because I am weak. (Also the Cat standing over Munk and protecting him was my angel Cori so I was delighted by that.) After that, Dem and Munk said Demestrap supremacy and the image was so magical of them nuzzling in the light of the single lamp when everything else was dark, it was *chef's kiss*.

So like, I was never sure why I wasn’t the biggest fan of the new Quaxo look for this tour, but now I think it’s because it’s just a bit too different from the Mistoffelees costume? Like I know Jenny also has a really dramatic costume change, but that change happens on stage and we see her transform. But for Misto, this change happens off-stage and we don’t get to see it, so it just seems a bit less smooth of a transition. I know Mistoffelees is kinda like the stage persona of Quaxo, but I guess I prefer it when they’re clearly the same Cat. I presume this was intentional but, and you’re supposed to be like, omg is that really him? But idk, just not my personal fave.

Having said that, IT WAS STILL LITERALLY THE BEST PART OF THE SHOW FOR ME. Because I’m Misto trash so I guess it doesn’t matter. I really liked that they made it a Tugger solo again, I like that a bit better than the duet. Everyone was appropriately surprised and awed at the magic, but it obviously was not new information to Tugger, who was standing there like, “oh, haven’t you heard?”. And the only word for his expression when the dance solo started was adoration, it was so lovely how enamoured he was. And the slow lines when Tugger addresses Old D were so soft and loving and I die. So my hc for this production is that they were close friends up till this point (and Tugger is the only one who knew about the magic), and this is when Tugger realises, oh, I LIKE like him. May write a thing around this later because I am predictable and basic and easily pleased. Also Cass was so nervous about being Misto’s chosen assistant – she wasn’t even volunteering when he picked her! It was such a cute moment.

Then there was more Casslonzo lounging in the background when Grizzy showed up again. Ok so all throughout the show I was worried about Memory, because Jacinta White started really strong in Act 1, and she did again with her big solo and I was like, oh no this is going to fizzle where can it go from here? I have never been happier to be a fool and a jester. That woman has some set of pipes I was blown away. Think my jaw might have literally dropped.

The bows were fab, but especially TumbleBailey. He came out last as usual and did his flippy flips across the stage, but then he decided to do an extra backwards one, and I don't think it was planned as he nearly kicked Jacinta and Martin (Doots) in the face and they looked surprised. Either that or they're really good actors! Everyone was fine though, and they were laughing about it.

But yeah. So glad I splurged on my Swiss weekend and saw this show. Worth it.

FIN

#cats the musical #cats uk tour 2022 #cats international tour 2022 #tuggoffelees #casslonzo #demestrap #demeter #mr mistoffelees #bombalurina #munkustrap #the rum tum tugger #macavity #Tumblebrutus #bill bailey #victoria #coricopat #tantomile #jennyanydots #skimbleshanks #jemima #grizabella #alonzo #cassandra #old deuteronomy #mungojerrie #rumpleteazer #plato #Jellylorum #gus #Pouncival

[munkustance]

What do you think about Dema parents? What happened with them? How did she end up in the junkyard?

I don't think her parents are any of the current Jellicles that we see in the musical. I've seen some headcanons that it could be Skimbleshanks, Jennyanydots or even Grizabella but I don't personally think so. I like to believe that Demeter's parents were former Jellicles. That, when she was still a kit, passed away under mysterious circumstances.

It was a normal day and everything was fine. Demeter was out playing with the other kittens. Bombalurina and Rum Tum Tugger were playfully fighting together, both trying to impress the ginger cat currently sunbathing on the broken car trunk infront of them. She herself was currently busy chasing Munkustrap around the clearing. She was having so much fun that she didn't even realise some of the adult cats slowly entering the clearing until Munkustrap, whilest looking behind himself to take a glance at Demeter, ran straight into his father. Suddenly, Demeter felt the air around the clearing change. Something was wrong and it didn't help that all of the adults were looking straight at her. They all looked worried and scared. Finally Old Deuteronomy cut the silence. She still to this day wishes he hadn't.

Whoops, how did that pop up there? Hm... Anyway! Last question!

As you may have gathered I like to think Demeter was born into the tribe and that it wasn't until Macavity left that she did the same. Years went by until she finally understood the magnitude of the abuse she was under but sadly it took a bit longer until she finally managed to escape. I've seen the headcanon that Mungojerrie help her and I love that, so yes add that in there aswell. Mungojerrie took her back to the tribe and even though there were some hesitation from the adults and younger adults about her relation to Macavity, they all were convinced eventually thanks to Munkustrap and some of the others.

She wasn't alone escaping from Macavity either. She had Bombalurina with her, Bomba went to join Macavity a few years after Demeter and him left but only for Demeter's sake. And a small malnourished kitten named Sillabub, later renamed as Jemima for the kitten's own protection from her father.

#I hope you didn't mind the quick little fanfic I added in. It just popped up in my brain and I had to write it down immediately #and I hope I answered all your questions the way you wanted them! #thanks for the ask! #cats the musical #demeter cats #asks and replies #my writing #my post

[cassandra-has-moonlit-eyes]

I think in the recent productions one of the best make up for the Queens was done by the Il Sistina Production, which is a non replica  As far as I understand the make up was designed by two women.

For the first time I saw a picture that made me think, which was which cat.

They have quite different make up but because of the same colour palette and the leaving out the vibrant lip stick they do look very similar which I love.

To be fair Rumpletazer has a coloured lower lip on some pictures but it is never the bright red that was used by London based productions for years.

Also Tantomile and Coricopat: Peak design. They both used red in their general make up and costume, they both have, again a black upper lip, and a red lower lip. While Tantomiles lower lip is much more prominent, Coricopats is smaller but it’s still there. So when you give red lips to one of the “twin” characters, give it to both.

Also big fan of the fact that the queens do not have same face syndrom. I remember one video where the actors only wore make up, no wigs or costumes but you could still tell the women apart very well. With some of the newer production this becomes more difficult sometimes, especially with characters like Bombalurina, Demeter and Jemima, while Jellylorums make up seems to become less and less in contrast in some replica producitons.

I’m also so in love with Demeters make up. It’s very classical “femine” with the dark eyes and the contouring on her cheeks but at the same time it gives her a very edgy (literal) look. I’m also such a big fan of her long black upper lip. It looks so cool and cat like. And she looks different from Bomba. She is very beautiful but in her own way. They kind of do have stronger make up than some toms but at the same time the make up artists get the idea that there a very different way to give a woman hot make up, not just to slap red lips on her.

Not using the red lips on every female character also makes Bomba stick out. With her character design you can see that she is supposed to be the sexy, beautiful lady. She has more lashes and redder lips than most other female characters. It’s still towened down in a shade which fits her furr colour.

Last point is that red lips are also used for the toms. George (on the left) had a little bit red on his lower lip similiar to coricopat. Electra (on the right side) which I would argue was also to be intended one of the sexier female characters in this production by make up and costume design, has very prominent red lips too and sticks out compared to the other female “kitten” characters, a little bit like Bomba does.

Also to be fair again: The make up of the characters changed  slightly. But what is very promiennt is the black upper lip which I love because it’s so cat like.

#cats the musical #make up discourse #personal opinion #gatti #i have no professional opinion on make up #i do not put this stuff on my face I can only write about what i think of it on a very subjective level #but the recent replica production make up #especially as seen on the international tour #has a very limited understanding on what kind of make makes women look good #just saying #I do not mind the new make up so much I even quite love some of it #especially hot jenny #but some if it looks inspired by instagram and not by cats #il sistina has a broader understing of make up looks and trends especially on women #it's about contrast and shapes for me #but mostly contrast #it's the internet #i post my opinion if I want to lol

[per-the-jellicle-magician]

Tuggerlurina Week Day 1: First Encounters

This story is set in my au where Jellicles and Roof Cats are both tribes in London that sometimes cross paths. Here Bomba, Tugger and mentioned Demeter are all Warsaw versions. Mentioned Macavity is Jellicle Macavity that spent some time with Roof Cats, hence the use of his Polish name.

Also on ao3

"Fancy some company?"

Bombalurina startled at the sound of another cat's voice. That shouldn't have happened. She looked down from the windowsill she was sitting on, and immediately recognized the voice's owner. Demeter's older, not at all made up brother was standing there, looking up expectantly at her.

Bombalurina nodded slowly and watched keenly as he jumped up and sat on the other side of the windowsill. He was so tall their legs and tails nearly touched when he finally settled comfortably. It was the first time, since her and Demeter's sudden arrival, that she could take a good look at him. Tall, lanky, all brown and gold and leopard-spotted, there was little in looks that he shared with his sister. Deme said earlier that he looked a lot like their mother. Way more than the daughter she actually raised. In vain, she tried to recall Grizabella's face. But still Bombalurina could see the faint resemblance between the three of them somewhere in his face.

"Seeing anything you like?" He was looking at her now. As soon as she caught his stare, he smiled a crooked smile, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. Either she stared too hard or he was more observant than she thought. A point for him, for being able to catch her off guard, twice. And something to keep in mind. She stretched, smiling back at him and laughed.

"Oh wouldn't you like to know pretty boy. Try again another day. Maybe I'll be in a mood to tell you. Any other questions?"

"A few actually" his smile grew wider, sharper. "For starters, what is Bombalurina, the Red Queen, Makiawel's right paw doing here, with the Roof Cats of all places?"

Bombalurina expected this question, although maybe not from him. After all, Macavity found himself a replacement for her the same day they left. The other one, the red one with the same name. So the Red Queen was not missing, not officially. Very few knew she was a different cat now. Mac took advantage of her always working in the shadows, rarely seen in action. They knew her name, but not her face. Seemingly easily replaceable. And yet this tom here knew. Another point for him. She took her time picking her words under his curious gaze. His smile did not falter, nor did he stop his comfortable lounging, but there was something sharp in his eyes now and his tail twitched anxiously.

“Things have changed... Macavity... Well, he's been making some... rather unwise decisions lately. A lot of them actually. I got tired of cleaning up his messes. And I wasn't very keen on getting dragged down with him if he'll keep things up as they are. And then Deme wanted to leave so i left with her. You can call it a fresh start if you want. As for why here... he told Demeter once that he knew a Roof cat whose mother shared her mother's name. A bit of a long shot, I know, but it was worth a try" She held his gaze. This was some sort of test. Maybe to see if she's here as a spy. Maybe something else.

"So you just took him up on his word and hoped we'd take you in?" he sounded surprised. A little bit of tension left his frame.

"For all his lies, Macavity never lied about brothers. His or otherwise." Echoes of Mac's old rants swirled in her mind as silence stretched out between them. She looked out at the courtyard below. There were still a few cats out there, oblivious to their windowsill rendezvous. Maybe if she tried, she could recall their names. Hard to tell after hearing them only in passing so far. As the tom beside her considered her answer, suddenly something he said earlier stood out to her.

“You called Mac by a different name. Makiawel...? Why?" she looked at him again. "And what is your name anyway? I don't think I caught it earlier" She waited. He was looking out the window, just like she was before. It took him a moment to answer.

"That's how he introduced himself here. We knew him as Makiawel, so it kinda stuck around even after he left" he shrugged, his voice soft. "As for me, it's Ram Tam Tam if you want to be formal, Ram Tam Tamek if you're feeling cheeky, or just Tam if you actually want me to listen" he grinned. She couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Well Just Tam, did I pass your test?" she smiled and looked at him expectantly. She thought she did, at least judging by his relaxed demeanour, but now there was a bit of anxiety nipping at her brain.

"Yes, you did Bomba" he looked her in the eyes and smiled. "Now that we have that out the way, fancy a little walk? I could give you a little tour of the place, now that you're staying here" he was already up, holding out his paw to her. She looked out the window again and then back at him.

"I'd really like that" smiling, she took his paw and let him help her up. He did it more delicately than she expected.

"Any special requests, pretty lady?" he raised his eyebrow suggestively, still holding her paw between them. Bombalurina thought about it for a moment. His tail moved in anticipation.

"Take me up on the roof" she looked up at him and squeezed his paw. Tam smiled softly and returned the squeeze.

"Sure. Oh, you're gonna love it, I promise, you can see the whole neighbourhood from there and –" he talked as he led the way. As they walked she slowly relaxed, for the first time in days.

And he was right. She did love it.

#it came out way longer than i expected it too XD #from what i've seen it's quite different from what everyone is posting XD #and it's slightly late but shhh XD #did not plan to post it on ao3 but considering the length i may as well XD #cats the musical #cats warsaw #bombalurina #ram tam tamek #rum tum tugger #tuggerlurina week

[indianasolo221]

Bombalurina pops back into Demeter's den shortly after Jemima is born, not paying attention to the fact that Tugger is still following her with an absolutely smitten look. Keep in mind that Deme is still new to the Junkyard and would not allow anyone besides Jelly, Jenny, and Bomba to be in her space during this time. This results in Tugger having the startling realization as to where he has followed Bombalurina only after Demeter's hackles are raised, her fur is standing on-end, and a warning hiss escapes her mouth. She doesn't recognize him and doesn't know he's harmless; all she knows is that he's big and he looks like her ex and he's in the same den as her kitten and she doesn't like it, and all this is conveyed with a glare that is saying, GET OUT! This results in Tugger smacking his head on the den roof before skidding out and exclaiming that he's terribly sorry, he really didn't mean it, and although Bombalurina knows he didn't mean to intrude, he's still embarrassed and he thinks that her sister is possibly just a little bit crazy.

He doesn't know it, but the sisters laugh about this moment in retrospect. Demeter really thought Tugger was dangerous and Tugger really though Demeter was gonna kill him, but it turned out okay in the end.

#cats musical #cats the musical #cats 1998 #bombalurina #demeter cats #rum tum tugger #tuggerlurina #jellicle cats #dummy tugger moment #platonic demetugger #tugger *knew* he messed up

[theimpossiblescheme]

Now I get to finally type out the notes I took during the show (and fill in any blanks I might have forgotten to originally write down)--this is my account of the Cats US tour experience!

If you’re a Tussandra, Demelurina, Alonzostrap, or Skimbledots shipper, this is your show.  The first two flirted constantly, especially during Tugger’s song (Bomba actually had to push Cass out of the way to get Tugger’s attention), and the other pairs were basically attached at the hip throughout the show.  Alonzo and Munk were so perfectly in sync at times they really did feel like a singe unit, and there was a cute moment where Skimble and Jenny stood on the car boot during the Jellicle Ball and looked like they were fussing over the kittens.

Nora DeGreen is such a wonderful Demeter who feels like they’re still getting the hang of life in the Junkyard again.  They’re starting to loosen up and have fun, and they’re even quite comfortable around Tugger, but their social battery has a time limit (mood, honestly) and always runs back over to Bomba for comfort.  Bomba really feels like Demeter’s security blanket here, and it’s really sweet.

Plato and Victoria are also adorable--they feel like that couple at prom who are so obviously and obnoxiously in love and find every excuse they can to snuggle.  Yuka Notsuka is an absolutely precious Victoria, and her solo in Act One was lovely.

One of my notes just says “Cryptid!Cassandra.  That’s it--that’s the comment.”  I love Lexy Bittner’s energy as the character.  She almost feels like I would expect a good Mistoffelees to feel--mysterious and aloof, but quirky and unpredictable at the same time.  We also got a fair bit of Protector!Cass, which is always nice.

Hank Santos is a fucking delight as Tugger--some of the best moments in the show for me came from his interactions with the other cats.  This one’s probably my favorite: he briefly gets his number hijacked by a high note from Jellylorum (which got some mid-song applause from the audience, so much that the orchestra stopped), but he kisses her paw during the outro to let her know all is forgiven.  She’s flattered and beaming at him, but she remembers to be Scandalized(TM) when Jennyanydots rejoins her.

Speaking of Jenny, Megan Arseneau played her spacing out before the tap section like she was just staring out the window at something, and at one point she got this big smile on her face like there was a particularly enchanting bird out there.  All oblivious to Misto trying to get her attention, of course.  She’s such a fun Jenny--definitely the Cool Mom of the Junkyard.

Tumblebrutus really felt like Skimbleshanks’ son here.  They had all kinds of cute background interactions, and Skimble had to literally wrestle Tumble away from dancing with Tugger during his song.

Sam Buchanan’s Plato is so adorably earnest, and he has some great “Protector in Training” moments that made my heart grow three sizes.  My favorite was right at the end of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer’s number--he and Munkustrap make eye contact over grabbing their swag bags, and it’s like Munk’s saying, “All right, just like we practiced...”

Victoria is also shocked--shocked, I tell you!--that Jerrie and Teazer were caught stealing, and she looks like she’s rooting for them to escape.

There were a lot of little... what I can only call moments of reassurance between Skimble and Munk, where they would make eye contact over the other cats’ heads or Skimble would grab Munk’s paw.  I got the impression of Skimble being like a mentor or parental figure to Munk in a way, and it was very sweet.

Kade Wright’s Munk is also a lot gentler than I’ve seen other Revival Style!Munkustraps, and he’s very attentive to the other cats.  He doesn’t shoo Jerrie and Teazer away after the Invitation, instead giving them little back skritches before gently waving them off and taking a second for the others, and he and Tugger have a beautiful moment of connection during the “Old Deuteronomy” duet.  His and Santos’ voices blend together so well (though on the whole I prefer Santos’ voice).

When Grizabella comes back on the second time, Gus gives her a... very curious, sort of coolly reserved look as she passes.  Not like he’s shunning her, but more like he doesn’t know what to make of her.

Speaking of Grizabella, holy hell, does Tayler Harris have a gorgeous voice.  Recordings don’t do it justice--I got chills multiple times listening to her.  She’s a very proud Grizabella, but one who’s also aware of how utterly unfair her situation is and has a lot of quiet righteous anger about her, and she refused to back down any time one of the other cats got in her face.  I wish dearly that I could pick hers and Kade Wright’s brains, too, because the relationship between Griz and Munk was fascinating.

Right at the top of Act Two, Coricopat and Tantomile went directly over to Old Deuteronomy, and it looked like Tanto was almost sitting in his lap as they had a moment regarding Grizabella.

Can John Anker Bow’s Gus adopt me?  He was absolutely lovely--I remember seeing him in a much smaller part the US tour of Ragtime when it came to my university years ago, and it was wonderful to see him again.  He seemed to have taken a cue from Christopher Gurr’s playbook of Gus not particularly wanting to have this song, even no-selling Jelly’s attempts to rib him about his pub habits, but eventually warming to the idea.  His relationship with Allyson Duarte’s Jelly was adorable, too, always taking her paw or her shoulder whenever one of them needed a moment.

The kittens loved Gus, too (except for Tumble, who checked out after Gus’s comments about The Kids These Days)--Sillabub was hanging on his every word, and Pouncival reached out and very cutely touched his paw on the line “I could do it again...”  And right as everyone got up to get ready for “The Pekes and the Pollicles”, Pounce and Sillabub did a little celebratory mirroring dance.

Also, Gus and Demeter, of all cats, had some really sweet background interactions--I can think of at least two moments where Demeter grabbed his shoulder and he reached back and squeezed their paw.

Also also, Gus and Skimble both do this adorable half-hug shoulder clasp thing with Old Deuteronomy at various points.

On Skimble’s “button you cold turn to make a breeze” line, it looked like Misto was trying to play a little prank on Demeter by summoning a cold wind to blow, but when they actually shivered he shrunk back and looked sorry.

I really really love Erica Lee Cianciulli’s voice as Bombalurina.  It has this very distinctive raspiness to it that’s hard to describe, but I could listen to hers and DeGreen’s rendition of “Macavity the Mystery Cat” all day long.

Sillabub spends most of Macavity’s song sitting on the tire and listening to the other queens sing, only getting up for the last chorus.  It felt like this was the first time she’d heard about Macavity in this much detail.

I’m not entirely sure if I caught this right, but it looked like Bomba was the one who helped Munk to his feet after the Macavity fight, even putting her shoulder under his and lifting him upright.  Meanwhile, Tanto had gone to shield Demeter after Macavity let go, and then she helped them to safety once he was gone.

Alonzo’s moment of steeling himself to fight back for Demeter was fantastic, too.  Sammy Fossum plays a really great “gallant and brave, but has his moments of doubt when he’s alone” Alonzo, and it made me wish he could have a shot at playing Goldenlonzo.  Ah, well... all Revival Style!Alonzos are Goldenlonzos at heart to me.

Tugger looked like he was going to cry when Misto brought Old Deut back, and he pointed to himself and looked at everyone around him on “And we all say...” as if to say, “I told you so.”  It really gave off the impression of “I knew it was going to work, but holy shit, it actually worked.”  He also had a little cuddle with Victoria as Misto hugged Old Deut--it was such an adorable moment all around.

Demeter started off “Memory” all curled up on the ground and slowly unfolded as the song went on.  Their reactions to the song were heartbreaking, and I so badly wish I could have met Nora DeGreen to tell them what a beautiful job they did.

Tayler Harris’s crescendo up to “Touch me” was... man, I wish I could bottle that moment.  Again, chills.  I wish I could have met her, too, even if I wouldn’t have been very articulate about it. 😄

Munk also looked like he was going to cry when Griz was chosen, which... same, my guy.  And his earlier tone of awed happiness on “Now Old Deuteronomy just before dawn...” like he still can’t believe he’s back really had me choked up, too.

Also, they brought back the big shimmering claw for her ascent to the Heaviside!  I was so happy to see that again!

Cameron Schutza’s voice as Old Deuteronomy was so powerful, and listening to his “Ad-Dressing of Cats” really made it sink in for me.  Hearing that song live is really something special, and I’m so glad I got the chance!

#cats the musical #cats us tour 6 #the schemer speaks #I just need Harris; Bow; DeGreen; and Cianciulli to be in All Of The Things now. <3 #ETA: Now with corrected pronouns for the performers

[ratherchaseamouse]

do we send the period also? If so Demeter (1920s) and Bombalurina (Regency)

You don’t have to, but if you want a specific period then go for it!

For Demeter, these lighter, gathered dresses both really felt like they’d suit her (and also I think green would look great on her), but I think she’d add a bit of edge with a black pearl necklace.

Bomba rocks up to the function, shiny dress, matching jewels AND tiara, you know heads are turning when she walks in.

#blue’s thoughts #cats the musical #asks #bombalurina #cats demeter

[itsmyregularcat]

Who gave the best performance at the show?

So not to cop out within the first sentence, but literally everyone brought their top game in my opinion. It was wholly more impressive than my previous time seeing the former non-equity cast (who were still great), and those who returned (aside from Michelle who was out as Jenny for the show), stepped up their performances as well.

Rather than choose one specific performer, I will go over those who I thought did well enough to be lauded directly, which is going to be most of them.

One of my favourite performers from the last time I saw Cats was Lexy as Cassandra, and she was even better this time around. Her higher energy and unique style as Cass is a good one to begin with, and it was all on full display. Her dancing and range of motion are remarkable. Plus, holy shit she is hot as Cassandra. My God.

Megan Arseneau did a really good job as Jenny during The Old Gumbie Cat, and maybe it was just me, but I feel like she went all out with the tap sequence, and added a bit of extra flair and attitude into it. Definitely would not have know she she was covering by the way she laid it out.

John Anker Bow was absolutely outstanding as Gus, and his vocal clarity still impresses me, even after seeing him twice before Sunday. His blood curdling noises were superb. Definitely the best ones I have heard. His foray as Rumpus Gus was also spectacular, and his Bustopher was amazing as well.

Nora played Demeter as very skittish, upset, and lowkey mad (particularly when Macavity is afoot), and they definitely got the characterization down pat. Their vocal style during Macavity was good, and the way they acted during the Macavity fight was really immersive.

I was not sure what expect from Erica as Bomba given her previous experience as part of the RCCL cast, but you can tell she has played the role it before. Specifically, her movements and mannerisms during Macavity were on the money. Her voice was interesting, and I cannot say it was a bad fit at all, so I am into it. I like when actors end up bringing their own self into a role. Also, definitely looked like how I imagine Bomba would look, so thumbs up for that.

Yuka as Victoria was a big highlight, and I already gushed about her here. I loved her performance, and she is probably my new favourite Victoria. Her smile 💕💕.

Cameron as Old Duet was quite good. You could appreciate that he has a classical training and history in opera. His voice and projection was impressive, and he peaked his mic during Old Deut for how powerful he was.

Taryn as Rumple was perfectly mischievous and bubbly, so she gets a good stamp of approval in my eyes. I do not have anything specific to really comment on, but noticed she liked being silly in background interactions with other cats.

Hank did very well as Tugger, and captured the spirit of the character much better than Zach did (sorry Zach). He played Tugger as sauve and boisterous rather than juvenile, and was the sexy cat he was supposed to be. Also, his energy during the time after the bows was awesome. He flew around that stage.

Sam as Sillabub and Reagan as Tanto were both great, and I was impressed by Sam's voice during the Moments Of Happiness. Much richer than I was expecting.

I guess that is it? Anyone else who performed that I did not mention were exceptional too do not get me wrong. There is SO MUCH going on during the show to pay good attention to everything and everyone.

#i very much enjoyed the show #by the end of Act 1 i was legit floored #they killed it through and through #cats the musical #cats musical #rumpleteazer #victoria #tantomile #Sillabub #old deuteronomy #Demeter #gus #rum tum tugger #Cassandra #jennyanydots #lexy bittner #megan arseneau #yuka notsuka #sam bello #reagan davidson #cameron schutza #hank santos #erica lee cianciulli #nora degreen #taryn smithson #but yeah goddamn Lexy - wow #cats us tour #us tour 6

[millenari]

1, 11, 3, 5, 6, 9, 16 for Demeter and Tugger ☺️

I got a separate ask for Tugger so I'll do him next ✨✨✨

1. Canon I outright reject

I still sometimes get annoyed by this, like genuinely ALW or whoever can truly fuck off if they think Demeter's singular noteworthy skill is 'flirting'.

Also this isn't necessarily 'canon' but I can't do her and Bomba being sisters AND I can't see Demeter as being 'young' OR younger than Bomba. That woman is in her thirties. To Me.

3. Obscure headcanon

Back when Demeter ran with Macavity she was kind of his 'showgirl'. The image that kind of comes to mind is this Harley Quinn and Joker scene in that awful s‌uicide squad movie where Harley is dancing and Joker and his coworkers or whatever are all watching her? Kind of like that (but with more of a jazzy vibe)-- she would sing and perform for the cats that Macavity 'led', and would often be his hype-man and sing about his accomplishments. So when she pops up to sing his song in the musical it's a weird moment for her-- she's kind of returning to what she knows and finding comfort in that, and also feeling a little horrified in herself for finding comfort in it.

5. Best personality trait

Despite everything she's gone through, Demeter genuinely tries to see the best in everyone. For example, Bomba can be a bit callous sometimes (as much as she genuinely loves Demeter) and I do think there have been periods of their relationship that were so rocky that they wouldn't have been able to pull through if not for Demeter's compassion & understanding. (Like I said, Bomba does love Demeter, but in Bomba's own words, she's 'not good at loving things').

And this can be a genuinely hard thing for Demeter to do, but it's something she puts a deliberate effort into all the time. She doesn't want Macavity to dig his claws into her any more than he already has. Doesn't want him to twist her into something like him, especially not when he isn't even around to torment her anymore.

6. Worst personality trait

Most cats I think would say it's her paranoia. Personally I think she has every right to be paranoid, but for the others it can be difficult when something 'sets her off'. Partially because she will absolutely not back down if she thinks she or the others are not safe, and partially because it happens so often. Macavity has a lot of magical powers that allow him to be sneaky, so all sorts of strange sounds or weird shadows will have her convinced he's nearby, which can instantly turn a fun outing on the town into an emotionally draining hours-long crawl with everyone's noses to the ground in order to convince Demeter that what she saw or heard was completely mundane.

Again, I think she has a right to it, but it can be difficult for the others to contend with her in those situations.

9. Scene that first made me love (or hate) the character

Everything about the Macavity song, man. She's interesting through the whole play, but her choreo and singing (esp 98!Demeter, Aeva May is 👌) has so much character in it, and it's one of the moments of Cats where, if I've gotten distracted while watching, my attention is immediately drawn back in.

11. Faceclaim for the role

Aeva May is my favorite Demeter of all time. Her face, her bodytype, her voice, all of her. I don't necessarily have face claims for my humanized hcs (despite thinking of them often lmao), but in my stuff she's basically a blonde white woman with short spikey hair, big eyes, and a reputation for wearing mom jeans.

Additionally, most of the cats I couldn't really give a shit about their eye color, but I love a green/hazel eyed Demeter. Something about how their eyes look so big and haunted.

16. Deepest darkest secret they won’t even admit to themselves

As much as Macavity made her life hell, and twisted her up emotionally in ways she'll probably never recover from, and stole years of her life & pounds of her innocence that she'll never get back... She doesn't completely want him gone from her life.

She doesn't want him dead, that she would admit with only some reluctance. She still loves him in some awful way, that she'll admit to herself (and solely to herself). But on top of all of that, she doesn't even want him gone, not fully. Doesn't want him to move on from her (God knows she'll never move on from him), doesn't want him to hassle someone else, doesn't want to live her days in peace. That's her monster, and she bled for it and cried for it-- for years. It took so much of her she wouldn't feel like a full person anymore if it left her entirely.

That's something she'd never even admit to herself. The fear of Macavity returning for her keeps her awake at night-- so even admitting that she feels in such a way almost feels like a betrayal of her own self.

#cats fan on main #thank you for the ask! 🥰🥰 #demeter cats #edit: added 6 👍

[the-clockwork-three]

here's my school's cats poster!

Oh this is so cool. a lot of the characters are actually caught quite accurately considering the fact that I'd say most of the makeup was probably done by the actors themselves.

okay heres my attempt to name the cats. considering the cast is like... 40 people i have to assume theres some oc's in there but also I'm going to pretend thats not an option and start naming them increasingly obscure swings

From left to right hese are Grizabella, ???, Victoria, Old Deuteromy. Considering these are the uhhhhhh plot relevant characters I assume ??? is Jemima

Misto and Tugger!!!

I thought this was Tantomile and Coricopat, but looking at the pose its actually likely Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser.

this is deff the other set of twins. the colouring says rumple and jerry, the fact that we cant have two rumples and jerries says tanto and cori. I have no goddamn clue who the middle guy is. I'm going to say victor. because hes grey.

Oh hey its "victor" again. and Bustopher Jones. and other unidentifiable swings. I want to say the second from the right is The Rumpus Cat, mostly because the costume has a cool design, but I think YAE doesn't have his song. And the final guy is *spins wheel* Tumblebrutus.

LIGHTNING ROUND. Alonzo. Skimbleshanks and Munkustrap. Macavity.

Oh hi Cassandra. How i can I tell its Cassie? 1. shes less fluffy than the others. 2. shes doing a really good impression of 1998 Cassie's "Do something really weird and look straight into the camera and try to pull it off as cool and fail miserably" act, which i consider a fundamental part of her character.

.... gus? the theatre cat? Wearing clothes means songcat, and i read these clothes as "English Teacher" but also i genuinely cant tell if this is a boy or a girl. if this is a girl ummmmmmmm this is Jennyanydots because griz and rumple are accounted for. and this is objectively the best makeup in the cast omg the lines are so neat.

this one vexes me personally. my first instinct upon seeing the makeup is Quaxo from Shiki productions. however it is unlikely that this American school production is drawing inspiration from japan. so then I think Jellylorum. and then we have the dress. on one hand i sorta think its just that this person arrived a bit late and didn't have time to change into their full costume. on the other hand it reminds me of Bombalurina or Demeter in some non-reps. considering the colouring of the makeup is far closer to deme than bomba I lean more heavily towards her.

For the funsies I'm saying this is Deme

shes grey. shes a cat. this ones Greycat.

we have now reached the end of Solid Ideas. so now i'm just going to speedrun all the "important characters" that i missed and assign them at semi random

Jennyanydots, Bombalurina, Jellylorum

and my favourite girl chorus cats: Electra and Etcetera. decisions made entirely off of ear colours.

wait i actually think "electra" is "jemima" from the very first picture. my favourite girl chorus cats: Jemima/Sillabub (because this is an American production and i a little bit forgot but i will not be changing to the Broadway names) and Etcetera.

#is mise an crann #asks #i had a lot of fun with this #Definitely Not Married #its a mess but its My Mess #also this took most of a day before i gave up and said 'thats a kitty alright' #long post #i wrote quite a but under the cut

[afairytalestray]

Moscow 2005 HCs

My contribution to @storyweaverofgondor’s Cornucopia of Cats blogversary event. Thanks for letting me take part bestie, I had a lot of fun deep diving into this production!

Munkustrap is absolutely training Mistoffelees to lead the ball. The two of them are close friends, and Munk has made him second in command. Tugger is fully in love with Misto, but has kept it to himself because 1) The Fear, and 2) he thinks Misto likes Munk. But then he gets scared that Munk likes him back (because he’s a fool who is too wrapped up in his own feelings to see the Demestrap supremacy). He spends ages coming up with his song as a confession, but it doesn’t quite work, as everyone kinda takes it as a hype song for bringing back Old Deuteronomy, Misto included. 

Munk notices but. Tugger has put his whole soul into it (hello? Сказочный is literally the most beautiful and poetic adjective I want to cry. He walks on starlight? This song invented romance). At first Munk is a bit like, oh no, but then when he thinks about it, that could work actually? If you only know both of them on the surface level, no way in hell, but if you actually understand them, then yes. He talks to Tugger and convinces him to go for it, as he’s been moping ever since the Ball, at the same time realising he should take his own advice and confess to Demeter. (Demeter: fucking finally omg Munk)

Misto can and will sleep in any place or position, although his preference is snuggled up under Tugger’s mountain of fluff. The two grew up together after baby Misto was brought to the Junkyard, and have been friends since forever. 

(Elo note: If Ivan Ozhogin hitting that high note in Old Deuteronomy doesn’t make you feel things, then your soul may be irreparably damaged.)

Jennyanydots is Victoria and Tumblebrutus’ mum, and George’s adopted mum. She has a soft spot for Mungojerrie and Bombalurina. Bomba looks up to her a lot, and Jerrie wants a lot more hugs than he’d ever admit. Whenever he’s in the Junkyard, if he’s not up to mischief with Rumpleteazer, then he’s with Jenny. She makes everyone around her feel safe and wanted. Best hugs in the Junkyard are Jenny hugs, hundo p. She has a vintage samovar that is her most prized possession, Jerrie gave (stole) it to her.

Vic is besties with Jemima, and looks up to Cassandra and Demeter. Jemima adores Tantomile and tries to be just like her. Jemima enjoys the company of the older Cats more than the younger. She likes playing with her friends, especially Vic, but enjoys being scooped up into hugs more.

Bomba is one of the main protectors of the tribe. At first she can come across as a bit scary, but actually she’s very warm and caring, if a bit mysterious. She doesn’t ever share about her past. Demeter is the only one that knows about it, and neither Queen is telling. She loves the Bolshoi, and can often be found lounging on the comfy seats there (and refusing to move for the punters). In that, she’s taken over from Gus. The staff pretend to despair, but they’re very fond of their little invaders.

Plato knows the city of Moscow the best of all of them, and loves to explore. He knows the best and safest spots for the kittens to play in the winter snow, and the moment the first snowflake falls, he’s constantly badgered by them to take them out. 

Jellylorum loves experimenting with different looks and styles, and when she’s not in the Junkyard she likes to trot around ГУМ and ЦУМ to see the humans all dressed up. She might pick something up for Pouncival.

Pounce loves playing dress up and coming up with characters, especially with Jerrie. He loves making up stories and costumes to go with them. Old D is his dad, but he doesn’t know.

Tumble does not understand the Bustopher hype. I mean, he doesn’t even cartwheel? Where is the appeal? Misto, though – SPINS FOR DAYS! Tumble watches like a hawk when he dances, soaking up the expertise. He and Pounce share the same humans, who own a small pelmeni restaurant near the Pushkin Museum.

Demeter is besties with Misto. Platonic soulmates if ever there was. They can often be found together, deep in conversation or playing a game that makes no logical sense to anyone but them.

Skimbleshanks and Grizabella are brother and sister. They were never really alike, but he was deeply hurt when she left the tribe, and never quite forgave her for it. Griz abandoned her family to seek fame, leaving one day without a word. When she comes back he can’t trust her, and wants to protect the tribe from her. The kittens all love Uncle Skimble! Skimble travels all over Eurasia on the trains. He knows Felix in Staraya Russa on the Pskov line, and he’s acquainted with the Cats at the Hermitage Museum, with whom he shares mousing tips. Many of the Cats found their way to the Junkyard through Skimble and his train network, and many of them have taken trips to places like Finland, Latvia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan.

Cassandra is always cold. Tanto is always too hot. Demeter will often say she’s cold to get Munk to hug her (he always wants to, but is nervous of making her feel smothered).

Coricopat is quite often found literally hanging off of things precariously. He’s quite comfortable, and doesn’t get why others freak out when they find him hanging 5m off the ground by one paw. Jemima often copies him, much to the older Cats’ horror.

Jerrie and Teazer came to the Junkyard after Munk helped Teazer out of a sticky situation involving a pollicle. They don’t live there full time, they come and go, but Teazer always likes to be involved in Munk’s plays. He has a soft spot for her. Teazer would probably stay full time, and later on they do, but Jerrie isn’t ready just yet.

Cassandra is a bit of a loner, but well liked by everyone. She’s close with Vic and Misto, and loves flowers. Plato always seeks her out in spring when the first flowers start to bloom, and they go see them together. She and Tanto are friends, and she adores the kittens. Alonzo is always trying to impress her, but is a bit too shy to talk normally to her. 

Rumpus Cat is the OC of Munk and Alonzo. They made him up as Kittens, and would act out long, convoluted stories for hours on end. The Kittens now are unsure if Rumpus is real or not, and Alonzo will dress up as him from time to time, so he’s something of a Jellicle cryptid.

Alonzo frequents the Arbat, and the shopkeepers there call him Господин Коровка (Mr. Mini Cow ig), as he often surveys the street from the top of the cow statue. 

Munk often wishes he were a bit taller, but will never admit that to anyone. The Everlasting Cat communicated to Old D that Munkustrap would be the next Jellicle leader when he was a Kitten. Old D took him under his wing to train him up, and Munk adores him. 

Old D and Griz are Tugger’s parents, and Tugger and Old D are very alike. Old D was just like Tugger in his youth. Munk and Tugger are half brothers. Gus and Griza are Munk’s parents. Munk is a few years older than Tugger, who is a year older than Misto. Misto is probably the son of Macavity, but no one knows for sure. Munk notices they move in a similar way, but he trusts Misto fully and never mentions it.

Macavity was a former Jellicle, and was Pounce’s hero in the before times. He and Griz both left the tribe at around the same time, although not together. Mac was expecting to be named the future Jellicle leader by the Everlasting Cat, then went berserk when he wasn’t. Macavity was banished by Old Deut. He attacked Munkustrap after he was declared the future leader, and would have killed him if Old D hadn’t stepped in and fought him off. It was a traumatic experience for Munk, who was still quite young, while Mac was fully grown and much bigger. Many of the Jellicles had expected Mac to be named leader, but were relieved when it was Munk. Mac wasn’t disliked, but he was known to have a nasty temper and vicious streak. Although he kept them hidden, everyone was wary of him. None of them quite realised how bad he was, however, until he attacked little Munkustrap, who a lot of them saw as their own. This cemented their opinion of Mac, and he made an enemy of the whole tribe that day.

#cats the musical #cornucopiaofcats #cats moscow

[carbuckety]

THE DAY HAS COME. Happy blogiversary @storyweaverofgondor​!!! I don’t know you super well but I’ve seen your writing & art around the fandom and can’t get enough of either. Thank you for letting me join this stellar event!!

My production was... Cats, Original Broadway Cast! Aka Grey Spreads His Tumbletoria Propoganda.

I LOVE THESE TWO. Tumblebrutus was often the one to do the pas de deux on Bway, since he got like, a character arc to match Victoria’s. :) And I got some HCs for them too!!!! And a short story about Goldenlonzo and Plato!! All under the cut... 👀

Victoria is a housepet who visits the junkyard with her father Bustopher.. 

Tumblebrutus is a former housecat, rescued from a hoarding situation with his best friend Pouncival.

The first time he sees her he thinks that it must be the Jellicle Moon itself in cat form. He has a crush immediately but Victoria doesn’t really notice him

Oh but Tumble adores everything about her — her silky smooth fur, her gracefulness, how kind she is to everyone, how she seems a bit chilly at first but is actually very warm and fun-loving like any other kitten…

She’s not at the junkyard very often so they don’t see much of each other :(

But, but, one time when she was visiting with Bustopher, he was trying to show off a back handspring to Pouncival, and didn’t stick the landing. He fell right over, right in front of Vic. He was totally mortified, until she laughed softly, asked if he was okay, and whispered something to Bustopher that may or may not have ended up getting him a bit of extra trout when it was time to eat.

The Ball we watch is the first Ball Tumble has ever attended, cause though he’d been in the tribe for a bit, he joined right after the last one. Watching Victoria do the White Cat Solo, he became totally determined to at least dance with her once.

His opportunity came during the middle of the Jellicle Ball, when everyone else had paired off and it was just them… he may have gotten really excited and literally headbutted her, on accident, but she didn’t seem to mind too much. :’D They danced at the Ball and Tumble feels the need to slap himself multiple times afterwards to make sure he’s not dreaming.

The pas de deux at the Ball was very much a one-time thing, though, since Victoria didn’t really show much more interest in Tumble after that — which was perfectly fine by him, as his crush started to abate a bit. He still admires her deeply for her dancing technique and her sweet personality, and hopes they can be better friends some day, though. :D

~~YOU HAVE NOW ENTERED THE FUNKY ZONE. Short little drabble about Plato & Lonz, Broadway besties, during the Tumbletoria pas de deux!~~

Plato and Alonzo were sitting together, off to the side of the junkyard, contently watching Victoria and Tumblebrutus dance together. Plato sighed and laid down, looking up at them with almost-longing eyes. “Oh, young love. Those two are adorable, aren’t they?”

“‘Oh, young love’?” Alonzo said, scoffing lightheartedly. “You’re not much older than those two, you know. But this must be Tumble’s dream come true. He’s had the eyes for her forever, it’s gotten a bit insufferable.”

“Insufferable? You’re insufferable, how about that. You’re just jealous that it’s not you and Demeter up there right now.” Plato nudged his friend, looking pointedly at the yellow queen who lay with Bombalurina on the other side of the junkyard.

“I’ve not a clue what you mean,” Alonzo said innocently, “and as if you’re one to talk. Don’t think you’re subtle with how you’ve been staring at Bomba.”

Plato sputtered, then pouted, looking up at Alonzo. “Not that obvious, I hope?”

Alonzo rolled his eyes.

“Shush.” 

“I said nothing!” he protested. Sighing dramatically, Alonzo rested his head atop Plato’s and looked back at Victoria and Tumblebrutus, the latter of whom had just set the former back down again. Both were looking at each other with sickeningly sweet eyes. “Young love,” he conceded softly, and dodged Plato’s upward swipe at him with a laugh.

#cats the musical #cornucopiaofcats #story's blog-iversary event #victoria cats #tumblebrutus #alonzo cats #plato cats #(under the cut. soz) #my art uwu #my writing owo #tumbletoria #hope u likeeeeeee

[cassandra-has-moonlit-eyes]

Cats, Stuttgart 04.02.2023 14:30 and 19:30

It’s the remix!

So, first things first: I woke up at four o’clock in the morning to see this wonderful show two times on the same the and one time on the next day. So disclaimer: I was tired and kind of exhausted and stressed out because the actors were going into the audience, so it could be that I saw things differently or my memory broke after being awake for too long. None the less I loved every second I spent there. I wouldn’t see two shows on the same day ever again but I’m glad I did it. Also sorry for the contant time tense switches but I can’t be bothered to descide in which tense I want to write this.

Following text is a mix of both shows. I once sat second row and once first row, so I was able to see the show from both sides, once from left and once from right.

I couldn’t find a cast list, but I think I saw the following actors on this day. ! means I’m certain, ? means I’m not certain and ??? means ???

Alonzo: Sebastian Goffin (!), Bill Bailey: Aaron Hunt (!), Bombalurina: Kayleigh Thadani (!), Gus: Hal Fowler (!), Carbucketty: ????, Cassandra: Erin Gisele Chapman (!), Coricopat: Shakeel Kimotho (!), Demeter: Francis Dee (!), Grizabella: Aimee Hodnett (!), Jellylorum: Anna Campkin (?), Jemima: Lottie Stephen (!), Jennyanydots: Sarah-Marie Maxwell (!), Admetus/Macavity: Aaron Elijah (!), Mungojerrie: Harry Robinson (!), Munkustrap: Russel Dickson (!), Old Deuteronomy: Connor McAllister (???), Mistoffelees: Liam Mower (!!!), Rum Tum Tugger: Daniel Timoney (?), Rumpleteazer: Ella Kemp (!), Skimbleshanks: Freddie Clements (???), Tantomile: Milan Cacacie (!), Victoria: Maiya Hikasa (!).

So, as you see, lot of swings and covers. Additional to this cast Carrie Willis was on stage too. She wore the “BabyGrizz” costume. I will refer to her as Grey Cat when writing this “review”. Different from Vienna I looked a lot at the Cats who were singing at the moment.

Act 1

First cat I saw was Mistoffelees with his green eyes. He was running infront of the stage looking at the audience. This and him getting Old Deut later on are the only two occasions he goes into the audience (aka lava). I was very exhausted but as soon as Demeter stepped on stage I was smiling and happy to be here. During the first number I was mostly looking at who was playing who and I was so happy when Grey Cat stepped out because I was hoping on seeing a female swing.

Bill is best trapez boy.

During the Naming on the Cats Tugger stared directly in my direction. It really seemed like he was directly looking into my eyes. I liked him, very catlike in his staring and movements. The second time I was the man over there (again) and was stared at by Munkustrap and Gus (Munkustrap was so creepy in a good way). 

When everybody was greating each other you could see that Demeter was very stressed out, but she joined the Gumbie Cat song with a bright smile.

I love Jenny in this production. Sarah’s facial expressions are amazing. She portrays Jenny as show cat through and through. The tap dancing seems a little bit more “military” than in Vienna, I think she calls the cockroaches company (like in regement) and tells them to salute.

When Tugger comes in she, Misto and Deme are not happy, but Bomba was really excited and happy, as well as the younger Cats. Admetus couldn’t wait to present the ball to him. Daniel is a very good looking Tugger and I really liked his make up and expressions. He was so much fun. After Bomba’s line she did a follow me gesture with her finger and he did follow her. When he said no, she didn’t seem too sad about it and shrugged it off, joining the dance again with a smile, but Bill none the less laughed at her for being rejected.

(Also, I had one first row ticket and I was so stressed when Tugger went down to pick somebody to dance but I crossed my arms and legs to signal: HELL NO! Also, Daniel seemed very polite when choosing both times and he picked a woman who was there with her partner. He said something to the partner but he talked so fast I couldn’t understand anything even though they were sitting next to me.)

Grizabella enters the stage. Tugger and Bomba are not happy, Munkustrap seems kind of sad, Demeter confused and sad. I love how Victoria and Jemima just walk up to her like it’s the most normal thing to greet her like they greeted every other cat before but the adults react so much, it confuses them.

It also seems like Munkustrap is protecting Grizabella from Bucky, Billy and Admetus. Skimble sits on the left side of the stage, protecting Jemima while Jenny sits with Victoria, Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie on the right side of the stage. She seemed very concerned and checked especially on Teazer and Jerrie, but Munkustrap also walked up to them, took Teazers face in his hands and seemed to check if they were alright with the situation. Rumpleteazer und Mungojerrie were mostly looking down. They didn’t seem to know what to do with the situation.

When Demeter is not allowed to touch Grizabella, Grizabella looks after her but before she starts singing, she turns around to sing at Munkustrap. She seemed angry and sad, not really weak but very powerful.

Bustopher Jones is so much fun. I started with looking at the girls. Jenny and Bomba were acting some of the lyrics out with dancing and gestures. F.ex. Bomba “showed” her leg while singing about the trousers and Jenny was clawing Jelly’s back while singing about his coat. The boys were so much chaos in the meantime. The older ones kind of had to sort the younger ones in a row. Bustopher Jones seemed to be in a hurry and showed Misto is pocket watch, like he was saying I need to go on, but Misto insisted on him staying so he sat down on the top hat.

At this moment the boys and girls are all sorted in two groups. Cori seemed to want to sit with the girls but Jenny gestured him to sit with Bustopher, so he sat before him, Skimble was sitting on his other side, and listened to him. At one time during the song Bustopher Jones “knights” Skimbleshanks with his spoon, and Cori was like, me too, me too, so Bustpher knights him too. Cori was very proud, turned around to Billy and looked at him, like: Look, I was knighted by Bustopher and you weren’t! He was very proud and cocky.

I find the first Macavity scare (pre M&R scare) very interesting. The last four Cats on the stage are Alonzo, the twins and Munkustrap. Alonzo leaves first, Munkustrap seems disapointed. The twins show him which way to go. He takes a deep breath and walks out on the right side of the stage, it seemed like he was getting ready to chase Macavity away while Cori and Tanto leave on the other side.

Mungojerrie and Rumpletezer entrence. The number is fun as always.

Old Deut enters. Tugger and Munkustrap really seemed to like each other during this number. Also, when everybody was rejoicing Demeter had a cute interaction with Bill and she was smiling but then the next Macavity scare happens and suddenly she was stressed again. The cats leave the stage.

Munkustrap is in full on protector mode now. He stands on the right side of the stage, monitoring the audience. There was a cute moment, when Jemima walked up to him and nuzzeled his side as to say, come, nothing to worry, dance with us. For a moment he was still tense but then he walked back to dance and sing with Victoria, Jemima and old Deut. I love the Ball so much. It is so much fun to watch. On one moment Old Deut goes down and walks before the audience which confused me and broke my focus. He kind of blocked the view to the stage which I didn’t like at all, because I love the dance so much. But it is what it is.

This time I looked who was center in the end (in Vienna it was Electra), here it is Jemima! There was so much joy on her face, she smiled a lot.

Also funny, when Griz comes back at the end of the ball, Victoria doesn’t want to leave. Cassandra even passes her when leaving the stage. Victoria really feels for the old lady, she really wants to touch her. Cassandra is not having it.

Grizabella sings her first Memory and then the first Act ends.

Act 2

I personally really didn’t like that they went into the audience because I was always concious of where my legs were so nobody would fall over them, but at the end of the intermission I could hear people laughing from behind. So if you sit further back I think it’s really cool that you get the chance to see them up close too. One time Cassandra passed me on her way to the stage and she was the proudest most beautiful, the other time it was Skimble. Sadly I didn’t see what he did but people laughed. His facial expressions were gold.

We also had the Demeter an Munkustrap flirting with each other at the beginning of the second act. Demeter was very flirty and smiled and him, but at the same time she seemed kind of not yet. Munkustrap was VERY interested in her, but when she showed him her shoulder he proceeded to stare into the audience again. Demeter also looked very sad during the moments of happiness.

To the theatre cat: Deme is now cuddeling with Alonzo, I support. Back in June I already liked Hal Flower a lot. I would categorize his Gus as an entertainer. He is very fun and engaging. I also love looking at the kittens when he sings about the cats these days jumping through the hoop. Cassandra crossed her arms infront of her body and looked so offended. Cori covered over Bucky and put his hands over his years so poor bebe wouldn’t hear the mean old man. Tanto looked at Bombalurina and Bomba looked back at her like: Yeah, he’s talking about you. It is just so much fun.

Also this Gus seems less older and frail (?) than Vienna Gus. I really do like the Pekes and the Pollicles here too. Bill and Rumpleteazer are too early in their part as lead Peke and Pollicle and Gus is just like nonononono and shoos them away again. I love how Munk plays the police dog similiar like he does it in the original choreo. They do not sing the dogs out of every nation part and the part with the scottish dogs. The dogs are very scared of the Rumpus Cat but all in all compared to the older version of the number I think that it lacks dynamic, if that makes sense. They get the costumes and then most of the time they just sit around in them. But what was really funny was Cori throwing a shoe at Mungojerrie in the beginning of the number and Mungojerrie didn’t catch it. Munkustrap was next to him and he looked so done with his chaotic children.

Skimbleshanks was gold. I really liked the actor a lot (I think it was Clements). It’s really hard to put into words but he seemed like somebody who knows that he’s really cool but at the same time doesn’t take himself too serious.

Rumpleteazer tells Billy to misbehave and Cass is quick to tell on him. In the second row Mungojerrie tells a joke to Jemi and Jemi to Victoria and when both girls laugh Mungojerrie tells on them. Very naughty.

When they build the train, Misto is holding the light and Tantomile and Rumpleteazer were sitting next to him. Misto and Tanto waved in my direction and I was so confused for a moment I nearly waved back at them lol.

When Macavity appears at the end Cassandra hides behind Skimble.

I loved the Macavity number today. Dee was absolutly amazing. Acting and dancing wise she seems very torn between yeah I had good times with him and no that cat is disgusting. She smiled and then the smile waniched and the disgust/fear came back. Absolutly amazing. I also love that she frees herself from Macavity. Afterward she covers at the side of the stage and Bomba put an arm over her shoulder. I also loved Bomba, she had more of a deeper more rhaspy voice compared to the principle Bomba.

I love love love the fight so much. Munkustrap is so dramatic. Here Munkustrap and Macavity are the same hight which looks very good when they are dancing next to each other. When Munk was hurt Cori, Jenny and Tanto are by his side but when Demeter comes, they move back so Deme and Munk can have their moment. Bomba is the first one to look after Alonzo but then she gets up to fight Macavity off together with the others.

 During the light scene they were so close to each other it seemed like they would nearly kiss. During Misto they sat next to each other and were holding hands.

I really loved the Misto number again. Liam Mower is amazing. More on him on my other review. Cassandra hides her face behind her hand, she really doesn’t want to be chosen and when she is chosen, she seems kind of defiant (trotzig?) but when Tugger tells her to go back she does.

I was really so confused with them going into the audience but I had two “interactions” with Bomba. First time she “hit” me on the arm and when I was sitting first row she came down and sang to me and the people around me. She really wanted us to know that Mistoffelees is absolutly amazing.

At the end Grizabella comes again. Hodnett doesn’t play her old and broken and more proud. I don’t know if it was the lighting but her eyes were shining as if she had tears in them. She is a really beautiful Griz and I liked her singing a lot but from the acting I prefer Grizabellas who seem really hurt and weak, she seemed to strong and well in my opinion.

The second cat taking her hands after Victoria is Skimble (?). Munkustrap played so well but hard to describe, unsure at first but when Grizabella nearly falls afterwards he supports her with his hands so she doesn’t fall.

Some other things I noticed in no order: 

Admetus is very popular: Vicky, Tanto, Misto, Billy ... they all seemed to really like him.

Towards the end of the play, Cori was sitting on Tugger and Tugger was holding him.

Deme had some cute interactions with Bill and Cass.

All in all, Cori and Tanto are played very young here as well as Mungo and Rumple so the whole group seems more chaotic and youthful, which is really fun. The “kittens” are basically: Jemima, Victoria, Bill and Bucky, Cori, Tanto, Mungo and Rumple as well as Cass and Admetus during some scenes and Tugger at times, so like half of the cast. I don’t know if Liam also tries to play Misto younger but he interacts a lot with the adults (especially Skimble, Munk, Jelly, Gus, ...) and because he is some sort of second in command after Munkustrap he didn’t seem like a kitten to me (though he does have is chaos moments). Munkustrap, Skimble, Jenny, Deme and Bomba all interact a lot with the “kittens”, same for Mistoffelees. Jelly and Gus more stick to each other. Jenny seems to look after Mungo and Rumple a a lot, same for Munkustrap, while Skimble and Misto had a lot of interactions with Jemima (but more to that in my other review). Munkustrap also listens to Tanto and Cori.

While Vienna seemed more like the usual “horny cats” meet stereotype this tour seems more like a family meeting. The “orgy” does not exist here, It’s not even a cuddle pile if you ask me. They more lie next to each other. Tugger, Bomba and Alonzo “toned down the sexyness” a lot compared to Vienna. But I really enjoyed it!  There were some interesting dynamics here, different from Vienna but really fun and positive.

#cats the musical #moggies #I try writing my second review for sunday tomorrow #I was so happy to be back #I hated the location but as soon as it started I was just happy to be there

[jelliclekay]

What was your favorite on-stage moment from any of the performances you saw????

oh MAN so many

A favorite part of the revival Jellicle Ball choreo is after Bombalurina and the other Queens dance, Tugger watches Bomba the entire time. She runs off stage and Old Deut points towards where she went to Tugger as if to say "Go get her son!" and Tugger immediately runs off stage after her. And when they come back, Tugger is swinging his tail around and looking so smug. I refuse to believe that this doesn't imply that Tugger and Bomba go off to make out real quick during the Ball.

Hank Tugger's interactions with the audience in general was SO good (and I'm totally not just saying that because Hank saw me and winked at me a few times). Tugger interacting with audience members is one of my favorite things and he REALLY went all out. There was even a performance during the curtain call where he took a woman's phone and took a selfie with it.

Jenny and Skimble cuddling on the car boot during Gus <333

Kade Munk doing the signature Gruber Munk leap every time he goes off stage.

Erica Bomba's smug little look she would give Nora Demeter after every "I know he cheats at cards." I have a lot of thoughts about what this line implies and the way Erica Bombalurina said this line and looked during it made me feel so validated with my headcanons.

During the "cuddle pile" Tugger, Bomba and Misto are next to each other and have their arms wrapped around one another so like. Canon.

When the fog machines go off during Mr. Mistoffelees, Skimble is standing near one and he looks so annoyed and confused about the sudden smoke and tries to brush it away. Then Teazer sees him doing it and runs to the one on the other side of the stage with Jerrie and they start playing with the smoke too and it's so cute.

Kade Munk putting in his ALL during the Macavity bits like the man doesn't half ass ANYTHING. His falls feel so real and you really get the sense that Munk is getting genuinely hurt during the fight. He had me on the edge of my fucking seat despite me knowing what happens next lol

The part where Munk is defeated and Mac grabs Demeter, Alonzo runs up to Munk and pets him before he steps in to fight Mac. This entire part lives in my head rent free honestly.

During Pekes and the Pollicles, Hank Tugger is SO SCARED during the barking parts and curls himself against Old Deut's side and it's so adorable.

Honestly I probably have more but this is everything I can think of off the top of my head. Long story short I adore this cast and there are so many interactions between the characters and everyone just feels like a big happy family I loved it so much

#cats the musical #cats us tour 6 #asks