#OLC Misto

[naturepointstheway]

How 1998, OBC, and OLC Mistos could represent Misto's whole lifetime

So late last night (meaning after 11pm in bed and brain decides now's the time to party), I started thinking about how the 1982 and 1981 versions of Misto actually fit well if one thinks of them as older Misto when he's fully confident and in control of his powers. For example, you could start with 1998 Misto with his tender age, social awkwardness and still exploring the range of and how to control his magical powers. But I think it could still work with a fully mute Mistoffelees (here I'm thinking more shy and mute like Lindsay Chambers' Zurich Misto), as that same confidence through his lifetime would still show, and he can use his powers to make visuals and other effects when he is practiced and confident enough to show off with all he's got.

And hence with time, Misto becomes less shy and socially awkward as his confidence, magical powers, and generally more life experiences makes him a stronger, better, and even more confident and delightful showman. While verbal Mistos would sing their hearts out a la Timothy Scott's Misto about Mungo and Teazer, with puppets and other effects to entertain new kittens, mute Mistos would create a delightful series of visuals that the chaos pair can interact with (e.g. bapping the Ming vase to make it fall with a PING!)

With time and growth, he becomes more refined and not as wildly energetic with age (Wayne Sleep's Misto strikes me as less energetic than Jacob's or Timothy's, but that's just from still photos so I might have it entirely wrong), and already has endured a few losses of dear ones including JennyAnyDots. To honour her memory at the Jellicle Ball a year after her passing, Misto sings (or practices a series of visuals and choreography if wholly mute) of the highly respected Old Gumbie Cat, wishing that the newest and youngest kittens at the junkyard could have met her.

Oops I'm not crying you are.

Anyway, I think this also fits with the ages of the Misto actors too: younger Mistos (I think Jacob was 23 when he did the 1998 film) who're still exploring the many wonders of oncoming adult independence and responsibilities, and figuring out who the fuck they even are. But with age, you usually figure shit out and it would be no different to Misto with age either (got shit figured out by the equivalent of our mid-late twenties (Tim Scott was about 27-ish I think)--or if not, it's definitely figured out by the time Misto is in his early thirties (Wayne Sleep's age when he was Misto.))

[flame-x]

A list of named swings and such

So. I know one of these already exists. BUT. I'm doing another. because i can

Old London Swings (pre-Revival, mostly late 80s and the 90s) Greycat/Hysperia/NBQ (nameless brown queen)- Greycat was sometimes known as NBQ, it depended on her costume, which ranged from grey to tan. Hysperia is a different cat who has sometimes been called NBQ by fans even though she isn't Greycat/NBQ AJ- "Almost Jemima". Female kitten Tabbygirl- more mature queen (usually covered adult roles) Patches- male kitten, often resembles Admetus Calico- male or female Caramel- male, looks very similar to Victor Victor- originated here but used in productions worldwide

Post-revival London Swings Electra (also Lightning Ellectra) George Pouncival Victor

Early Broadway Swings (80s and 90s) Spike- young male George- young male AJ- young female Greycat- female Carbucketty- male kitten, later cut when Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer became actual cats and not trash puppets Babygriz's design was also used as a swing

US Tour Swing Spike- different design. male.

China 2012 Grumbuskin Jemima Oliva Murad Quaxo Noilly Prat Latter four have since been used in other productions

Gothenburg 2006 Isis Ramses Garbo Shakespeare Tintomara Agustus Moses Savannah

Warsaw 2004 Fraszka Fantasia Sierściuch Zyleta/Kocik Le Miau Angelika Mamrotka Turbo Ptys Menello Bianco Kara Kotek

Tecklenburg 2015 Rocketta Eris Barnaby Buttons Bonzo Mab

Thunerseespiele 2017 Ishtar Luna Roxy

2009 Italian Tour Caligola Paride

Helsinki 1986 Aprilli Gilbert Lilli Marina Meijuli Grumbuskin/Rokkonen Russu Sibylla

Oslo 1985 Kvesesta Potefar Godnattakatt

The Named Swings Some of these are full ensemble characters in certain productions but when other productions cut that character or use an alternative, that name is often used for a swing. Admetus- when he's replaced by Plato, Admetus is sometimes used by a male/female swing Augustus Autumn Bill Bailey Carbucketty Electra Etcetera Exotica- first used to create a cameo for Femi Taylor (who played Tantomile in the OLC I'm pretty sure) in the 1998 film but has since been used for swings in large productions George- male kitten Jemima- female kitten Jonathan- male Murad- young male Noilly Prat- young female Olivia- young female Peter Quaxo- young male Victor- kind of an elderly male? his performer usually covers the older roles like Gus and Old Deuteronomy There's also a swing Babygriz in the current UK Tour

And now the mindfuck that is alternatives: Bill Bailey/Tumblebrutus- Bill Bailey originated in the original London production. Tumblebrutus was used instead of him on Broadway and in the 1998 film (the latter to maintain international something or other). In the 98 film it was Bill Bailey under the name Tumblebrutus. Carbucketty/Pouncival- Carbucketty originated in the original London production. As with Bill Bailey/Tumblebrutus, Pouncival was used instead of his London counterpart on Broadway and in the 1998 film. In the 98 film it was Carbucketty under the name Pouncival. Pouncival/George- the 2014 London Palladium production included a third male kitten aside from Carbucketty and Bil Bailey named Pouncival, who's design was actually much closer to the original London George character than to Carbucketty.

Quaxo/Mistoffelees- Big mindfuck! In UK-style productions, the performer is credited as Quaxo up until his song, where he is revealed to be The Magical Mr. Mistoffelees. This is usually explained as Mr. Mistoffelees being Quaxo's stage name. However, in some productions they're completely different cats, with Quaxo using a totally different design. Also, as Quaxo/Misto used to dance a tap dance duel against Jennyanydots while dressed as the lead beetle. Because of this, all pre-revival London productions attached the name Quaxo to the lead tap dancing beetle regardles of whether or not it was played by Mistoffelees. Plato/Admetus- Even bigger mindfuck! Admetus was the original double for Macavity in London and I think London-based prodctions still use Admetus. Plato is the Broadway version of the same cat. The Plato you see in the 1998 film is the Admetus design. Plato's design originally had a lot of brown and grey but since the 98 film, which used the Admetus design, you get a lot of "Admetus costume and makeup but named Plato". In productions where Plato is the Macavity double, the name Admetus is sometimes used for a swing (this is common in Australian-style productions) Admetus/George- This one is purely to do with the 98 film. Frank Thompson was credited with playing the Rumpus Cat and Admetus. Fans assumed the cat who was actually using the George design was Admetus, but it is unknown if the renaling of the George design to Admetus was intentional or not. Jemima/Sillabub- Jemima originated from the original London production but was renamed Sillabub in the US and in US-based prosuctions to avoid any negative racial connotations. Since then, the name Sillabub is used more often outside of Europe, though in productions where Sillabub is used as the principle version, the name Jemima is sometimes used for a female swing. Jemima is a named swing in the China 2012 and Shiki productions.

Other names There are two names in Old Possum's that haven't been used in any production (that I know of): James and Cat Morgan. Then there's Socrates, who is exclusive to the 2019 film.

So! That's that! Wow this got long and kinda detailed. If you've any questions/additions/whatever, send them in an ask and I'll do my best to answer.

There are many, many, more unnamed swings, but this is a compiled list of named swings.

I got the majority of my information from the wiki and also from this post by @/theimpossiblescheme.

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

💃🎀 for the cats asks!

💃 gillian lynne’s choreography or andy blankhenbueler’s choreography?

while andy's made additions that i do absolutely love (aka the entirety of tugger and misto's numbers in the revival + post revival tours), there's something so special about gillian's choreo, and how deliberate each movement is, and how everything has a meaning!

🎀 london style costumes or broadway style costumes?

if we're talking olc vs. obc, then i do love the olc costumes SO much, they've got a certain level of feral-ness to them that i'm just obsessed with!but obviously i'm partial to the broadway revival costumes + the us tour costumes, especially the spiky wigs!!!

[jennanydots]

opening night for the 2022 leg of the international tour!

(video credit in source)

[sevenkittensinatrenchcoat]

Misto Categories 2: Meta History

So, we most likely started with Munk’s Assistant Misto. OLC had Misto sing Gumbie Cat, along with a lot of other exposition that was later given to Munkustrap. Munk and Misto appeared to pass the leadership role back and forth.

Problem: Misto is such a prominent figure in the tribe that no one should be surprised by his powers. He uses them to be the center of attention all the time.

Munk’s Assistant evolves into Showman Misto. When OBC Misto carries a musical number, it’s either him showing off or him putting on a show. Munkustrap gets the important exposition. Misto isn’t a high-ranking member of the group and is generally strange, so some of the tribe might only know him as a sort of stage persona.

Problem: Okay, his magical skill is still a bit too obvious. After bringing those puppets to life, the idea that he could teleport Old Deut back to the tribe isn’t that much of a stretch. Also, when Misto describes himself as “vague and aloof” while showing off with everything he’s got, it gets a bit too ridiculous.

Showman Misto evolves into Vague and Aloof Misto. This starts in Vienna. They take a character that had been doing a lot of singing and make him completely mute. They use a similar character design to what was used on Broadway, giving him a strange appearance. When he’s completely silent and cryptid-looking, he comes across as genuinely mysterious.

Now, for the next few years, this is what we’ve got. London Misto is Munk’s Assistant, Broadway Misto is Showman, and Vienna Misto is Vague and Aloof. Even as the casts of different productions begin to change, the characterization has been decided on. The prominence of the Broadway show means that Showman Misto is quite popular internationally. US Tours sometimes used it and Japan fully embraced it. On the continent of Europe, outside of the UK, productions based on Vienna begin to pop up, and they start out with Vague and Aloof Misto. But then, something weird happens.

I could go on a long tangent about the Coming of Age Arcs of Cats, but I’ll keep it to brief notes here:

Victoria was the original Coming of Age cat, going through puberty. She has a solo dance where she begins to explore her own body. Later, at the Jellicle Ball, she has a sort of sexual experience with a tom around her age. Which tom it is literally does not matter because this scene is about her. The reason why London eventually went with Admetus is because the Admetus actor also played Macavity, and therefore had to be ripped and able to lift equally-ripped Munkustrap, so lifting little Victoria would be easy for him.

When the show moved to Broadway, they decided that the boy in the dance should have an arc to parallel the girl, because a physical coming of age arc focused entirely on a girl happened so rarely that no one knew how to react. They took the character of Bill Bailey, one of the Two Tom Kittens of the show, and rewrote him as Tumblebrutus, a boy with an arc about wanting to appear tough to impress his friends and the adults. Because he isn’t played by the same actor who plays Macavity, he can participate in the Macavity fight, coming of age that way.

The Vienna production did the same thing the Broadway Production did, as did most productions made between 1982 and 2002.

But, in 1989, the Paris production shifted the coming of age arc from Tumblebrutus to Mistoffelees. Misto had his own song. He was already a prominent character. This takes us even further away from the point that, in the mating dance, the tom doesn’t actually matter. But, the Macavity Fight came right before Misto’s number, so they couldn’t just give him the Tumblebrutus arc. Instead, his number becomes the moment when he comes of age.

So, this change is made, but Misto is still somewhat Vienna based and mute. He’s now being played a bit younger and less secure to match the coming of age arc. He might actually come across as shy, or at least a bit awkward, if you combine this immaturity with the fact that he never speaks. When you age down Vague and Aloof Misto, you get Shy Misto.

Technically, Shy Misto is a form of Character Arc Misto, because he has a character arc, but the Mistos I consider Shy feel different from the ones I’ve called Character Arc. Shy Misto is either Vague and Aloof aged down or Character Arc but mute.

Now, Shy Misto moves from Paris to Zurich and Amsterdam. More Vienna-based productions. Actors who played Misto in these productions went on to play the same role in non-Vienna-based productions. This included Broadway. This led to Shy Misto and Showman Misto being combined. Misto sings, though not as much as before, and he has that flashy Showman energy, but he still has Shy Misto’s character arc and younger age. This creates Character Arc Misto.

The 1998 VHS uses Character Arc Misto and it’s the most accessible version. A generation of future Mistos will base their own characterizations on this one.

Then something happened with the Broadway Revival and Misto lost his arc. The actors playing Misto and Tugger played up their dynamic to compensate, but with only their dynamic making Misto stand out, this is how we get Tugger’s BF Misto.

So, people built off of each other’s ideas to create new characters, providing several options on how to portray Mistoffelees. The changes mainly occurred between 1981 and 1996. 

Now, to give credit where credit is due, here’s who I believe to be the first actors to perform each Misto type:

Munk’s Assistant: Wayne Sleep, 1981

Showman: Timothy Scott, 1982

Vague and Aloof: Valentin Baraian, 1983

Shy: Tibor Kovats, 1989 (He was the first Paris Misto and the first Zurich Misto. The actors to take the role after him in both productions were Shy Mistos, so it probably began with him. The oldest known recording of a show with Shy Misto was from Paris in 1990, when the role was played by Guy-Paul de St. Germain)

Character Arc: Jacob Brent, 1996 (This actually could’ve been Lindsay Chambers shifting from a Zurich Shy Misto to something that matched what was already being done on Broadway, but I’m not sure of that, having only seen Chambers in a Zurich bootleg. Character Arc Misto was definitely inspired by him though.)

Tugger’s BF Misto: Ricky Ubeda, 2016

[amethyst-labyrinth]

I wanna talk about Wayne Sleep's Misto!

Look at him!

Not only dose he sing the invitation, but also The Gumbie Cat song, and Old D with Tugger! And I think he's the one who says Macavity during the scares. I feel like this Misto is much more of a main character in the OLC.

My HC for OLC Misto is he's a young adult maybe newly turned and he's giving this big responsibly of narrating the ball.

[white-cat-of-doom]

I have thinking quite a bit about the concept of having a so called 'dream' cast of Cats performing, and who would be a part of my specific cast.

Looking through my list, most people in the fandom would probably say my choices are boring or safe, but that is the fun of Cats! There are so many wonderfully talented performers who bring such diverse ways of playing the characters! Some characters I can only ever see played by one certain person, who has essentially ruined it for any else. A number of characters I do not have strong feelings for, so they realistically could be played by anyone.

Anyways, here is my 'dream' cast of Cats, sorted alphabetically by character, and with a brief reason and production noted at the very end. Of course, some individuals were in multiple productions as a character, so I will list the most easily accessible one. Please feel free to share yours, as I am very interested in who others would pick!

Alonzo: Jason Gardiner (he is the first that comes to mind, and I think he does a good job, but I admittedly do not care much for Alonzo) (Cats 1998)

Asparagus/Gus/Growltiger (if done in a non-racist way): Stephen Hanan (he has chaotic energy that I think complements the characters well) (Original Broadway)

Bombalurina: Rosemarie Ford (the VERY best, no one else comes close, she has ruined the character for everyone else! She provides such a dynamic Bomba that is played as sensual, caring, and fun-loving! I LOVE HER!) (Cats 1998)

Bustopher Jones: James Barron (he does a fantastic job) (Cats 1998)

Cassandra: Mette Towley (a toss up between Mette, Rebecca Parker (Cats 1998), and Danielle Catto (Cats UK Tour 2016/2019). I know Mette is not a traditional Cassandra, but she is still probably my favourite) (Cats 2019)

Coricopat: Tommi Sliiden (his portrayal as the silly half of the twins will always win) (Cats 1998)

Demeter: Aeva May (another one of the VERY best, no one else touches her! I still have to give a major shoutout to Daniela Norman (Cats 2019) who I absolutely ADORE! She is such a wonderful dancer and singer!) (Cats 1998)

Electra: Leah Sue Morland (very hard to chose between her and Lili Froehlich (Broadway Revival 2016) who I LOVE SO MUCH, but Leah is AMAZINGLY talented and I wish to see her do a lot of flips as Electra, like she would do when she played Rumpleteazer) (Cats 1998)

Etcetera: Jo Bingham (THE VERY BEST, I LOVE HER SO MUCH! SHE IS SO HAPPY! SHE IS HAVING THE TIME OF HER LIFE! I would die to see her perform as Demeter!) (Cats 1998)

George/Rumpus Cat: Frank Thompson (I really like him, he has a lot of fun) (Cats 1998)

Grizabella: Elaine Page (the VERY best! Cats owes so much to her character portrayal and the way she sings 'Memory'! I do not feel anyone can easily touch her) (Cats 1998 and Original London)

Jellylorum/Griddlebone: Bonnie Simmons (Original Broadway)/Susan Jane Tanner (Original London/Cats 1998) (it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to choose my favourite Jelly. I LOVE EVERY ONE OF THEM. Jelly is one of my two most favourite Cats! In fairness, if the role is strictly for Jelly, Susan would be my choice. However, if it is to be both Jelly and Griddlebone, Bonnie would be my pick. I love both of them so much! I must also mention that Freya Rowley (Cats 2019) is an absolute joy! I wish she sang in the movie like a typical Jelly!)

Jemima: Veerle Casteleyn (another one of the VERY best, I find it near impossible to get into anyone else after seeing her! Throw in Helen Massey's hauntingly beautiful vocals and there is no contest!) (Cats 1998)

Jennyanydots: Eloise Kropp (I am going to say something that may seem odd, but I feel every Jenny NEEDS to be slightly chaotic in nature, and Eloise supports that. I basically love any Jenny in any production, all of them are so much fun!) (Broadway Revival 2016)

Mistofelees/Quaxo: Timothy Scott (an icon, although I never really cared much for the character. I still enjoy Laurie Davidson (Cats 2019) as he presents a Misto with character development) (Original Broadway)

Munkustrap: Michael Gruber (he is one of the best, but Robbie Fairchild is also AMAZING and sings so well. Have seen him dance? AMAZING! I want to see a Munkustrap who dances like him! Jack Rebaldi will also be mentioned because he is exceptionally talented! A very involved and intense Munk!) (Cats 1998)

Mungojerrie: Danny Collins (he does a FANTASTIC job, but let us face the fact that we, at least me, is only here for Rumple) (Cats 2019)

Old Deuteronomy: Ken Page (the VERY best! An absolute powerhouse vocally, no one touches him!) (Cats 1998 and Original Broadway)

Plato/Macavity: Bryn Walters (no strong feelings, he does a great job) (Cats 1998)

Pouncival: Guiseppe Bausilio (no feelings, he does a good job) (Broadway Revival 2016)

Rum Tum Tugger: John Partridge (the VERY BEST, absolutely NO CONTEST! His voice and the way he plays Tugger is unmatched!) (Cats 1998)

Rumpleteazer: Naoimh Morgan (If you do not know already, I ABSOLUTELY ADORE HER AND SHE IS THE VERY BEST! THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE! ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL AND WONDERFUL HUMAN BEINGS! Immensely talented and the only person I know who has sang and performed to both the OLC and OBC version of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, she is my most favourite person ever to be involved in Cats! All Rumples are great, but Naoimh is the best!) (Cats 2019 and UK International Tour 2018)

Skimbleshanks: Steven McCrae (I really enjoyed his performance, and he is my favourite! YOU KNOW HE CAN DANCE BETTER THAN BASICALLY EVERYONE ELSE! He is an icon whether you agree or not) (Cats 2019)

Tantomile: Kaye Brown (her stern face and synchronization with Tommi as Coricopat is fun. I also love Zizi Strallen (Cats 2019), but she is just SO different from the traditional Tanto) (Cats 1998)

Tumblebrutus: Kolton Krouse (no strong feelings, Fergus Logan (Cats 1998) is as good, but only one was in Cats 2019) (Broadway Revival 2016)

Victoria: Phyllida Crowley Smith (I LOVE ALL VICTORIAS, as she is my favourite character in Cats right along with Jellylorum. Phyllida is so feline and beautiful in movements, exactly what I want from a Victoria! I also have to mention Francesca Hayward (Cats 2019) as she does a phenomenal job, and I love her singing! Hannah Kenna Thomas also looks like a fantastic Victoria, but I have never seen her perform! The small snippets I have seen make me believe that she would easily be one of my favourites!) (Cats 1998)

[dextervexter]

god it really wasn’t as bad as it could have been but it certainly wasn’t the best. I will say it was definitely no where near as horny as everyone is making it out to be.

so first of all, I’m opening with I’m not gonna talk about the ENTIRE movie but just some parts of it but there will definitely be spoilers

I was right about a LOT of stuff going in, like Macavity whisking away a lot of the contenders for rebirth so he could be chosen. I was also right about Taylor Swift not being in the movie for more than five minutes, I was right about Tugger not having a massive role, I was right about Grizabella being given a past with Macavity, and I was right about the dancing being fuckin bad

I was also unfortunately right about Jenny eating her cockroaches and I literally could not look at the screen during her whole number I was so upset I felt so trapped The Gumbie Cat Number Is A Fucking Hostage Situation 

H o w e v e r -wheeze-

Over all, it was Cats. It was a really REALLY weird take on Cats, but it was consistent with the stage play save for some changes with characters and pacing. Hooper clearly watched multiple versions of the play to try and get the vision he liked the best. He understood that this would be difficult, and he did what he could to try and get this weird ass musical on screen. There are parts of it I liked, there are parts of it I didn’t care for, and there were parts I astral projected to get away from. But if you go see this movie, you will be seeing Cats as it was when it first arrive on Westend in 1981. Original arrangements of the songs are used as well, for example, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer  is sung as the jazzy and insidious number from the OLC rather than the bouncy and fun 98 version. I don’t think it’s awful but it’s definitely not what younger fans are familiar with. 

I think the only issue with the musical arrangements I have was the singing because Hooper once again insisted on having everyone sing live and it really hinders a lot of talented people. Often times I found myself wondering if these people were capable of singing in the slightest. But I think that’s just bad choices on Hooper’s part.

Let’s talk about the Good:

The best part of the film is definitely Skimbleshanks, and not just because he fucks and later kills a man with his supreme tap skills. The visuals are great, this is the only part with actual good dancing, and Steven Macrea has fantastic energy. Skimbleshanks is already one of my favorite numbers in the stage musical, and they get pretty creative with this. It was one of the moments in the movie where I could say for sure I was REALLY having a good time.

Also Les Twins were absolutely a treat to watch. They were funny, talented, clearly having a ton of fun, and played off each other as though they weren’t in a movie, they were just goofing around like real siblings do. I found myself actually missing them when they weren’t on screen

Robbie Fairchild does a decent Munkustrap and has some fun exchanges with the other characters. I also thought Jason Derulo did a wonderful job as Tugger despite not being in the film a lot. He’s self centered, clearly caught up in his own world, and is so obsessed with himself he doesn’t really flirt with anyone or focus a lot on Victoria for too long because he’s just so in love with himself and what he wants. And honestly that is basically just tugger.

The visuals are also really nice. The sets and practical effects help the movie feel more real and bring a great sense of life to this world that is happening right under the human one. The whole movie has this lovely, dream like quality to it, and it helped remind everyone we weren’t supposed to take it so seriously. 

There were also a moment with Munkustrap that I thought was really cute, where Jenny complains she’s just as good as Tugger because she can break dance too. You hear Munkustrap chuckle and say “oh yeah? show me.” in a really playful way and it was adorable, even if it resulted in me seeing Rebel Wilson pop and lock,

Lastly, and this is a big one I know a lot of fans were angry about: Misto is implied to like victoria, but it’s never stated that they end up together. Actually a lot of their interactions can be interpreted as Just Friends Being Pals. It’s definitely not as big of a problem as a lot of people were making it out to be, but it’s just not interesting and doesn’t really matter to the plot.

I liked more of it than I was expecting, especially the little shout outs to Eliot’s original drafts of the poems. I’m seeing it again tomorrow with friends so I’ll probably post more about the things I missed (i seriously missed a lot of the gumbie cat number because i was too horrified to look so maybe i will be braver this time)

NOW THE BAD!!!

This is literally the worst fucking Macavity ever and Idris Elba had every right to be as piss drunk as he was at the premier. In fact I’m pretty sure he was drunk for a majority of the film. It’s very clear he is not having a good time, he is not enjoying the story, and he doesn’t want to be there. Granted, I’m willing to place a lot of the blame on Hooper’s take on the story, which required Macavity to be a greater presence, but a lot of what we see is a clowning, pathetic, loser who is throwing a tantrum because he isn’t getting his way and he’s very very naked for most of it. His last moments in the film were so laughable, so embarrassing, and so unbelievably desperate that I could barely watch. There is no dignity in Elba’s performance, and nothing mysterious or threatening about him. It’s not just 2019 Macavity that hurts this movie though, it’s how Macavity changes a massive part of the story with his nonsense, but I’m saving that for last because it’s a big one and I hate it!

Victoria is basically really bland. There was absolutely no reason to try and make this from her perspective. Like Webber and Hooper say they wanted her to serve as the character we see the world through but she’s bland, uninteresting, and just very boring. I understand their reasoning for making her the lead, as Victoria is a very recognizable character and easy to follow in dark lighting and crowded dancing, but she just simply exists to stare in wonder and ask questions that are answered in songs that she will stare in wonder over. If they wanted to have the audience experience the world through a character they probably should have gone with Munkustrap or something considering he’s narrating a majority of the film and knows what’s going on and can explain things a little better. He’s also a stronger character. Victoria is boasted to be this strong but shy little thing who approaches this new world with curiosity and hope and she’s really not. She doesn’t really get the chance to do or say anything that would help with the plot. she barely speaks to anyone but munk or misto, and it is very much a downgrade from her stage counterpart. Frankie Hayward is a very pretty dancer, but she’s not given much to work with and I found myself not caring in the slightest what she was up to.

This also leads into Beautiful Ghosts, which I posted about before so I’ll just leave this here and move on because I’ve said all I can say and I have more important things to talk about regarding Grizabella. to summarize, I was right and the song sucked.

The dancing is lamentable mess as well. God I sometimes forgot they were dancing. They are moving, but it’s not dancing. I would say only Les Twins and Jaih Bote were the clear dancers because they were pretty much the only ones allowed to put their own personal spins on the choreography. I’ve said it so many times and I will say it again Andy Blankenbluer is a fucking awful choreographer. His work is claustrophobic and ugly to look at. You lose the person in the movement but in the sense that you really don’t care if you see them again. Blankenbluer has stated so many times he feels as though audiences don’t have the attention spans for long dances sequences anymore and want more than one thing to see, but for the love of god could you give us something to look at? The dances are quick, ugly, and the moves are put down before they can make a good impression. He has no understanding of how to define a character through movement, which makes telling everyone apart very difficult, especially since the designs are already so unrecognizale. His work was  atrocious in the 2016 Cats Revival, but at least he had Gillian Lynne’s original choreography to lean on. Without the backing of better choreographers, his work is downright forgettable. 

Now the Big One, the inexcusable and awful part that I hate hate hate: Grizabella.

God I was rooting for her we were all rooting for her. Remember how in the 98 film she’s this broken down, cast aside, character barely hanging by a thread? Yeah in this she not only is given a throw away past where she chooses to side with Macavity for some unknown reason, but she’s chosen as a last resort. Yeah. Remember how I said Macavity’s plot paves the way for the mishandling of a beloved and tragic character. This is it. After Macavity steals literally everyone who is competing for rebirth, after Old D is returned, the Jellicles realize they have no one to choose from for rebirth. Victoria goes outside, brings Grizabella in, they sing memory, and she gets chosen. It is framed in a way that the cats all realize how badly she has it, but oh my god does it come off as heartless, careless and pis aller. Old D has no interaction with Grizabella until this point. The Jellicles don’t really interact with her unless to shoo her away. She is basically a background character for the whole movie. Giving her a past with Macavity was pointless. It never comes up. Macavity never sees her in the film. It’s never stated why she chose him or what she did with him. There is not a shred of dignity in Hudson’s performance, and I fully attribute that to Hooper making all his actors sing on set. Grizabella comes off as pitiable, but not enough to want to see her be reborn. It was downright heartless.

OVERALL!!

I give this movie a 6/10 stars. When they are doing Cats, it’s pretty enjoyable. Not everything I wanted, and some things I genuinely didn’t fucking ask for, but overall it is not as big of a problem as I thought it was going to be. I think if you’re apprehensive or angry about the film, I think you should give it a watch and you’ll either like it or you won’t. 

you should definitely not expect the 98 version, because no version will ever be that perfect, but go in with an open mind and give it a chance. 

[isolationstreet]

whoever decided misto should faint during the growltiger sequence was a genius

I completly agree I love it so much!!! Tbh it was more than likely Gillian Lynne who had that brilliant idea since it's fairly consistent throughout the choreography of most early productions but it's also possible that Trevor Nunn added it in when they were reworking it in rehearsals for broadway since I havent been able to find any footage of olc growltiger but unfortunately I don't recall stephen hanan mentioning any tidbits about that particular piece of choreo in his diary

[flame-x]

what are your thoughts on skimbleshanks?

I'm not sure what type of answer you're looking for, but I love Skimble! (He's in my top ten, actually.) In my AU he's the father to Carbucketty, Pounce, Tumble and Bill Bailey and his mate is Jennyanydots.

Skimbleshanks is much beloved by all the tribe, especially the kittens. He is protective of them when Macavity or Grizabella are around, and is just always looking out for them in general. He also dances with them at the Ball. He is disapproving of Tugger’s antics, and tries to discourage the kittens from taking part in the chaos that Tugger always brings about.

Skimble is very energetic and cheerful, with a jolly disposition. He’s a very animated character with a big personality. He likes things to be organised and he's a little vain (not very, though).

He holds a high position within the tribe, despite his being away a lot of the time. When he isn't away, he sleeps in the Junkyard. I imagine when he has a protector-type role, so patrol/watch more than scavenging. When he gets back, he is instantly swarmed by his sons for the evening, along with some of the other kittens if he was away for a long trip.

He is close to his family, of course, but outside of them, he'd be friendly with Asparagus (his childhood friend), Rumpleteazer and Misto.

I base most of my charactrisations off of the 1998 film, and I just love the way Geoffrey Garrett portrays him with so much energy and life! I know quite a few people think Skimbleshanks wasn't too bad in the 2019 film but eh, I'm not a fan. I also like the OLC and OLB versions of his song and I'd love to find footage of his song with the original cast.

[sevenkittensinatrenchcoat]

Cats Budapest: Final Thoughts

So, if you couldn’t tell by the rant earlier, I don’t really recommend this production for Fun Reasons.

However, the is amazing as a historical artifact.

Budapest was the first non-replica and the third production ever made. At this point, there were almost no rules. London and Broadway were both still prototypes of what they’d later become and Budapest was built on those prototypes. 

The biggest surprise is that they took more inspiration from London than from Broadway. During this first wave of productions, you had more Broadway-based shows than London-based shows. Vienna, the third replica production, though sort of its own thing, is more Broadway than London. Sydney in 1985 was also more Broadway than London, but in a different way. Amsterdam, Paris, and Zurich all took after Vienna and Hamburg took after Sydney. Any other Australian productions were naturally also Sydney-based. These evolved into Australasian tours, so most of Asia was first introduced to a more Broadway-based form of the show. London-based productions, for most of the 20th century, stayed in the UK

Except for Budapest, and to some extent, Japan.

Cats Japan is what I’d most compare Budapest to, though Japan is considering a replica. I’m not sure why, because Japan makes major changes to character design and role, and it has different choreography. Budapest and Japan both began in 1983 and continue in some form to this very day. Whatever I think of them, they clearly must’ve done something right to remain popular for all this time.

Basically, 1981 was London, 1982 was Broadway, and 1983 was three shows that all went in different directions. Vienna was the one the original crew was watching over, so it was the most like previous shows. Budapest and Japan had less of that influence, and they decided to do things their own way. I don’t understand Budapest’s way or Japan’s way, but it’s their own way and it worked.

Japan took influence from both London and Broadway, to some extent. They used the London version of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer until 2018. But, Munkustrap sings Gumbie Cat, something that wasn’t added to the London version until 1996. 

But, Budapest seemed to be purely London-based, including elements that were cut from the London production very early on. Though they cut the verse of Gumbie Cat that Broadway first cut, the tap break was original London inspired and Misto sang lead. They used the full version of Old Deuteronomy. They’re not the only production outside of London to do this. Vienna and Zurich both include some of the cut verse, while I think Paris might’ve used all of it. But, all those productions had the number sung by Munk and Tugger. Budapest had Misto and Munk sing it, which was what they were doing when the OLC cast soundtrack was recorded. It was very quickly decided that Munk/Tugger arrangement was better and every production I know of besides Budapest made that shift very early on. The Budapest video is from 2001. They could’ve changed it between 1983 and 2001, but they didn’t. I can’t confirm if they’re still doing it now, but I wouldn’t be surprised.

Budapest has elements closer to what Cats was on its opening night that no other production has and that’s fascinating.

Also, Budapest might actually have created the first Mute Misto. They had two: one that had Misto’s singing lines and one that danced his number. The one that dances doesn’t sing or have any lines. He also has some slightly cryptid vibes that remind me of Vienna Misto, who didn’t exist yet when the show debuted. Vienna Misto’s character design was pretty obviously based on the original Broadway version, so he’s sort of a Broadway Misto, in his way. Budapest, instead of having a London Misto OR a Broadway Misto, decided to use both.

So, I didn’t particularly like Cats Budapest. The cameos were annoying, the character combinations were baffling, Jenny was skinnier than Bombalurina, and on several of the slower numbers, actors kind of went off the beat 2019 Gus style (meaning, an actor who is more focused on acting than singing delivering a musical number in there own way without much regard for the beat. They steal time that they don’t give back. No offense to Sir Ian. He’s a great actor but he really needed a click track. Budapest Gus has the exact same problem.) It might be one of my least favorites so far. But, I’m glad I watched it.

[amethyst-labyrinth]

Anyone else find it interesting that in OLC of Cats it’s Misto who yells Macaivty at ball when there’s a disturbance at ball and not Demeter?