#because jellicles can and jellicles do

[fullmoondelinquent]

My greatest creation ever has Got To Be the jellicle jumpscare gif

[groupwest]

so. i need to be in cats

[bonuscatart]

[Image ID. Tumblr tags reading:

#hocus pocus #thackery binx #warrior cats #no but this would work! #like Binx learns about the medicine cats and their herb stuff and their communing with StarClan and and he’s all like #OMG! It’s a cat witch!! Hissssssss! #and somebody has to set the newcomer straight before he freaks out #and then at some point he gets killed but comes back because of his curse #and everybody is shocked and suspicious of this random cat having nine lives #why? was he a leader? how can this be? #???

End ID.]

Okay, so in Hocus Pocus, Thackery Binx decided to spend his eternity as a cat guarding the black flame candle. But because of the way the candle works, he really only had to watch the Sanderson house on Halloween, yeah? And only Halloweens with full moons? So he could spend the rest of his time doing whatever as a cat, roaming around learning modern lingo and pranking people and whatever, right?

Here’s a concept: he wanders by a particular part of the woods and accidentally stumbles into the plot of a Warrior Cats book. And for some reason he just has to roll with it undercover. By the time he gets a chance to leave, he’s made friends and found a place to live where he doesn’t have to be in constant crushing isolation, so he decides to just stay. ‘Cause why not? He gets a clan name and role, and hides the fact that he can speak the language of whatever they call humans in those books (my Warrior Cats phase was quite a while ago, I don’t remember), and makes his excuses to leave every Halloween. Heck, maybe the truth does eventually get out, but whether they believe his story or not, they eventually accept his connection to humans because he gives them insight into the strange ways of those bipedal jerks.

It’s a super weird mashup of fandoms. I think it’s a really fun concept though. I quite enjoy imagining Binx’s reaction to first wandering into some hyper-dramatic battle over clan territory or something. Like, there’s these two cats pacing around each other, lashing out at each other threateningly with their claws and snarling, like “You can never defeat us, for we have the hearts of lions, and our strength is in our bond and devotion to our clan” “Ah, but you underestimate the power to be gained by surreptitious means, and you will fall before me, as weak in battle as in rule.” Meanwhile, Thackery’s just hiding in the bushes watching this super intense kitty cat standoff like Is this real??

[cillyscribbles]

munkuposting (metastrap?) for the jellinclined (i am so sorry)

you tell me i'm insane but i know my truth and my truth is that munkustrap wants to help her. he wants to reach out and help her up like he just helped jennyanydots during her song. he leans down and it's not just so he can look at her better. it's not just cause there's no point to his defensive stance here except for her to see, for him to communicate she's unwanted, and he knows it. shit dude the guy can't look her in the eyes for longer than 5 seconds.

like come on. munkustrap's running after old deuteronomy and the rest of the older/less agile cats so much in this goddamn film he might as well be Munkustrap the Mobility Aid Cat. man knows what he wants in life and that's going on as many walks with senior citizens hanging off his arm as physically possible and neither god nor the heaviside layer will stand in his way.

his responsibility's a whole different thing, though. look at the lad puffing up when grizabella shows up. that's a guard he uses against perceived threats like macavity and it's well and warranted then, but what in the name of ye olde cat gods is the old lady gonna do? garbage stink them all to death? it's performative as hell on purpose. both of them know she's not gonna jump him and he doesn't need to protect himself or his fellow cats from her physically.

in the macavity scares, odd as it might look on a person, The MunkuStance™ is a genuine threat. he's up above everyone else or he's one of the few cats on the stage, he's spreading himself out to look bigger, he HISSES lmao.

look at the lad. hissssss lmao i love him.

not only is he saying i won't hesitate bitch he's also establishing himself as The Guy You Fight. if you're an outsider looking in, you're probably not gonna notice Mr Mistoffelees Scampering Through The Pipes Again, but you sure as hell are gonna see the Snarling Tabby Fresh From Hell hopping around in the middle of the stage with his legs 16 kilometers apart at all times. and okay, doing that for the entire musical sure is a Choice, but it's a Character Choice, and mr michael gruber the man you are. the star that you are. i want to send him flowers and chocolate and a card. i would greatly like to do that.

with grizabella though? jesus christ she's about as threatening as a patchy sock. it's not even his first instinct to go Tall Big Puffy when he's trailing after her because there's genuinely nothing to defend against there.

he just sort of slowly stands into it as though he's forgotten he was supposed to be Protecting for a second. the stance, the threat, all that's only there to set a dynamic. it's there to say you're not one of us, we don't like you, please go away, but he's half-assing it so much it loses all its i won't hesitate bitch and turns into i have never hesitated so hard in my entire life. he still establishes himself as The Guy You Fight, but it's obvious grizabella isn't about to fight anyone, so now he's just The Guy She's Staring In Incredulous Longing At, and he can't even hold her gaze for long enough to pretend it's not getting to him because at his core he's not a bad person and he knows that all this is kind of a Dick Move.

this is what makes munkustrap so dummy god tier as a character to me. he may wish he could help grizabella. hell he may even want her back, if not as openly as old deuteronomy does. when all the cats scuttle away and turn their backs to grizabella before memory reprise, munkustrap never even fucking bothers ?? like he's straight up just watching her, and then later watching old deuteronomy watch her like with the most somber wee eyebrows up so can we finally do something about this expression i've ever seen on a performer lmao.

but that means nothing without the approval of the entire tribe! absolutely nothing! because munkustrap, in that regard, is exactly like old deuteronomy: what he wants comes second to what the jellicles want. it's harder to see in him because old deuteronomy is mostly up on the tire being cat jesus and munkustrap mingles with the rest of the ensemble way more, but it's really obvious when you look. they defer to his leadership, but he defers to their collective decisions.

he moves mistoffelees away from grizabella (just like the rest of the older cats) because mistoffelees doesn't know any better and grizabella is untouchable, but then he stalls and waits when demeter reaches out to her. like, i'm pretty sure he would've just let her touch grizabella right then and there. had demeter been a little less aware of the fact that this was the first 30 minutes of the musical, i'm pretty sure she would've just taken grizabella back in right then and there and memory wouldn't have even been necessary. munkustrap sure wasn't about to do shit about it.

he's actively leaning back to give her space!! (i know logistically that it's mr michael giving an opening for ms aeva to execute her Conflicted Scuttle Away but munkustrap is still leaning back however you put it so i'm right automatically. haw yee)

i'm fascinated by it specifically because this way it's almost as though munkustrap is an extension of the jellicle collective, if that makes sense. obviously he's the narrator so we can't give him a complex emotional storyline if we want to keep the aryas in single digits, but in turn this means that now he's a character who chooses to forgo his own feelings in favour of those of his community, and that's just, man, that's just. man. ca(s)t of all time for real. a guardian and a weapon and a storyteller and a teacher and not one of those for his own sake. Man.

tl;dr, old deuteronomy can be hella proud of his kid, and i can eventually stop crying. also here are the gifs of him finally getting to comfort grizabella a little. experience emotions with me.

unfortunately i have similar (if slightly less rambling) thoughts on tugger and why he's constantly being such a massive cunt to grizabella lmao. if you guys are unfortunate enough i may subject myself to the giffing and writing of that post too. toodlepip ✌️

[baxtervalentine]

The Heaviside Layer

Or, Cats and the Narrative Parallels of Steve and Cesare

After watching UP and re-listening to the Bigtop Burger soundtrack several times, I'm finally able to put into words while Steve and Cesare are obviously different in terms of personality, presentation, etc., when you consider their stories... they're more similar than you may initially realize.

(Watching the 1998 recording of Cats was also very important here. This will come back later.)

So first of all, what's the first thing that these two have in common, ownership of food trucks aside?

To put it the way Cesare does, they're freaks. They're weird. The only way they are able to fit in with others is by being the head of said themed food trucks, and making the uniforms their employees wear match them.

In other words, they are outsiders.

Even before the narrative begins, Steve and Cesare were shown to be cast aside by others. In "UP", Steve is banished from his home planet because he made a mistake at a crucial time, and the lyrics to Friends In Low Places reveal Cesare "wasn't missed or mourned" after he was killed.

They're both dead to the worlds they once knew.

But then...

"up, up, up, to the heaviside layer" - UP

"I was chosen for a second chance at life" - Friends in Low Places

For those of you unfamiliar with the musical Cats, the Heaviside Layer is the place a single Jellicle cat is chosen to go to at the Jellicle Ball each year to be reborn into a new life. Old Deuteronomy, the role Steve played, is the cat that chooses the one who will go to the Heaviside layer. However, Steve, along with Cesare, is more similar to the cat Old Deut ultimately picks.

I'm talking, of course, about Grizabella.

Grizabella is a former Jellicle cat who tries to rejoin the group, only to be rejected. Act II's opening number, "The Moments of Happiness", is sung by Old Deuteronomy (and was fumbled by poor Steve). It foreshadows Grizabella's last desperate cry for another chance in her big number, "Memory". The other cats accept her, and she is chosen to go to the Heaviside Layer and begin again.

So how does this relate to Steve and Cesare?

Both allude to having a new life, but are followed by their pasts. While Steve is happy with his food truck and his new friends, he is pursued by unknown authorities telling him he doesn't belong and can't belong. Along with being cast out from society millions of years ago, he's now been rejected from doing what he loves twice.

Cesare is almost the inverse. He talks up how he's got new friends (in low places), but he doesn't seem eager to stick around underground, and is vocally relieved that he won't have to be a watcher anymore. Despite being clearly very strange himself, his job is to imprison "freaks and weirdos"- and it might not be a stretch to say he's taken that to heart. Where Steve has no problem standing out, even going out to eat with his employees when they're out of makeup, Cesare insists his own employees make him look less conspicuous whenever he's with them. (Of course, this could be partially because he didn't want Steve to catch on to his plans, but I doubt Steve would have cared, since he had no idea Cesare even wanted to capture him.)

So how can this be resolved? Is there a way to truly begin again?

"Let your memory lead you/Open up, enter in If you find there the meaning of what happiness is/Then a new life will begin" - The Moments of Happiness

This part in "The Moments of Happiness" is sung not by Old Deut, but a cat in the ensemble named Jemima (and then sung again by the rest of the cats). The lyrics and melody are reprised in Grizabella's song, "Memory". She then adds some more.

"Memory, all alone in the moonlight I can smile at the old days/I was beautiful then I remember a time I knew what happiness was/Let the memory live again...

...Touch me, it's so easy to leave me All alone with the memory/Of my days in the sun If you touch me you'll understand what happiness is/Look, a new day has begun" - Memory

"Touch me" has both a literal and figurative meaning here. Throughout the musical, the Jellicle cats are noticeably physically affectionate with one another. They play with other cats while dancing, snuggle, and even greet each other by pressing their hands together. This makes it all the more jarring when the Jellicle cats refuse to touch Grizabella at the beginning- even the curious younger cats are held back from getting too close. It is a visual sign that they do not accept her. After Grizabella sings her song, one of the younger cats reaches out to her and touches her hand. None of the other cats make any attempt to stop her. Then, the Jellicle cats finally show Grizabella the affection they denied her before, letting her finally belong, and of course she becomes the Jellicle choice.

I think, just like Grizabella, what Steve and Cesare need is acceptance and a place to belong. This doesn't mean the whole world needs to say they're okay with clowns, or zombies, or general weird freaks who don't fit in. It doesn't even mean they have to give up the memories of how they got here, be they happy or sad. What they need is to be loved for who they are, and to live without being afraid to do so.

And I think the friends they have are a good place to start.

[pixiedustjellicle]

I have such a difficult time connecting with the Cats community now. Part of me feels like maybe I'm too old for the current fandom(I don't feel old, but I'm certainly not 19 anymore). Or that perhaps it's because I don't much care about ships. Sometimes I worry that I intimidate people, and I'd hate that. Let me introduce myself and how Cats has shaped my life, and maybe I can find my people?

I first saw Cats at a tiny local theatre when I was eight. I fell in love with it, and even though I didn't have the movie yet, I spent months afterwards with just the poem book and highlights album. Eventually I got the 98 VHS too- and then another local theatre put it on when I was ten! I got to see it twice there. And afterwards, I made up my own attempt at a costume, turned our spare room into my attempt at the set, and put some chairs in there to put on the highlights show for some friends of my mother. The CD was worn out, I went on with the show, and they even gave me a card and a new CD afterwards- the London 2 disc set! Looking back, I think how embarrassing it probably was, but I was so happy and proud of myself in the moment. Two more years later, US Tour 5 came through Nashville, and I got to go and stagedoor for the first time. I wore a tail I made and one of the actresses told me I had a perfect Bombalurina tail twirl. For all those years, I worked Cats into school projects, I drew nothing else. My mom put up with it for so long, and I still thank her to this day.

And then I went into middle school. New school, new students, and I started getting bullied for it. I found other musicals I didn't get bullied for- Phantom, Wicked, and Sweeney- to latch onto, and I kinda put Cats in the back of my head. I still loved it, but my hyperfixation had waned thanks to mean kids, and other than occasionally watching the 1998 movie, I didn't think much of it for years.

But the US Tour 6 announced a date in Nashville. I hadn't seen the show in eight years, and I wasn't about to miss it. I had already started taking an interest in cosplay, but I'd never made a costume like that. I remembered admiring the CCDB as a kid though, and I told myself I was totally capable of making my own, just to go see the show in costume. And I did.

And the cast were SO sweet, and I started finding Cats fans on Instagram. I thought I could do better on the costume, so when the show stopped in Chattanooga a couple months later... I did it again.

The pandemic hit and I lost my job. Immediately I started getting work making Cats cosplays for others, and I haven't stopped since. And when the show resumed, I made an overnight trip to Memphis to dress up again!

And then, I saved until I could finally go see the Royal Caribbean production (front row all three performances), and got to cosplay on the cruise and get a picture on stage with the cast! This was absolutely everything to me, especially seeing the original choreography as opposed to the revival. I definitely cried. (I'm in the middle bottom row!)

I've gotten to make some costume pieces for three regional productions of Cats, in the Dominican Republic, Atlanta Georgia, and most recently Georgetown Texas. I've won some local cosplay contest with my costumes, too! And I'm lucky enough to own a few original pieces- though I've had to part with some too.

My love for this show has spanned just over 17 years now. I adore the story, the costumes, the choreography, the sets, and the characters. It's part of how I learned I am autistic. It's given me confidence I didn't know I could find. And every time I get to see it live, I feel like I'm where I belong. The fandom has felt quiet. And I'm not sure if that's just because I don't know where I fit in? So here's hoping I can find my tribe.

Favorite productions: Original Broadway, Moscow, and Mexico 2013/2018

Favorite Cats: Jemima/Sillabub, Bombalurina, Demeter, Munkustrap, Tumblebrutus, Jellylorum

Favorite songs: Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats, The Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball, Macavity

Favorite cats to cosplay: Etcetera and Victoria

[jelliclebellsthatjelliclesring]

Get him… for yesterday!

What? Why you looking at me like that?!

Don’t act like Jellicles CAN’T time travel!

..look, i just had to, okay

[gregrulzok]

Got really high last night and started conceptualising my masterpiece: The "Can You Smoke With This Jellicle" Tier List.

Explanations under the cut:

Old Deuteronomy: Absolutely the perfect choice for your blunt rotation. This man knows how to party and no one can tell me otherwise - but he'll also take good care of you and make sure you feel safe and comfy. He'll talk your ear off or listen to you, or let you sit in silence if you prefer. 10/10

Rum Tum Tugger: Very chill, very fun, very funny. Keeps things light hearted and doesn't lose his cool. The only possible issue is that there will 100% be sexual tension (not that that's necessarily a bad thing). 9.5/10

.

Electra and Etcetera: My crazy girls. They'll be loud and bouncy and fun, so you have to be ready for the energy, but they're hilarious. 9/10

Bombalurina: She's already the queen of gossip, with 0 inhibitions you can bet on her shit talking everyone she knows in the most entertaining way possible. Also, doesn't freak out and doesn't do anything that'd freak others out. 9/10

Bustopher Jones: Tells you absolutely insane stories in the most light-hearted and matter-of-fact way possible. 9/10

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer: Just like Electra and Etcetera, these bastards are really fun to smoke with... But it's not beyond them to pull pranks and try and freak you out a bit, so it's better to be careful. 8/10

Skimbleshanks: Fine about 90% of the time, with a small chance of him getting wound up about something small and getting really fidgety and uncomfortable. 8/10

Jennyanydots: An absolute sweetheart and will take care of you, but it's hard to feel totally at ease with such a mother-figure because she still has to make sure everyone is behaving themselves. 8/10

.

Mr. Mistoffelees: Total show-off, will try to put on a performance. Not a bad thing, but seeing his magic tricks while high might really mess with you, and he's not the best at calming people down or comforting them. 7.5/10

Jemima: A sweetie, gets really spacey and zoned out. Really really cute, until she suddenly says some weird outta pocket cursed shit and then acts like it never happened. 7.5/10

Tantomile and Coricopat: Same as gemima, except they aren't sweet and they do it on purpose. Good if you want a prophecy or two. 7/10

Victoria: Really quiet and spaced out. She's very cuddly though, but otherwise not much fun. 7/10

.

Grizabella: Young Grizabella is definitely in hell yeah, but nowadays she's a lot more mellow. She doesn't do anything bad, but she isn't fun either. 7/10

Alonzo: Fun, but a smart-ass. You'll ask a jokey question and he'll spend an hour actually explaining it to you. He can be... A lot. 7/10

Asparagus: Tends to say really out of pocket shit for no reason, can make you really insecure. He doesn't mean harm but it's not pleasant. 6/10

Exotica: Does entirely her own thing, barely interacts with you. 5/10

Munkustrap: Still tries to be a perfectionist. It's a little funny, but mostly irritating. Tries to take care of you if you aren't feeling well and fails miserably because his coordination is shot. Poor baby. 5/10

.

Demeter: Can NOT smoke without freaking out immediately. 4/10

The Great Rumpus Cat: Won't smoke.

Gus: Gets anxious and sad, now you have to take care of him. 3/10

Cassandra: Same as Asparagus, but she does it on purpose. 3/10

Jellylorum: Same as Munkustrap, but she does it on purpose. 3/10

Pouncival and Tumblebrutus: Will do their utmost to freak you out and make you feel like shit for fun. Show you scary shit and then pretend like you're freaking out over nothing. Make you feel like you're hallucinating. Gaslighting pros. Do not.

.

Macavity: Will slip you fent.

[luthien-black]

Starting to introduce in depth some of my OCs, I will bring more as the time goes and I make them proper ref sheets... First I decided to redo my Cats OC ref sheet. I also changed some things such as her paws that now look like actual cat paws instead of human feet and hands... I just did that 'cause it's easier for me to draw paws than hands LOL Does that makes Miyela a furry? LOL IDC TBH I also added fluff to her shoulders just because... Oh, since you're still here reading this, lemme talk more about her so you can know her a bit better, alright? Miyela is part of the Jellicles, but she ain't no stray cat. Being part of Old Duteronomy's numerous progeny, she was adopted by a witch who lives near the Junkyard and was in touch with the occult arts since she was a kitty. She's a very sweet and gentle Queen, who uses her witchcraft knowledge to protect her fellow Jellicles. One curiosity about her is that she is the only Queen who doesn't fall for Rum-Tum-Tugger's charm, for her heart belongs to another Jellicle Tom.

Here's an old picture of her with her human hands and feet and no fluff, but it still being our good and old Miyela. She and Munkustrap looking like they’re having a blast! lol! I’m so freaking proud of these poses! ❤️❤️

Now here's Miyela doing the infamous Jack-O crouch… I couldn’t think of a more flexible OC of mine to do such pose lol.

The toms in the back have nothing to complain about… u.u well, maybe Misto

[eye-may]

Favorite Mistoffelees headcanons?

hmm lemme see. I might have one or two lmao. putting this under a cut because it's very long.

I 'hc' him primarily based on the brent interpretation, so agewise I put him somewhere in his mid-teens. he's developing his abilities and striving to prove himself, but he's not immune to "kittenish" tendencies.

also a la the brent!Mistoffelees, he has a habit of batting at his ear. I also like to think he's a bit 'twitchy' like the la mirada mistoffelees (who imo also seemed to be played pretty young, similar to the jacob brent version).

controversially, I also subscribe to the jacob brent interpretation of his heritage, namely that he's deutoronomy's biological son; although he has a affectionate bond with deut (as do a handful of cats in the junkyard of course) he's not aware that he's actually his immediate descendent, at least not during the events of the show. tugger and munkustrap are certainly deits's sons in spirit, but not by blood. (mainly I like to think that tugger and munk are 'adopted' so to speak, so as to not eliminate the potentiality of the tugger/mistoffelees pairing lmao)

continuing in that line of thought, I see munkustrap, tugger, and mistoffelees as, what I like to call, deutoronomy's "favored three." of course deut is fond of, and warm towards, all his jellicle followers---but the aforementioned trio are specially bonded to him.

speaking of special bonds, I also love the idea that mistoffelees has a connection to bustopher. I recall brent saying "mistoffelees loves bustopher because they look the same" it is BEYOND cute to me that this astronomically superpowered cat with only dubious limitations, that could probably thanos snap you out of existence, is obsessed with this pompous itinerant because they both happen to be tuxedo cats lmao. that being said (again---controversially) I do not believe they are related by blood. in fact basically I think for the most part, all the familial type of relationships among the junkyard cards are symbolic with very few exceptions ( such as munkustrap and tugger being half-brothers)

and so it follows that I also don't hc victoria and mistoffelees as siblings lmao. I think they have a very close friendly/sibling-esque bond.

he's gay

his powers correlate with the moon phases; i.e., he's the least powerful (and maybe even a bit somnolent) during the new moon phase, and the most powerful during the full moon phase.

despite being essentially a domestic shorthair (albeit with uniquely curled ears), he'll never grow past the rough size of a four or five month-old kitten. of the core jellicles, he's the smallest---even smaller than pouncival or jemima or any of the other kittens. even when a FRESH kitten comes along to the junkyard---he can expect to be outpaced by them, vertically speaking, by the time they're half a year old.

mistoffelees and munkustrap have a 'parentified elder sibling/younger sibling' relationship. if you were to pinpoint a cat that can be credited for 'raising' mistoffelees, it'd be munk. munkustrap usually isn't so singularly proactive when it comes to such matters (he usually delegates parental duties to the various elders of the tribe---it takes a village after all) but he did zero in on mistoffelees.

I have a whole story in mind behind this, but mistoffelees conjured the bandana that tugger wears around his leg.

I am a strong believer in the Overuse Of Magic Leads To Severely Incapacitating Exhaustion trope. there have been more than a handful of times that he's overdone it and subsequently conked out.

his magic is inhibited by certain conditions/circumstances. i.e., panic, freezing or overheating (but especially freezing), illness, exhaustion, disorientation, etc.

when it comes to mistoffelees's estimations in the eyes of his fellow jellicles...I am strongly against the zurich interpretation where everyone is dismissive and mean towards him! in my cats universe, everybody in the junkyard has a soft spot for mistoffelees! even the more cagey cats, like alonzo and tumblebrutus and cassandra.

when riled, mistoffelees starts sort of generating/exuding electricity, that buzzes about his person. like you'll see a few sparks pop up and vanish down the fibers of his fur and whiskers. if he's REALLY worked up, it starts to get out of control---that's rare, though. more benevolently, when he taps into the more potent annals of his powers, his fur 'sparkles.' he may even 'shed glitter.' unlike conventional corporeal glitter, however, mistoffelees's 'magic glitter' eventually dissipates lol.

he keeps his personal den/hiding spot in a remote area of the junkyard, far away from the clearing. this is because a) he enjoys solitude, b) he needs for there to be nobody around when he practices his more 'hazardous' magic, and c) he likes to dance sometimes when nobody is looking. (he also enjoys dancing when there ARE people looking, make no mistake)

here's another hot take! mistoffelees does NOT like being called 'misto,' or any comparable derivative of his name. he may or may not correct someone depending on who it is; his closest friends (i.e., munk, tugger, victoria), however, are all aware and might be quicker than him to point out his preferences if someone offends. I'm not sure if even mistoffelees has a SOLID reason for disliking diminutives, but it may have something to do with feeling infantilized by it/attributing it to kittenhood, out of which he's eager to transition. I also just think a name like 'mistoffelees' is very specifically connotated and has a poignant meaning in-universe...and it's also, phonetically speaking, just fun as fuck to say.

I go back and forth between different ideas for his origin story, but one I'm particularly fond of right now is that mistoffelees, as a young kitten, liked to sleuth around the junkyard before he was properly inducted; that is to say, he was nothing more than a flittering shadow as far as anyone was concerned. just a dark shape out of the corner of your eye---you're not even sure you really saw anything. when he zeroed in on the junkyard jellicles, he wreaked his unique brand of mischief remaining unseen. he'd do thinks like flicker the lights, move objects around, and so on and so forth. sometimes these oddities were seemingly benevolent---something about to tip over inexplicably tottering perfectly back into place. a lost item mysteriously reappearing in plain sight. it didn't take long for his antics to send the junkyard into a frenzy; the kittens, especially, were beside themselves believing that a ghost had come along to terrorize the place. everyone started referring to the mysterious, barely-seen entity as 'the shadow.' huge headache for munkustrap. the lid did eventually blow off however, when mistoffelees had to more or less 'reveal himself' to save a group of jellicles from an irate pack of pollicles with his powers. he didn't come away unscathed, however, and was brought back to the junkyard to be nursed back to health.

mistoffelees didn't use his more conspicuous powers in front of anyone when he actually joined the tribe. none of the cats put two and two together at first about all the weird shit going on being attributable to HIM. the cats that may have witnessed him use his magic against the pollicles probably gaslit themselves beyond the realm of belief. nonetheless, mistoffelees quickly became popular, despite being markedly quiet, by showing off more 'standard' illusions---things that were explicable. like sleight-of-hand card tricks and conjurations. tugger was the first one to realize that he had magical abilities (coming across him when he was off alone, blowing off some pent up magical steam), but mistoffelees swore him to secrecy, concerned at how having ACTUAL ETHEREAL MAGIC would be perceived by others.

because basically everything mistoffelees ever does with his magic is for the purpose of making others happy. that's what he lives for. even being a little rascal, getting up to mischief, baffling others and pulling pranks...it's all his good-natured way to spread mirth and levity. there just ain't a bad bone in the cat's body.

ig 20 is a good even number to stop at lmao. I could go on probably forever, but there's two handfuls for you.

[clovenhoofedjester]

jellicle lineups; part 3/4

LETS GO PEOPLE!! LETS GO !! sorry for taking so long to get around to this one !

demeter | 🔒 🍰 🌇

DEETER

ive seen a lot of complaints about demeters design being toned down over the years so i decided to bring some of the bolder design choices back for mine. mullet demeter is REAL now ! honestly i couldve done more w/ their makeup but shhh its ok....

i tried to push the gold in their design by making the eyeshadow really obvious and giving them gold lips. enjoy their lacy dress too... i tried to design something which they could dance comfortably in

demeters newer 3 words (nervous, sensual, secretive) mean everything to me. love them so much. i think theyd be 29 in human years

bombalurina | 🌹 🍓 🛼

so i totally based her hair on that concept art for drag queen bomba. the bob is too cute ! i had a blast doing her design for the most part. i struggled w that makeup and the color of her dress but its ok.

i also tried to give her something she could dance in—just like. imagine the length of the dress a little shorter. im not going back and fixing it

i based her color palette/patterns directly on her concept art because tbh, i dont love blond/ginger bomba ! so black/white/red hair bomba it is

i think she would be 27 in human years

hysperia | 🪴 ⌚ 🍡

this is my version of exotica, renamed hysperia, because i do not love her og name. its not fun. the name hysperia is taken from an ensemble kitten character from the og london production

i also based her design on a multitude of things, asides from her 2 costumes in 98—like some nbq/greycat designs since i feel like that design not becoming a common ensemble character was a waste. A WASTE I TELL YOU! ive also based her fur length on warsaw victoria because oh my godddd that design is so good. peak

her neck bow is a nod to the 2019 movie... the macavity girls w/ those bow collars. they were onto something there

she would have a much more prominent role than the few times she cameo'd in 98, still retaining the elegant/shy personality she shows in the film. shed be 29 in human years

cassandra | 🪐 ♠️ 🥯

i originally made her makeup a lot closer to her replica designs but decided to go for something a little different based on a makeup look i saw on pinterest LOL. so like. enjoy her slight earthy gothic vibes. i also didnt struggled too much on her outfit since i came into this knowing that i wanted her to be wearing something formfitting and bejeweled. a little circus-y too

more people have got to play up her disdainfulness. she'd be 26 in human years

alonzo | 🎹 🍢 🎳

once again, another design pretty similar to his standard replica one. i just tried to make the black patch on his face a little greyer and with some white detailing. because tbh every alonzo with white mascara makes me go crazy its so cute

i also tried to make his head fur/bangs a little distinctive—inspired by a random pic from a production i dont know the name of

enjoy his little cute fit too. pinklonzo. pastelonzo

that one gif of him pantomiming eating a playing card IS canon to me. he'd be 28 in human years

munkustrap | 📼 🥧🎙

verrrry similar to standard replica munks makeup-wise ! however, fur wise.... say hi to mulletstrap. to manestrap. 2 me he is tuggers brother so he gets that. i have no justification for the mullet other than idk, looks good, is funny, and the oslo 1985 production was right to give him one. also he and demeter can match now

i do like when theyre seen as something of a prince... so say hi to the gothenburg and opera populaire-esque epaulettes. theyre cayoot. they also get warsaw munks Big Pant Vibes

give this man a break. hed be 30 in human years

macavity | 🔥 🥂 🎯

he was actually one of the first cats i made design notes for when i started hyperfixating on this musical like.... two months ago. i really tried to mix elements from a bunch of different designs 4 him.... and sorry yall hes a deut brother too. im predictable

the manginess, mane, more ginger-y head fur, tugger-ness and the mouth markings from the 2016 revival... the big big hair, white fur and general makeup from his replica design... and the stylings of il sistina mac with the fitted coat. he also gets unique eyelashes like tugger—this time white instead of gold. he also gets that ominous magic cat eye shading

i think he would act a lot like 2019 mac... suave. but also not as dorky and desperate as he is in that movie LOL. he'd be 33 in human years

ONLY ONE MORE LEFT..... THE OLDIES........ MAYBE... I MIGHT MAKE DESIGNS FOR SOME OF THE SWINGS TOO LOL

[computersucker]

what the hell was wrong with me last night

friday night time for 3 beers and the Cats 1998 film cast recording sound track and singer sewing machine restauration video

[verdicloud]

hellooo i’m verdi and i’m a big fan of cats the musical. i’m starting this blog so i can talk about cats and share my ideas.

i love this musical with a PASSION because it’s fun and always manages to bring a smile to my face, even when i’m feeling down. i love the characters, especially the kittens, and i like making up a ton of ideas about all of them. i also love it because i used to do dance and when they dance it resonates with me on such a spiritual level that i can’t explain (i’ve watched the jellicle ball an ungodly amount of times).

my main ships are alonzostrap and tumbletoria, but i also ship demelurina and tuggoffelees. my favourite characters are alonzo, tumblebrutus, cassandra, victoria and jemima, but really i love all of them. i consider the 1998 film the definitive version so i’ll mostly be referring to that.

i hope you guys like my ideas! :D

[coricoping]

CATS: The Jellicle Ball Summary

Sourced from my (admittedly imperfect) memory. I love this production, and this is an abridged summary of my memory of the events of the show. Specific/detailed character thoughts will be saved for their own posts, same with thematic deep dives. If there is any character/theme/question y'all want my thoughts on first, I can move them to the top of my queue of thoughts. That being said: on with the show!

Tumblr decided to post early, so this is just Act 1. I will add Act 2 as a reblog when I finish it

Pre-Show

The set for this show is really well done. Talked to one of the workers during intermission, and the whole thing (seating, stage, and all) is completely modular and movable. Floor levels are also all adjustable. It really inclines itself to audience interaction, both with the runway structure and the individual tables at the cabaret level seats.

Junior Labeija handles the pre-show announcements (put your phones away once you've googled me, cheer your heart out, don't film, etc)

Overture

Hearing this live for the first time made me cry

The DJ's introduction is great, he has a collection of queer and black artists' vinyls that he pulls out, followed by a Cats vinyl filled with glitter

The eyes (projected up onto the back wall/window panel) have the white cat solo animated inside of them

Shadow outline of a dancer (I think Primo/Tumble on the night I saw) starting out w/ ears and a tail doing classic Cats-style choreo blending into a removal of the ears/tail and a shift to ballroom choreo

Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats

Did the thing I love for this song where there are clear and well-timed spotlights on every cat as they sing their line, w/ everyone else in darkness

Cast appears throughout the audience (Tugger was behind me at his start, I think) before gathering into the area around the stage

Get onto stage for the Mystical Divinity section

The group catwalk is absolutely gorgeous, this show has great choreo

The Naming of Cats

The perfection of this song for a queer viewing of Cats cannot be overstated, and will likely be its own post eventually

Munk as an MC leading this number is lovely to me

"Man over there" is given to Macavity, as the first clear indication to his altered role in this version

There are spotlights on every cat whose name gets said in the song, not just Bombalurina, which makes me happy

White Cat Solo

Gets its own segment because Baby is that good. She is dance captain for this show and you can see why

The white outfit here is gorgeous, kinda sad she changes out of it later

Pink lighting is doing good work making this section feel ethereal

Was way closer to the vibes of the original than I was expecting from a vogue choreo. There were a couple moves I saw as clear references to the original

Invitation

Emcee Munk continues to be amazing, the rhythm of this was very satisfying

"COME OUT tonight"

They bring in guest judges to sit until Old Deut arrives

Gumbie Cat

Jenny is a tired single mother of three kids who cannot for the life of them get organized

Puerto Rican drag queen Jennyanydots has my heart, as does her stylist

The "sits and sits and sits" line here is not used to imply that Jenny is lazy, it is very explicitly saying that she has a lot of sex (as acted out jokingly by her choreo)

Cassandra is adorable here, both while dancing and after she realizes she's won

Category Is: Virgin Vogue. A category for people in their first year of doing vogue (or similar). Won by Cassandra of House Dots, other competitors are Tumblebrutus of House Dots, Electra 007, and someone I am currently forgetting

The Rum Tum Tugger

I think I've made my love for this setup for Tugger clear before, and will continue to do so in the future, so this is gonna be little moments I liked/noticed

There are some line/blocking switch ups. Bomba gets the "terrible bore" line (said reclined on the stage as Tugger leans over her) along with her standard. Victoria is the girl flirting with Tugger on his "No" drop

Tugger flirts with everyone here. His competition, the other cats, the audience, etc.

Everyone but Misto, who is off to the side mocking his riffs

Sillabub is the one to faint during the ending bit

Category Is: Realness. Ability to pass as a (in this case) a cishet man in a variety of categories (pretty boy, thug, schoolboy, executive, etc). Won by Tugger, other competitors are Tumblebrutus and Mungojerrie

Grizzabella the Glamour Cat

I really like the interpretation of the Jellicles' relationship with Grizz in this show. They aren't angry at her, more...distressed? It seems like her being around is making everyone worried both about her and for her, so they react differently

Munk tries to give her money, she refuses

She comes in holding a trophy that is clearly old, showing that her glory days were a while ago. She also looks like she's likely been homeless.

Demeter's voice is gorgeous here, and she looks really conflicted about Grizz

There is a Demelurina vibe to this whole show, which I started noticing here

I have a lot of thoughts on Grizz and her relationships with the Jellicles here, which will probably be a post pretty soon after this one.

Grizz tries and fails to convince the judges to allow her to compete, and is far more determined/steely in this first appearance than usual.

Sillabub. Making them a giant Grizzabella fan was such a good choice. This is one of the most sweet and genuine through-lines of the musical. They're so genuinely remorseful and excited to see Grizz, but still back off when Demeter warns them.

Bustopher Jones

I know I gave Jenny my heart earlier, but it's been stolen. Nonbinary Bustopher Jones as played by Nora Schell is, I think, the ideal Bustopher. This is what this character was meant to be, for me

Oh gods the costumes. Tugger has a sparkly leopard print jockstrap. Bustopher has a full bustier situation covered in a bedazzled Union Jack. Mistoffelees and Demeter both have lovely sheer situations going on. This is amazing, and I've been informed is even better if you're bi

Nora Shell has pipes, y'all. Their voice is so strong and clear

This number has almost no true choreography, it's just the competitors showing off how hot they are (posing, strutting, stripping, grabbing their asses and shaking them at the judges, etc)

The amount of offense Tugger takes to losing is hilarious to me

Category Is: Body. Usually divided into Femme Queen and Butch Queen, but competed as an Open-to-All for this show. How good does your body look, and how well can you show it off? Won by Bustopher Jones, other competitors are Tugger, Demeter, and Mistoffelees.

Macavity Scare 1

Flashing lights and sirens

Demeter is so done with this. I have rarely heard a clearer "bitch really?" tone than I did in her calling Macavity's name here

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer

Making them come from Jersey is amazing, top tier choice paired with some amazing accent work

Costumes are again amazing, Mungoteazer have a lime green/neon pink color scheme going on here

They spend a long time behind some changing racks, and I spent that whole time watching Munk as he got more and more annoyed with every passing second

I really love the dancing in this song, they get very up in each other's faces

Y'all, they steal the trophy when they lose. It's perfect

Category Is: Tag Team Performance. Vogue performance done as a pair. Won by Victoria and Tumblebrutus, stolen by Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer.

Old Deuteronomy

Munkustrap: a professional, on his shit, announcing his House Father right

Tugger: unprepared, eating a snack, oh god why is he giving me the mic

I love the setup for the duet here, Tugger is so surprised to be picked and is both nervous and honored. They sing into the same mic y'all

Andre De Shields, what more do I need to say?

His presence, his voice, the note he held for a solid 30 seconds, he deserves that throne

Jellicle Ball

Macavity again! In his dressing gown, with his bags of stolen stuff, looking like a deer in headlights when the spotlight catches him

The dancing continues to be absolutely gorgeous

Grizzabella is up on an audience balcony for this number looking tragic

The Jellicle Moon is a disco ball and it brought me so much joy

Munk has a killer egyptian look, including full-size wings

There are giant complicated cat face wigs and a giant hat made of hair

Category Is: Bizarre. Fashion category judged on the quality and strangeness of the outfit. Munkustrap was the only competitor, and Old Deut chopped him

Category Is: Hair. Not a category I actually know, but clearly in this show is judging based on the size, design, and quality of wigs. Won by the House of Dots, as sole competitors

Probably other categories I didn't notice clearly enough to remember

Memory

Grizzabella comes on and everyone walks off annoyed, except for Old Deut who comes and hides behind a riser. He's right in front of me, so I'm watching this number over his shoulder

Grizz recreating her dance moves is painful for my heart, as usual

Tempress has a gorgeous voice

Sillabub re-enters and looks so starstruck, then runs off again

Comes back with a sparkly dress to offer to Grizz

Grizz sees the dress, starts crying, and runs away. She grabs her coat, but leaves her scarf

We go to intermission on the image of Sillabub holding the scarf to their face and crying

[charliesinfern0]

wheee gave clementine a little bit of a redesign ^_^ (also lore dump under the cut >_o)

So when Clementine was a kitten she was a house cat and she had really rich owners and the ladies of the house had all of these extravagant clothes and gowns and they had fancy table cloths and window curtains. Clementine loved to play with them because she loved feel the textures of the different types of fabric, but of course she always got into trouble for playing with them and scratching them up. She ended up getting kicked out of the house and was all alone :(

but then she happened upon the junkyard and was taken in and became a jellicle cat! yay :D

She's called Clementine the Corduroy Cat because corduroy is a type of fabric, and she's kind of based off of the story of the corduroy bear :)

She's one of the more cuddly touchy cats, she just loves hugging her friends and family and feeling the different textures of their fur. She likes making cute outfits for the other cats, i like to think that she helped Jenny design her dress and tap dancing outfit, and Bustopher commissions fancy suits from her ^_^ also there's a scenario in my head where Clementine just sees Skimble in his vest and is like "oh i know what can complete this look!" and makes him the suspender pants and hat he wears in the 2019 movie lol

She also likes to dance! Jenny teaches her how to tap dance, Victoria teaches her some ballet moves, and she and Mistoffelees do a mean waltz together ^_^