#but I do really love the differences in how tugger and misto are played by different actors

[feral-cryptidz]

Everything cool i can recall from Cats at the Fulton :3

Before jellicle songs for jellicle cats:

-There were thunder sfx and lightning effects, and before the show started there was an announcement about "hazardous weather"

-After that, the show opened on Grizabella walking around through various set pieces and rubbing against them. There was a magician's box (No idea what it's actually called) that had Griz and Misto's names on it, which kind of implied that they used to have an act together

-Eventually, Griz opened a large trunk on stage and took out her dress, which she wore for the rest of the show

Jellicle songs for jellicle cats:

-Can't remember too much unfortunately, i was honestly still just trying it get myself to fully realize i was actually there lol

-During the chorus, in the part where the boot usually falls and the singing pauses, they instead had Mungojerrie go off and do his own solo while everyone stared at him disapprovingly until he stopped and they could finish singing, which i thought was really funny

The naming of cats:

-Super intense, just how it should be. Lottsss of eye contact

White cat dance+invitation to the jellicle ball:

-Not much specifically to say, but the actress who played Vic was fantastic. Sososo fascinating to watch from the perspective of someone who has never done ballet in their life lol

The old gumbie cat:

-INCREDIBLE. OHH MY GOD I LOVED THAT NUMBER SO MUCH

-One of the BEST Jenny costumes EVER imo

-They had her be a sort of ex-showgirl, and had a set of curtains come in to give her a different background for her tap number.

-Her song outfit was gold and super sparkly and soooo fun to watch while she danced

-Honestly i need to draw that jenny at some point i loved her so much

The rum tum tugger:

-Such a fun number to watch, and SUPER interactive with the crowd

-Tugger flirted a TON with the people in the front row

-During the chorus of his song, they had Mungojerrie in with all of the kittens, and he had another solo bit similar to the one he had in jellicle songs for jellicle cats. I literally can't remember anyone else who was in the kitten group lol

-They gave the "terrible bore" line to Tantomile and Coricopat, but whateverrrr man. they had a bigger role in this version anyway, so it made sense.

-Honestly the whole number was just super extra, juuusstt how it should be :]

Grizabella the glamour cat:

-Not much in specific I can remember, but the Demeter from this show has an AMAZING voice. Actually gasped when she started singing.

Bustopher jones:

-at the beginning and end of the number, Bustopher rode in and out on a little car. In the middle/end, he stood on the hood, and sang from there. I'm also pretty sure Bombalurina was on the roof of the car!

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer:

-All of the lights shut off when the other characters ran offstage, and Jerrie+Teazer came in from the sides and shined flashlights through the audience while giggling

-Plenty of fun choreo in this number, they really managed to get the characters personalities to show!

Old deuteronomy:

-Uhhhh i don't know dude. i forget 😢

-tugger and munk sang from the platforms+back on the sides of the stage which was cool i guess?

-sorry i genuinely don't remember anything :(

The jellicle ball:

-I said it before, but the whole cast were such amazing dancers, it was sooo fun to watch!!

-Tugger and Bomba danced together most of the time, so tuggerlurina enjoyers do with that what you will :)

-some time around the beginning Tugger yelled "Party time!!"

Memory (Medly):

-not much to say

-The Griz from this version has an amazing voice dude. sooo pretty

The moments of happiness:

-GOD I REMEMBER NOTHING I'M SORRYYYY 💔

Gus the theatre cat+Pekes and Pollicles:

-Jellylorum was super sweet <3

-The pekes and pollicles bit was in place of Growltiger, and had Gus play the rumpus cat

-the flashback sequence was super funny, and kind of painted Gus as less of a respectable actor, and more of a super pretentious guy who considers himself a good actor

-He spent a bunch of time interacting with the audience, asking if they'd seen him as various roles in various plays which were all titled as some sort of cat pun version of famous plays/musicals

-Honestly though it was such a treat to watch, and a really fun interpretation of Gus that i never really considered before！

Skimbleshanks the railway cat:

-the guy who played Skimble actually wasn't there, so his understudy took over, and so instead of it being sung by skimble, it was sung by Alonso in overalls

-Honestly though it was kind of weird seeing that number being sung about a guy who was clearly NOT skimble

-Don't take that as me not liking it though!!! It was such a good number!!!

-During the song, Skimble jumped into Coricopat's arms, which Coricopat was very unhappy with lol. He ended up dropping skimble, who was completely unphased and just kept singing. what a joyful guy.

-Tugger was getting super into to the song when they were all laying on the floor :3

Macavity the mystery cat:

-he started by jumping out of a jack in the box!!!

-The moon in the background turned red, which was a nice detail

-Such a gorgeous Macavity?? he did not need to be that pretty /hj

-I actually cannot stress how much i liked that Macavity costume.

-The song itself was sung sooo nicely :)

-They had most of the girls on stage, not just Bomba and Demeter. I know there were 8 of them in total, and besides Bomba and Demeter i can remember Jenny and Jellylorum in specific, but i know there were more of them

-During the fight scene, Tugger tried to kidnap Bomba, not Demeter (I THINK, i'm not fully sure of this part)

Mr. Mistofelees:

-WOW

-Great conjuring turns, my moms couldn't stop talking about them lol

-during the chorus, after old deut is brought back, there were a bunch of balloons that the cast members tossed into the crowd, and were incouraging people to bat around.

-I had full cat makeup on at the time, and the woman playing Bombalurina smiled at me :)

Memory:

-Grizabella sang from on top of a jack in the box, the same one Mac came out of

-SO beautiful oh my god

-i stopped breathing during the chorus omfg it was so beautiful

-RAHHH I LOVE MEMORY RAHHGHHGHHHH

Journey to the heaviside layer:

-Old deut started by pointing to jenny and gus and asking the rest of the tribe which one they thought should be the jellicle choice. They all shook their heads for both of them, so he asked them who they thought it should be, and they all pointed to Grizabella, which was so cute <3

-They had Griz get into a roller coaster car and drive off. there was a projection of a roller coaster on the back wall, and when she eventually went off stage, an animation played of her car going along the coaster and eventually flying off towards the moon

-a little detail i noticed was that Macavity was actually watching this number from the very top of the back scaffolding :3

The addressing of cats:

-I. i literally can't remember anything from any of Deuteronomy's songs. what the flip.

-I think it was pretty good tho!

Extra bits that i didn't know where to put:

-GOD i loved the Tantomile and Coricopat from this production. So gorgeous. So so so gorgeous. oh my god i loved the,

-I loved the use of the scaffolding in the back, as well as the platforms on the sides. having people up there during the parts where the whole tribe is together really did a lot for the overall affect

Okay, that's it!! sorry if this had the most booty ass grammar ever, i am NOT editing all of that lol. This was literally the highlight of my whole year, i was shaking from excitement the whole time <3

Such an amazing production, such and amazing cast, and such and amazing experience <3

[per-the-jellicle-magician]

Thank you for getting me the thousand boop badge >:3

What's your second favorite nonreplica? And why?

You're welcome :3

My second favourite non replica is Brno XD

I know, I know, but what can I say, I like the weird ones XD

But seriously I do really enjoy it!

The costumes maybe aren't phenomenal, but i do like most of them. My faves are def Skimble, Victoria, Jelly's Aria costume and ofc Gus and Asparagus in their mirrored suits. And Munk's t-shirt with printed on tie is just funny XD I know most people dislike the lack of catness they got going on, but I don't care that much and it doesn't take me out from the show. Probably cuz Warsaw is weirdly cat-but-not-cat and I'm used to it XD

I do like the vocals, my favs are hands down Gus, Asparagus and Jelly in "Gus..." and the Aria. And i like Skimble's voice too. And since Czech and Polish are somewhat close I can understand bits here and there of it so that's a plus XD

I like the choreography well enough, some bits are better than others. Once again Warsaw being my number one probably helps cuz if I had to compare I'd say the choreography is closer to it than to regular Cats XD

Also Tugger actually kisses a guy in there so that's a win XD

Besides that I like how they used the space they got and the props. Skimble's train and Misto's Ms Paint moment are my favs XD Plus ofc the motorbike

Also it has my favourite version of the Italian Aria and in my opinion the best handling of the Growltiger situation: Cut it out, but leave the Aria and play it totally serious and straight so Gus can have his moment, without taking Munk's moment earlier. I love Asparagux' voice and the mirrored costumes and Jelly and Gus lip-syncing to it. Just yeah, I love it

Speaking of characters, I do like their takes on most of them. Some are better than others (I don't really like their old D XD) but for the most part I think they did a great job. Especially Tugger, the guy playing him really put his everything into it XD Drunk Bustopher is also a choice and I think it's a fun take

And I love the added lvl to Griz' storyline. I like that she is old and disfigured and there's some letter and she's not been invited and there's clear family drama. Idk what exactly is going on but like yes, I like that it's more than just the regular "old lady is not welcome, for reasons". I just like that both Brno and Warsaw added some more connection between Griz and one or more tribe members besides Old D and implied reasons why she got kicked out, sue me XD

I like that sure it's human world, mafia/cult vibes, but there's still magic there XD Misto straight up kills Mac and then is a technology wizard, Gruz turns into an actual cat and it all take place in a clocktower or smth XD

And last but not least, there are some things in there that I think may or may not have been inspired by Warsaw XD Whether they were or whether it was just a coincidence, I always have fun noticing them XD

Like yeah overall I really really like it, I love the weird and bizzare bits and how messy and different it is. And just how fun watch it is

[just-before-dawn]

While you’re moving in (have fun btw), what’s something unique/interesting about you human cats characters? Any of them ╰(*´︶`*)╯

hm hm well let's see, i guess i can do like one random fact/headcanon about each of them?

misto: he writes in script (really neatly too), he practices his handwriting sometimes. he has a separate journal for this. he has a lot of journals actually (he likes notebooks)

tugger: he has relative pitch (close to perfect pitch but not really). any sound he hears, he can actually try and guess what note it is, he's usually accurate

victoria: she sews and crochets in her own personal time! she likes to make plushies (and gives them as gifts too!) she's currently working on something for plato :)

bomba: loves taking care of plants, knows a lot about them too. (she gave cass a small cactus, that's their baby). she also knows how to play the bass

tumble: really wants to do parkour one day, he watches videos on the daily. he also wants to be a stunt double for a superhero film as his dream career. his little brother wants to be like him.

jemima: takes opera lessons! (to no one's surprise) she dreams of performing in opera houses in europe. she used to be in band, but had to quit because of her focus on singing.

cassandra: she draws in her spare time and she's pretty good at it. she likes to paint and she sketches people in cafes whenever she goes (her sketchbook is actually full of bomba). she also plays classical piano (literally no one knows this fact about her)

rumple: can skateboard and rollerblade. you can usually find her at a skatepark sometimes. she is also trying to learn how to bmx bike. she can also play drums (her and jerrie really wanted to start a band with tugger and bomba)

jerrie: plays a lot of video games, but he really sucks at them (he tries his best). he also has an interest in pokemon cards. he's been getting into comics lately too.

plato: a really good cook, actually. he can cook a mean meal and he likes to bake too. he's made a couple of pastries for victoria (while also almost dropping them, he got nervous :( )

pouncival: he's a band kid! he plays the clarinet for concert band and he also decided to pick up the trumpet for marching band. he still wishes jemima was in band, it felt special with her around.

electra: extremely athletic, but her favorite sport is volleyball, she's on the team and plays as a libero. she also gets concerned a lot about etcetera and wishes she could get over tugger.

etcetera: she owns so...much...stationery...over 500 sticker sheets, lots of pens, markers, pencils, washi tape, etc. she likes to collect them! (her and misto one time bonded over different notebooks and pens)

tantomile: loves everything about mbtis, enneagrams, and zodiac signs. she will always ask you your big three and your personality type. she also knows everyone's birthday because of this.

coricopat: loves to read comics and manga. you'll usually find him at the comic shop sometimes, he's quite acquainted with the people who own the store. he's also the younger twin. he's been getting into pokemon cards lately.

munkustrap: knows his hair is going grey very quickly and is insecure about that. he has already bought a ring for demeter and plans to propose after the spring musical season. he plans to start his own theater company like his father.

demeter: she works as a vocal teacher, teaching one on one lessons. she doesn't teach jemima, but she helps her out. she wishes to own her own music school one day.

alonzo: he didn't actually know what he wanted to do for a career, but munkustrap encouraged him to pursue the theater. he has a special interest in coffee and likes to explore different cafes and try out their drinks, comparing different coffees and espresso drinks. he keeps a journal about it.

[miasiegert]

There are going to be a few changes (first promo shoot!) :) but we worked on these forever. Victoria is way more colorful than normal with purples, pinks, blues, and oranges even! She’s a literal rainbow. Will remain fluffy but wig is getting a style! (Remember I mentioned how wigs get better? We styled this… but then they had to walk outside to get to the studio—hence the shoes!)

Courtney’s Demeter is one of the prettiest designs we’ve made and I’m completely crediting David for it. The way Courtney plays her is more refined, and it’s wonderful.

Samantha’s Sillabub is blue-da-bu-di-da-bu-da and she’s so darn talented and the most adorable bitty kitten. Her movement is just adorable.

Bethany in hot pink/red (request from the director for hot pink inclusion!) is a triple threat who can do everything! I have never seen Bombalurina this way before… I love it. And Bethany personally thanks Terry for the warmers and tail—thank you!!

Kelly is in one of our personal designs for Jennyanydots that we discussed in 2012, created in 2014, and have been refining each production. Kelly is also the dance captain and, like most Jennys, off the wall and incredibly smart—we love her!

Carbucketty in oranges is very standard for David and my designs. Usually played by a cismale, we are here for the change and could she be doing a f/f lift? Hmm… we really, REALLY like her!

Misto is always magical, even when he’s not! Yes, hair needs a styling! A walk outside in the wind will do that! I think many of you know Paul but with different choreo.

Brianna is just wonderful, and her Victoria is a child of the moon. And it’s hard to keep gushing because she’s such a joy, and her expressions and technique… wonderful. She will easily win your heart over.

Aaron is the most perfect cast as Tugger ever… and the first who has been ripped enough to wear the dream unitard I made years ago. Can’t wait for you to see full body… I can’t say more, spoilers.

I love Brian. He’s in Plato, who he’s developing a great personality for, and besides good energy is so expressive. And of course it’s the friendliest person on the planet who then becomes the most TERRIFYING Macavity.

I’m proud of all the costumes but most proud of the twins. Fingers are cut from their gloves by now, wigs will be worked on daily through opening. They’re hard. For reviews since they’re coming, Tracy (he/him) and Mayumi (they/them) are going to be huge fan favorites. They are incredible performers, electric to look at, both over 6’1 (yes, that’s correct) and they will be dancing and walking everywhere, including the audience.

The cast is enormous and rotates a LOT so you will see TONS of cats and costumes, not just the same 5. Also shout out to Conner/Spike, not pictured, who is only 16 *and* in the Gumbie Tap. This tap is deceivingly hard… the cast is so good and on it, all the taps are unanimous so it looks easy.

Remember… this is different choreo… come in with an open mind because it’s mind-blowing.

Okay can I fall back asleep? Here’s hoping…

[ima-ghost-art]

CATS ships mating dances as my favourite strictly come dancing dances!!

That may or may not just be basically all of John and Johannes dances (pls dont judge me these are mostly mlm ships and I feel it best represents them plus they are all amazing!!)

(Inspired by this post!) Prepare bc ima dive head first into this and it will be long lol

__

There is no doubt in my mind now that tugoffelees would do a Rumba like This !!! Like the slow deliberate motions that were literally MADE to show eachother off while still taking their own places in the spotlight. A rumba isnt like either of their natural, preferred ways of dancing, but instead a dance that amplifies the emotions that are rarely ever seen infont of the tribe.

Tuggers deep caring side (that we see the moment after misto brings back old doot) is now fully on display for the tribe to see, showing how out of everything, this is who he found and he doesnt have eyes for anyone else, and this fact is something he knows he will never question.

On the other hand we see Mistoffelees, the dance displaying his talents perfectly, hes literally holding the spotlight on them as he shows the tribe that he can lean on Tugger, and without having to look, knows the other tom is right there, ready to support him and lead him if hes anxious, and vise versa.

NOT TO MENTION THE SONG!!! literally just them saying they are not together for popularity nor magical prowess bc they know they are more than that!

_____

Next up is a lil crazy one but hear me out- Misto x Macavity is hands down This Paso Doble and I will fight you on it! THE POWER in every movement, the dance playing out as a fight because that's what their relationship is, in the best way possible!!!

You have these two incredibly powerful cats, who have always and forever will be, even between lives, connected by the same erratic destructive beautiful force of nature, and as much as they clash and make chaos, always in a never ending fight to see who's the best, but its because of that that they cant help getting drawn to eachother.

In the dance they are constantly drawing the other closer while also pushing away. They mirror eachothers movements while also dancing as the others oposit, an ongoing to and through. They keep switching who's leading as if its battle to be the one in control!!!!

Not to mention THE LIGHTING ITS SELF!!!! A gorgeous show of their emotions crazed and all over the place while still keeping order (plus a fun lil misto glittersplosion at the end!)

_____

Okay this ones for the inspo of this post @afairytalestray and what I think for Coricojerries dance since their stuff basically convinced me this is arguably one of the best ships ever!!

Now I wasnt sure at first, like tugoffelees they are two very different people with very different dance style but when I tell you when i found this dance?? I became pretty sold I found it!!

First off the song?? When I think of coricojerrie my mind always thinks at how they are each one of a twin with vastly different life experiences yet they both still feel like lonely souls of london that found a home in eachother! Even with their sisters theres just something that separates them from the girls and the rest of the junkyard, but that didn't stop them from gaining an unquestioned place next to eachother!!

In the dance, they start off unsure, still a little lost but then the FIND eachother!!! In this uncanny contemporary dance that manages to mix in jerries acrobatics and acting into it, blending into something unconventional but THEM!!!!

They use each to get through life like they get through the dance, with the mix of physic powers and someone who had only really known a life of crime, the lead and lift eachother, and even if others think they are weird or annoying, they end heads held high and ready to support eachother!!

_____

Last but not least (for this post at least bc it's getting heckin long oops) ALONZOSTAP!!! I love these boys ma dudes okay and that why I cant deny my heart when i think of this show dance as their dance!

The sweet sweet mix between the tender I love you moments, to the fun showy bits that let's their personalities shine???? Them coming together at the beginning, letting how my they care for eachother come first, only to burst into something exiting and fun that's ever so slightly out of their comfort zones while still representing the laughter they bring to eachother!!

There is no denying that these two are both showmen at heart, just in different ways. Munk strives to tell the storys that teach the next generation, while Alonzo is more seeking the thrill of showing off and dancing because he knows he looks good because it feels good.

So together they are able to combine their loves if performing, dancing for the hell of it while also showing and teaching the younger cats what love is and how its supposed to make you feel! The intense moment where they show that the are the protectors of the tribe, that they are strong and that being who you are and loving someone intensely dosent take away your power but makes you stronger!!!

_____

Now that's finally out of my head hears a couple extra that I either cant explain/ make obvious sence lol

Dont ask but this gives me young and fresh new dads skimblegus and I live for it!!!

Also we all know this is like, canon Platora

Also also this is literally like a sceen from my royal tugoffelees au I'm writing lol!!

If anyone wants more weird strictly cats dance rants give me ships and I'll try and do another post for them :D

[carbuckety]

Take this as an invitation to bitch about something, Cats related or otherwise

An invitation to... bitch, you say...? Ooooooh.... don't mind if i doooo

I am SO SO SO tired of the basic deuteronomy brothers. Like I think in a vacuum it's cool! Tugger and Munk are brothers, if you throw Mac into the mix it becomes good angst fodder, all well and good. But I almost never see anything BEYOND those 2 or 3 when there are other cats I think could make good Deut bros as well. Especially when you consider how varied other parent/kitten hcs are for other cats, why can't Deut be the same way?! Think outside the box! Think beyond just Tugger, Mac & Munk!

I like to accentuate the positive (or maybe I just like the song) so now this is positive bitching (if there is such a thing) about my own hcs for deut bros and why I think they would make fun deut bros (okay this is just infodumping)

My favorite Deut bros - Victor, Munk, Misto, and George. And this got really long so all of that under the cut.

Victor is the oldest imo, he's probably from a past life of Deuteronomy's actually, that would be mega cool right? He doesn't drop in on the tribe much, he's more of a visiting cousin (as I like to think many swing cats like Greycat, Caramel, or AJ are) but all the tribe likes him, because he can be quite charismatic, and also when he comes to say hi he usually has some fun stuff for the other cats. He's not much of a storyteller but he makes up for it in silly trinkets he brings back from wherever he's been to, whether it's near or far.

Munkustrap being Old Deuteronomy's son and for that reason the head protector of the tribe is just something I adore far too much to ever let go, ppl are totally right for letting that be a popular fandom hc. So yadda yadda, all the regular reasons why I consider Munk to be Deuteronomy's son, common fandom hc stuff here.

(I also like to think Victoria is Munk's daughter, which would make Misto her zany uncle, and I adore that dynamic SO much.)

(Mostly cause of Zurich) I think of Misto as a bit of an outsider to the tribe, because he has magic like his father but he hasn't quite harnessed it/it's very different from Deuteronomy's, so the tribe isn't quite as sure how to... deal with him (and he's frankly not sure how to deal with them either). So he is kind of splintered off from the rest of the tribe while he still learns the full extent of his abilities. It creates a bit of friction between him and the tribe, they don't fully understand each other yet but eventually everyone will hash it out and become buddies XD. Also because he is the only magical one of the 4 he's expected to take Old Deuteronomy's place when Deut ascends to the Heaviside Layer for the final time and the tribe currently is like "really, him? I mean I like him and all but... Misto?" So they're all sorta working on that still. Did you know I'm incredibly normal about Zurich Misto

George... really he is here because I think Misto and George as brothers is the silliest idea ever. George is not magical but he is closest to Mistoffelees, he doesn't do super well with talking or singing but he is quite a dancer and loves to hang out with Misto and practice their dance moves together, like be each others' partners and do lifts and fun stuff like that. They have a very simple relationship and don't expect too much from each other, which is good because they're still the sons of freakin' Old Deuteronomy so there's certain expectations placed on their shoulders.

But also, aside from Misto, George is great as Old Deuteronomy's son because he is quite peppy and sunshine-y and constantly energetic and moving, and it's a great foil to the often-stationary and sunbathing Old Deut + Victor, and on-guard protective Munkustrap. George is very casual and laid-back, easily one of the most approachable of the Deuteronomy brothers, and he is who cats go to when they are looking for some simple games to play to enjoy a nice day, that sort of stuff. He's the youngest, being just out of kittenhood, and so still enjoys a good tussle with Tumblebrutus and Pouncival, + a nice gossip with Cettie and Lettie. But also, he likes hanging out with the older cats too and listening to their stories, he is easily the one who chills with the tribe the most and just coasts along. Basically, he's the sunshiney chill dude who is here to have an awesome time and spout bad, idiomatic advice LOL.

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

ok so i KNOW it seems silly to be getting emotional over the tour ending, but here's why it means so much to me personally:

first off, I've said before that Tugger is a very important character to me. He's one of the reasons I've been able to become so comfortable with me being bi, and honestly he's one of the reasons that i realized i was bi.

Zach's Tugger, in particular, i think has meant a lot to people for this specific reason: Zach explicitly portrayed his Tugger as being bisexual, confirmed it and everything. While I know that other production have had Tugger go between Bomba and Misto, Zach confirming it and just fully putting himself into the character was everything to me.

To have a character I adore portrayed that way was so incredibly important to me and to other bisexual fans in this fandom (because Tugger's bisexuality is often erased but that's a whole other issue)

the diversity within the roles, the representation that this cast has given so many people? nothing can top that. i'm sure others agree that this cast specifically has made so many young boys and girls and children so much hope and excitement that they can be on a stage someday, playing iconic roles and not having to be pushed into a box.

on a more personal note for me:

I've had difficulties within this fandom. my closest mutuals know this and know the details. it hasn't been easy, and there were times when i almost deleted my tumblr because i felt so depressed and so anxious and the happiness i felt with Cats was starting to fade because of certain things that happened. the tour 6 cast (both the 2019-2020 cast and the 2021-2022 cast) is the reason that I stayed in the fandom, and the reason that i still love this show so much.

seeing the show in September and then in April got me through the most stressful points of my last year in college, and September especially, because it was my first time seeing a show, in person, in a year and a half. that alone made me so incredibly happy.

a lot of the cast is my age, and they're on social media, so there's a level of connection between the cast and the fans that absolutely makes a difference to how this show has been received. the cast is so kind, and so dedicated, and i really, really hope they know how much of an impact they've had on the fandom.

so i don't know if the tour 6 cast will see this post, but if they do, i just want to say thank you. thank you for giving me and so many others representation, validation, and for putting everything you have into characters that are so beloved. your versions of the characters will leave a lasting mark on this show, and i wish you all the luck and happiness as you move on from Cats and onto new adventures <3

Happy Trails, Tour 6 Cast!!

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

i think it also important to note that they both do the Leg Thing™️

So like a Stable and Normal person I have listened to Cats the musical start to finish four times today, 1998 twice, original broadway once and original London once. I’m never listening to the broadway version again except M&R and Memory. The Moments of Happiness and The Ad-ressing of Cats were also good but that’s because Ken Page is the Only Deuteronomy Ever. The London version was pretty decent, which is weird for me to say because that was the version I listened to Way Too Much growing up but I just personally like the 1998 version better now dhhdhdh

Anyway I want to talk about OG London Tuggoffelees. If 1998 tuggoffelees is a proud gay man and his bicon hypeman boyfriend, London Tuggoffelees is two repressed homosexuals silently pining for each other thinking the other would hate them if they knew. Because Tugger’s voice is So Good and you can Hear the smile in it whenever he says Misto’s name, but it also feels restrained in a way, like he’s trying to tone it down. It’s 3 am and I’m definitely looking too deep into this. It’s just a very good version of the song.

[falasta]

Curtain Call for Vienna Cats April 8

**UPDATED with higher quality footage!**

Notes below the cut!

(Highlights: Getting Nudged by Bustopher’s Spoon for Not Paying Sufficient Attention, Getting aggressively hissed at by Henchcat!Bill Bailey, and Having Alexanderstrap stare me down right into my soul.)

Cats Vienna April 8

 (Combo my frantic random notes and more thorough writeup )

 Dominik Tugger!

Alex Auler

Bustopher and his spoon!!!

Misto goes to get Old D and Old D enters on my side!

Matt Levick hissing at everyone through his henchcat mask

Vicky Riddoch as Electra is my “Naming of Cats” stare-down buddy and she is so lovely

I just want to register how much I adore watching Nick Li

He is the CUTEST ADMETUS!!

He is SO PROUD when he lifts of Victoria and circles—just has the cutest expression on his face!

Watching Munkustrap on the boot and the way he moves—I can now 100% see how he could have fallen off.

Front row seat to Gus and Munk being SO OFFENDED That the Man over There hasn’t heard of a Jellicle cat?? Gus is FANTASTIC and hilarious

(Auler is so TALL)

Everyone gives their all for the tap number and it is again so much fun!! Misto, Bomba, and Demeter are front and center and it is so fun to watch them!

TUGGER!

Alexanderstrap Just so very elegantly stretching out RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME

His beautiful cat face

Just staring straight into everyone’s eyes . The small little facial movements and head tilts

THAT is where the blinky slow seductive selfies are from

But the moonlit glow though

So self assured

Yes, I am beautiful

Aren’t I?

Can you take me staring into your eyes? I am a cat. I have no shame.

Florianstrap and Alexanderstrap SIRS who gave you the right to do this???

 Pirate Munkustrap just being so lecherous 😅😅

 Dominik comes out with all guns blazing and does not turn it off the whole time. He is bombastic, charismatic, chaotic, sexual, and absolute Rock Star. His Tugger isn’t as cuddly as Alex Snova’s, but he constantly interacts with all the cats. Also very involved with the audience! Tons of fun to watch.

Munk is really concerned when Tugger comes out—he waves Bombalurina away and tries to clear everyone out before he escapes to the tire. He doesn’t seem to mind too much though! He’s watchful but not disapproving, and by the end is leaning forward on his seat and wiggling with everyone else when Tugger runs past him XD

 Munkustrap does NOT LIKE Grizabella at ALL. He doesn’t actively pull anyone away from her, but inserts himself aggressively between Griz and the other Cats—including Demeter. Poor Carbucketty is again tossed toward Griz by Plato and Bill Bailey—he really doesn’t want to touch the creepy lady. All three of them get hissed at by Munk, who also hissed at Grizabella. The whole situation is making him extremely unhappy.

 The main comment I have about Bustopher (besides the adorableness of Carbucketty and Bill Bailey playing with his fuzzy spats), is that I was too busy watching Aulerstrap the rest of the cats and didn’t notice that Bustopher was exiting right next to be when HE POKED ME WITH HIS SPOON!!!!! Ahhhh! It was GREAT. I waved back and he gave me a nod.

 Misto is sent to get Old D and also goes right past me (this seat is the BEST when it comes to cat interaction!) while Munkustrap once again casts his spell singing Old Deuteronomy. Dominik starts singing in a low, warm voice totally different to his “Tugger” voice. Munkustrap stops, surprised--tilts his head, looks to the side with his eyes as he listens to Tugger singing ... but not being his usual chaotic self. He runs over as Tugger sings, sings his part (With that High Note and he smiiiiiiles when he sings it and my HEART) and then Tugger joins in and they are SO SWEET TOGETHER! Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer are super excited when Tugger appears and try to cheer, but Munk shuts them up—Tugger is being SERIOUS for once and this is Not the Time!

 Old D appears next to me!! He waves and nods to the audience as he enters on the right-hand side.

 Pekes and Pollicles is again So much Fun!! Watching Munk standing there with his arms out directing the barks and then gesturing for them to Bark Louder!! will never not be adorable 😭😭 He is SO excited guys! He leaps around the stage with a big smile!

 Dominick Tugger remembers how to play the bagpipes and gets everyone dancing. Munkustrap doesn’t mind too much—he is still smiling.

 Another Macavity scare! Munkustrap kindly crawls all the way up to the stage to see if Macavity is in the audience. Jellicle Ball is once again SO beautiful and incredibly fun and I cannot get over these dancers! Nick Li once again very proudly shows off his Victoria. He is the cutest Admetus, I swear. I want to pinch his cheeks!! The man next to me stretches out his arm at the end of the Ball and gets paws and big smiles in return.  Time for intermission.

 OK. SO. PEOPLE.

 Moments of Happiness. Is, uh, appropriately named?

 I was sad I was on the other side of the stage this time but NEVER AGAIN.

 During Moments of Happiness Alexanderstrap, elegant and unhurried, stretches out in front of us. (And That Makeup absolutely glows in the Moonlit stage light) He proceeds with his beautiful Cat Face to unashamedly and deliberately hold our gaze in turn. Looks absolutely and directly into my eyes. The small little facial movements and head tilts. Sweet, secretive Cat expression. So completely feline. His gaze is so beautiful. I cannot look away. He sits there for SO LONG. He is lovely during that song—just the slightest, delicate movements and expressions—not in the least aggressive like some of the cats—gentle, but direct—incredibly feline. I could not even blink—I was just spellbound.

 “Moonlight” where everyone begins to sing and then stands up to look is my favorite part of the show 🥺🥺🥺

 Gus comes out and my heart starts beating again XD

 OK so I have a fantastic view of the Raffish Crew this time and oh my god they are so much fun to watch XD

 Pirate Aulerstrap has them most lecherous look on his face the whole time. Including at Growltiger XD. I think Pirate Munk may have a bit of Stockholm syndrome, poor baby!

 Dominick Tugger has a Thing for Griddlebone but that’s ok. Munk thinks she’s cute too. Let’s go bring her down together!

 (Dominick Tugger is also smol so Pirate Munk carries her on his shoulder by himself with Tugger kind of tagging along)

 Someone come rescue these babies please!

 Munkustrap is extremely nervous when the False Deut shows up—he can tell something is Not Right, and tries to keep the kittens away.

 He leaps away and to the top of the set when Macavity appears, but when Macavity starts to drag Demeter away, he jumps right back down and have a Confrontation. Once again these guys 100% commit to this fight with everything they’ve got. Munkustrap is desperately trying to get the kittens to back away while fighting, but Rumpelteazer is distraught and crawls up to him, which is when Macavity jumps.

 Also may I say how impressed I am that the actors playing Munk, Macavity, and Alonzo are able to bear the weight and/or each lift a full-grown man??

Munkustrap is down, Alonzo is down, but MUNGOJERRIE STANDS UP, which is when the rest of the tribe is finally able to drive him away. The lights go out and it is LOUD. And all is dark.

 The Cats are not impressed when Tugger appears to talk up Misto, but Tugger persists and engages Cats and audience.

Mistoffelees’ entrance is so great guys!! He comes down from the sky like the Diva he is, sparkling bright and turns all the lights on with a flourish! The costume and light up jacket look fantastic!! Stephen Martin Allan is such a fun and talented Misto. Sassy, sparkly boy! The crystals on the Misto costume are gorgeous under the stage lights. 11/10 recommend!

 Tugger has a ton of fun with the Cats and the audience as Misto’s hype man, and gets everyone clapping during the conjuring turns!

Misto gently narrows the spotlight and gently blows the lights away (still my favorite part 😭), and goes up to Old Deuteronomy. Jemima appears to sing that it is Time, and Munkustrap gets to Talk for the first time in the second Act.  But just as all the Cats are reaching for Old Deuteronomy Grizabella appears to break up the party. Tugger gets right up in her face and hisses at her, and everyone scatters away.

 Just love the moment when Grizabella falls and all the cats reach forward for her 🥺🥺🥺

 Up, Up, Up Past the Jellicle Moon and it’s time to cry again as Munkustrap leads all the cats in a full pose bow to Grizabella as she and Old D ascend.

 WARNING WARNING WARNING AULERSTRAP SIMPING AHEAD

 How do I love him?

Can we talk about his rich, beautiful voice? And wonderful projection and enunciation? I am also putting a note in her about Florian��s Fetterle’s Munkustrap, who was *phenomenal* in his singing and acting. U.S. Tour you know I adore all of you, but the Munkustraps in this production are just at another level of experience.

I was not prepared for was seeing Auler’s Munkustrap in person, and the movement and physicality that goes with it. He has such a powerful, yet incredibly gentle and kind presence, and moves with controlled grace. Besides Old Deuteronomy he is the tallest of the cats, and there are times he just LEAPS up around the stage! Like most of the cats, he is ON 100%--every movement precise and graceful, constantly shifting facial expressions, and he uses his EYES. I was NOT prepared for the way he uses his face during this show. His Munkustrap is above all incredibly protective and concerned for every member of his tribe. He is absolutely the Prince of the Jellicles. Just beautiful to watch—I could not take my eyes off him!

 I’ve always loved his Munkustrap, but seeing him in person I am just fathoms deep in appreciation. I could watch him forever.

 (Will this be the end of the Alexanderstrap simping? Sorry folks it will never end)

[jelliclekay]

Cats 4/14/2022 in Roanoke, Virginia: My Thoughts and Review!

So, Roanoke itself is about 5.5 hour drive from me. It's a big longer than I'm comfortable driving, especially since I am unable to stay overnight in a hotel in the area due to work stuff. However, with it being so close to my birthday AND knowing this would be my last chance to see the current cast live, I decided to make the drive out.

I had two friends agree to go, one being my best friend who knows nothing about Cats but likes musicals, and another friend who not only loves Cats, but is literally named after Victoria the White Cat. I'll add their reviews at the end!

Act 1

Right away, the second Nick appeared on stage, someone in the audience shouted "FUCK YEAH MUNKUSTRAP" I knew at this moment I was in for a good time.

During Jellicle Songs, my best friend leaned over to me and went "Am I supposed to know what Jellicle means?" I know it isn't part of the show but it made me laugh anyways

The Naming of Cats is much better live. It's one of my least favorite songs/moments in 98, but seeing it live is such a different experience.

Hyla was amazing during the White Cat Solo! When I went to see the show in January, I saw a lot of swings and Gracie was on as Victoria at that one. She was great, but it was such a joy to see the primary cast.

The Rum Tum Tugger is always fun. Obviously, I'm bias here but the energy Zach puts out in his Tugger performances is next level. He got the entire audience roaring. Also, every time he interacted with Misto and Bombalurina I was living!

Lauren during Grizabella almost made me cry. You can tell her portrayal of Demeter is a Demeter who still cares so much for Griz, and seeing her reach out to her and then force herself away from her just made my heart hurt.

Bustopher Jones. My best friend leaned over to me and went "big chungus cat." That's all.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer! I saw Allison and she was incredible. Her Rumpleteazers were so cheeky, and her and Max have great chemistry! Also the double cartwheel is back! The audience cheered super loud as they did it too.

Old Deuteronomy. I saw Nick Munk, and he really reminds me of Gruberstrap. He plays Munk a bit more seriously than Devon did, and him and Zach sound phenomenal together.

The Jellicle Ball! It's always so good. Tugger and Bombalurina danced a lot during it, which of course made me really happy. Also seeing Grizabella in the back attempting to dance along with them but being unable to hurt a lot.

Act 2

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer showed up late for the Moments of Happiness and got a stern look from Old Deut

Brianna Kim's Sillabub voice is honestly adorable. She embodies such a childlike wonder in her singing and I loved it (and so did my best friend, she complimented Sillabub so much after the show)

Gus! Okay, here's the part I really wanted to talk about. The other performance I went too, the audience was silent all through Gus. This audience, however? Wow. Every little gag and joke Jelly and Gus did had the audience laughing. And the Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles was phenomenal. You could tell John could feel the energy of the audience, and he went all out during Pekes and the Pollicles. It was an absolute riot and I'm so glad I got to see Gus and Jelly get the applause they deserve.

Skimbleshanks! So happy I got to see Chris' Skimble. He radiates JOY.

Macavity. GOD, do Lauren and Chelsea sound incredible together. Chelsea's Bombalurina kills me, her voice is so smoky and deep and also she's hot. Lauren also is obviously inspired by Aeva May in her Demeter portrayal, which I love because Aeva May's Demeter is the blueprint.

Mr. Mistoffelees! What else can I add that hasn't been said- Paul and Zach kill it everytime. Paul clearly loves being in Cats and being Mr. Mistoffelees and you can see it in his dancing and facial expressions how happy he is.

Memory. Probably a moment I will never forget. Taylor Harris' singing is amazing, and right before she belted the climax, me and my friend who knows Cats just held on to each other and sobbed.

The Ad-Dressing of Cats is one of my favorite songs in the world, and they all sounded amazing and I have to give shout out to the booth singers because I know we have them to thank for making the final of the musical as magical as it is!

My best friend who knew nothing about Cats came out of it really liking it! She said it isn't in her top musicals, but she had a deep appreciation for the work the cast puts into their singing and dancing. Also hrt favorite cats are Sillabub and Skimbleshanks.

That's all I have! Sorry for the ramblings- I had some issues with the way the orchestra rushed certain parts, but my criticisms are so miniscule. The show was phenomenal and I'm so glad I got to see this cast live one more time!

[cassandra-has-moonlit-eyes]

Cats Vienna 28.04.2022 (Misto Focus)

I think I haven’t written much about Mistoffelees in the Vienna Revival till now and the main reason is, that for a long time I couldn’t read him, because i was too focused on what I know about him and not about what the actor was actually portraying.

I think that most of the fandom would agree that Mistoffelees is the most popular character (next to Tugger). What I’ve seen he has the most fanart, the most ships and the most different interpretations and headcanons. And I always went into theatre with all that in mind but I would say Vienna Misto doesn’t really fit what I read about him before so this time I just went and said, let’s forget everything I’ve read before and just LOOK at the character. How is he portrayed? And I think I found a reading for him for Vienna with which I’m quite conent now. My confusion about him is over.

I would say Mistoffelees (today played by Allan) is the second coming of age character in the Vienna Revival next to Victoria.

In early production, to my understanding, Misto was played quite competitive and confident. Then Misto was aged down over the years. In Vienna he is played as young adult, I would say, closer in age to Carbucketty, Victoria, Electra, Bill Bailey than to for example Tugger or Bombalurina. He is not shy but he is also not an “attention whore”.

In the first act I would discribe his function as “Munkustrap’s little helper” and as imitator of the older cats. With big enthusiasm and joy he participates in the numbers of the various cats. He helps Munkustrap with the Gumbie Cat and is tap dancing with the Gumbie Trio later. In Tugger’s number he has his line, looks offended at Tugger when he touches him and then tries to awkwardly flirt (?) with him by shooting a finger gun at him (like all the other’s are doing, I mean the flirting part). He then vanishes to a higher point on the stage, where the last couple of times I went he usually imitates Tugger by playing “tail guitarre” and swirling his tail around.

During Grizabella he just sits in the brackground and does nothing or maybe he observes how the other cats react to her. Until Bustopher Jones comes on stage. He sprints to the front, points to Bustopher so Munkustrap and Jenny see him and the song can start. He is also very eager that the other cats behave (usually he cleans Alonzo when they are all standing in a row and I’m like: Why you cleaning Alonzo, he is propably the neatest of them all, he is cleaning himself 24/7, the trash goblins are on your other side, clean them).

Mistoffelees is the one who goes to collect Old Deut and he is also very eager to participate in the Pekes and Pollicles and annoyed at Tugger disturbing the play. All in all he doesn’t seem to like when thinks don’t go as planned

When we look at the first act up to now, Mistoffelees is different to the other cats his age: Instead of making chaos happen he tries to help Munkustrap with keeping things in order. He doesn’t try to touch Grizabella (later even tries to drive her away). I would say he tries to impress but also imitate the older cats.

To me it seems a little bit like he on one hand wants to please them and be liked by them and on the other hand he is just a teenager/young adult trying different things that his community has to offer: tap dancing, theatre, cleaning (very improtant), cleaning Alonzo (not so important because that cat is clean). He loves and admires the adult cats and aspires to be like them. He even tries Tugger’s Rock Star Persona by imitating him.

So far so good.

The Ball: My obsession. Mistoffelees has following line during the Ball: “Wir zeigen uns von unserer besten Seite.” Which translates to: “We show ourselves from our best side“ (I don’t know if you can say that in english: maybe “we are on our best behaviour” would be a better translation) and that is exactly what he has been doing for the first act: He has been on his best behaviour hepling the older cats with their performances and helping keeping order.

During the Jellicle Ball he mostly dances with Carbucketty cause Carbucketty is the Mistoffelees understudy and also a dancer. That is not important to my character reading in this text but I still will write a little bit about it. If you are interested on what the ball looks like in Vienna i think this version is closest to how vienna is doing it.

During the ball Mistoffelees also has the chance to show his light magic for the first time. He moves his hands and the light starts to flicker shortly efore the head shake part. It’s an reaction to Grizabella.

So act two. 

During the Moments of Happiness Misto is sitting near to Old Deut and doing next to nothing, same for Gus. He then plays one of the pirates (as pirate he is neat and I think a little bit scared of Growltiger because sometimes he tries to hide and Mungojerrie has to shove him back in Growltiger’s direction).

During Skimbleshanks he is back on his first act behaviour. He is helping Skimble with his number, is on his best behaviour, holding the light in front of the train. After Skimble he vanishes. I’m not sure when he leaves exactly but I think it is before Macavity appears, the reason being he has to change and get on top of the stage for his entrance later.

So Macavity happens.

Mr. Mistoffelees starts. 

Tugger sings and Misto comes up from above the stage. It is completly dark, he is the only one that can be seen until he says PRRRRRRESTO (he really roles the R) and the light comes back on. The song continues. Misto seems confident, he is smiling and dancing (not singing), playing with the light and showing smaller “tricks” to Rumpleteazer. He also does that trick where he “controls” Victoria and Electra. He seems confident enough with everything he does.

After his dance solo he usually gets a lot of applaus. He always seems a little bit embarrassed and even modest about his dancing skills. For a long time I thought it was a reaction by the actor to the audience but now I think it’s an in character reaction (Gus also reacts to the audience in character). He really isn’t completly confident in his dancing (which symbolises his magic abilities). He knows he is good, but he doesn’t believe that he is THAT good.

Then there is the scene where he brings Old Deut back. It is played uncertain, I would say. Neither him nor the other cats are sure if he will succeed. He sometimes looks to Tugger and Tugger is like “do it, just do it”. When Misto takes off the red cloth he faces torward the audience and away from Old Deut. The song continues quite slow and calm, nearly sad and because he doesn’t look back and only hears Tugger sing, he thinks he failed. 

He looks quite sad and disappointed. In this moment Coricopat and Tantomile who are sitting infront of him, usually comfort him and encourage him to look back. When he does he is the happiest ball of sunshine. He jumps at Old Deut and hugs him.

He is really happy, he can’t believe that he made it. And after that he has his full confidence. All the self doubt he had before is gone. (It seems a little bit inspired by the 2019 Movie but it’s still nothing alike). After Old Deut. is back and everybody is dancing around Misto he always seems so happy to me.

Vienna Misto isn’t shy. He is uncertain about his abilities I would say, as are the other cats but he proves himself by the end of his song. At the beginning of the play he knows how to imitate others and how to participate in their numbers. He knows how to behave to get the respect especially from the adult cats. He helps where he can and is happy to do so. He is not a competitative character here.

His own number seems like him doing what he does best: Helping to keep the order and the ball running. But instead of doing so by imitating the others, like for.ex Munkustrap, Tugger, the Gumbie Trio, a train, (Alonzo’s cleaning habits), he does so with his very own abilities, with his magic. By succeeding in bringing Old Deut back he loses his doubts and becomes more confident.

While older versions of Misto started out being very confident and competitive I think for Vienna Misto this is more the end goal (not in a bad way). This is where he propably is at the end of his character development.  

Mistoffelees is a deus ex machina character (or more like daimon ex machina). His narrative function is to bring Old Deut back so the play can come to an end. In Vienna he still has some sort of character arc. He stops imitating the others and finds his own style in a way and by doing so he is of even more help to the tribe. So his motivation stays the same but his way of achieving it changed.

[sevenkittensinatrenchcoat]

Misto’s Mating Dance Partners

Because the White Cat Lift AKA Mating Dance scene of the Jellicle Ball focuses mainly on Victoria and whoever she’s dancing with, what’s going on in the background is often ignored. But, there’s a clear pattern. The other cats pair off, go to the edges of the stage, forming a circle around Victoria and Her Man. They then do...whatever. There don’t seem to be official rules for what the pairs do, so some of them nap, some of the stare out into space, some of them cuddle...

And some of them blatantly fuck.

This scene is often called the Cat Orgy because of the blatant fucking that often occurs. So, you can watch the characters, see who pairs up with who and whether or not they fuck. Because Misto is my favorite character and one of the easiest to identify in even low-quality bootlegs, I went and watched him during this scene in every production in my bootleg collection.

Part One: Failure

In several of the older productions, I couldn’t see anything. Bootleggers and professionals alike tended to zoom in on Victoria and Her Man and stay there for most of the scene. Mexico 1991 mainly did this. Also, Vienna, with its Dark Voids and Weird Editing Choices was impossible to decipher.

Among the newer productions, Madrid was lost to Weird Editing Choices. Most of the dance wasn’t even visible! There were long close ups on Old Deuteronomy and Grizabella doing nothing when they should have been filming Victoria and Plato doing Something. It wasn’t even like they were distracted by an interesting background event. They just held the camera on characters who weren’t doing anything other than Reacting Slightly.

Part Two: Mistoria

Paris and Zurich paired Misto with Victoria for the Mating Dance. There was a slightly different dynamic with Misto and Victoria than there is when Plato or Tumblebrutus is Victoria’s Man. When Plato or Tumble, the most common choices for this part, approach Victoria, they’re awkward, but they still sort of take the lead. Victoria comes across as a bit shy at first, but she quickly gets into it. In the Mistoria versions, Misto is far more nervous approaching and often jumps back startled after touching Victoria. It feels like Victoria takes the lead in these versions, turning her back and basically being like “lift me”. Zurich Misto in particular is practically freaking out and the lift is kind of bizarre to watch because he looks so tiny!

Part Three: You’d Think Misto/Cassandra Would Be a Bigger Ship

Broadway-based productions, which paired Alonzo with Demeter, seemed to love pairing Misto with Cassandra for the Mating Dance. Troika and Buenos Aires did this and they did it in the same way. Misto and Cassandra practically have a dance of their own, performing the same motions when paired together. Usually, these pairs tend to seem like they’re improvising a little, but this specific couple has its own choreography.

The idea to pair Misto and Cassandra most likely comes from Misto later choosing Cassandra as his “lovely assistant” when he brings back Old Deuteronomy. In most productions, they don’t have much interaction outside of that. In Troika, Cassandra is also one of the cats who sometimes stands in for Coricopat and Tantomile, who were cut. Coricopat and Tantomile’s twin stuff was given to Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, while a lot of their psychic moments were given to either Demeter or Cassandra. So, in Troika, Misto and Cassandra are both mystical cats of some sort, which brings them together, because it’s something other cats don’t get.

I’m not super into this ship, because I generally don’t ship Misto with women, but the implications of the pairing in the Troika version are interesting.

Part Four: Lonely Misto

Hamburg, The German Tent Tour, and probably Moscow didn’t pair Misto with anyone. He just sat by himself. In Hamburg, there was a reason for this. Just like how Buenos Aires and Troika gave Misto’s role of fetching Old Deuteronomy to Skimble, Hamburg has a Mistotable instead of a Skimbletable.

I probably should’ve listed Moscow as a failure, but I’m still not sure what happened there.

The German Tent Tour just has Misto sitting by himself. He crawls to the Cuddle Pile, does a handstand, and no one cares.

But, the German Tent Tour shows signs of being part of a trend. While earlier, Broadway-based shows liked pairing Misto and Cassandra, newer productions never seem sure who to pair him with, so you have this scene of a lonely Misto surrounded by happy, horny straight couples and looking a bit out of place. This was probably unintentional, but it gives Misto an extra layer of gay coding.

Part Five: More Recent Stuff That Doesn’t Fit in the Other Categories

The 2013 UK Tour does something a bit interesting. Misto just sort of naps during the Mating Dance, but Carbucketty, who’s been following him around and imitating his dance moves for the past few minutes, lies down to nap at his feet. They don’t really interact and they’re barely touching, but it still counts as a pair. This is the closest I’ve gotten to finding a version where Misto’s paired with a tom. Of course, compared to most of the straight couples in any version of this scene, there is no horniness to be found. So, they’re two bros napping next to each other, but not quite cuddling ‘cause they’re not gay :(

Also I think Carbucketty might’ve ditched Misto for Rumpleteazer at the last second. We can never have nice things.

The Broadway Revival, having different choreography and staging for most of the Jellicle Ball is interesting in the way the Broadway Revival is usually interesting (kind of frustrating tbh). In the new choreography, everything from Bomba’s solo through the Mating Dance is basically one scene. Some queens dance, even more queens join them, a bunch of toms show up and pair up with them, the Boys Ballet and Whirlygigs are replaced with a romantic dance, everyone takes a hit of moonlight and things start to resemble other productions a bit more from there.

Because the pairs pair up quickly and stay together for a long time, it’s easy to see all of them. Only most of the cast is paired up, but I can identify, Tugger/Bomba, Munk/Demeter, Alonzo/Cassandra, Skimble/Jenny, Plato/Victoria, Coricopat/Tantomile (why do the siblings always stay together for the horny scenes?), Mungojerrie/Rumpleteazer (they’re probably not siblings in this version, so they get a pass), Pouncival/Electra, and Carbucketty/Sillabub.

Jellylorum, Tumblebrutus, and Mistoffelees are absent. They’re offstage until the Mating Dance properly starts. I have no idea where Tumblebrutus went, but this isn’t about him. Tugger crawls past Misto and they almost interact before Tugger leaves with Bomba. Jellylorum pairs up with Misto, presumably because neither one could find an actually date.

Now, the actress who played Jellylorum in this production has said in interviews that she played Jellylorum as the same age as Tugger. (The actors are besties irl so they made their characters besties too). So, this isn’t quite as weird as if feels when you first read it. Everyone’s the same age in this show, except for the kittens. Electra, Sillabub, and Pouncival were played as literal children in every scene but this one, because no one can escape the cat orgy (except Tumblebrutus, for some reason). But, unlike in 1998, which featured a lot of crack pairings during this scene (Tugger/Jenny, anyone?), pretty much every pairing in the 2016 orgy is the most obvious pairing possible. Anyone who didn’t have an obvious opposite gender counterpart was given one, except for Misto, Jelly, and Tumble. They could’ve brought back Peter (renamed Asparagus) from the opening to be Jelly’s obvious pairing, and then just had Tumble nap on Misto’s feet like 2013 Carbucketty, but they didn’t.

The result is that they created a bunch of comphet pairings but simply couldn’t do so for Misto. All his usual comphet pairing were taken. Cassandra’s with Alonzo and Victoria’s with Plato. Knowing that Tyler Hanes and Ricky Ubeda both shipped Tuggoffelees, they probably didn’t want to do the comphet thing either. Up until this point, this production had actually downplayed Tugger/Bomba, compared to other versions and added Tugger/Misto moments. I think, if it’d been allowed, Tugger and Misto would’ve been paired up there. Bomba can be like 1998, not having her usual partner and just going with whoever’s not paired up, which would be Tumblebrutus this time. Peter could be there for Jelly. Everyone’s happy!

But seriously, Gay Misto Mating Dance Scene when? Somebody get on that. People already find the horniness in Cats to be weird and adding gay horniness won’t make much of a difference.

[pack-the-pack]

Hi there, how's going?

So, I noticed your last posts about CATS and (I'll add here that it's fantastic to have found another fan of that beautiful musical) I wanted to know, do you have any headcanon about the Jellicle's Tribe in an omegaverse?

Like the cats helping each others with the kits and those who suffered and could use some help (like Demeter and her past with MaCavity) or the couples that got cut in some version like Griddlebone and Growltiger in the song about them that, if I remember correctly, is not in most version of the musical

I once made a post about which dynamics every Jellicle was, here you go and I also have a list of Cats headcanons I have, also right here. A lot of the headcanons don't change even as Omegaverse is involved or not. But boy I love having A/B/O jellicles.

- I headcanons that Mistofeelees is the most fertile of all the Omegas in the junkyard. It's no joke when they said "he pulled seven kittens right out of a hat", this boy's womb works overtime, and Tugger couldn't be more thrilled.

- Plato is very awkward while courting Victoria. Since Victoria is mute, he can't get a response right away of whether or not she completely enjoys what he's doing or just being polite (specially cause she kind of likes to mess with him in this regard because she enjoys keeping him on his toes, and play hard to get). But one day she kisses his cheek after he read a very terribly written poem to her. So he got less anxious and insecure and pursued her with more confidence.

- Even tho Jenny is the Omega grandma, she's more strict than Jelly. She is always on top of the Kittens and young Toms for them to do their homework, clean their rooms, don't play with food, sit properly, don't back talk your elders. The kittens are much more afraid of her than of Jelly.

- The Omega kittens (Etcetera, Jemima and Victoria) Always make a collective huge nest whenever Electra is down. They pull her into it, give her snacks and always put her favorite tv shows and movies. They scent her and groom her and just want to make sure their friend/sister is all right.

- Coricopat can court better than an Alpha. He just has this way with words, and he always knows what to do and when to do it (maybe cause he's psychic). So when he courts Exotica, she feels like the Queeniest Queen to ever Queen. The other Omegas and Betas are very jealous of them.

- Tugger technically is good at courting, most of what he'd do would work with any Omega or Beta. But he fell out of his horse when it came to Misto, because he's such a mysterious and fickle cat. He wouldn't be impressed by the gifts, Tugger trying to be smooth and seductive while gallivanting around caused no reaction or interest from Misto, and his singing about frivolous things and surface level compliments to Misto just made him bored. It was only when Tugger started to dig a little deeper on himself and started being vulnerable and ACTUALLY trying to show an interest on how Misto was really like past his appearance and powers that Misto started to give him a chance.

- Meanwhile Mangojerrie and Munkustrap SUCK at courting. They'll both give wack gifts (Jerrie gives completely useless gifts while Munk gives gifts that are too practical and not romantic at all). They don't know how to communicate properly, like Jerrie will just make terrible jokes and be oblivious of the other person's reactions and just keep going with what he thinks is surely working, while Munk will be very awkward, say stuff that can be misconstrued as offensive or insulting, and then just stumble into his words trying to fix it only to make it even worse. Difference is Jerrie thinks he's doing great while Munk thinks he's hopeless and the person he's courting hates him now. Neither of which is true.

-Teazer at fist competed against Plato for Victoria. She'd make snide remarks and make fun of Plato's attempts of impressing her. It was mean, but some of the jokes would make Victoria laugh, so she took it as if Victoria agreed with her and wouldn't want Plato. Unfortunetly for her Victoria DID choose Plato. Teazer stayed days in her nest, only cuddling and crying on Jerrie, who wouldn't leave her side until she was calmer.

- Pouncival and Tumblebrutus are two bros chilling in a hot tub. They both wanna court one another and be mates, but they don't know how to go about it. Since they're both Alphas they don't really know what the appropriate way of doing things would be, and they're still a bit conflicted about the whole thing altogether. They end up beating around the bush for the longest time, until Electra gets fed up and just goes "for the love of god can you kiss already and go out? this is getting ridiculous!".

- Old Deuteronomy loves scenting, but most of all he loves being scented. The cats are always forming a line whenever he comes just to have the opportunity to scent him and hug him and tell him that he's the best Pack Alpha ever and that they love him. He has the deepest warmest rumble too. The kittens love to hug him whenever it happens.

- Macavity's scent is so overpowering and fowl that it makes people a bit dizzy and sick. it reeks of rage, malice and evil.

Hum I think these are all the ones at the top of my head, if I come up with more I'll post them later. I hope you enjoyed ^^ And feel free to talk to me more about Cats, that'd be delightful.

[jelliclewhiskers]

Part one of me liveblogging this recording of the Mexico 1991 production of Cats !

It gives us the overture, but the recording skips Jellicle Songs. Sad to miss that but this Munk could totally grow on me. I think he will. His headfur is so fluffy!!!! His voice is also very good.

No Misto gag for the start of Gumbie Cat

All of the Gumbie Trio have such fluffy headfur too. Munk again didn't flinch when Jenny plucked some of his fur.

Look at this rascal beetle— cute ! I'm lovong this production already. Ooooh, and its the older instrumental vesion of Gumbie Cat. Should've expected this as a given but I like it.

For she's a jolly good fe-eellow!

IT JUST CUT TO TUGGER TARAZAN SWINGING INTO THE SCENE THIS IS WILD

Several cats, including Quaxo/Misto sung the Terrible Bore line

RIP Bomba taking that fall. Tugger has entered the crowd and is dancing with some poor audience member, but they seem happy so. Who could blame them?

Loving how he struts his stuff. That little chuckle was quite something.

He has entered the crowd to antagonize another member real quick

Here comes Grizabella to ruin his show again 🙄 Munk is instantly doing the Stance at her. Vic is shooed off from touching her, and other Jellicles play mean little tricks as Griz reaches for them. Her voice is strong though

Demeter looks cool, and so does this Griz. This production is unlike the usual with the designs because of the headfur especially.

Bomba lightly grooms Demeter's shoulder before signing with her.

Quaxoffelees is excited to see Bustopher, who is wearing an interesting hat and twirling a cane. He sits on the side of a guitar.

Okay, this Misto? Really cute. I've decided to switch between using Quaxo, Misto, and Quaxoffelees to refer to him. He's so excited !

Bustopher just bapped a cat trying to touch him with his cane.

Cats are scrabbling over him to the side before lining up for him

Bustopher kissed some happy queen's paw, who in return purred in delight. I think it was Jellylorum.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer!!!! Rumple's laugh

Oh they're devious rascals. Not the older and more sister version of the song as I was expecting. A mix of some interesting pauses in the song though

THEY HAVE ENTERED THE AUDIENCE AND ARE BEING RASCALS

Back to the stage for them. I think they're a couple in this production? Hard to tell. Rumple shoved him down to say her name after him, LOL

And there's nothing at all to be done about that!

They're being chased off by the cats, but their bags of loot were thrown to them this time, which they caught.

Munk sings the "I believe it is Old Deuteronomy" line, I think, and sends off some Jelllicle (Skimble?) to get him instead of Misto.

I'm sold on this Munk.

Tugger is being gentle when signing about Deut. They're getting along well it seems. Love seeing them work together.

In comes Deuteronomy! I think they're using a different name for him. Tugger did a very respectful bow to his fluffy highness.

Happy kitties running about! Before there's a loud crash and it all goes dark. First Macavity Scare. I think they're skipping Pekes and Pollicles to put it in Act II.

Sillabub/Jemima and Victoria are so pretty, especially Jemima.

I want more Misto shots.

Jellilcle Ball time. My favorite part, alongside all other songs in the musical. Munk is dancing woth turm a bit.

Misto does his leg thing and gets some spotlight :] I love that

Demeter has come to spice things up with some queens before Misto and Pouncival (?) mellow things out again. Apparently Deut was in the audience for a minute, lots of audience interaction, and I'm living for it.

Victoria being the pretty Spirit of Cats right before the Pas de Deux stsrts. She's paired with Plato I think? Can't tell, but it's beautiful. I can't make out who's with who, but Munk is watching at Deut's side as always.

Second half of the Ball begins :D Griz is watching from a corner

Butt wiggles

Camera gives us a nice shot of the Jellicle Moon before panning out again. Very cool. Thank you

This part of the musical always gets me hyped up, it's my favorite @##@

Guitar going at it for the instrumentals, really liking them here. As well as the brass. I love how memorable this part always is. This production is really worth watching.

When people talk about the spectacle of Cats, this has to be one of those examples.

Final pounce towards the audience!

Recording cuts to Gus being brought in. I'll continue this in a second post.

@eh-dot-dot-dot

[0zzysaurus]

Character ask: ya boy

Of course 💖💖

Favourite thing about him: I love Jerrie’s personality and also all the different costume designs. Not so much his non-replica outfits - (aren’t many that I like), but I’m a big fan of his La Mirada costume (the makeup especially) and also US Tour 4. The 98 costume is also perfection as well.

Least favourite thing: when he’s played with an American accent 🤢 I don’t mind if they aren’t singing in English because at that point it’s not noticeable for me - but him and Teaze are supposed to be lil Cockney creatures 🥺🥺 you don’t get that from their American counterparts. This is more of an issue I have with Teazer than Jerrie, but it stands regardless.

Favourite line: the cut verse from 98 where Drew says girls like “giws” … it’s all I’ve ever wanted from a Mungojerrie was to hear him say it that way, and I think it cured some of my problems when I first heard it. It also gave me more problems in the form of In Love With Mungojerrie Brainworms which are unfortunately not going away anytime soon

brOTP: Jerrie and Misto!! They get up to different types of mischief and trickery, but sneaky little bastards stick together 🪄

OTP: Mungoteazer because I’m basic 💖 I also am partial to a sprinkling of Munkujerrie or Mungocavity depending on what I’m writing. I also feel like at this point I should just make my jelliclesona or something and start shipping Jerrie with myself 🙄. Yes, I am obsessed 💅

nOTP: Basically him with any of the younger kittens really doesn’t sit well with me at all, since I don’t see him as a kitten myself. Also I consider him to be Etcetera’s brother-in-law, and a sort of parental/protective/teaching figure to Tumble, Pounce, Electra, and especially Jemima - so pairing him with any of them just feels off for me, at least in the context of my primary headcanons and AUs.

Random headcanon: Depending on what headcanon or AU I’m using, Jerrie is either a trans Tortoiseshell or an XXY Klinefelter’s Tortoiseshell. I also have Klinefelter’s affect him in the ways it affects cats, so shorter lifespan, weaker bones, infertility etc. - not how it affects humans. He’s also a runt, but he made it to adulthood so good for him!! (And no, Turtle, I’m not going to eat him - do I LOOK like Tugger to you?)

Unpopular opinion: uhhhhhhmmmm… I don’t really think I have any?? Maybe that when he’s on his own he can be quite shy and easily spooked by things, but he gains a lot of confidence from his friends/family, which is why with Teazer he’s extremely outgoing. I think most people just have him pinned down as always being very extroverted, but I’m not sure if that’s entirely the case.

Song I associate with them: Parklife - Blur, Colors on the Walls - Foster the People, I have a whole playlist so I might post that some time 💖💖

Favourite Picture(s):

💖💖💖 I HAVE SO MANY FAVOURITES I CAN’T FIT THEM ALL HERE 💖💖💖

[rainbowratsstuff]

Here’s my little Mistoffelees fic I talked about if anyone wants to read it. 

Kittens....

Tumblebrutus was shouting at the top of his voice as he chased Electra in, what Mistoffelees assumed and hoped, was tag. Etcetera was loudly jabbering on and on to Tugger about who knows what, and Jemima was yelling to Tumble and Electra as she raced to join in their game after having a bath from her mother.

Mistoffelees watched all of this from on top of the pipe, frowning ever so slightly, his ears lowering back and one paw on his tail, stroking the smooth black fur.

What was it about kittens? Why did so many couples want to get there?....and how could they stand all that noise all day long?

But it wasn’t that Misto hated kittens, not at all. It's just....kittens were best in small doses, at least for Mistoffelees.

He loved when they all excitedly sat around him to watch his magic or volunteered to be a part of it, like his famous seven kittens out of a hat trick. He wasn’t unkind to them (at least he really hoped) and nor were they to him. There was nothing wrong with any of them.

He just could not for the life of him see the appeal in raising kittens, being with them every day. He couldn’t stand to be around that loudness that mess, that energy, that constant need for attention. Every. Single. Day.

He turned his gaze toward Tugger, still entertaining Etcetera. He was pretty good with kittens; good at playing games with them and making them feel better....things Mistoffelees sometimes struggled with in his awkwardness.

Mistoffelees lightly ran his claws over his long tail.

Did Tugger want his own kittens? Did he want the two of them to raise them together?....did Tugger wish Mistoffelees wanted kittens like he did-

Jemima had slipped and fallen in her pursuit of Tumblebrutus and Electra, landing on something hard and rough by the sound of it. Munkustrap and Demeter were instantly at her side, Tugger with Etcetera not far behind.

 Mistoffelees sat up in alarm and worry, trying to see the hurt kitten between her parents. Was she okay? She must be with all these cats to help. But then she started crying.

The crying.

Mistoffelees ears pressed flat against his head, aided by his paws holding them down. That had to be one of the worst sounds ever evolved , and Mistoffelees just couldn't handle it. It made him want to dig his claws in and tear his ears right off.

 Pouncival was...different, and Mistoffelees knew what it was like to be the different one. But Pouncival never looked like he ever saw it that way, infact he seemed completely and totally delighted by practically everything.

 She was going to be fine, right? It was okay if he...stepped back?...they didn’t need him...hopefully.

He dropped down to the dusty floor and quickly slid into the pipe he had been previously sitting on top of. He curled himself into a ball, his tail wrapping around his legs, and rocked steadily.

The crying ended soon enough. Not a long one thankfully. Mistoffelees sighed in relief but didn’t re-emerge from the pipe. His paws loosened around his legs until he let go and brought them together at his fluffy chest to fiddle and fidget with. His rocking slowed to a much gentler rhythm.

He hummed under his breath to himself, closing his eyes. Maybe he could find Tugger later. His tail was always the best at times like this.

"What are you doing in the time-out pipe, have you been naughty?"

Mistoffelees jumped at the sudden interruption, almost banging his head on the top of the pipe. But it was only Pouncival, peering in curiously at him, eyes wide. 

Mistoffelees shook his head and slowly crawled out while Pouncival continued to question him.

"Were you looking for something? Were you doing magic? Were you hiding?"

Mistoffelees shook his head again "just needed somewhere a bit quieter. Why aren’t you playing with the others?" He asked as he started grooming his now relaxed ears.

"I was searching! I found beetles!" Pouncival exclaimed as though it was best secret ever.

Mistoffelees smiled softly, but needed a moment to think of what to say to that "are...are there a lot of them?" He finally asked and Pouncival beamed.

"I'll show you!" And he raced off.

Mistoffelees blinked, watching him run before starting to walk after him. He knew you weren’t allowed to say it, but Pouncival was his favourite kitten. Not because he was any easier to handle or didn’t cry or anything of the sort.

He liked him because he often saw some of himself in him. 

 He always wanted to join in any activity anyone was doing, had a habit of trying to eat anything just to see if he can, a fascination with ducks, and able to empathise with virtually anything (even bricks).

 “Here they are!” Pouncival was pattering at the ground with his paws in excitement as he waited for Mistoffelees to join him in the weeds and dirt.

 Mistoffelees carefully padded over and crouched down to see. There were three beetles crawling around “oh, I see”

 “There were five before” Pounce pouted before perking up “they must have gone back home!”

 Mistoffelees shrugged “maybe” he agreed and watched the remaining beetles crawl. Pouncival kept smiling at him in between his studying of the bugs.  

 “Have you been doing anything else besides beetle watching?” Misto asked after almost five solid minutes of quiet observation.

 “Lots!” Pounce said automatically, hopping up from his crouched position “I’ve been practicing” he announced proudly.

 “Practicing what?”

 “Dancing like you, I try to remember it”

 “Oh, yes, you like copying me” Mistoffelees remembered and smiled softly, his eyes still on the ground; the beetles had wandered away by now.

 Pouncival crouched down and tried to crawl infront of Mistos eyesight “I do! Can you show me more!?”

 Sometimes Pouncival forgot about boundaries, mostly because he didn’t exactly have any of his own. He was always ready for a hug from pretty much anyone.

 Mistoffelees leaned away to give himself room “uh sure, I guess I can show you something” he agreed.

 -

 Mistoffelees was no teacher. Sure, he knew how to dance, it was one of his favourite things to do (and maybe he also liked to show off a little). But teaching that when he always just sort of...did it? Was oddly hard to do.

 Luckily Pouncival was happy to simply follow and copy.

 Mistoffelees just ran through some of his favourite dances for Pounce, but slightly more for himself as he got lost in his own world.

 “I keep getting dizzy” whined Pounce, who was sitting on the floor. Mistoffelees jumped from the interruption and slowed down from his last pirouette.

 “Spot your head” Misto softly replied, rather absent mindedly too.

 “Huh spots?” Pouncival cocked his head and reached up to paw at his cheek, as though trying to feel spots.

 “No no, I mean...look forward as long as you can before turning” Misto tapped a paw to his chin as he tried to think of a better way to explain it “uh...like this” he pointed to his face before going into another pirouette.

 Pounce still didn’t quite get it, and this whole explaining thing was getting a bit draining for the tux after a while. Still, Mistoffelees found it nice.

 -

 No, Mistoffelees would definitely not have any kittens of his own. But if a kitten like Pouncival ever wanted to try dancing or learn some sign language, or even try out some beetle watching. Misto wouldn’t mind joining them.