#rap tugger

[tuggerlurina]

paris 2015 - rachael ward and golan yosef

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

every so often i start thinking about Him and tonight is that time

[mistos-hot-husband]

OMG?!?

Hey so I uhm

I just,,

They <3

Fanart for @uppastthejelliclemoon ‘s cursed/forbidden Tuggoffelees fanfic Magi-Coolest Cat! It’s super sweet and even if it’s a joke ship I love it >:)

[real-reulbbr-band]

...hey lovely which cats would be the mystery gang lmao I'm really stuck for fred and shaggy (tho george would be scooby) xD

Ah sorry this took long lovely I meant to answer this sooner but I got stuck on some characters!!

I sorta took this question as do the whole mystery gang so we’re gonna do that and absolutely yes correct George is scooby

Fred - Munkustrap

I know I know Munk isn’t the first cat that comes to mind but I can’t confidently give Fred to anyone else. I think it’s his thing with the traps really that’s giving munk to me.

Daphne - Bombalurina

Ik I made her thorn but shhhhh it’s okay. Listen another case of I can’t confidently give this to anyone else.

Velma - Tantomile

yeah

Shaggy - Plato

afraid scared afraid

George- Scooby <3333

I had a couple alternatives with this like making vic daphne and pkato fred but it left alot of gaps so we’ll go with this

[skimblestrap]

the kittycat himself, tugger

[sigmastolen]

the problem with being a snob in the year of our lord 2024 is that i'll listen to interviews on the wrong cat died and feel compelled to find videos of that actor's performances, but so many of them are from the broadway revival or us tour 6 and i'll start watching and have to stop halfway through bc i still hate the revival choreography sorry

[millenari]

Was just thinking about doing a favorite jellicle tournament for the funsies, and I was considering which characters to include (since if you include swings Cats has a whole fucking army-sized cast). At first I was going to just do the characters with Words, but that excludes Etcetera and George, who people will probably miss since they're in 98. And then I was just going to do the Character Descriptions list on the Cats wiki (since I didn't want to just blindly copy the cast list from 98 since it's only one production of many), but Victor is the only non-98 character on that list and I feel like literally nobody knows who he is (and also augustus isn't on that list!) so I feel like I'm just sliding backwards into just using the 98 cast list

[jelliclekay]

do you think regular tugger and rap tugger can exist in a show together? if andrew lloyd webber decided to bring him back for reasons

I don't know if they could exist in a show together, but the characters do exist as separate characters in my own headcanons!

[storyweaverofgondor]

Oooh! So it more of a drag/LGBT+ inspired non rep then a replica revival?

Ok. I am now very interested and excited! That sounds really cool.

THERES GONNA BE ANOTHER CATS REVIVAL AND ITS GONNA BE BASED ON BALLROOM CULTURE??!!?

[the-cat-at-the-theatre-door]

💙🧠🌙

Maybe a not so commonly dissucsed message from the show? I don’t know I like reading ur takes :)

💙 What's your favorite platonical ship?

My absolute favourite platonic ship will always be Jellylorum and Asparagus as sister and brother (and by extension, Jelly and Gus as a father and daughter duo) - there's something about that little family that gets to me.

🧠 Share a headcanon/theory about the show that you like!

The first one coming to mind if one of my own, but Old Deuteronomy is not immortal - he's an *old* cat, mind, but old by the same definition of a cat is old because they're 17. The reason Old Deuteronomy is revered as being what constitutes as functionally immortal is because he's what the cats call a Keeper of Memory (or just memory keeper), which is something only a few cats a generation are able to do - it's mostly passed down genetically (ex. Macavity has it and deals with it, but does not use it, and Jemima has it and *does* hone it), but not always. A Keeper essentially holds onto generations and generations of memories and information passed from cat to cat, which means they very often will know of experiences that occurred hundreds of years ago, or that they themselves may have never experienced, as if they were there (for example, Deuteronomy has clear physical and emotional memories of being - say - a birthing parent and nursing kittens, even though in their current body they are unable to physically do that).

Some cats given this ability are not able to discern much clarity in these memories; others are brought too much physical or emotional pain to hold onto them because the magic is essentially misfiring in the wrong outlet. It's not something that any cat can handle - it takes a certain amount of training and practice to do so. As such, functionally, Old Deuteronomy carries centuries within him, and this coupled with their actual physical age, lead to grandiose stories about immortality that they don't really discourage because it's quite amusing.

(Also speaking of Old Deuteronomy, Dee he/they superiority)

🌙 Do you think Cats has a theme/message? If so, what is it?

CATS has *many* themes and messages throughout, depending on how you read it, which is why the show is so versatile and resonates with so many people.

I've certainly spoken about my fair share, including the complexity involved in forgiveness, the dangers of mob-mentality, the value (or lack of value) of the elderly in Western societal structures, including the "worth" that they otherwise must provide in order to be continuously cared for or respected (something something Western society values *value* over humanity), the importance of generational storytelling and its affect on younger generations, etc. etc.

I suppose for a lesser discussed message or theme or metaphor from the show, not to go all "Hal, it's about cats", but there is something to be said in regards to CATS' treatment of class in their community structure, which is very interestingly portrayed through the generalized choice of accents and character tweaks and changes that are very often assigned to very specific characters. Scottish Skimbleshanks, Cockney Teazer and Jerrie, Posher Bustopher Jones, Victoria being "the white cat", Rap Tugger - even vocal types often going to specific characters - etc etc all have implications about them that are revealed through association, and carry shades of Elliot (and ALW)'s classicism - I won't go too deep into it here, because I feel as though I've already made this too long, but I have some specific thoughts here.

[tuggerlurina]

london 2014 - cassie clare and antoine murray-straughan

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

@storyweaverofgondor's cats-pril day 13: pipe

a little "what-if" with my forbidden tuggoffelees AU about tapper meeting 2019 misto via the pipe!

(also this was completely unintentional that @afairytalestray and i did similar ideas for today lmao)

"I'll wait for you."

Those were the words Tapper had told Mistoffelees before the other tom had clambered through the pipe, disappearing back to his own Junkyard.

They were the words that Mistoffelees had been running back over through his mind, sitting on top of the wall where Tapper had sung as loudly as he possibly could, a beaming smile on his face.

"What's eating you?"

Cassandra's voice nearly made the magical cat fall from his perch, and he turned around to glare at the brown queen.

His glare, however, faltered upon seeing that she was not alone.

Tugger and Demeter accompanied her, and they sat with him on the wall. For a moment, it felt as though nothing had changed, that they were still young cats again, innocent and in love.

Mistoffelees let out a breath, subtly learning into Cassandra's side. "Tapper asked me to go back to his Junkyard with him."

Over his head, the trio of cats exchanged looks, and Demeter leaned closer to him. "And you... said no?"

Mistoffelees didn't look up, but he nodded. Cassandra wrapped her arm around his shoulders, and he soaked up the sisterly affection.

"Why, Mist?"

"I can't just abandon everyone here!" Mistoffelees exclaimed. "Heaviside forbid something major happens, and I'm not around!"

Tugger let out a sharp scoff. "That's bullshit."

Demeter smacked the tom's arm, eyes narrowing. "Tugger!"

"Buttons, listen to me." The rockstar cat reached out, taking Mistoffelees' paw and holding onto it tightly. "This place, it was never meant for you. They can't appreciate your magic the way that your Tapper did. You deserve to be somewhere where you'll be celebrated, not only when you rescue Old Deuteronomy, but every single day."

The surprised laugh that Mistoffelees attempted to contain escaped him at Tugger's words, and he felt his eyes prick with tears.

Demeter and Cassandra squashed Mistoffelees in a hug between them.

"He's right, love." Cassandra said gently. "Your potential is absolutely wasted here. You're not being appreciated, and I know, just by looking at the way Tapper was looking at you, that you'd get that appreciation."

Mistoffelees scrubbed at his eyes, unable to resist the wide smile that stretched over his face.

The three accompanied Mistoffelees back to the pipe, and he gave each of them a final, tight embrace. Approaching Tugger, he held the other tom's paws in his hands, eyes bright.

"I'll miss you, Maybe." he said softly.

Tugger pulled him into a hug. "You just promise me you'll blow them out of the water, Buttons."

Mistoffelees nodded, taking a deep breath as he looked over his three closest companions one final time. Cassandra rolled her eyes and gave him a nudge, making him laugh and stumble towards the pipe.

He crawled through it, feeling a different, warmer magic washing over him.

It felt right.

And Tapper's bright, delighted smile on the other end of the pipe felt like coming home.

[cryptidvoidwritings]

Full text below.

A D.J. pawing through a carton of old LPs — Natalie Cole, Angela Bofill — comes upon a curiosity: the original cast album of “Cats.” When he opens the gatefold, glittery spangles fly everywhere.

That’s how “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” begins, and it’s basically what the Perelman Performing Arts Center’s drag remake of the Broadway behemoth does to the drab original. It sets the joy free.

Whether upper- or lowercase, cats never previously offered me much pleasure. The underlying T.S. Eliot poems, ad libbed for his godchildren, are agreeable piffle, hardly up there with “Prufrock” as fodder for the ages. The musical, instead of honoring the material’s delicacy, stomped all over it, leaving heavy mud prints. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score, and especially the rigged-up story and original staging by Trevor Nunn, tried so hard to make big statements from little ditties and kitties that it wound up a perfect example of camp.

Camp, cleverly, is the new version’s base line, neutralizing that criticism. It turns out that the show once advertised vaguely (and threateningly) as “now and forever” — it ran on Broadway from 1982 to 2000 — works far better in a specific past.

That past is the world of drag balls, which at the time of the original “Cats” was beginning to achieve mainstream awareness. Madonna’s appropriation of the participants’ style and dance moves in her videos and concerts, as well as Jennie Livingston’s celebration of them in her documentary “Paris Is Burning,” helped pave the way for the supremacy of RuPaul and dragmania today. But beneath that triumph lay a darker truth: that the thrill of ball culture depended on its drawing extravagance from destitution, meeting prejudice with bravery, and staring down death with style.

The key insight of this “Jellicle Ball,” which opened on Thursday at the new downtown arts cube, is that at least some of those themes could resonate with Eliot’s subtext and Lloyd Webber’s score. The directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch have thus transported Grizabella, Skimbleshanks, Rum Tum Tugger and the rest from a metaphysical junkyard to a hotel ballroom for a vogueing competition, accompanied by new versions of the songs that go heavier on the synthesizers, turn some lyrics into raps and add a distinctive house beat.

It’s often a good fit. The former felines — now fantastically attired humans — compete in traditional categories, like Opulence and Hair Affair, that are to some degree matched to Eliot’s descriptions. The song “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer,” for instance, pits those two “knockabout clowns” against the pairing of the balletic Victoria and the acrobatic Tumblebrutus in a showdown called Tag Team Performance.

Not that it is any easier to keep the cats straight just because they’re queer. The structure of the show doesn’t allow it. Hemmed in by the Eliot estate, Nunn could not add dialogue, making it difficult to flesh out any characters or encourage specific emotional investment. His solution was a bizarre framing device with late-1970s woo-woo overtones: The clan meets each year on the evening of the Jellicle moon so that their leader, Old Deuteronomy, can choose one lucky cat to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn.

That silliness didn’t help much. It remained difficult to keep Jellylorum and Sillabub apart or care about either. In revivals like the one on Broadway in 2016, let alone the dreadful 2019 movie, the material seemed fatally ludicrous.

And if “Jellicle Ball” doesn’t quite solve that problem, it succeeds in making it mostly irrelevant. The new frame allows you to feel something for the characters, at least as a group, even when you don’t know what’s going on, which is often. The design of the long, narrow room, with the audience surrounding a runway on three sides, is awkward in the way one imagines the balls were: You can’t see everything, you’re constantly craning, the sound (by Kai Harada) is blurry and some fuss or hilarity is always happening somewhere you missed.

Even so, we recognize Rum Tum Tugger (Sydney James Harcourt) far better now that he competes in the Realness and Body competitions. (He’s a smooth playah.) Gus, the theater cat, is a more instantly recognizable type as performed by Junior LaBeija, the M.C. of the “Paris Is Burning” ball, as a catty old queen who, though “no longer a terror” can still throw ample shade. And it takes little more than the arrival of André De Shields, with his unsurpassed ability to freeze attention onstage, to show us that Old Deuteronomy is a Moses.

It helps, too, that he’s given a glowing Ten Commandments-like set of tablets, and that he’s dressed (by Qween Jean) in royal purple topped by a gigantic matching lion’s mane (by Nikiya Mathis). Indeed, the wonderfully over-the-top design of the show is as important as the concept itself in filling out the vast blanks of the characters as written. Enjoyable as that is in itself, the chief benefit of the physical staging (on sets by Rachel Hauck, with lighting by Adam Honoré and projections by Brittany Bland) is that it grounds the performative mayhem on the runway in a real environment that suggests the struggles of real lives.

Among other things, this rescues the nominal star role, Grizabella, from bathos. A faded “glamour cat” seeking the reincarnation nod, she has no other function in the original story, not even suspense. (We know she’s going to be chosen because she keeps popping up to sing fragments of “Memory.”) But here, in smeary makeup, a ratty fur and carrying a tarnished old trophy, scrambling about the outskirts of the action, we see at a glance the pain of an outsider now exiled from the place she’d once been safe. Especially as played by Chasity Moore, known in the ball world as Tempress, that pain feels authentic.

That is not something that ever occurred to me in watching the old-school “Cats.” At best the Broadway show felt like a stoned oratorio about nothing, with a dog’s breakfast of song styles including ear-wormy music hall, grating electronica and the occasional Gilbert and Sullivan chorale. (The choral singing here, under the direction of William Waldrop, is gorgeous.) Likewise, the original choreography, by the Royal Ballet star Gillian Lynne, seemed totally random despite its supposedly catlike footwork. The athletic vogueing created for this production by Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles, sometimes blended with throwbacks to Lynne’s classical style, is instead perfectly tailored to its milieu, and thrilling besides.

I should say at this point that, no, I haven’t turned into a fan of the show itself, the one you can see at your community theater or license for your high school. I don’t believe musicals should need whisker consultants. But as happens occasionally, the right idea can transform the wrong material. If “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” has managed a Grizabella turn, reincarnating itself in fabulousness, do not expect an 18-year run or, pardon me, copycat productions. It’s a lightning strike: not now and forever but now and once.

(Honestly, I'd respect this guy more if he came out and said 'I'm taking money to pretend to review the new show but actually am just regurgitating 40 years of The Smart, Cultured Critics Hate CATS.')

[real-reulbbr-band]

What's Grizzy's background?

I have different hcs for different Grizz’s (which I’ll probably make separate posts about) 

But the prompt didn’t specify which one so I’m going to go with Broadway revival/ London palladium Griz since she’s the first Griz I was introduced too and my headcanons for her are less Willy Nilly then 98 Griz and 2019 Griz.

(very long post bellow cut)

I personally feel that there's a perception of Grizabella as someone who wronged the Jellicles so badly that it almost makes her seem villainous. While I agree that she made mistakes, I don't think it's a completely one-sided situation. It often feels like some people think the Jellicles can do no wrong and that the treatment of Grizabella is completely justified.

Grizabella held a special place among the cats. She wasn't just "A" glamorous cat; she was "THE" glamorous cat, like an old Hollywood star. Her unmatched voice and undeniable star quality made her stand out. Gus, whom she admired and perhaps saw as a mentor, became her teacher when she expressed her desire to become a performer after watching him.

There was some scandal involved (yes, a classic Hollywood one though I can't pinpoint exactly what happened), which may not be the direct cause but partly led to Grizabella's departure. She started feeling fatigue from being in the junkyard and yearned for something more in life. It wasn't a complete abandonment of her old life, but rather a quest for something beyond. Gradually, she began leaving the junkyard more frequently until one day, she simply vanished.

As Grizabella sought more from life and distanced herself from the Jellicles, she began to feel increasingly alienated. She sensed a lack of understanding from the other cats, who perceived her departure as a rejection of their shared identity. This further reinforced her decision to detach herself from the label of being a Jellicle.

Now, my interpretation of the Jellicles might not align with everyone else's (which is completely okay). I see them as having a strict set of rules. While it's not necessary to reside in the junkyard or visit frequently (like Bustopher, Gus, or even Old Deuteronomy), attending the ball is mandatory. Not coming is like saying you're no longer a Jellicle (which might apply to cats like Macavity, Griddlebone, and, in my headcanon, old productions when Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are portrayed as puppets).

Grizabella is a fiercely independent cat. Her departure wasn't driven by malicious intent. She simply wanted to explore more of the world, to break away and learn on her own terms. However, what upset everyone was that she stopped considering herself a Jellicle.

She knew Tugger before and even after she left. They occasionally met, though these encounters were often bitter. Tugger envied Grizabella in a way, as she truly lived by her own rules, free from constraints. He, on the other hand, worried that he would be stuck in the same routine in the junkyard, being the "rockstar." He was still upset with her for leaving, but there was also a part of him that felt hurt she moved on without him.

Grizabella is in the same age group as Macavity, not older than Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots but not younger than Munkustrap and Alonzo. They share a similar age range.

Grizabella displayed persistent efforts to rejoin the Jellicle community, particularly due to her connection with her son, Tapper. When Tapper came into the world, Grizabella lacked the necessary resources and emotional stability to provide him with proper care, prompting her to bring him into the junkyard for a potentially better life. Despite appearances suggesting she was relinquishing him, her intention was never to abandon Tapper. Instead, he was raised by a rotating group of older cats, with his guardianship often shifting depending on who was available at the time. Grizabella would occasionally return to the junkyard, under supervision, to reunite with her beloved kitten. However, the prevailing discomfort and underlying tension surrounding her presence constrained the length of her visits. Prior to the Jellicle Ball, she made sincere attempts to reconcile with the tribe, not driven by personal desires, but motivated by her selflessness as a mother figure to ensure Tapper's well-being.

Regarding why I believe Tapper is her (only) son, it's more about filling in the gaps. The part of the track where Tugger would typically point to Grizabella when she first arrives is missing, and instead, the twins sense her presence and almost immediately disappear. This suggests a fractured relationship between Grizabella and Tapper. Tapper believes that Grizabella abandoned him, and while he longs for a motherly connection with her, he's unsure about delving into their complicated past. This is why he approaches her during the last rendition of "Memory" but then flinches away.

Grizabella's return was not driven by a sense of guilt for her past departure; rather, it stemmed from a deep desire to reunite with her family, even if it necessitated maintaining a certain distance. In my perception of the 2016 portrayal of Grizabella, it appears that she doesn't harbor any regrets. She has already experienced and processed her moments of sorrow and remorse. When we encounter her in the show, she has moved beyond those emotions and carries herself with a certain pride, albeit tinged with sadness. Her journey does not revolve around learning a lesson by the end of the performance. Instead, she has already shed her tears and confronted her regrets. Her ability to carry herself with dignity at the conclusion of the "Glamour Cat" sequence is a testament to her resilience. Despite not anticipating being chosen or embraced by the tribe, she returns to find a sense of belonging and to reminisce about her family and the happiness she once knew. The present no longer holds the same joy for her, but she seeks solace in rekindling the memories of her past and seeking a homecoming.

[skimblestrap]

i thimk... i might draw tugger tomorrow

[missing-sock-misto]

Table of Contents- Part 2

Not everything is hyperlinked as that is just too many. Use search function.

Misc: pride cats, holiday, cats negativity, bows, text post, cats incorrect quotes, tumblr polls (brackets), art reference

Cats Productions, show reviews,

Vienna based: vienna 83, zurich, paris 1990, amsterdam

Asia: shiki, 2014, 2010, 2017, 2020, 2022 (Includes korea),

International Tours: 2019 international tour, 2022 international tour, cats german tour, cats dutch tour

London: London 90's london 2014 revival (Palladium), Uk tour 2

Broadway, Original- US Tours: Us tour 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6.2

South & Central: Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Santiago

Nonreplica: thunerseespiele, Tecklenburg (Circus), Gothenburg (emo tugger), melbourne (1920’s), wichita, warsaw, kilworth house (WW1), cats 2019, city springs, Santiago 2024, Cats pac nyc

Misc Cats: Rap Tap Tapper (street cat Tugger), Jellylorum, Gus, Growltiger, Rumpus Cat, Griddlebone, Psychic Twins, Coricopat, Tantomile, Cassandra, Grizabella. George the Jellicle Dog

The kittens: Tumblebrutus, Pouncival, Electra, Etcetera,

Misc Actors (May refer to understudies).

Mistos: Mukeni nel, Harry Francis, jal joshua, z downer, cj snide, Fergus Logan, alexander babenko, andrés pérez lópez, matthew levik, riccardo sinisi, timothy scott, christopher favaloro, ben tyrrell, ryan jackson, kieran macdonald, will geoghegan, Axel alvarez

Tuggers: Ben Colley (Those pictures) McGee Maddox, Sam lips, Gino emnes, Dan Partridge, Stanley Burleson, Ed Wade, Jack Danson, Dominik Hees, [Dominick- misspelled], Andrea Luca Cotti, Nathan Zach Johnson, George Hinson (Flippy boi)

Victoria: (g pazcoguin), F Dobinson (A), Mandais (A), Anneka Dacres (Dem, Cas), Taryn smithson (Teazer), Tayler Harris,

Munkustrap: Michael gruber, Jack Rebaldi, raffe watts, Roberto de groot

Songs: Jellicle songs, invitation song, Old gumbie cat song, the rtt song, Jellicle Ball, Pas de Deux, Pekes, catfight, memory, mistoffelees song,

Random Headcanons:

Katie as RTT's owner

Alonzo and his dogs