#tugger is a little cat at heart to me

[emimii]

who’s the tom and the queen in the relationsh- WRONG WHO’S THE LITTLE CAT IN THE RELATIONSHIP BCUZ ITS NOT MISTOFFELEES

[shima-draws]

Suddenly got the inexplicable urge to watch the Cats musical again. And then I remembered this ask I answered on my sideblog and giggled like an idiot

[naturepointstheway]

Should You Boop That CATS Cat?

Munkustrap: Depends: is he in the middle of a stressful play renactment a la Pekes and Pollicles? No. Is he taking a rare break and cuddling the kittens? Sure. He might even boop you back (we all want a boop from Munk, don't lie.) Rum Tum Tugger: Hell yeah, boop the Tugger! Mistoffelees: All Mistos are boopable Mistos. Macavity: YOU WANT DEATH? Old Deuteronomy: Yes. It is law. You must boop the Old Doot. Skimbleshanks: All train dads are boopable train dads. Yes. Boop the Skimble. Alonzo: You are welcome to try. Victoria: Yes. Absolutely. Plato: He might be a little confused by it, but sure. Boop the Plato. Especially 1998 Plato. Bustopher Jones: I beg your pardon? What is the meaning of this "boop" nonsense? Gus: He's too dignified and important for a boop, he will decline your offer. Coricopat: He'll just stare at you like what are you doing. Unless it's 1998!Coricopat, because he is VERY boopable. Tantomile: She will back away from you, staring into your soul the whole time. Best not push it. Asparagus Jr: He'll ask what the heck you're doing. But he'll tolerate a boopo. Pouncival: He'll keep pouncing out of reach, so you have to work for the privilege to catch him long enough to boop him. Tumblebrutus: He's a big boy, boops are for *kittens*. Mungojerrie: What's a boop? Can I steal that? Rumpleteazer: She welcomes all the boops! Boop the Teazer! Grizabella: Maybe wait till the very end of the show. A boop to take with her to the Heaviside Layer. George: Yes. He is very boopable. Even as the Rumpus Cat. Electra: Yes. Absolutely. Boop! Etcetera: She'll start a boop war with you and she'll be giggling her heart out the whole time. Demeter: She's likely touch averse and might be startled by it. Once you explain, she might let you. Bombalurina: She's too good for you, she will decline a boop, thank you. JennyAnyDots: She'll tolerate a boop. Just one boop. Jellylorum: Like Jenny, she'll tolerate a boop. She might even give you one back if you ask nicely. Jemima/Sillabub: IT IS THE 11TH COMMANDMENT. MOSES TOLD ME HIMSELF. THOU SHALT BOOP THE JEMIMA/SILLABUB.

[gregrulzok]

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

Explanations under the cut:

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

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

.

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

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

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

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

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

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

.

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

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

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

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

.

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

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

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

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

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

.

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

The Great Rumpus Cat: Won't smoke.

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

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

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

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

.

Macavity: Will slip you fent.

[absolutefilthimsosorry]

Spoilers for DnP Incohearent!!!!

I’m having so much fun trying to solve these that I made a list to keep track! Message if you can help me fill in any I’m missing or if I’ve got any wrong!!!

Also lmk if you see any I’ve missed!! I’m going to keep updating this and have it unrebloggable but you can reblog this post to have a link to it!

These are all gathered from this post and this post so check the notes on those first to try to solve them then look here if you need answers!

Sow march cheer ray = so much cherry

Wee nay urn for uke oye yer tub = we’ve never fucked on youtube?

Ta fold in fig = the golden pig

Feed hay hid eho = vday video

Tat he won ape hit morse him he = daddy want a bit more simmy

Watt ken ice hay = what can I say

North key bus teabag king = naughty busty baking

Fool tie enter nit hobo / fall tie mint her nepo moe / fault aye mint earn are ohm owe/ foul thyme inch hermit hole mold = full time internet homo

Cumin mile aid deed or = come in my ladydoor

Hum hay zinc tan = amazingdan

Elven ower fug sedge own = eleven hour fuck session

An berry moth ribeye adam stir = and every month we buy a hamster

March rest array = Manchester eye

Cyst herding yell = sister daniel

Add a ding teps = editing tips

Cop dubai khaki luna = topped by kakuna

Late eat tore = ladydoor

Half tugger etch two eggs cyst = have the courage to exist

Perish she end wink = Parisian twink

Coal ten big/ goal then pick = golden pig

Cyst ordain yell = sister daniel

Train youth inks = try new things

Gay mean moss/ gain ink mass = gamingmas

Soften need = soft and neat

A wools lied = owl slide

Topper bought them hill = top or bottom Phil

Coat fit firenze = golf with friends???

Few ours pig meow fits = viewers pick my outfits

Read less tar = red lester

Eye eight soup igloo = I ate super glue

Insight youth era too walls = inside you there are two wolves

Mine amy stan = my name is Dan

Clap hella = glabella

Hiss teeth rent = hits different

Eel eyes apron kay kiss = Eliza pancakes

See pram haze ink bra jet = super amazing project

Feels lie yawn = phils lion

Fuel ease snot dawn fair = Phil is not on fire

Jaw shush ear son = josh hutcherson

Ball bull him tour food = bauble in your foot?

Sure eck = shrek

High ate dust = hiatus

Add a dink deps = editing tips

Ga hay shoom air age = gay shoe marriage

Pope eat plate aim = poppy playtime

Eat aches stu = it takes two

Goo gal few ed = google feud

Baze ick lee eye meg ay = basically I’m gay

Ko min yout ti ew = coming out to you

Ender knit subvert grew oop = internet support group

Phylis turn yar a sheen yes = PHIL LESTER YOU’RE A GENIUS

With Audi intern yet wean ed brr wood halve mat = without the internet we never would have met

Gum ban yins drool I’ve = companions through life

Reed sons wide answer flail = reasons why dans a fail

Ewan dam ah some are reed = you and Dan are so married

Denver sis fill/ Denver cis full = Dan vs Phil

Or lawn huffing = all or nothing

Dunk rye core raft = don’t cry craft

Mortal jester roam and thick/ Morph adjust row antic = more than just romantic

So wall how debris poll light = swallow to be polite???

Oar hinge art = orange heart

Foray virgo em = forever home

Chai reel loop/ share real oob = cherry lube

Cad boyd anne = cat boy dan

Far turf ill lip = father philip

Tess lit hen ink = the slittening

Forth house indie rolled or touches = four thousand year old tortoises

Hey moth swish roundup floating = a month without uploading

Jam march let pet tea an farms = Je mange les petit enfants

Day lion howl tour = Dalien Howlter

Ima let all kit = I’m a little kit

Feel pearl lays shell ter = Phil plays shelter

Fewer blue key app ending = viewer spooky happenings

Hell low iam tour reel = hello I am Toriel

Laugh tuh gey mile kuh = left to get milk

Villas eek wreck why vuh = Phil’s secret wife

Footy strain gin said dent = ___ strange incident????

Snow core play sum = snokoplasm

Nope puts cereal sleeping mage innit = no but seriously imagine it

Tear rip pulling flu hence = terrible influence

Jeff why eye aisle hike vague liner = fyi I like vagina

Eggs intense all cry cis = existential crisis

List of contributors

@fletthewreck @dandp @deadandphilgames @manchesterau @thephouseplants @awrfhi @jonsaremembers @rachosaurusrex @dapgolf @dan-whoell @dnphobe @dreamingalto @steveandscraggy @phanbeats @danandfuckingjonlmao @pepper-pastry @yonpote @un-interactive-introvert @spaniel-trowel @sisterdanieldyke @queerdnp @morganadelacour @amid-fandoms @spectral-kitkat @goingpheral @angelzonearth @wdapteo @2009phan @dansevilpianotea

[coricoping]

CATS: The Jellicle Ball Summary

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

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

Pre-Show

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

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

Overture

Hearing this live for the first time made me cry

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

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

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

Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats

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

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

Get onto stage for the Mystical Divinity section

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

The Naming of Cats

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

Munk as an MC leading this number is lovely to me

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

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

White Cat Solo

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

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

Pink lighting is doing good work making this section feel ethereal

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

Invitation

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

"COME OUT tonight"

They bring in guest judges to sit until Old Deut arrives

Gumbie Cat

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

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

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

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

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

The Rum Tum Tugger

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

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

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

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

Sillabub is the one to faint during the ending bit

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

Grizzabella the Glamour Cat

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

Munk tries to give her money, she refuses

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bustopher Jones

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

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

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

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

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

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

Macavity Scare 1

Flashing lights and sirens

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

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer

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

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

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

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

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

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

Old Deuteronomy

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

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

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

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

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

Jellicle Ball

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

The dancing continues to be absolutely gorgeous

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Memory

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

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

Tempress has a gorgeous voice

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

Comes back with a sparkly dress to offer to Grizz

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

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

[verdicloud]

tumbletoria

ok guys i NEED to talk about tumbletoria, the ship between tumblebrutus and victoria, because it’s one of my favourite ships ever?? like yk when ur thinking about them and all of a sudden ur heart feels kinda heavy like they were written in the stars?? and you listen to every romantic one direction song ever and think about them??

i ship alonzostrap a TON as well but tumbletoria is on a different level in terms of complexity. it also happens to be one of the only hetero ships i care deeply about. yet it’s constantly being overshadowed in favour of other victoria ships, especially platoria, and tumblebrutus is seen as his little sister or just an immature kitten trying to act tough. and it kinda annoys me.

this time i’ll largely base my reasoning on canon evidence rather than things i thought up of, cuz this isn’t just me trying to justify a rarepair with no canon basis. so if you will not entertain the idea of this ship, feel free to skip this post. if you already ship them like me, read on. and, if this ship has never really crossed your mind, or if you have a different perspective, but are willing to hear me out, get ready for a long rant.

(it has been very nerve-wracking posting this bc i know a lot of you guys will disagree, but i really wanted to talk about them cuz i think they’re a super adorable ship, and i also wanted to know if any of you guys ship them.)

(remember that this is in no way trying to disprove or invalidate other ships or personal interpretations. i’m just sharing my thoughts as usual and putting in my two cents on a topic i feel quite strongly about.)

victoria is an adolescent who was sheltered and pampered her whole life, so she’s very well-mannered and poised (she’s the principal ballerina in the show), but she’s still inexperienced and exploring herself. she dances sensually by herself after “the naming of cats”, and during the pas de deux with plato, showing us that she’s growing into womanhood. but because of her inexperience and sheltered upbringing, she’s inhibited, unsure of herself and held back. victoria is a coming-of-age character, this is obvious and a given.

tumblebrutus is an adolescent who’s actively trying to grow out of his “kitten” stage. he’s a spirited and buoyant cat. he’s adventurous, daring and playful (being the main tumbler of the show, his role requires more gymnastic skill than any other). yet, he has an insecure and unconfident side. he feels the need to try and be cool like older cats such as alonzo or tugger. he’s even paired with mistoffelees, an older cat, during the jellicle ball, instead of someone like pouncival who’s more his age and would also have the ability to do misto’s choreography (pounce is the first understudy for misto). he wants to be a part of them, but he’s not quite there, he’s still seen scheming pranks on grizabella with plato and pouncival. tumblebrutus also happens to be, you guessed it, a coming-of-age character!

now, i know i said i would mostly refer to the 1998 version, but i need to talk about the pas de deux in other productions as well. in a lot of productions, especially recent ones, the 1998 film and older versions (like original london) where the character is named admetus, victoria is paired with plato (i refer to plato/admetus as the same character). out of universe, this is probably because plato doubles as macavity and the role requires him to be able to lift well, so he’d naturally be the first choice to lift victoria. though this made everyone and their pollicle ship them.

however, in a bunch of other productions, and important point here, victoria is paired with tumblebrutus, and this is tied to the fact that they are both coming-of-age characters. they both want to explore more about themselves and be more grown up, but are a bit unsure. tumblebrutus’s fearlessness and optimism helps victoria feel braver and let go of her inihibtions, and victoria’s poise and prudence helps tumblebrutus learn to be more mature and therefore confident. they are each other’s comfort and balance. see the dynamic?

victoria’s “mates” were mainly either plato or tumblebrutus, so i don’t understand how platoria is so much more popular while tumbletoria gets kicked under the couch. heck, ships that have less canon basis like victeazer or jemtoria get more attention than this ship. (no offence btw i think these ships are cute too.)

even though it’s not obvious in the ‘98 version, tumble and vic do have a certain dynamic during their parts in the jellicle ball. when misto and tumble do their ballet part after bombalurina’s section, victoria’s at the back with some other girls, and the camera cuts to her doing a little head tilt at the two boys. she’s also between them when they all do the lean and the music swells and stuff. this is super vague but, we know that victoria’s sexuality is a big part of her character, so maybe it represents her considering her relationships with the toms as she’s growing up, struggling to figure out who she sees as a brother, i.e. misto, and who she’s attracted to or wants something more with, i.e. tumble. she is literally and figuratively caught between them. (also i love the little moments where tumble looks at her during this sequence IT’S SO CUTE.)

just imagine all the adorable possibilities for tumbletoria scenarios. secretly admiring each other from afar while they perform ballet/tumbling moves? trying to impress each other with their skill? getting caught in a compromising position by an adult (like alonzo)? reassuring each other when they feel insecure? secretly dancing together? their friend groups teasing them or shipping them? or even trying to set them up?? affectionate moments becoming a little bit awkward because of their feelings???

i think “juvenile delinquent” is a bit unfair for tumblebrutus, and the depth of victoria’s character shouldn’t be forgotten either. i think vic and tumble are good friends who might have something more going on underneath that they’re figuring out together. i think there’s something really special about complex coming-of-age characters and romances that i really really love. (and i think the principal ballerina x main tumbler thing is noteworthy as well.)

i’ve been working on this post for a while. again, not trying to invalidate anyone’s ships. hopefully now some of you can understand my perspective, and if you disagree, that’s ok. if you do like this ship, please respond and tell me your thoughts or headcanons so i know i’m not alone in this 😭.

tumbletoria is a terribly underrated, beautiful ship, and it truly deserves more attention. thank you for listening to my ted talk.

[demelzathemer]

Tuggofelees The Greatest Showman AU

I'm just gonna dump my thoughts because I'm currently having a spout of insanity about these cats. And YOU KNOW A Million Dreams is a kitten Misto song. He's had this deep inner world since he was tiny, discovering his magical powers and all that he can do. He didn't have anyone who could understand what he was going through so he'd spent his nights alone in the world of his own, wondering and dreaming about the day he could help everyone with his abilities.

Other cats notice he's different so he's becoming ostracized after growing up. There are magical cats beside him and they have formed a circus of their own, still Jellicle cats but different. Misto joins them to hone his skills but can't find anyone to relate to even amongst them.

Then there's Mr. Popular "I do what I want" Rum Tum Tugger who has a high social standing to maintain but does so more out of vanity than necessity. (Maybe they were friends as kittens, A Million Dreams is a duet after all. Maybe he wonders where's that little tuxedo had disappeared into and goes to look for him.) He discovers Misto's powers by accident after sneaking in while he was practising and is instantly captivated by the sight. Misto is so fine after all!! Beautiful from the top of his ears to the tip of his tail!!

Misto doesn't like that the arrogant celebrity is stalking him, he's used to his own space by now but there's no stopping the curious cat once he's gotten something in his head. They circle around each other for a while, where we end up in Rewrite the Stars. It sounds romantic but the lyrics are actually pretty brazen which is so much like Tugger!! "I know you want me" damn that's direct.

"So who can stop me if I decide you're my destiny?"

No one, that is. Tugger goes into a monologue in his Rum Tum Tugger manner about hell, I like you and you like me so what's the problem?? ("Say you were made to be mine"..)

"You're the one I was meant to find," because Rum Tum Tugger only likes what he finds for himself.

But Misto is reluctant and scared about dragging Tugger down with him. He admits it works when they're alone but it's different in front of the others. What if Tugger becomes ostracized as well because of him? Misto doesn't want that.

He's also understandably worried about the loyalty of the known womanizer. His heart would break if Tugger changed his mind again like he does, and loses interest in him.

"How can you say you'll be mine?"

In the end Misto rejects him and goes back to his solitary life.

Then Old Deuteronomy is gone and Tugger goes back to find Mistoffelees. He's the one who believes in Misto more than anyone. He convinces him to try one of his most ambitious conjurings to save Old Deuteronomy and earn the approval of the other cats.

Rum Tum Tugger has no doubt that Mistoffelees can do it. He will even support him through it and make sure that everyone knows just how amazing and phenomenal Mistoffelees is!! So there goes the song and of course Misto is breathtaking in the spotlight and loving every second of it. The plan is perfect because when Misto believes in himself, his magic can't fail. With the power of Tugger's unshaking love backing him up he can easily conjure the beloved leader back to them.

After the spectacle Mistoffelees is a celebrated member of the Jellicle cats and there's no one who doesn't adore him. Rum Tum Tugger sweeps him off his feet to show off his love and there's nothing stopping them from being togerher anymore.

I might add more thoughts later but that's all for now I just made myself happy thinking about them

[cillyscribbles]

🎁 and 🔥 for the ask game!

thanks so much for writing in and an even bigger thanks for coming up with the game, it's great fun sending out questions and writing answers :))) gratitude all around!!!

🎁 If you could give any of the ensemble cats a song, who would it be? What would it be about?

ooph, hard to decide! i think i'd like to hear from jellylorum or asparagus jr - i mostly headcanon them as a member of gus' family somewhere, so i think it'd be fun to hear what it's like maybe trying to live up to your relative's greatness, or managing adoring kittens, or just overall being gray little cats that run the show without having spotlight on themselves, you know? like jellylorum in particular is there all the time, singing for jennyanydots, singing for gus, singing bewares for grizabella - what's that like? is she happy with her small role? does she feel like it's rewarding? this would totally throw off the whole groove of the musical but i'd love to hear a post-ball song with jellylorum ushering away kittens, telling mistoffelees to put away the sparkles, telling munk and tugger to quit running around and sit with old deut because she's got this handled and has run cleanup on more jellicle balls than most of them have attended combined, hahah. great question!

🔥Share one (1) hot take/opinion about the show/fandom/etc

ooh! you know, i think i can share a thing i learned in adaptation theory! it'll definitely make it into that essay i'm working on (one of its main points, actually) but my Hot Take(tm) is that a lot of folks don't realize the grip that nostalgia can have on them when they're looking at adapted media (cats, cats the book, cats the movie, cats the insert production here). this is by no means meant to be a criticism because it's not something you can unlearn or avoid - i feel it, you feel it, most folks feel it, it's often the default! it's just something you can become aware of and consider on purpose, and i believe that it's very important when criticizing (and trying to be objective, of course - anything goes when it comes to subjective opinions and that's good!) this sort of media. you need to separate where you believe a change (be it reduction or addition) to be ill-fitting because it doesn't work for the purpose of the media, and where you believe a change to be ill-fitting because you have seen The Thing done differently and believe that was a better/more fun/more impactful way to do it.

to take an example, whenever i hear about a cats production where cats aren't Actual Cats, i feel less inclined to seek it out because the animal element is what i particularly enjoy about the musical. that being said, changing this element to better suit the purpose of an adaptation can be an important or even necessary choice for what the production is trying to achieve! it's all about the Purpose. you'd be shocked how many things are about the Purpose. this doesn't change my inclination to enjoy cats!cats More, but recognizing this subjective-objective separation can in fact help me enjoy not-cats!cats adaptations More because i know what the nagging ">:(" feeling is and so can discard it as source supremacy sinking its long sharp nails into my heart, lol. i hope that makes sense!

[raine-over-all]

1, 2, 9, 13, 22 (Cori & Tanto)

OTP

oooooh, tough call. I go through ships like I go through fun outfits, so I don't have super strong OTPs most of the time. We're gonna give this one to a tie, for balance between fun and tragedy. Tuggofelees is super fun and I love it dearly, they're just fun guys to play around with. Orphydice, on the other hand, is an absolute tragedy that rips my heart out, and is the One True Pairing of its story. I don't really interact with it in a shippy way, but I love them and the entire story so they're going in here

(Rum Tum Tugger/Mistofelees, Cats) + (Orpheus/Eurydice, specifically in Hadestown)

2. OT3

Hitter Hacker Thief, no contest. I love a lot of poly ships, but these three are far and away my favorite darlings. It's the banter, and the absolute trust, and "till my dying day," I just love them. They're all so weird and spiky in their own ways, and they manage to fit together so so well.

((Eliot/Hardison/Parker, Leverage)

9. Write a recommendation of someone else's fic you enjoyed

oooooh! Gonna do two, and reach outside of my standard fandoms

One from my Ao3 bookmarks that is very far from any fandom I'm actually part of, but was so damn good that I still go back and reread it regularly anyways: 257 Years of Unanswered Correspondence with an Ardat-Yakshi Monastery. It's a Mass Effect fic by mylordshesacactus, companion piece to Nightwish (also very good!) by the same author. It makes me bawl my eyes out every single time I read it, without fail. It's an epistolary in the form of exactly what the title says: 257 years of messages sent by an Asari woman to a former classmate, with no response. It's painful, reflective of real world issues around disability and illness through a sci-fi lens, and so deeply hopeful. The line that stuck with me most, and makes me cry thinking about it, will not have its impact without the context of the full story, so I'm not going to quote it and will just say that it is very much worth reading to go find it yourself.

A true classic: Sansukh by determamfidd, a Hobbit fic. It's over 570k words of inter-generational trauma, love, kingly guilt, and amazing female dwarfs. Set in the dwarven afterlife with views into the living world during the events of the War of the Ring. The relationships between characters are the selling point here, they're written with depth, genuine care, and unique complexities to each one. Bagginshield is the main focus ship, but the importance of familial relationships and how they effect people is the main theme.

13. Character/ship you haven't created for yet but would like to

Hmm. I'm not really an author or artist, I mostly just write spontaneous essays while talking with friends, so I guess I'd like to find someone I can subject to my Leverage essay brain for character dissection purposes (I am so normal about them all). I've also had a cosplay planned but not created for Rose Red from the Mechanisms universe for a while, so I'll put her in here as well. I love her whole deal a lot, and I think being her (visually) would fix me for a bit.

22. Headcanon for Cori & Tanto

My beloveds!!! Gonna go with a simple and sweet one today. They live with an old woman and her young wiccan grandaughter, and when the grandaughter is having a bad time and doing her own rituals to try to make things better, they'll slip a little of their magic in to make the things she's doing the ritual for happen faster and better than they might otherwise. She doesn't know that's happening, but grandma definitely does and slips them a little extra treat when they help.

[missing-sock-misto]

3, 21, and 25 for the end of year asks

3. Favorite musical artist / group you started listening to this year?

(Me: From THIS year oof, who have I started listening to this year, I can’t think of… oh. Shoot. I’m going to call myself the fuck out with this)

…Sydney James Harcourt

Listen I went from freaking *loathing* his Tugger to adoring it because SOMEONE (looks pointedly at asker) added a character analysis to a review that was so compelling that, when paired with the clips of the show that had dropped, utterly Flipped my entire attitude towards his performance and subsequently the entire PAC nonreplica. Like, I cannot stress the switch this dang analysis triggered for me LOL. (Also, I’m so grateful for it. It allowed me to actually start appreciating PAC in a way I had been unable to earlier because my experiences early on were so sour that I couldn’t enjoy it for what it was. And now, if it comes back, I hope to see it.) (A mini-answer to number 12- I met someone who I liked listening to and whose opinions I respected enough to change my mind. This is one of the highest compliment I can give to someone.)

And so I checked out his catalog. I’ve listened to his Hamilton Blueprint probably a hundred times, listened to various audio snippets from his performances, I watched freaking Castlevania: Nocturne because he voices Edouard in it and hot damn Edouard’s entire angst is exactly my jam I’m so excited for when the second season drops. That dude has a crazy falsetto so they cast him as an opera singer, I cannot get over it XD. But like- Edouard is a mixed race, possibly gay, freeman born in colonial Haiti. He has a heart of gold and uses his wealth and station as a shield to help others. He is subsequently killed and resurrected as a monsterous living weapon who still retains his personhood. (I love his monster design so much like aaaaaaaah.) I DO have my complaints at how much Edouard is sidelined towards the second half of the season, but like- obsessed with the idea of this character. I could talk more about him but not here XD

Also, the sexy gay Aztec vampire was a delightful bonus XD

21. What’s something new about your place of residence (room, home, or general location) now vs the start of the year?

I’m giving 2!

These little guys:

Not only is @drygrasses an incredibly talented drawer, they are an amazing crocheter as well. They gifted me these little dumbo octopi and are FREAKING adorable. (Lol, they had asked me which yarn to use, and I couldn’t decide, so they gave me one of each XD)

Also I got this cat-shaped display shelf for Halloween, and look at itttt. I collect things from my hikes, and I have found quite a number of bones and rocks to be displayed.

The cat skull is actually 3d printed and not real, but the seal vertebrae, bird skull, and Anhinga skull (presumed) were all found on hikes. This is nowhere near my full collection.

25. Did you create any characters (in games, art, or writing) this year? Describe one

(Oh you mtherfucker XD)

No. Technically I made them 2 years ago XP

Thanks for the asks!

[pinksilvace]

Hey fern, what if you dropped a top 10 favorite cats the musical characters list

omg 😳😳😳 maybe we could find out 😳😳😳

1: Alonzo

Surprise, surprise, I know. Silly little vain/uncertain/bravado guy. What is he doing. I just know he's so full of anxiety but he's also probably emotionally illiterate. He's SUCH a big bro figure in my brain in a number of ways, but mostly because I think he'd be the kind of guy to try and fix problems, fail, and dejectedly call for mom's help after the fact.

There's not much I can say about Alonzo that I haven't already said:

Here's where I ranted about his adjectives.

Here's where I ranted about his design for the Egg Cracker Bracket.

Goodness knows I've probably ranted across many many many tags as well. Idk man he's just so Gender to me and I think he's really funny and I love that he's a bit of a loser depending on how much the actor plays up the "uncertain" part of his character (the one that prominently comes to mind is here during Grizabella, the Mac scares, the end of M&R, and the IMMEDIATE change in demeanor during the Song of the Jellicles). I LOVEEEE that he's often shown to despise Tugger; it's such a funny dynamic. I love that different productions have him looking to Munkustrap, Skimbleshanks, and Cassandra for guidance. I love that fics make him a bit of an ass sometimes. For whatever gripes I have with Broadway revival choreo, I also love that it gave him some more character moments than he used to :D.

Every depiction of Alonzo I see gives me a new, interesting look at the character. I have yet to find one I dislike.

Aghhhh we've reached the point where this ranking gets really hard 😭😭😭 LMAO

2: Demeter

She was my favorite when I first got Really into cats circa 13 years old. I'll forever be bitter that she had no presence in 2019. She's LITERALLY the second most important character for the sake of the plot and they just LEFT HER OUT??? Just because she's hard to recognize after only a single watch or two??? hhhhhhhhhhhhh

The way actors portray her is ALWAYS entrancing. If cats is Subtext: The Musical, Demeter is Subtext: The Character. The Macavity number??? Come ON. The fact that she opens the show? Her reactions to literally everything??? Oughhhh sometimes she makes me want to chew on concrete.

Sometimes, there are portrayals of Demeter that I dislike, though. I guess it makes sense for a character whose words are skittish/cautious/paranoid, but sometimes, those traits seem to supercede her personality, which is always a shame. I particularly enjoy her interactions with Munkustrap and Bombalurina, of course, so when those are overshadowed by just how scared she is, I think it tends to weaken stuff overall. After all, those relationships thrive on how they interact and curb that fear.

I don't spend nearly enough time thinking about Demeter and it's an absolute travesty. Ma'am you are the heart and soul of the show to me. You keep everything thematically linked together. I love you

3: Munkustrap

I think that Munkustrap might be the definition of a comfort character for me. His mental health is rock solid. He's so dad-coded it's unreal. I desperately need to watch a production of Cats and only focus on Munkustrap, because his interactions with everybody are spectacular. There is so much character fit into this guy. He's also entertaining to me because I would NOT guess his adjectives, ever; they always come across as a characterization secondary to his role, and I like that quite a lot.

And oh my gosh, his DESIGN!!! I think Munkustrap has some of the prettiest makeup in the show, and his whole look is pleasingly cohesive. There's so much happening on his face, but when it's good, it's PHENOMENAL.

COME ONNNNNNNN, the HIGHLIGHTS on those WHISKERS??? The gradients on the cheeks and nose??? oooohhhhhhh it pleases me IMMENSELY. I also really like how the makeup blends into the wig, and the shape of the wig is also one of my favorites in the show - especially when it's a bit droopy, like Michael Gruber's in '98.

let's not forget about the collar

Anyway YEAH!!! He's one of my favorites to see actually moving onstage, consistently has a beautiful voice, and has some of my favorite relationships in the whole show :D

4: Admetus

This is a bit of a cheat listing. I really don't think about Admetus that much, but I would REALLY like to think about him more. I want to know what his deal is. Like Munkustrap, I think he has some fascinating relationships onstage that all present very differently - his time spent with Tumble/Pounce, Victoria, and Alonzo come to mind.

But also

THE MAKEUP

THIS LOOK WITH THE BIG LOWER LASHES??? GIRL HELP YOUR CAT IS GNC AS HELL. EASILY my favorite cats makeup look EVER. I know it's just because they have to slather on Mac's stuff later but I love that most of the face is left plain so they went absolutely ham with the eyes. It's the opposite of Munkustrap's. Brilliant.

anyway yeah he looks cool and I think his role in the tribe is in a really interesting flux stage

5&6: Pouncival and Tumblebrutus

They are a pair... do not separate

okay okay OKAY I know I often talk about my favorite characters in terms of how funny they are, and these guys??? Absolute clowns. The product is exactly what's written on the tin; they sure do pounce and tumble!!! Even a few weeks ago, they probably wouldn't have been so high on the list, but writing CFP and forcing myself to learn more about their characters as a result has skyrocketed the amount of love in my heart for them. If I had to choose, I'd probably say that I like Pouncival just a tiiiiny bit more since I think he's more memorable and I prefer his design, but the way they both look up to almost everybody else in the show is intoxicating to watch.

My favorite moments of these two are, of course, Pounce here (2:35 onward) and Tumble here (2:14:25 onward). I just think they're neat.

7: John Partridge The Rum Tum Tugger

(Okay, but, like, John Partridge is the ultimate here. My second favorite is probably Zach Bravo since his take on the character is so different, but there might never be a Tugger as suave as Partridge ever again.)

Going back to his antagonistic relationship with Alonzo, I think it's interesting that they share "vain" as a descriptor. I also think that Tugger's relationships are interesting in that a lot of them aren't necessarily dissimilar with one another (they're all quite teasing, whether romantic or platonic), but they are unique to him. The dynamism of his character is probably what makes me like him the most; I love how he code switches between his own number, Old Deuteronomy, and Mr. Mistoffelees.

Aside from all that, come on. The swagger is magnetic. (I'd write more but my fingers are starting to hurt)

8: Bombalurina

women <3

(I do have additional thoughts about her character! She's intelligent, generous, and flirtatious, and though she's always seeking romantic/sexual attention, those interactions are always secondary to her relationship with Demeter, which is something that I really like. Depending on the performer, she can easily come across as one of the strongest characters.

...but yeah. women <3)

9: Skimbleshanks

(swings microphone around) I am once again answering on the basis of "I just think they're funny"

Seriously though, at this point, there are so many characters that could make it onto this list. I think Skimble juuuuust made it here because EVERYBODY loves him, and that just makes me love him more. He and Mistoffelees definitely seem like the most popular choices for fanart from folks outside of the fandom, 2019 or otherwise.

Also, whenever I need an answer in Quiplash and can't think of anything, I put in Skimbleshanks, and without fail, somebody always votes for it, even if they have no idea who (or, in their mind, what) Skimbleshanks is.

There's not a single thing I dislike about this cat or his number; I couldn't possibly begin to list everything here. I just haven't thought particularly hard about him as a character yet.

10: Electra

I must admit that I've barely spent any time at all thinking about Electra. HOWEVER, her interactions with Munkustrap are adorable, and the single father alonzo fic has irreparably changed my brain chemistry, and for those reasons alone, she's earned her place here. I also think the unitard design is really unique and beautiful :D

Honorable Mention: Tantomile. She was my favorite when I watched Cats '98 as a young'in :).

[falasta]

Matt Krzan is leaving the Asia tour to, of all things, get married. And of course we’re genuinely very happy for him!! But I am So Sad he is leaving, because he’s just *such* a wonderful Munkustrap.

Of course Matt’s been involved with Cats for many, many years – and for the last leg of this tour has been resident director and choreographer. Whether he will continue with Cats after this Tour – I guess we’ll just have to wait for the inevitable Farewell Post. One of many that are going make me cry buckets 😭

I’m sure everyone knows my feelings on the NuMakeup ALW forced on everyone, but my fears about Munkustrap’s makeup for the Asia Tour was completely assuaged by this professional. Look at how *gorgeous* he is!! I’m going to miss it *so much*.

Watching Matt as Munk was fascinating! He is, in many ways, a very aloof Munkstrap. Some of it was staging – he doesn’t join in sensuals, for example. During the pyramid he’s at least one entire Cat’s width away from everyone else (like Tugger, *cough cough*). And with Jo!Griz he was vicious. Never seen a Munk react like he did – lunging aggressively toward her with a terrifying hiss. Intimidating, angry, frustrated body posture – at her, at himself. There's a moment when he hisses at Grizabella that Electra cowers - with Munk turning toward her and curling into himself with shame. It’s *fascinating*. And while he’s gentle with the tribe, he doesn’t go out of his way to be cuddly with them

With one exception. Electra (as played by Sophie Middleton). I have lots of headcanons for Cats depending on the production – and in *this* production Electra is Baby and she is Munk’s Doter 😭. Electra is basically an onstage Swing in this production (I have *thoughts* about that, but Sophie created the world’s most adorable kitten in that role so XD). During Gumbi she doesn’t get to be a cockroach – instead she spends the time on the tire rocking out with Munkustrap (she gets to cuddle up in the JennySuit which Munk wraps around her). Mattstrap joins the tap on the tire *except* for the show when Sophie's family was watching- and then Electra got to join the tap! (and Girls Releve during the Ball).

It still kills me not to see Tugger and Munk in the Jellicle Ball when they are played by dancers. And I was so hoping Matt would jump in like he's done in the past. He didn’t, but we did get a little taste of Copeland when he joins in on the boot when the Ball starts! He’s a beautiful Munk, with the kind of controlled physicality I love seeing in this role, and wonderful to watch the few times he gets to actually dance.

I’m going to miss him So Much. I know the tour only has two more weeks, and my heart is going to break at the end of them. Best Wishes and Congratulations to Matt! Thank you for signing my program and for giving me a Paw Bump during the show. Once a Jellicle *always* a Jellicle.

Jellicles Now and Forever.

[naturepointstheway]

Jacob Brent's Mistoffelees appreciation weekend

Because it's my blog and I can ;) (Also, his is probably my favourite Misto!) So enjoy a bunch of gifs of him being adorable as Misto.

First, the classic, and adorably soft "Presto!"

His jump of excitement during the Jellicle Ball dance at seeing his friends is super cute 11/10. He is seratonin personified! Feeling sad? Just look at this gif for a few seconds. See! You're smiling now! :D

The adorable smile he shares with Victoria is absolutely one of my fave little moments! Both their smiles are SO pretty and my bisexual heart is full at the adorableness and the pretty in one gif:

I still dream of one day seeing a special edition of the 1998 Cats film come out because his conjuring turns deserve to be SEEN (as do the whole of the Teazer and Jerrie song!)

That proud look while wiggling his fingers like that after bringing back Old Duet is SUCH a Misto moment:

As if he isn't already a super sparkly little cat, he has to go and pull a ribbon caked in glitter out of a bucket and I'm HERE for it:

Then there's this little hand wind thing he does and he's SO HAPPY:

There's something about the way he kitten crawls to the front of the stage that I love - it's so cat like and the little slide at the end is super cute:

Look, Misto just SUPER LOVES Bustopher Jones, okay?

"Tugger, I got this. Watch me."

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

1, 6, 8 for the jellicle asks pleeeaaassssreeeee

Favorite swing(s)?

MY GIRL OLIVIA FROM THE 2012 CHINA PRODUCTION

favorite favorite favorite swing design ever, and i'm so biased bc she's my stage reference for Hestia

also UK tour my beloved she is also one of my favs, also because she gave me a stage reference for Iris, one of my other OCs!!

Favorite platonic headcanon?

Jellylorum, Jennyanydots, and Grizabella were THE trio when they were younger. They were best friends, and absolutely inseparable before Grizabella left

Plato and Victoria are Tugger's best friends in the entire world (Misto doesn't count lmao). They've been glued at the hip since they met, and the three of them + Tugger are the most codependent inseparable gorup of cats in the entire junkyard. Plato is basically Tugger's brother, and Victoria is Tugger's little sister

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are very close with Demeter and Bombalurina, mainly due to them having shared experiences with Macavity

Amunet and Skimbleshanks are best friends

Favorite makeup design?

i definitely have a few:

1998 Amunet's makeup design is one of my FAVORITES, i love how it just makes her look so gorgeous and elegant, and is so simple yet impactful

Kilworth Tugger my beloved, i love his makeup, specifically the lil heart on his cheek

Gotta be biased again and say my best guy Tumble, I love his patch SO much

[fluffytuffles]

Idk if this counts as a headcanon or not but I wanna say it anyways

that Sillabub actually seeks approval more then she lets on, (I can explain this in more depth but it’s based on my rewatch of the us Tour boot) like she doesn’t want to be considered annoying or trouble to the other older cats like Munkustrap, Jelly etc. cause she knows how stressed they are especially now with the ball happening and making sure everything runs smoothly with old Deuteronomy. Which is why she initially hesitates to join in on Tuggers song but she watches close by, {a specific moment I went off on is when she’s sitting on the steps near the tire she glances at Tugger then at Munkustrap and then hangs her head down quickly, a few moments later she shrugs and contemplates just joining as a sort of “what’s the worst that could happen?”} when she does eventually join she stays at a close distance to Munkustrap just so he has a clear vision of her and doesn’t have to worry about moving her away from Tugger again so he eventually lets it go.

she doesn’t work to annoy the older cats but more works around them to keep everyone happy. Which makes her later conflict when she sees how the Tribe treats Grizabella all the more worse cause in the end she knows it’s wrong she knows she wants to do something but can’t. Cause what would they think of her then?

Anyway Sillabub best cat girl 2023.

Sillabub being a people pleaser but still trying to gain a little independence and let herself experience her own desires and follow her own values is 100/10 to me and I love her. Being torn between what those around you believe and what you know in your heart to be true? Fundamental part of growing up and we love to see it.