#cats moscow 2005

[cillyscribbles]

ahh moscovite cats <3 it felt to me like they were both just a little more serious than usual. or maybe munkustrap was just on a perpetual 2 hours of sleep and tugger (in the name of self preservation) adjusted his behaviour accordingly.

[mysticalcats]

Could you give us two different style skimbles from two different productions talking about their fav topic? (Trains ofc)

us tour 5 and moscow 2005 skimble!! 🚂

[jellicle-song-and-jellicle-dance]

Cats haters will never know the joy magic and whimsy of watching Cats in a language you don’t understand and will never care to learn

[hysterical-cats]

re: this post i am actually Not done talking about Anna Bagmet as Bombalurina LOOK AT HER

[gotham-native]

just thinking about Ivan Ozhogin as Munkustrap again

[murdleandmarot]

@mysticalcats @emimii @toki-toro um hi hello *throws these in your general direction and hides behind a trash can*

[junkyard-gifs]

Demeter does some sensual (and blurry) Enticing while most of the cats are in the audience after Mistoffelees brings Deuteronomy back. Munkustrap can't wait to get his paws all over her.

(Meanwhile Tugger: Just another day in the Junkyard, oh look, Misto can do flippies!)

Olga Belyayeva as Demeter, Ivan Ozhogin as Munkustrap, Alexey Bobrov as Tugger, and Alexander Babenko as Mistoffelees; Moscow 2005 (X).

[white-cat-of-doom]

how many versions of cats were released on cd? I have the obc and olc versions so I was wondering if you knew what other versions there were, and if possible where to find them :D many thanks!

Hello Anon,

There are eighteen cast recordings:

Original London 1981 (both 2CD full recording and 1CD highlights)

Original Broadway 1982 (both 2CD full recording and 1CD highlights)

Vienna 1983 (1CD highlights)

Budapest 1984 (1CD highlights)*

Australia (Sydney) 1985 (2CD full recording)

Japan (Osaka) 1985 (2CD full recording)

Hamburg 1986 (2CD full recording)

Amsterdam 1987 (1CD highlights)

Paris 1989 (2CD full recording)

Japan (Nagoya) 1989 (2CD full recording)

Mexico 1991 (1CD highlights)

Warsaw 2004 (1CD highlights)*

Prague 2004 (1CD highlights)*

Dutch Tour 2006 (1CD highlights)

Italian Tour 2009 (1CD highlights)*

Japan (Tokyo) 2019 (2CD full recording)

2019 Movie (1CD highlights)

Vienna Revival 2021 (2CD full recording)

*Non-replica production, if that matters

In addition, there are a number of promo CDs that include a handful of tracks from the casts at the time of release:

Hamburg 1996 (3 track promo, assuming audio taken from 1986 cast recording)

Japan (Tokyo) 1996 (3 track promo)

CATS 1998 Elaine Paige (3 track promo; 'Memory' included, and two other non-CATS songs)

Japan (Osaka) 2001 (4 track promo)

Madrid 2003 (1 track 'Memory' promo)

Moscow 2005 (8 track promo?, two versions; both have 4 instrumental tracks)

Dutch Tour 2006 (3 track promo, audio from 2006 cast recording)

German Tent Tour 2011 (3 track promo)

Of everything listed above, the only ones I do not own are the Madrid 2003 'Memory' promo, Prague 2004 cast recording (a very rare CD that was scrapped before moving to production, only test/promo copies exist), and Moscow 2005 (another very rare promo release, only found with the press packages). Who knows if I can ever get my hands on them.

In terms of where to find them, the OLC, OBC, and Vienna 1983 are still being produced today and can be easily found new online, through Amazon or eBay (or better yet, in-person at your local music store!), and so is the Budapest 1984 CD as well (at least from what I can tell, it is always readily available brand new from Hungary). The 1989 and 2019 Japanese cast recordings are also still readily available brand new from Japan through the Shiki webstore. The 2019 movie highlights is also very easy to find, considering it just was released. The Vienna 2021 recording is still available from the label's website (at 45% right now!), but they only ship within Europe.

All the others can be found second-hand to varying degrees of ease online (i.e., eBay). The 1980s cast recordings are not too difficult, with Hamburg being fairly easily found, but as you start moving into lesser known (and shorter running) productions, it becomes more difficult to find them. Some are extremely uncommon, and I purchased the only copy I have even seen go for sale throughout the years, and I am still waiting for the chance to get the few I do not have.

Happy hunting to you, Anon!

[toki-toro]

Babe wake up another Cats makeup chart just dropped

Marat Abdrakhimov’s ‘cheat sheet’ (makeup chart) used in 2005 Moscow, Russia. Shown during an interview about the cast’s makeup process. Karen Dawson as makeup developer and supervisor.

[missing-sock-misto]

Jellicle Ask game: 1, 3, 7

Hi! (So I wrote a drabble for number 7, lol)

1. Favourite Swing

I honestly really like George, simply for the headcanon that he’s actually a dog? It’s incredibly silly but I do think it’s adorable.

3. Favourite Replica costume

I Love Misto’s outfit. It says so much about his character, he's neat, fancy, helps him stand out of a crowd,

(Moscow 2005 Misto)

I love the little black splotch on his leg, it's reminicent of the markings you'll see on actual tuxedo cat legs.

I also love that he has a single missing sock. Hence my username. Three white limbs, one black arm. It's very cute, is distinctive and unusual for tuxedos. (Which is why I don't like the Broadway revival giving him two black socks, one on opposite limbs. No.)

I also have a particular fondness for the more modern show number tuxedo, especially Xavier Pellin. It's more reminiscent of a figure skater outfit. The black velvet makes it a deeper black than Tugger's grey-black. But I like how the white patch ends just below his chest, while his chorus outfit ends at his midriff. it's like he buttoned up his coat XD

I like the idea that Misto can shapeshift slightly, going from all black to tuxedo depending on his mood XD

7. Favourite sibling headcanons

Tugger, Munk and Mac are brothers and the sons of old Deut, though Munk has a different mom. Mac is the easiest to not make a Deuteronomy, but it is my preference.

Also while I love the ‘Misto and Victoria are twins’ headcanon, I actually prefer it when Misto is fully an outsider to the Tribe, or even something supernatural in the skin of a cat. Sometimes, this is how I play around with the "Eldritch Misto" idea. So I actually like the idea that Misto and Victoria are foster siblings. Victoria found Misto as a kitten, and they adopted each other. They call each other twins because they don’t know when Misto was born so they just share a birth date.

One idea: When baby Victoria, (who is the daughter of Bustopher Jones's sister), played around the home, she felt the shadows watching her. It raised the fur on the back of her neck, like after rubbing a balloon. Her siblings hated the shadows, arching their backs and opening their mouths in snarls she couldn’t hear. But the shadows didn’t scare her. At first she thought it was the Everlasting Cat watching her. But then she realized it was different. This was not the comforting glow she felt when she stared up at the full moon. This was a quieter feeling, mist on a moonless night wrapping her gently in silver. It was the tingle on her tongue as she looked at the sky heavy with clouds, while lights flickered and flashed overhead. The lights scared her siblings too.

She started tossing toys or bits of her food into the shadow. The toys returned, the food disappeared. Her momma thought she had made an imaginary friend. It was not imaginary.

But it was a friend.

One by one, her siblings found new homes in large hands that caressed them. Hands touched her and held her, but never chose her. Her mother licked her fur with static strokes, her chest vibrating gently. The vibrations fascinated Victoria. So many things made them. The regular thumps as the humans feet hit the floor, the shaking as a truck pulled up to the house.

One day, strange men whose scents she did not recognize invaded her home. Their footsteps sent percussive shocks up her legs. She hid, watching as they put wooden tables into cardboard boxes before carrying them away. She had to move as one by one her favorite hiding spots were taken- the men upending cabinets and removing blankets. Finally, tucked away somewhere high in a nook with no furniture, she was safe. She wiggled her toes against the floor of her hiding place, enjoying the rhythmic vibrations as the strangers moved so far below. Safe, she curled into a ball, and fell asleep.

When she wakes up, the house is empty, and she is alone. No humans. No boxes. No momma. She runs through the house, mouth open, throat vibrating in a way that got momma’s attention, trying to find someone, anyone. After hours of searching the desolate house, she gives up, curling up on sore legs. She shivers, both from cold and tears.

She is awoken by something hitting her back. She unfurls quickly, so quickly she loses her footing and slips on the floor. But her heart soars. Maybe her momma is back! She is greeted by an empty room. At her feet is one of her toys, a little ball. Her hope dies all over again, grief welling up in her, even more choking than before. She buries her face in her arms. She feels a thump as another toy collides with her back. She straightens once again, more angry than sad now. Can't she be allowed to cry in peace? Out of the darkness, another toy, a little round mouse, flies towards her. She bats it aside angrily and opens her mouth. She feels her throat vibrate. She'd see her mother flinch and rub her ears when she did that. She thought it had been funny. The darkness retreats, allowing the evening sun to filter through the room once again. She hadn't realized the room had been so dark. But instead of feeling satisfied or relieved, she feels even more lonely than before. She curls back into a ball, burying her nose under her stubby tail.

After a few minutes, the shadows return, coalescing by her side, a small pool of void. When it departs, a bit of food remains. At first, she thinks about batting it away too. Instead, she manages to eat a mouthful. Then another. Soon the food is gone, wolfed down into her empty stomach. She hadn't realized how hungry she had been. She nods gratefully at the dark, before curling back into a ball.

Day turns to night. She shivers in her corner, the loneliness almost colder than the autumnal chill. Her lungs shudder with soundless tears. She wants her momma.

The air takes on an electric thrum, making all her fur stand up on its end. She sits up, confused. Before her, the shadows pool together, growing thicker and denser, until a patch of Void sit in the corner of the room. Colors flicker in the depths, oil slick rainbows swirling in the black. She stares in astonishment as the shadows tighten, and then open their eyes. Unnatural electric blue and lightning yellow eyes glow back at her. They blink, and when they open again, they are no longer glowing. A kitten steps out of the darkness. It is her age, her size. No, it is more than that. It is her mirror, her inverse rendered in shadow. The only difference is that one of the kitten's eyes is yellow instead of blue. She blinks. The kitten blinks back. It approaches her cautiously. It is clumsy, as if it has never walked before.

It approaches until it is only a few inches away. She should feel terrified. But the strange kitten is familiar, misty night air and lightning storm rain. Almost out of instinct, she holds out her paw. The kitten mirrors, holding out its left. They touch. It’s like sticking her paw in an icy creek. She flinches away, startled. The kitten tilts its head, confused. Then its eyes narrow with concentration. It holds out its paw again, inviting. This time, the paw is warm beneath her own.

They curl up together that night, her old friend and her. She is warm.

When her Uncle comes to retrieve her, he is confused by the new kitten. He knows the kittens his sister had, and this was not one of them. Victoria clings to the stranger, tails twined together. He gestures as the black kitten and shakes his head. He was only here for his niece, for his family. Victoria puffs up, and wraps herself over the kitten, eyes defiant. He is coming with us, her eyes say.

Bustopher hesitates for a moment, before he chuckles. "I guess this is my nephew," he says outloud to himself. At least the two looked similar. Uncannily similar, really. A Victoria dropped in ink.

Some tension in the girl eases, sensing the change in her Uncle's demeanor even if she can't hear his words. He smiles gently at her, and gestures towards the door. She hesitates, tightening her grip around her new brother questioningly. Bustopher nods, and gestures again to the door.

He leaves with two kittens in tow. When the black kitten's face and paws turn white, a reflection of his own tuxedo coat, he is not as surprised as he should be. There was something unearthly about the kitten, too fluid to be natural. But he decides that this action is one of acknowledgement. He chuckles. "Welcome to the family,” he tells the boy.

Thank you for the ask!

Lol, I did not mean for that to turn into a drabble, whoops 😅

[pinksilvace]

Fern guides their mutuals and followers through Cats 1998 as if we're all sitting on the same couch watching it and I'm shouting out stuff (4/?)

MASTERPOST

Character Wiki Pages

On to Bustopher!

8: Bustopher Jones

Everybody is SO MEAN about Bustopher Jones (joking). I love him so much but nowadays when numbers are cut his is usually one of them since he usually shows up once and disappears 🥲

The actor for Bustopher sometimes dons a chorus costume for the opening number, often named Peter. They're also usually the actor who plays Gus later, as both Bustopher and Gus traditionally had operatic moments in the show.

Tom Hooper clearly did not know how to interpret media because could you IMAGINE 2019 Bustopher cleaning up his appearance as a first impression???

When I was little, I was under the impression that Bombalurina, Jenny, and Jellylorum all liked Bustopher Jones in similar ways; it wasn't until I started interacting with the fandom on here that I learned how some people interpret Bombalurina as being completely sarcastic in this song. Art's always up to interpretation, of course, and that's the fun of it, but I never really got that impression, even with Rosemarie Ford's eye rolls. To me, this moment shows Bombalurina as a character that can show others respect. It also cements her as being at the older end of the "not-old" adults.

This is YET ANOTHER song that is PERFECT for examining whatever Pouncival is getting up to at a given moment. I am once again saying that the Pouncival cut in this show is the most fun

Subsequently, this is also the "Skimbleshanks is three wrong moves away from a panic attack" song, which to me means that he respects Bustopher just as much as Jenny does. I like to think that they grew up together.

(For an incredibly anxious Skimble, here's Boston 2007; skip to 28:30):

(While I'm at it, there's this part in Moscow 2005 when the boys are all lined up like they're going to take a family photo, and I think it's very silly and cute; skip to 27:45)

Have you ever watched Cats (1998) and wondered who that cat that's really excited to see Bustopher is? That's George. The George Cut (TM) is probably my second favorite version of '98, after The Pouncival Cut (TM).

No doubt, you'll notice the number of Mistoffelees & Bustopher moments in this number. This is probably where the most popular headcanon about Bustopher originates: lots of us like to think he's an uncle, usually in conjunction with monochromatic siblings (Misto & Victoria & sometimes Alonzo)(Alonzo is like. Y as a vowel). I've also seen some folks frame him as Misto's dad, and in those cases, Misto is usually an only child.

Slightly off-topic, but my friend @thepineconelord likes to think of Mistoffelees as butler-core, and I think they're especially correct in this number.

(Yet another side note: the monochromatic siblings staging is a bit stronger in post-US Revival choreography, especially between Alonzo and Misto. Head to 30:00)(<- pretending to see things that supports the tunnel vision)

(Is it obvious yet that I've watched this number, specifically, many times?)

Okay I only just noticed this one but WHAT is up with Plato in this part. This picture doesn't do nearly enough justice to his posing but. My dude are you okay??? He was built to have an arm slung over the back of a park bench and instead he's here and forced to harmonize

The rare moment when Mistoffelees is peeved by Pouncival (and the altogether common moment where Munkustrap is also peeved by Pouncival)

One incredibly interesting thing about this number is that it's one of the most gendered numbers in the whole show, speaking from a choreography standpoint. When I was younger, I thought it came from a position of "all of the girls have crushes so they're all fangirling together," but that's not true. Only Jenny is shown to have a crush, and Coricopat, George, and Skimbleshanks could all very easily start fanboy-ing with them.

What is it, then? Is it because Bustopher presents as a much more "traditional" character than the rest? Do the things they're describing about him ascribe to him a certain level of masculinity that he can only share with the boys? Are these formations all part of some sort of militaristic protocol? Leading from that, is his appearance at the Ball (and approval) a right of passage thing for the boys? It's not something I've really seen anybody touch on, which is odd to me, because Cats in general tends to have interesting messages re: gender roles, especially with Mistoffelees, who obviously shares some sort of close connection with Bustopher! GILLIAN LYNNE REVEAL YOUR SECRETS

The cats know what golf is. Either that, or Bustopher saw a rich person play it, decided to copy them, and everybody else is amazed for his benefit.

[cillyscribbles]

it has come to my attention (thank you so much @hysterical-cats) that in moscow 2005 bombalurina tries to protect munkustrap by covering him with her own body when he falls. and i will never be normal again

[mysticalcats]

what if

you drew skimble

with 98’s waistcoat

and 2019’s cute little dungarees

he's got a full outfit now

[jellicle-song-and-jellicle-dance]

I learned the word for “Aunt” in German recently, which is “Tante”. Honestly every time I hear it I think of Tantomile

[margo-mania]

watching cats moscow (2005) first!

[gotham-native]

feeling sad so you know what that means