#jennyanydots tap dances and so does 2019 skimble so like

[emimii]

tap dance duo

[simptasia]

Top 5 Cats the Musical moments AND Top 5 Cats the Musical Movie moments? 😂

oh bless you!!

tho i have to say i’m not nearly as familiar with cats as a stage musical as i am the movie. i’ve seen bits and pieces of the 98 version (i’ve seen misto’s, skimble’s and griz’s songs fully. and parts of the other songs, enough to know what they sound like. and like i watched somebody else watch the 98 version, which gave me the Gist but it’s not the same, obviously). meanwhile i’ve seen the 2019 version 3 times (been on painkillers every single time! not on purpose just amazing timing) AND i’ve watched all of the scenes over and over and analysed it to bits..... so mayhaps i’m a tad underqualified here

so i can give a top 5 for 2019 cats but i don’t feel secure in doing the same for the 98 version. BUT i will say this: all of misto’s song is amazing and “presto” hits harder than any drug. misto’s presto is deservedly iconic

okie this is gonna be hard for me. 98 the problem is i don’t have enough cuz i haven’t seen it properly. 2019 the problem is theres just too many

also i’d like to preface this by saying im at a point where i genuinely adore this movie (aware of the problems, certainly) and i can’t regard it as a bad movie anymore. last time i watched it, i was having the time of my fucking life

so the first half is misto’s song is cute and awkward (and its meant to be, i will defend this song, damn it. tho laurie cannot hold a note, aw honey...) but the second half? when the triumph kicks in? that is golden! golden i tells you! during which i am experiencing genuine euphoria. it’s all good, the whole song is good for me and i love misto so much. but like a moment during this that REALLY gets me tho is when old deut has come back and it cuts to misto looking so overjoyed and the music kicks the fuck in into triumph mode and that is the bit that makes me cry. like a laugh cry. it’s so good, so good. that shit is PEAK

i can’t pick a favourite part of skimbleshank’s song and nobody should. the entire thing is great and it pretty much plays continiously in my head. i dunno if 5 minutes counts as A Moment but fuck it all. he’s a cat that. cannot. be. ignored

griz’s song, memory, is of course amazing. i don’t even need to say that. but also like her “TOUCH ME” is so powerful it’s like all of my organs were being pulled towards the screen at once. thats the best way i can describe it. fuck me that hits like a motherfucker

okay i’ve made it abundantly clear that my love of robbie fairchild’s performance in this has evolved into uh, worshipful. love me a theatre bitch. chaotically sincere and sincerely chaotic. but i can’t just say “every moment with munkustrap” because thats so much of the movie! king!!! this movie rests upon this lovely stripy shoulders! and picking like BEST? for him?? impossible. but i will mention two scenes: the passionate and loving performance given during “old dueteromony”. the singing is beautiful and the aaaacting is lush. that bit when munku nuzzles old deut is A++++. mwah. and the other scene being his background acting during the ad-dressing of cats. the one where he’s emoting so fucking much in the background. and he’s doing that the whole movie actually but its more obvious there. i’ve been to that scene a lot and lemme tell you whatever frame you get of munku in that scene is fucking gold. special mention goes to what he does when old duet mentions the caviar. also i cannot stress enough that robbie does not blink!!! he’s a mad lad!!!!

i love all of jellicle songs for jellicle cats, great song, proper bop. and i dunno if this is my fave part but i think it deserves to be on here, i like when we get to the slow verse where its all like religious and stuff, they’re reaching up towards the everlasting cat as they sing and i think its beautiful. then these lyrics happen (and munku is guiding victoria thru these lyrics, which is nice) “feline, fearless, faithful to others that do...” and the macavity says “what”. and then suddenly the song goes back to really fast paced again. i dunno, i just love the way that part hits. i dunno if it should go in the top five, there are other moments i love more, a lot of them didn’t feel Big Enough. so they’re going in honorable mentions

i wanna give honorable mentions to

misto’s “romantical cats!” with his heart paws

“how will they be chosen?” “by singing the song of themselves, of course” i love that line because it perfectly expresses that this movie will express it’s concept entirely sincerely without a hint of irony. and i like that

every time misto and victoria nuzzle. oh and that heavy breathing held gaze tension moment they have after the bit with the dog [bleps]

misto and munku dosed on catnip cuz i’m a horny fuck, okay

munku and victoria’s lovely dance followed by misto suddenly yelling his own name and juggling. yeah that about sums it up

“macavityyyyyy [whoosh]”

the little chin hold munku gives misto. i’ve seen robbie do that in other things and it’s always towards a love interest. interesting

the jellicle ball. in general. but especially misto and victoria dancing together and munku and skimble dancing together. and all is right with the world

i really like beautiful ghosts (musically and character wise. the scene itself isn’t very interesting to look at but oh well) and i especially like “all that i wanted, was to be wanted”. like for me that informs a lot of victoria’s character. that stuck with me, i like it

munku’s tear during memory

“you... are the jellicle choice” and griz’s reaction. felt that

“up, up, up to the heavyside layer!” (with the bonus that misto is lighting the candles in time with the music, and thats satisfying as heck)

jennyanydots’ eye rolly joke during tugger’s song is worth it because of munkustrap’s reaction to it. his “oh you’re so bad!” laugh followed by looks that say “oh no, i shouldn’t laugh at that, i’m supposed to be sensible. hehe”. you can tell they’re good friends, it’s endearing

SKIMBLE AGGRESSIVELY TAP DANCING TOWARDS GROWLTIGER

i can’t pick a specific part of mungo and rumple’s song but i love victoria going into silly mode, and also just mungo and rumple’s Vibes, ya know. extra special mention to victoria and rumple’s obvious chemistry

fuck it, any time misto is a klutzy endearing (not so) little baby. OH WAIT i wanna point out how fucking proud of himself he is when he sings about his family repeatedly calling him in. that is the epitome of a cat, amazing

there’s more, there’s always more, but that’s currently... enough

i’m very into this movie, can you tell. like i’ll dunk on it, but i love it

it’s my special interest and i’m here to have a good time, babey

[itsmyregularcat]

Influenced by @white-cat-of-doom, and his Cats dream cast (please check it out), I have made my own.

This is going to be a tough one to figure out, but here is my Cats dream team, as of today.

I wish to see more productions to be better informed in my choices, so I need to get on some bootlegs I guess! (Some choices are actually going to be based off of assumptions of how the actors portray them).

I already know a bunch of my choices are going to be from the Broadway Revival (because I really like that production), and almost all are going to be from newer productions because I am way more familiar with them.

In alphabetical order:

Admetus / Macavity: Thomas Inge (Asia Tour 2017/2020 and UK International Tour 2018/9)

I quite like the Macavity redesign for Vienna 2019 and Asia 2020, so he gets the nod just for this. Otherwise, he is an established Admetus and seems to have fun with it.

Alonzo / Rumpus Cat: Fletcher Dobinson (Asia Tour 2020)

I have never seen him perform as Alonzo, but he has this energy about him I cannot really describe. From short videos I have seen, he seems to have a 'snarky' side, and just has a hell of a time flirting about with everyone during curtain calls. He has the moves.

Bill Bailey / Tumblebrutus: Kolton Krouse (Broadway Revival 2016 / Cats 2019)

They can fly with the best of them. Their flip in with the ball during the end of the Old Gumbie Cat is a cool addition. No strong feelings for this character though.

Bombalurina: Rosemarie Ford (Cats 1998)

If anyone exemplifies what it means to be Bombalurina, I think Rosemarie wins. The duality of caring attitude and scornful nature, combined with her moves and her voice all make her a top pick. Also, slightly older Bombas I feel are better?

Honourable mentions: Christine Cornish Smith (Broadway Revival 2016) for sure, Suzie Melloy (Asia 2017/2020), and Tanya Valenzuela (Mexico 2018).

Carbucketty / Pouncival: Joel Morris (South Africa 2008 / UK Tour 2013 / Palladium 2014 / International Tour 2016)

He does a relatively good job being juvenile, but not annoying in his role. Him screwing around during Tugger's song, Moments Of Happiness, and Skimbleshanks is actually endearing to a point. No strong feelings for this character though.

Cassandra: Mariah Reives (US Tour 6)

Another pick I have never seen during performances, but she looks like a good Cassandra. She is really pretty and appropriately tall, so ¯\_( ツ)_/¯. Bonus points for her lighting up during Misto's song.

Honourable mentions: Jessica Buckby (2013 UK Tour), Danielle Cato (International Tour 2019), and Emily Pynenberg (2016 Broadway Revival)

Coricopat: Corey John Snide (2016 Broadway Revival)

He pairs up very well with my top Tantomile pick, and cannot realistically be separated. This legend was also a dance captain, involved with Cats 2019, and did a split track cover of Coricopat and Jennyanydots during his run.

Demeter: Zizi Strallen (London Revival / Palladium 2014)

Real talk, I love her as Tantomile in Cats 2019, and her singing voice is beautiful and distinct. Her as Demeter is a good bet, and she gives off a happy vibe during less serious points of the show. That happiness she puts in 2019 Tanto is what she did with 2014 Demeter.

Honourable mention: Lisette Pagler (Gothenburg 2006 / Stockholm 2009). The OG grey Demeter. She is absolutely beautiful, and her non-rep portrayal design is neat. She is also an actual singer in Sweden, so her voice is top notch. I really like her as Demeter. Also, Ella Nonini (International Tour / Asia 2020).

Electra: Leah Sue Morland (Cats 1998) or Lili Froehlich (2016 Broadway Revival)

I cannot reasonably pick one over the other, I have disproportionately strong feelings for both. Lili made me fall in love with Electra as a character (and I mean, look who my icon is!), and Leah cemented it before and after me seeing the Broadway Revival. They both make a modest ensemble cat seem so much more important. One of my favourite Cats across any production.

Etcetera: Jo Bingham (Cats 1998)

Boundless energy and happiness rolled into one bouncy cat. No one had a better time during Cats 1998, and for a cat that does not appear in many production afterwards, Jo just said f*ck it and did whatever seemingly came to mind to forge a legacy. Biting Coricopat’s ass remains a landmark moment in cinema. One of my favourite cats in the film without a doubt.

George: Frank Thompson (Cats 1998)

He is sort of always there, enjoying himself. If I would cut a cast member, George would be it. Sorry George.

Gus / Bustopher Jones / Growltiger: Rory Campbell (UK Tour / Zurich / London)

Dignified Busto. A good Gus that does not play off too much about being old and decrepit. If done properly, Growltiger (for the sake of Griddlebone) should make a return to more productions. Remove the total racism and the open misogyny inherent to many portrayals of Growltiger, and make it strictly about the lovers.

Grizabella: Jennifer Hudson (for real) (Cats 2019)

I know this one will ruffle feathers, but her sad sap performance is quite unrivaled in Cats. She brought the gloom and the dejection of being casted out to life. Her singing Memory is powerful as all hell, and filled with emotion. She wins the screaming match.

Jellylorum / Griddlebone: Freya Rowley (Cats 2019)

At this point you are probably thinking, ‘my lord, what the hell is this person on about?’. Freya does not sing in the movie, and is just a background cat, but my god is she the best cat there! During her time with actual stage productions, she was a principle Tantomile, and covered Demeter, Jelly, Jenny, and Cassandra as swing. I know she can sing (even though I have never heard it), and I want to hear / see her as the most novel Griddlebone around. Big orange energy - get with it.

Honourable mention: Sarah Jean Ford (2016 Broadway Revival)

Jemima: Veerle Casteleyn (Cats 1998 / London / Dutch Tour)

The most vanilla choice, but she was the face of Jemima / Sillabub and the Cats ‘franchise’ when the 98 film first came out, and rocketed her character to great importance and notoriety. They used her for promo shots after the movie came out realizing how popular her character had become. Veerle is the innocence of youth personified. By the way, I am taking her without the overdub.

Honourable mention: Arianna Rosario (2016 Broadway Revival / US Tour 6) and Dawn Williams (UK Tour 2013)

Jennyanydots: Eloise Kropp (2016 Broadway Revival)

A younger Jenny still as wild as any other. Her greater involvement during the show is also cool to see. The changes they made to the Broadway Revival may irk some, but the Gumbie Cat scene with the choreography change is my favourite I have seen so far. Eloise does a really good job, and has a chaotic energy that draws me to her.

Mistoffelees: Laurie Davidson (Cats 2019)

On my pursuit of pissing off the purists, here is another controversial choice. He provides a character development that I think would work out well on stage. Imagine it for a second, with Tugger or Munk hyping him up. No Mistoria though.

Honourable mention: Joseph Poulton (UK Tour 2013 / Palladium 2014)

Munkustrap: Jack Rebaldi (London / Madrid / Paris / Dusseldorf / German Tours)

The man is a serious Munk, who is versatile with his portrayals. He gets so into playing the character, and seems to be having a great time doing it. Plus, how the hell can someone do Munk in English, Spanish, French, and German in the course of three years? Madness.

Honourable mentions: Robbie Fairchild (Cats 2019) and friend-shaped Michael Gruber (Broadway / Cats 1998)

Mungojerrie: Drew Varley (Australia 1993 / London / Cats 1998)

One half of the chaotic duo present in Cats 1998, with an oustanding level of dumbassery and foolishness that encompasses Jerrie. He encapsulates that attitude very well, and pairs perfectly with my top Rumpleteazer.

Honourable mention: Dante Hernandez (Mexico 2013 / 2018)

Old Deuteronomy: Nicholas Pound (London / UK Tours / Palladium 2014 / International Tour)

A bit of a different choice, considering most people would likely pick Ken Page (and for good reason). Mr. Pound has a great voice, and welcoming vibe. Behind the scenes, he is a chaotic Old D. Plus, his name is Dick Pound.

Rum Tum Tugger: John Partridge (UK Tour / London / Cats 1998 / Berlin / Dusseldorf)

Velvety smooth voice, swagger coming out the hip thrust, and a playfulness suitable for the rockstar cat. No contest with this choice. He also does not play of RTT as being childish or over the top (*cough 2016 Broadway Revival / US Tour 6*), which is appreciated. Sorry Tyler Hanes, your vlogs were delightful, but your Tugger was a bit too much.

Rumpleteazer: Jo Gibb (London / Cats 1998)

Jo Gibb is the reason I became super obsessed with Cats, and probably why my favourite character is Rumple. Having initially seen the 2019 movie before the 1998 film, seeing her smiling face and adorable portrayal made me sort of fall in love with her. She is a perfectly mischievous Rumple, and I feel is the benchmark for most others. Her engagements with other characters is awesome, and she is just the ideal actor. Also, Cockney accent Rumple is best Rumple I do not make the rules.

Honourable mentions: Every other Teazer. All of them. There is no bad one. They all have my heart.

Skimbleshanks: Steven McCrae (Cats 2019)

Big daddy Skimble, with the red pants and the moustache. Tap dancing and ballet powerhouse. WOO WOO. Enough said.

Tantomile: Emily Tate (2016 Broadway Revival)

Given all Tantos do not really have an opportunity to set themselves apart because they are more of an ensemble Cat, I liked Emily from the beginning I saw her, and I think she is really cute. Her, paired with CJS, make a pretty ideal Cori and Tanto. Maybe I am swayed by the amount of lifts and spins they do together during the show? They have a beautiful synchronization and grace with their movements. 

Weaponize your Tantomiles, helicopter her above your Coricopats and take over. Kill Macavity. Become the Everlasting Cat.

Honourable mention: Kaye Brown (London / UK Tour / Cats 1998), Melody Rose (US Tour 6), Helen Gulston (RCCL Cruise). Realistically, all Tantos are good. I like Tantomile.

Victoria: Georgina Pazcogiun (2016 Broadway Revival)

A prominent soloist with the New York ballet, renowned for her distinctive style, and you can appreciate that if you watched a 2016 bootleg show. She has also pushed out against ballet norms by being "The Rogue Ballerina" as a means of embracing the qualities that make her unique as a dancer, such as her 'bigger' (in terms of ballet) body type. Her unique style as Victoria makes her my choice. Plus, she be sneaky.

Honourable mentions: Hannah Kenna Thomas (UK Tour 2013 / Palladium 2014 / International Tour / Vienna Revival), Tyler Lotzof (Asia Tour 2020), Alicia Beck (UK Tour 2013), Phyllida Crowley Smith (London / Cats 1998). Realistically, all Vics are good.

Any way, there is my shitshow of a production.

[the-metaphorical-jellicle-cat]

A scene from the Cats 2019 film I’m happy they changed

Last time I talked about a scene I wouldn’t change in the Cats 2019 film. Now, I am going to talk about two scenes that were changed, for what I think for the better, based on the talent of the cast. Today is Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat turn. which is one of two songs I believe were changed based on the talent of the dancer/actor/singer rather than for the sake of story. Expect this to be a long read as I go more in depth than I should have.

Like with Mr. Mistoffelees, I listened to Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat first and OMG I was surprised! It was different but familiar at the same time. I thought it was a great idea to have Munkustrap introduce Skimble rather than it being a group introduction. This gave the tonal and musical shift from a group presentation to a personal one. The combination of the familiar musical entrance and the unfamiliar voice gives the audience an automatic take on the character. Skimble is a positive character who may not be around much but is still an important part of the Jellicles.

I actually enjoyed the fact that it was Munkustrap introducing Skimble because it fits what we know about Munkustrap’s character at this point in the film. Not only does this show his skills as a storyteller, it also shows that he has some sort of relationship with his cat. It gives a sense of mystery as we don’t hear his voice until about 50 seconds into the song. I also love how in this opening you can hear the pure joy Munkustrap has in his voice. 

Anyway, moving on, Skimbles entrance also drives that mystery. Quick reminder, I’m still discussing the soundtrack not the scene in the movie. His voice is younger yet he obviously has been working on the train for a significant amount of time. He does a back and forth with the other cats until we get to a part of the track that surprised me even more than the introduction and that is the sound of tap shoes. I love it when musicals include tap sequences on their soundtracks. It gives the song life while also giving us a hint as to what the choreography is going to be like. The combination of the tap and the music builds and builds until we hear Skimble taking over completely from Munkustrap for what we can guess is a wild ride. The fact that they deliberately don't change much about the music gives a familiarity about this song. It really felt at some points I was listening to the 1998 stage film rather than a Hollywood adaptation. That’s how much I loved this song and I haven't even watched the movie yet at this point. They didn’t have to put this much effort into this song musically and the fact that they did is surprising. 

Now I’m going to stop gushing about the track and look at the scene itself. What I really love about his introduction this time is Munkustrap’s facial expression. He seems so excited when Deuteronomy says who the next contestant is and Munkustrap gives something for the audience to think about. Why does this cat make the Jellicle Protector so happy? I also love how he just shoves Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer out of the way and they have no problem with it. The two of them go ahead and participate in introducing Skimbleshanks. I want to also point out another aspect about Munkustrap’s character in how he still includes Victoria by grabbing her hand. This reminds us that this is still through her perspective and is grinning when Skimble makes his entrance. However, Munkustrap is still smiling playing into the theatrics that is Skimbleshanks. 

I want to talk about Skimbles entrance, the use of practical props and Steven McRae’s performance. I absolutely love Skimble’s entrance. The lighting through the ceiling and the use of practical props gives him the element of surprise as he well ‘appears’. As he sings with the other cats, we get the sense that he’s important because they all join him in the chorus. 

Then we get what we got a glimpse of in the soundtrack. Tap dancing. I actually expected what I heard on the track as it was short and okay. It was nothing to sing about. But wow was I mistaken. This is what I meant in the beginning where the change was based on the actors ability. This is also the only change in the entire song. In the stage musical, tap is used in Jennyanydots’ song not Skimbleshanks. I hate to be one of those people, but I really like this change because it drives his character. It is a part of him. This is also where the cinematography is the best. Right after he blows the train whistle we get a clear close up to his shoes that he was also preparing during Gus’ song. It builds up anticipation. When he makes that first step on the wood, we hear an echo throughout the theater because no one is interrupting him. Everyone’s eyes are on him which pushes the fact how important he is and we need to care about him.

The camera benefits this character by showing half of his body with a close up and a close up of his face. Both of these shots show us two distinct characteristics. Skimbleshanks is highly talented and he knows it.Then we get a wide shot showing the other cats coming closer to watch as he gets faster and faster mimicking a train. Then the editing of the camera matches the tap. The amount of build up created by the combination of the music, choreography, and editing is perfect. 

Afterwards, we get one of my favorite references to the stage musical. Instead of using trash found in a junkyard, the cats use materials one would find in a theater such as a trombone. This then leads into a seamless transition to the train station. And that transition becomes clearer when we hear metal instead of wood when Skimble is dancing. I’m surprised that it works. 

We then have the next stanza or so on the tracks with Skimble singing and I like how it looks like Skimble is staring right at Victoria. Reminding us that this is still from her POV even though this is his song. I also like how they use tap on the rail as a way to punctuate the music because we don’t get that on the soundtrack. Instead of it being a bother, the choreography once again aids in a transition. As for Skimbleshanks, he shows his playful side which carries over to the next location.

We then get to my favorite part of the sequence: the actual train. I think having the train be part of Skimble’s song makes sense. Instead of just telling, he is showing and telling. This is also one of the few times we see full participation from the other cats and the fact they look like they want to be there. You can see the enjoyment in front of the other characters as he explains his duties on the train and you can tell he likes what he does. The only interruption is from a mouse Skimbleshanks finds but that’s the only time it happens. 

The next transition, like the one before it, is perfectly done through dance. Also, if you look closely after he finds a mouse, one of the other cats chases the mouse while he is ‘leaving’. It actually took me by surprise when I watched the scene again and loved that detail. However, I can’t tell who that is chasing the mouse.

When we get back to the theater, we get another great use of a practical prop. The drum. It’s hard to hear in a YouTube video (which I used) but if you listen to the scene with headphones when watching the DVD or Blu Ray, you can actually hear the thumps of the drum. The same can be said with Munkustrap in the beginning of the song. Then the song is abruptly cut off when he is kidnapped by Macavity. 

Overall I think this version is wonderful and a delight to watch. I found myself often veering of the analysis and more into the technical aspect of the song. Which I think I did anyway. I even rambled on about how amazing this version is. But what does this do to his character? We aren’t really given much time with Skimbleshanks other than the Jellicle Ball scene. No background interactions. Nothing. This is basically a case where the audience needs to pay attention or else they may get lost. In the stage musical, the audience is given background interactions between characters. In the film, we don’t have that pleasure.

From this one scene alone, we understand that Skimbleshanks is a respected cat that probably isn't there all the time, he works on the railway, everyone likes to listen to his stories about the railway, and he is a talented dancer. He is playful but knows when to be serious. He has everyone’s attention, knows he’s talented, and wants to be reborn. Do we care for his reason? Not really. At least I don't think so. It’s also the case where the casting benefits the character. If it wasn't for Steven McRae’s performance and talent, we probably would have been given a different Skimbleshanks. He gives us a character so full of life and different from the other Hollywood/Veteran actors in the film. His performance gives a sense of positivity and fun. You can also see he's enjoying himself which can’t be said for some of the other Hollywood/Veteran actors. When researching, I learned this is McRae’s first film and it doesn't show at all. If you want to watch a perfect example of McRae’s talent, I highly suggest watching his performance as The Mad Hatter in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland – Mad Hatter's Tea Party. 

Even though this version of Skimbleshanks and his song are amazing in their own right, I still found that I wished for more. Maybe he could have had more interactions with the other cats before the Jellicle Ball or some spoken dialogue between him and Munkustrap. Or at least have dialogue after his performance between him and Old Deuteronomy before he gets Catnapped by Macavity. Unlike with the Jennyanydots, Bustopher Jones and Gus, we don’t get those interactions or dialogue. It’s almost as if his character didn't deserve it yet was given the freedom to give a kick ass performance. I also hate how his song is basically cut off for plot's sake. Like I understand, that’s how it is in the stage version, but it seemed as though it was cut off in a way that didn't seem natural. In the stage version, the song is given a bit more time on stage as a way to brighten the mood before Macavity takes Old Deuteronomy. Here it seems sudden and unnecessary. 

Like the others it's not perfect, but I would definitely suggest a friend to watch this scene, Mr. Mistoffelees, or Gus the Theater Cat over Bustopher Jones and Gumbie Cat any day.

[sophieakatz]

Thursday Thoughts: “Cats” Is Not Bad

My dad was in a community theatre production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats years ago. One night, he came home from rehearsal still wearing his makeup – fur, whiskers, the whole shebang, all created with face paint. He quietly entered the house, and my siblings and I watched as he crept around the edge of the room, his eyes wide and his head tilted to the side in a feline sort of way. I was entranced. While of course I knew it was Dad, in that moment, he was a cat.

And then he looked me in the eye, and said “MEW!” in a goofy, high-pitched voice. We all laughed, the spell broken.

Years before that, my family attended a showing of Cats at a different community theatre. During intermission, while the audience milled about the theatre, several of the ensemble cast remained onstage – as cats. They sat at the edge of the stage and stared at us, still and silent and unblinking. They crawled up the aisles, brushing up against people’s legs. One came right up to my brother, who was holding his program out lazily, and WHACKED the paper with a paw, startling him. Another even jumped up onto my dad’s lap and lay there, purring, while my siblings and I gleefully pet the “kitty.”

For me, this is the magic of Cats. It taps right into the suspension of disbelief at the heart of all theatre. Cats allows you to forget for a couple hours that the people before you are human. For the duration of the show, they are cats. Cats who sing, dance, and wear ballet shoes, yes, but cats nonetheless.

My biggest issue with the 2019 movie adaptation of Cats is that it does not allow the viewer to forget that the performers are human.

I mean, they have human toes, for crying out loud! Human toes! And human hands, and faces! My eyes kept snapping to these details, latching onto them instead of the beautiful music. The wonderful makeup that transformed my father into Old Deuteronomy is nowhere to be found.

At the same time, all these not-cats have CGI ears and tails, twitching and twisting in uncanny ways that don’t go at all with the otherwise-human body. It’s as though the filmmakers couldn’t decide whether to go for realism or fantasy and ended up stuck somewhere in the middle, trying to do two things at once with a discomforting result.

This uncomfortable “two things at once” feeling permeates the film.

The film doesn’t seem to have a firm stance on what size objects are in this cat-run world. In stage productions of this show, the stage is covered with larger-than-life pizza boxes and boots to establish that the characters are actually cat-sized. But in the film, Mr. Mistoffelees in quick succession picks up a slightly larger-than-life hand of playing cards, a much larger-than-life red die, a pencil that is pretty much normal-sized, and a fork that is larger than the pencil but somehow not as large as the die. It’s like the film is trying to show a world in which cats are cat-sized in one moment and human-sized the next – two things at once – resulting in confusion.

And then there’s the matter of the cats’ clothing. Some of the cats wear clothes while others do not. This is, of course, a carry-over from the stage version, in which some cats wear fur-patterned leotards, while others have clothing items which symbolize the kind of fur the cat has. However, the film takes some bizarre twists on cat-clothing.

For example, in the stage production, Jennyanydots begins her number in a shabby coat which she later drops to reveal a fun, frilly, colorful layer of fur. In the film, we meet Rebel Wilson’s Jennyanydots as a cat with realistic orange-and-white fur – which she suddenly unzips down her front mid-number to show that she is wearing clothing on her real body underneath.

The film is trying to have it both ways – Jennyanydots is a real cat with real fur, but also a fake cat with fake fur, and more questions are raised than answered.

Bustopher Jones has always been a cat in a top hat and tuxedo, evocative of a cat with tuxedo-pattern fur. James Corden as Bustopher Jones starts out in a top hat and tuxedo. Then he takes off the tuxedo to reveal tuxedo-pattern fur.

Once again, the film is trying to do two things at once – clothing to emulate cat fur, and cat fur to emulate clothing. The result, however, is leaving the viewer with the impression that a grown man has just stripped naked in front of them in a PG-rated movie.

If you put animated animals in clothing, then the animals can become naked. Disney’s Zootopia recognized this to hilarious effect, but Cats does not seem to.

Idris Elba as Macavity looks excellent in his beat-up hat and coat, which give the theatrical impression of a creepy scarred-up cat. But this illusion is abruptly discarded when Elba, too, strips down naked. I ended up watching that scene through my fingers, as I had put my hands over my eyes.

It struck me early in the film that they could have – should have, even – completely owned the fact that these were cats.

Unlike stage theatre, which depends on practical effects and clever costumes, film presents the unique opportunity to go all the way into fantasy.

They could have completely animated the cats – four-legged and meowing! This would have avoided the nudity problem and rescued all the film’s animals, mice and cockroaches included, from the uncanny valley. Instead of doing two things at once, the film could have done one thing wholeheartedly, the one thing that film can do but theatre cannot.

And this is where 2019’s Cats is excellent: when it takes full advantage of the film medium.

Films are not grounded in a single location or time. The camera can jump-cut to anywhere! This is used to great effect in “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer,” following the troublesome cats as they jump around the bedroom, dining room, and staircase, sowing chaos. Throughout the film, we move beyond the junkyard and are able to see the alley of trash cans that Bustopher Jones eats from (rather than the clubs themselves as the song implies – hilarious!) and the barge that Growltiger commands. I downright love how “The Ad-Dressing of Cats” is set around the Trafalgar Square lions – an appropriately grandiose setting. And the very best musical sequence in the film is “Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat,” which transforms Skimble’s tap-dance into the rhythm of a train, seamlessly transitioning the scene from the theatre hall to the train tracks.

Cats as a film also devotes time to character development in a way that the opera-esque stage show never has. Sure, you can research the backstories of all the cats if you want to, but the casual viewer never learns anything beyond what’s said in song. With just a bit of dialogue, Cats transforms Mr. Mistofelees from a cocky deus ex machina to an endearingly clumsy magician who finally, on this night, gets his first big break.

Another transformed character is Victoria. While originally a dancing role with no solo singing part, Victoria is reimagined as a newcomer to the Jellicle Ball, there to ask questions and be sung to. She is, in other words, the audience surrogate, a necessary figure in film. While Cats the stage musical addresses the audience directly throughout the show, fourth-wall breaks are something that a stage show can get away with more often than a film can.

A critique I’ve heard repeatedly about the film is how Judi Dench suddenly sings directly to the camera in the final number. For me, this was not a detriment. “The Ad-Dressing of Cats” is and has always been a song sung directly to the audience!

However, I can see why someone who was expecting a traditional film would be bothered by this. The film put a lot of effort into removing the other fourth-wall breaks by having the songs originally sung to the audience be sung to Victoria instead, so the sudden return to a device that works better on stage than in film is a bit jarring as, once again, Cats tries to do two things at once – to be both a film and a stage show.

I’ve been a fan of this musical for a long time. But given how many people were vehemently calling this a bad film, I didn’t expect to enjoy it.

But I did enjoy it. I enjoyed Cats.

The music is just as entertaining as ever. The singing and dancing is just as good as you would expect it to be given how much star power they packed into the cast. What’s more, watching this movie made me think of all the great experiences I had with the stage production, watching my father from the wings as he sang “The Moments of Happiness” and having staring contests with the still-in-character performers as a child.

When I critique a creative work, I think less about terms like “good” and “bad” than I think about the effect the work had on me. As I made clear in the first half of this review, a lot of the design choices in this film made me uncomfortable and took me out of the magic. At the same time, a lot of this film felt like coming home.

Cats is a weird and beautiful musical. It’s about cats who sing, dance, and address the audience directly. None of these qualities are inherently bad – far from it! Together they create one of the longest-running shows ever on Broadway.

Could the film have been better? Yes, I believe so. If it completely owned the fact that it is a film about talking cats, and if it focused more on doing one thing well than it tried to do two things at once, then Cats could have been an excellent film.

But Cats is not bad. It really isn’t. And this is this, and that is that, and that’s how you address a cat.

[fawkes-rinzler]

Thoughts on Gus the Theater Cat (1998 vs 2019)

Hey look, some none Skimblestrap content. 

Okay... I got feelz, and I just need to let them out. Especially because I have a senior dog and right now Gus’ number hits really hard.

First off, 1998 Gus The Theater Cat:

Oof. Oh my god. Jellylorum’s opening is just heartbreakingly sweet, because it implies that Gus is so old and weak that she has to do the majority of the presentation for him. Gus just sits there, wide eyed, old... He seems so weak and fragile. God, I spent the majority of his number in tears and begging Deuteronomy to choose him because for gods sake he’s so old. Please... Please just let Gus go.

Then of course Gus himself starts to sing and AUUGHH! That shaky, fragile voice!!! Everyone’s just watching him and they look so fond. And throughout the music, Gus seems to gain some energy as he recalls his youth, and I find it so fascinating how they ended the sequence with Gus staring at the phantom Firefrorefiddle reaching after it, like he’s reaching after his youth. Then his final delivery is so soft... as if he was just reminded that it’s not who he was anymore. Then of course he breaks down crying AND DEUTERNOMOY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD LET HIM GO!!!!!!! JUST LET GUS GO, GRIZABELLA CAN GO NEXT YEAR GODDAMN!!!!!

Now for Ian McKellen’s 2019 rendition.

First off, just flat out, I’m really not 100% on what exactly Ian was going for in his characterization of Gus?? Like he seems old, sure, maybe a little senile, but he’s got a lot of life still going on. Like, holy shit. His Jellicle Cats line deliveries were a little... weird? But his performance on stage? He seems like he’s old, sure, but not ready to go just yet! He’s having too much fun messing with the kittens!

It’s clear, also, Mistoffelees really looks up to him, which I think is just super cute, but back to the more important subject. In the movie, Gus delivers the entire song himself, as Jellylorum’s character has been turned from old matronly queen to kitten, which I have no complaints about per se. The movie had to trim up a lot of the characters, and I think it helped streamline certain things pretty adequately, so thats fair, but it does set a very different tune for Gus. Instead of needing to be led out to the rest of the cats, Gus just walks himself out. He seems old, sure, but he kinda reminds me of that Grandpa-ish sort of old where he’s still got a stupid amount of stories to tell and will still whip his children into shape if he sees them acting out. He’s got sooo much energy left inside him. I don’t feel like Ian’s delivery is as much “I am trying to get to the Heaviside layer” as it is “Hey, let me remind you of what it is and what I do.” Kinda similar to Skimbleshanks, honestly...

Actually, that does bring me to something I can’ get over with this movie. Ages and reasons. When Skimbleshanks presents himself in the play, sure, I can believe that this cat’s old, probably has some arthritis and his life’s exhausting. He’s still enjoying life, sure, but if its his time, that’s fine. He’s ready to go. Movie Skimble? Fuck that. He’s enjoying life so so so much. Holy shit look at his train. Isn’t that cool? Fuck ya it’s cool. Sleeping car? Even better. WATCH ME TAP DANCE!!!! Homeboy is totally not competing to go to the Heaviside layer, he’s just competing to get a shiny metal for best dancer of the Jellicles. 

Jennyanydots? In the stage production? Looking a little older, looking a little tired. She’s lived her life converting the cockroaches and mice into good, honest working people. She’s satisfied with her life. She’s ready to go. Movie Jenny? Sure, get her a new house maybe if she doesn’t want to be stuck in the kitchen, but she’s still young and full of life! 

TLDR; mad respects to Ian McKellen as always, but 1998 Gus just seems like he’s ready to go and I want a new Jellicle Life for him, Skimbleshanks doesn’t even know he’s competing to go to the Heaviside layer, he just wants to talk about trains, and Jennyanydots needs a new home where she doesn’t need to live in the kitchen anymore. Thank you for coming to my ramble