Cats: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''There's a man over there with a look of surprise.''<br />

''As much as to say well now how about that?''<br />

''ADo manI who'sactually notsee heardwith ofmy aown jelliclevery cat?eyes,''<br />

[[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]'s ''other'' [[The Phantom of the Opera|most famous musical]]. [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|It's a show about Catscats.]] More precisely, it's about a tribe of Cats, the Jellicle Cats, and the once-a-year event where the Jellicle Leader, Old Deuteronomy announces the cat who can now be reborn and come back in a different Jellicle Life, after the cats spend time introducing themselves, and their fellow cats, through song. It's based, pretty much, on [[T. S. Eliot]]'s book of poems ''[[Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats|Old Possums Book of Practical Cats]]''.

** A whole stage of only black-and-white cats wouldn't be much to look at (or it might... I mean, it's people dressed head to toe as cats). Not that that whole book of poems is about only black-and-white cats. To be fair, there are quite a few black and white cats in the show.

* [[All Witches Have Cats]]: A couplet in the "Prologue: Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" goes "Can you ride on a broomstick, to places far distant?/[[Hollywood Exorcism|Familiar with candle, with book and with bell?]]" and refers to cats being traditionally associated with witches, demons and magic.

* [[Big Eater]]: Bustopher Jones, "a twenty-five pounder" who's "putting on weight every day.". An entire section of his song is him listing all the pubs and restaurants he goes to in a day.

* [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]]: The Jellicles, after their opening number, notice the audience's presence and play to them for most of the rest of the performance.

* [[Composite Character]]: Inverted in the Videovideo Productionproduction: the role of Gus, who's seen as both a young cat and an old cat on stage became two separate Cats, Asparagus (young) and Gus (old). On stage, Gus recalls his playing Growltiger, while both are separate cats in T.S. Eliot's text. This is because the actor playing Gus, the late, great John Mills, was in his nineties at the time of filming and was simply incapable of dancing the part of young Asparagus.

{{quote| ''And they say that all the cats<br />

''Whose wicked deeds are widely known<br />

''(I might mention Mungojerrie,<br />

''I might mention Griddlebone)<br />

''Are nothing more than agents<br />

''For the cat who all the time<br />

''Controls their operations<br />

''[[Shout-Out|The Napoleon of Crime!]]'' }}

{{quote| ''Macavity's a ginger cat,<br />

''He's very tall and thin.<br />

''You would know him if you saw him,<br />

''For his eyes are sunken in.<br />

''His brow is deeply lined with thought,<br />

''His head is highly domed,<br />

''His coat is dusty from neglect,<br />

''His whiskers are uncombed.<br />

''He sways his head from side to side,<br />

''With movements like a snake.<br />

''And when you think he's half asleep,<br />

''He's always wide awake!'' }}

{{quote| ''He is extremely tall and thin, his forehead domes out in a white curve, and his two eyes are deeply sunken in this head. He is clean-shaven, pale, and ascetic-looking, retaining something of the professor in his features. His shoulders are rounded from much study, and his face protrudes forward, and is forever slowly oscillating from side to side in a curiously reptilian fashion.''}}

** Not to mention the fascination with Bombalurina and Demeter's crotches the cameraman suddenly has in the video when they're singing [[Villain Song|"Macavity"]].

* [[Formally-Named Pet]]: theThe magical Mr. Mistoffelees (the only one of all the cats in the musical to be named that way).

* [[Furry Fandom]]: What would expect from a show about dancing, anthromorphicanthropomorphic cats?

* [[The Ingenue]]: Jemima, the only other cat besides Victoria, who tries to accept Grizabella.

* [[I Was Quite a Looker]]/ [[Princess in Rags]]/ [[White Dwarf Starlet]]: All three apply to Grizabella.

** Though Demeter and Bombalurina seem to use the Macavity song as a warning to the younger kittens, and Demeter pretty much kicks his ass when he shows up {{spoiler|disguised as Old Deuteronomy}}. (Wellwell, initially, anyway).)

* [[Les Yay]]: DemeDemeter and BombaBombalurina, anyone? Though this leads right into [[Squick]] territory if you consider them sisters or not.

* [[Long Title]]: "Of theThe AwefulAwefull Battle of theThe Pekes and the Pollicles, Together With Some Account of Participation of the Pugs and the Poms and the Intervention of the Great Rumpuscat".

* [[Mood Whiplash]]: The rock'n'rollin' "The Rum Tum Tugger" is followed by the somber "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat,", and that is followed by the peppy "Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town"."

** In fact, the musical score [[Lampshade Hanging|hangs a lampshade]] on this fact at the opening of "Bustopher Jones" with notes about how to play the piece: "A little hesistantlyhesitantly, as though the orchestra is changing the subject."

** Another example lies with "Gus: theThe Theatre Cat". After the extremely sad ending to the song, the music immediately changes to the happy, fun "Skimbleshanks: theThe Railway Cat".

* [[One-Scene Wonder]]: Bustopher Jones, Gus, and Macavity.

* [[Only Sane Man]]: Doubly present in the "The Pekes and the Pollicles" segment. First, the Rumpus Cat is the only one animal not barking insanely at all the others. Secondly, Munkustrap, being the narrator, and Deuteronomy, who is listening to the story, are the only cats who aren't dressed up in an absolutely ridiculous getup ON TOP of the the cat costumes.

* [[Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping]]: In the video, Demeter's accent when she says '"Macavity!'" varies between French and American, and it's all over the place during the [[Villain Song]]. YMMV on this one, but it can be considered a bit of an enhancement to the song, given how nice her voice sounds in the first place.

* [[Quirky Miniboss Squad]]/ [[Those Two Guys]]/ [[Harmless Villain]]: Mungojerie and Rumpelteazer, who sure don't act like devoted servants of Macavity.

* [[Show Within a Show]]: "The Pekes and the Pollicles," and "Gus: The Theatre Cat"."

* [[Stairway to Heaven]]: Or, more precisely, a ''tire'' to heaven. Other versions have their own version, including a ferrisFerris wheel gondola in the Swedish version.

* [["The Villain Sucks" Song]]: "Macavity,: theThe Mystery Cat". It would be a [[Villain Song]] if he himself had sung it.

* [[Wide-Eyed Idealist]]: Jemima. ItsIt's stated on [[That Other Wiki]] that when her character is cast, they choose actresses with large eyes for that big -eyed, innocent look.