The beginning of "Mr Mistoffelees" from sometime earlier in the run of Cats: the Jellicle Ball aka Cats PAC NYC
Sydney James Harcourt as Rum Tum Tugger, Garnet Williams as Bombalurina, Primo as Tumblebrutus, Antwayn Hopper as Macavity and Shelby Griswold as Victoria
What I remember from the show, feat. some official photos
This is all going off of my note-less memories so there may be some minor inaccuracies to these recollections.
Welcoming Remarks/Overture
The crowd was welcomed by the voice of Junior LaBeija, who encouraged us to google him before shutting our phones down.
We were encouraged to make noise at any and all parts of the performance
Filming, even during bows, was strictly prohibited
This show is LOUD. I wore ear plugs the entire time, and I don't consider myself to be particularly sensitive to noise. It makes sense, considering that the audience is meant to yell and the music has to be heard over them.
The theater space itself was relatively small. All seats were good seats.
Mr. Mistoffelees (Robert "Silk" Mason) could be seen dancing through the window set pieces above the back of the stage.
Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats
(clip)
The cast began all around the theater, with spotlights illuminating them as they began to sing. They did not mount the stage until the "Mystical Divinity" portion of the song.
The crowd went WILD at the part that has had its choreography revealed already.
The Naming of Cats
The "Man over there" bit was done by Antwayn Hopper (Macavity). In general, he seemed to be having an absolute blast throughout the show.
During the parts where cats sharing the names in the poem were mentioned, spotlights illuminated them.
Munkustrap led this number and was the only one onstage for the duration of it.
The White Cat Solo
(clip)
Compared to how this is presented in replica productions, the dance moves were very fast.
I am uncertain as to whether this part was meant to characterize Victoria, or if it was just a great chance for BABY (Victoria) to show off her incredible dancing skills.
The Old Gumbie Cat
Jennyanydots (Xavier Reyes) began the number by pulling out a trophy, showing she'd won at balls in the past
During the day, it was implied (I think?) that Jennyanydots has lots of sex. Whether it's sex work, a sugar daddy situation, etc. was unclear. What I can say is that she did lots of bouncing - on other actors, on the edge of the stage, and on a chair.
At night, Jennyanydots is a very harried single Latina mother trying to keep her kids out of trouble.
Instead of Jenny competing in a category herself, Cassandra (Emma Sofia)(implied to be one of Jenny's children, either literally or metaphorically) competed while Jenny directed her choreography from the sidelines.
The Rum Tum Tugger
VERY laid back. This is definitely Jason Derulo's version of Tugger, but done so incredibly right. He was honestly a bit too effortless for how easily he won categories.
It's not shown in this photo, but he wore a gold and black striped fur coat throughout most of the show, sort of like Munkustrap's grey and black one (shown above, with Jenny)
There wasn't very much choreography in this number, save for a bit at the very end where he was facing off "Pretty Boy vs. Thug"
Grizabella the Glamour Cat
Grizabella ("Temptress" Chastity Moore) approached the side of the stage and killed the mood. Everyone kind of just avoided her. Munkustrap tried to talk her into going away, but she refused. He then tried to pay her actual cash to leave, but she stood her ground.
Sillabub (Teddy Wilson Jr.) approached her curiously and backed off at a very subtle warning from Demeter (Bebe Nicole Simpson). (I have to add on that Sillabub wore an orange t-shirt, short pink overalls, and orange converse shoes with a crown of sunflowers on their head. They were easily my favorite character.)
Grizabella showed off a trophy she had won in a previous ball and implored the interim judges to let her compete. They refused.
This Grizabella was almost frighteningly determined.
Bustopher Jones
For the performance I saw, Garnet Williams filled in for Nora Schell, with Tara Lashan Clinkscales filling in for Bombalurina.
Bustopher was referred to with they/them pronouns.
A large portion of this number was spent with Bustopher walking around the theater. When they mounted the stage, they pulled open their shirt to reveal a bustier emblazoned with the English flag.
Bustopher competed and won in the "Body" category. They continued to remain present throughout the rest of the show.
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer
(clip)
It is specified both in the program and during the number that these two are from Victoria Grove, New Jersey
Those New Jersey accents were aggressive
"one of the goyles suddenly misses her woolworth poyles"
Honestly, I wouldn't expect anything less from them
During the Macavity scare preceding this number, Macavity dropped off some trash bags filled with clothes for Bombalurina and Demeter. Mungojerrie (Jonathan Burke) and Rumpleteazer (Dava Huesca) attempted to steal these.
During the second verse, both changed costumes behind some costume racks on either side of the stage.
They competed in the "Tag Team" category against Victoria and Tumblebrutus (Primo) and lost. They then stole the trophy, which Victoria and Tumblebrutus stole back.
Anyway I just desperately need other US productions to give them New Jersey accents
Old Deuteronomy
Munkustrap (Dudney Joseph Jr.) was the only one onstage for the first part of this
Tugger (Sydney James Harcourt) approached the side of the stage and grasped Munkustrap's arm at the "numerous progeny" line
The stage was left empty for Old Deuteronomy (André De Shields) to walk out on
Before he walked out, Sillabub threw flower petals all over it
Mr. Mistoffelees (Robert "Silk" Mason) pulled out Old Deuteronomy's chair for him
There was a VERY long pause for applause when Old Deuteronomy reached his throne at the far end of the catwalk. He turned in a very slow circle. We made eye contact.
Song of the Jellicles/The Jellicle Ball
(clip)
During the Macavity scare, Macavity strides up to Old Deuteronomy. Old Deuteronomy waves him back out of the room in a way that honestly looked like magic. (It's worth noting at this point that the Macavity in this production is a goofy role.)
Because of how the stage is set up, most parts of the dance number were done with only 2-5 actors onstage at a time. When there was a larger group, the dancing remained mostly sedentary.
No mating dance
Grizabella appeared on one of the high balconies. Sillabub waved enthusiastically at her. Everybody else just stared at her.
Many categories were competed in during this part. One of them was sort of an "anything goes" (I forget the exact name) category, in which Munkustrap came out in a golden ensemble with giant wings. Old Deuteronomy didn't like it. Munkustrap gave him sass.
Memory (part 1)
Old Deuteronomy walked out of the room along with everybody else (I THINK.) Grizabella approached the side of the stage, took off the scarf covering her hair, and draped it over one of the railings.
Grizabella caressed the stage as she sang.
Sillabub approached the other side of the stage, watched her for a bit, and departed. They returned near the end of the number with a glittery dress, which they offered to her. Grizabella ran away.
At the end of the number, Sillabub climbs onstage to grab the scarf and look out at the audience. Cut to black.
Moments of Happiness/Moonlight
This part took place entirely between Old Deuteronomy and Sillabub. Sillabub was still onstage, almost got scared away when Old Deuteronomy returned, and knelt in front of him.
As Old Deuteronomy sang about happiness through many generations, he tied the scarf around Sillabub's neck.
While all of this happened, old photos and reports about old balls were being projected on a large screen at the back of the stage. There was then a listing of old house mothers. Most of these were real. The final name listed was Grizabella's.
The rest of the cast joins in for Moonlight, stationed all around the theater. Bombalurina and Demeter were right next to me on the lower balcony. Bombalurina smiled at me.
Gus the Theater Cat
Shereen Pimentel (Jellylorum) was AMAZING.
Gus (Junior LaBeija) was only present for this number and the bows. Most of his lines were performed like spoken word poetry rather than through song.
There was no show-within-a-show piece after this number, but Gus did say the "I once played Rumpus Cat" line. At the very end was Tumblebrutus (I THINK) re-enacting a young Gus a la Grizabella in Tecklenburg 2015.
Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat
(clip)
AGGRESSIVELY a New Yorker in the same way Mungo and Rumple were from New Jersey. Queen of the subways.
Skimbleshanks' (Emma Sofia's) hair had tiger stripes!!!
Lyrics were both English and Spanish (?), especially during the "it was very pleasant" part
She lost her category against Rumpleteazer. They embraced and continued to dance together for the rest of the song.
Macavity the Mystery Cat/"The Fight"
Macavity (with a comically evil cackle and some Hanna-Barbera-style running around) dropped off some more trash bags through one of the windows in the back, which Demeter unpacked. As it turned out, those bags were filled with designer products.
"Macavity wasn't there" was a line used to refer to the fact that Macavity was supposed to be competing but didn't show up on time
Oh yeah, Demeter and Bombalurina were members of the House of Macavity
After Macavity proved to Old Deuteronomy that all of the products were genuine, they all got dressed up and competed in "Labels". The House of Macavity won.
Members of the losing team found attached tags on the products, indicating that the items were shoplifted.
As police sirens blared and blue and white lights flew around the room, Old Deuteronomy ushered Macavity to leave the venue. The police officers entered, looked around the audience, and then looked on the stage, where Old Deuteronomy stood in front of the bags of stolen goods and gave himself up as the perpetrator of the crime.
Macavity returns looking downright distraught.
Magical Mr. Mistoffelees
(clip)
It was much more believable to see everybody turning their backs on Tugger in this production than any other I've seen
Mr. Mistoffelees was referred to with he/him pronouns, so that's what I'm using here
Mr. Mistoffelees is introduced as a ballroom dancer who meets success, in part, by magic-ing his opponents into having wardrobe and performance malfunctions.
He also steals their stuff but I'm unsure whether that has to do with saving Old Deut or if it's just enriching for him
Old Deuteronomy was magicked into a box and stood very still when the curtain was pulled off. When Macavity approached, Old Deuteronomy jumpscared him.
After the song was done, Tugger and Mistoffelees kissed. They were not, as I have seen others say, eating each other's faces; it was very chaste and tender and lasted for just a handful of seconds. The audience went wild, of course.
Memory (part 2)
Grizabella came out in the dress Sillabub had offered earlier
Maybe I was reading too much into it but it looked to me like Old Deuteronomy and Sillabub conspired together to make her reappearance happen
This song was sung in a lower key than usual to better suit Temptress' voice
She looked so uncertain the whole time
Journey to the Heaviside Layer
A big staircase hinged down to the stage, just like in replica productions
Grizabella left through a door at the top of the stairs. Through it, the sounds of New York City could be heard.
The Ad-dressing of Cats
This song makes WAY MORE SENSE in this production in OG Cats, in my opinion. There, it sometimes feels like a bit of a slog. Here, it reinforced the core message of the show about accepting people as they are. To me, the context made it much more powerful.
These last few numbers were loud even through my ear plugs and I don't know why.
The ensemble (Frank Viveros and Shelby Griswold) brought the cast flutes of champagne
Bows
Munkustrap announced each member of the cast as they did individual dances down the stage. This was one of the only songs unrelated to Cats music.
Tugger did a striptease.
After all of the actors, the conductor came out vogueing down the stage.
Afterward, the cast began singing the "practical cats, dramatical cats" portion of Jellicle Songs. I sang enthusiastically along, catching Bustopher's eye. They blew me a kiss.
Other thoughts
Electra (Kendall Grayson Stroud) EASILY had my favorite costume: a holographic top and little black skirt with a huge ruffled rainbow coat over it
Victoria's costume changes made her much less noticeable than usual, especially as she mostly served as a member of the ensemble (I don't think anything in particular about this choice; I just found it interesting)
Despite all of the changes, this very much felt like a production of cats. Even though the actors were staged to be humans, they did nothing else to emphasize it. All of the lyrics were true to replica cats productions.
Where ballroom beats were implemented, they never distracted from the songs they were placed into. They actually enhanced the songs very nicely.
Almost all of the changes made to the original story make sense in the context of this production. I.e., Alonzo's absence makes sense because his role is no longer necessitated. Same with Coricopat and Tantomile.
I am in LOVE with this Sillabub. I really cannot emphasize that enough. They had so much youthful whimsy and KILLED those high notes. They should have been frolicking but instead they were at the club smh
Understated Tugger was an interesting look, and I think it worked well, considering that this Mistoffelees was definitely the most eye-catching member of the cast.
It was actually really cool to see a production where Macavity is accepted as one of the tribe. I fully believe that Mungojerrie learned a few pointers from this one. Again, I have to emphasize that it looked like Antwayn Hopper had the time of his life in this role.
Speaking of, there may have been some Deut bros (Tugger+Munkustrap+Macavity) staging, but I don't remember clearly enough to say for sure.
Most of the transfer of the story made sense... except for the stuff surrounding Grizabella. I've seen the directors talk about ageism in the ballroom community, but with how much emphasis this production put on respect for elders via Old Deuteronomy and Gus and the lack of general contempt from the cast, I honestly don't know why she would have been outcast to begin with. I also have no idea why she ran away from Sillabub.
I kind of wish there had been more extreme makeup, but most of the cast switched between their characters and ensemble roles frequently, so it makes sense. It didn't make the show any worse.
Overall, this was an incredible production that deserves the praise it is given. Yes, I think a number of Cats fans are casting too much judgement on the creative decisions. Yes, I think too many reporters have dunked on the original Cats staging more than is warranted in order to prop this production up. Regardless of those two factors, it was clear that the cast and creative team had a real love for both Cats and ballroom, and I think they married the two concepts beautifully.
Drew this before I'd solidified my designs for any of these little meow meow guys (I've still got so many little meow meows to try drawing, when does a girl like me get to find the time to figure out how to draw Tumblebrutus!!!!)
I realized I never posted these here on tumblr! 2020 did unspeakable things to my mind and body…I staggered away from lockdown with a whole pitch of how I would make an animated Cats adaptation. I got the whole thing up here *taps skull*—it would be Very Good. I can’t think about it too much lest I awaken my sleeping obsession…still want to finish Old Deut and Macavity one of these days.
Fun fact: The term "Jellicle Cat" is actually the cats’ mishearing of the term "Dear Little Cat" (this gives me much joy)
*i regularly update this post with any new info i find so please always reblog the original post*
Donations
donations currently reaching gaza:
‼️ help buy e-sims for people in gaza
donate to get food packages to gaza - care for gaza
palestine children's relief fund
world food programme
medical aid for palestinians
donate direct aid to gaza - ehab rida (longtime activist and volunteer, has been carrying out donations and humanitarian projects in gaza since 2021)
donate to ahmed (@/90-ghost on tumblr)
he is born, raised and based in gaza. please help him reach his goal of $50K to get his family to safety across the rafah border into egypt. as of right now… it’s $7.5K per person to evacuate gaza.
help journalist yousef escape gaza to treat his cancer
help mohamed evacuate gaza to get treatment for himself and his daughter
mohammed is a friend of ahmed (90-ghost) and is a haemophilia patient. him and his family are currently living in a tent on the streets of rafah.
help gaza’s children
urgent support for medical professionals in gaza
aid to gaza - taawon/bank of palestine
urgent humanitarian aid to palestinians - anera
support palestinians: buy a keffiyeh from the last and only factory in palestine - hirbawi
secondary donations:
emergency relief for gaza - pious projects
palestine red crescent society
save palestine - islamic relief canada
send medical supplies to gaza - palestinian american medical association
click to donate - arab.org
help bring down israel's weapon trade - palaction
donate for the recovery of hisham awartani
one of the three palestinian students shot by a racist in vermont for wearing kufiyas and speaking arabic. hisham’s injuries have left him paralysed from below the chest.
Petitions
‼️ urge icj to invite gazan journalists to testify
international cultural workers to strike from german cultural institutions for their complicity in oppressing palestinians and promoting genocide - strike germany
petition to investigate war crimes committed by israeli military
demand ceasefire - amnesty international
open call for immediate ceasefire
american government call for immediate ceasefire
american government to stop funding israeli military
ceasefire and increase humanitarian assistance - oxfam au
petition to get canva to address their pro-israel stance
invoke the genocide convention to call for ceasefire in gaza - world beyond war
suspend israel from international sports - diem25
UK to expel israeli ambassador - change.org
gaza healthcare workers for nobel peace prize - change.org
teachers around the world demand ceasefire - teachers for palestine
president whitten: reinstate samia halaby retrospective NOW - action network
location specific petitions
gaza call for lasting ceasefire - oxfam (UK)
end israeli occupation - parliament uk (UK)
email your MP - medical aid for palestine (UK)
protect gaza civilians - islamic relief (UK)
stop fuelling genocide - action network (USA)
@ biden: call for ceasefire now - move on (USA)
ceasefirenow.com - jewishvoiceofpeace (USA)
call congress and demand a ceasefire - uscpr (USA - they provide a script of what you should say, so don't worry about it)
note: you can call everyday. they tally the number of calls per issue. so more calls = higher chance for them to take action. p.s. you mainly go to voicemail so don’t worry about phone call anxiety. fight through it just this once please.
australia call on israel to stop attacking palestinians - apan (AUS)
immediate ceasefire and increase in humanitarian aid in gaza - actionaid (AUS)
email your MPs - stand with palestine (AUS)
‼️ australian senate to investigate australian citizens in the IDF for war crimes allegations - fpm (AUS)
‼️ arms embargo on israel - cjpme (CANADA)
sign to send letter to MP for ceasefire - nccm (CANADA)
ceasefire now! - ijv (CANADA)
call on your local mayor and council to demand ceasefire - LeadNow (CANADA)
cessez-le-feu et un couloir humanitaire - le mouvement (FRANCE)
écrivez aux député-es et sénateurs-trices - association france palestine solidarité (FRANCE)
write to your député - assemblée nationale (FRANCE)
skydda civilbefolkningen i gaza! - mittskifte (SWEDEN)
singaporeans call for immediate ceasefire (SIN)
contact your elected reps and demand a ceasefire (GERMANY)
write to the EU demanding a ceasefire (EUROPE)
template of letters you can send (EU)
guide on how to contact your MPs in EU
p.s. if the template is outdated, just use it as a guide and add a few sentences here and there that reflect the current situation. i can’t find any recent templates so :/ at least this is something
multiple actions you can take to help palestine - plant een olifbloom (NETHERLANDS)
includes: links for donations, emails to MP, emails to media, links to petitions and demonstrations
den haag, maak nú werk van vrede in israël/Palestina - the right forum (NETHERLANDS)
māori call for palestine - ourActionStation (NZ)
special visa for palestinians in gaza with family in NZ - NZ parliament/pāremata aotearoa (NZ)
deem israeli actions as war crimes - NZ parliament/pāremata aotearoa (NZ)
basta ao genocídio em Gaza! - awaaz (BRAZIL)
globo e grande mídia, parem de desumanizar civis palestinos - the intercept (BRAZIL)
Campaigns
‼️ justice for palestine
reach out to countries to back up south africa’s invoke genocide convention at the ICJ
‼️ international criminal court
submit evidences of israeli war crimes
friends of al-aqsa
❥ UK-specific
urge your MP to speak up for palestine
hands off al-aqsa
stop administrative detention
petition for UK to stop arming israel
❥ International
boycott puma — email them to end their partnership with israel
boycott coca-cola
palestine action
join the resistance
islamic relief canada
urge your MP to rally for ceasefire
decolonise palestine
poster campaign to raise awareness on the war crimes being committed against palestinians
text/call campaign for people living in USA
text CEASEFIRE @ 51905 to call for a ceasefire
text RESIST @ 50409 to send a letter to your representatives to pass HR3103–a bill that prohibits tax dollars from going to israel
download 5Calls app to contact members of your congress | (more info)
fax campaign for people in the USA
go on this website to send 5 free faxes per day
here’s a link to a pre-written fax copy you can download to send (the first link on the linktree)
here’s a video that explains how to fax your senator (it’s very easy and all you need is a valid email address)
‼️ BDS movement
get involved in boycotting companies associated with israel
palestine diaspora network
global strike guide - join the global strike!
please let me know if you have any more links. i will add them in. and please reblog the original post!!
UPCOMING PROTESTS
PALESTINIAN LITERATURE READING LIST
i enjoy this musical to an extreme extent @jellicleballer - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
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baratheonpilled
stormborns
vaporwave
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