#allison lian

[cryptidvoidwritings]

A look back at Max Craven's time with the US tour from the announcement of his departure. Happy trails!

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[lozeyart]

Some recent art I’ve done but never posted! Surprise! Its Cats actors.

Allison Lian as Rumpleteazer

Kelly Donah and Max Craven as Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie

Michelle E. Carter and Megan Arseneau both as Jennyanydots!

[junkyard-gifs]

So, I tend not to ask the actors questions about romantic headcanons for their characters, since Cats usually prefers to keep it ambiguous. (In fact, I once had an entire DM conversation with a former Mungojerrie actor on the subject of that ambiguity while both of us delicately sidestepped around the 'siblings or lovers' question without ever taking his own Mungojerrie as an example.)

But that's not so true of the Broadway revival and tours, in which pairings are more obvious and more stable than in most productions, and in which some actors (especially in the last couple of years) are readier to confirm or discuss their own romantic interpretations on social media.

And besides... the tour ends this week..! So when Allison Lian (Rumpelteazer) solicted open questions (22/6/22), I decided it probably wouldn't be too intrusive to ask...

Which is a fascinating answer. And I'm going to put it side by side with this other response I got on 23/3/22, to a question I asked Brianna Kim (usually Sillabub, here covering Rumpelteazer) when she did a Q&A:

Mungojerrie still holding himself a bit aloof as a defense mechanism? or being so deeply invested in his joking, ne'er-do-well persona that he can't actually get too attached?

(Though there are moments when the serious or even dangerous side emerges, as we see in the interactions between him and Pouncival in 'Glamour Cat', where he's both nastier than Pouncival but also has more of a sense of when things might be going too far and it would be better to restrain or protect the kitten. At least, that's what I get from Tony d'Alelio's Mungojerrie, in the 2019 cast.)

As to Rumpelteazer though, both Bri's answer and Allison's suggest that the attachment between M&R is more recent and not actually fully developed yet: it's still growing, rather than being an established relationship. And there may be some sides of him which she doesn't realise...

Which is an interpretation I don't think I've seen before! They are alway one of the most couply couples in any production, and can be as in sync as Coricomile in their moments. So, whether we consider them as a couple or as siblings, there's a tendency to assume they know each other inside out by now, and are, in fact, as thick as thieves (thanks @skimblyshanks 😂). But if all that is still uncertain and in developmen, then the lyrics of their song are aspirational rather than descriptive—"we're totally going to be this awesome and everyone will know how notorious we are!"—and all their little bickering and flirting and uncertain improv moments in performance take on extra poignancy as they try to build that version of themselves.

(While Teazer, presumably, tries to keep it cool and pretend she's not way past the point of crushing and is now officially In Love. Because otherwise she thinks she'll lose his respect.)

(Look, she's totally cool! She's got the glasses and everything!)

(Well, we can't go for a whole post about 2021 US tour Mungoteazer without invoking Kelly Donah!)

Anyway, my conclusion is:

All the 'constantly mistaken for a couple' / 'everybody realises it but them' / 'slow-burn nuisances to lovers' tropes.

("What? Nooo, we're not a couple, everybody snuggles up into each other's lap and falls asleep tangled up together in the sun platonically, look, Pounce is snoring on Jenny's leg right now..!")

[white-cat-of-doom]

Though not part of the current cast of US Tour 6, Allison Lian who used to play Rumpleteazer earlier this year, still takes time to check in and ask an important question.

Leave Tony alone, he is just a guy.

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

some of my absolute favorite Nickustrap moments, feat. literally the sweetest Munkus and Griz moment before she goes to the Heaviside Layer 🥺

[whit-on-the-side]

Two amazing swings and a replacement lead from the 2021 US tour! Elana Valastro covering Tantomile and Megan Arseneau covering Demeter; posted by Allison Lian, who’s come on recently to cover for Kelly Donah as Rumpelteazer, with all the challenges of stepping into an established company and learning a role and tour life on the fly!

24 April 2022.

[rice-pudding-slaps]

(From Allison Lian's Instagram story)

Allison Lian as Rumpleteazer

Michelle E Carter as Jennyanydots

Brian Nelson as Mungojerrie

[junkyard-gifs]

Hyla Mayrose Perillo (Victoria in the 2021 US tour) on Victeazer! With Kelly Donah and Allison Lian, from various dates; posted 21 June 2022.