#alonzstrap

[just-before-dawn]

its been trending on twitter i had to bring it here too

[rorycharles01]

WereCats plot breakdown/blocking ideas

aahh sorry it's late, but here's the plot for my non-replica concept!!!

so I've been tossing up on the set, but I think I've kinda decided on a broken-down old coney island-esque amusement park turned tip. the backdrop would be dynamic so you can see the moon rise and fall during the show. set would bleed out into the foyer, too.

during the overture, we see silhouettes of characters turning on the screen as the sun sets. towards the climax of the overture, a young ballerina is taking a shortcut home from class/rehearsal when she gets chased onto the stage by a group of vicious monsters... Macavity and his henchcats. we watch helplessly as she's attacked and bitten. there's a crash as the the piece ends, causing Macavity and the henchcats to flee. as the audience applauds, Victoria drags herself offstage, leaving a trail of blood in her wake. as the Jellicle Moon takes over the sky, we hear her scream in agony as she transforms for the first time.

the scream causes Munkustrap to poke his head out, starting Jellicle Songs. Jenny is one of the first to enter as well, and immediately starts cleaning the blood - can't have that slip hazard when there's kittens at the ball! the choreography in the first couple of choruses is stiff and rigid, as the Jellicles are still sort of shifting/getting comfortable/stretching out any kinks. in the section of Jellicle Songs where the boot usually drops, Vicky stumbles into the celebration, fully transformed, fresh scars showing red in her white fur. the tribe a advances around her, sussing her out, then they form the pyramid with their hands touching eachother's shoulders, channelling their energy to the mystical cats (Misto, Cori, Tanti, Jemima), who gift Vicky with the Jellicle knowledge as they prey to the Everlasting Cat. (see the crappy placement diagram with the visual inspo/consepts I edited on Canva for more of a reference - the base cats I picked out were basically just for colour reference, some for pattern reference too - the base costumes would be in the style of Il Sistina with fur rather than warmers, since they'll have street clothes over top)

Naming of Cats is much of the same, but the White Cat Solo is Victoria seeing her reflection in a shard of broken mirror and getting terrified by her new form. she ends the piece curled up crying before Misto comes to comfort her.

the next kinda plot difference (unless you count line distribution, but I'm not bothered to do a breakdown of every minor change in line distribution lol) is in Gumbie Cat - the mice are little weremice played by kids aged around, like, 10-13 or so that Jenny takes care of from time to time.

during Tugger there's a few specific blocking ideas I have - my favourites are Olivia singing the terrible bore line, because unlike her peers, she's too cool to fangirl over Tugger (and she definitely doesn't take secret selfies with him - don't go through her camera roll), after dropping Bomba on "I only like what I find for myself... no!" Misto coaxes Tugger over and they do a little dip in the music beats after "larder shelf". Tugger then kinda has to shake himself back into his stage persona on "doesn't care for a cuddle" only to get drawn back in by Misto on "I'll leap on your lap in the middle of your sewing". my boy is down BAD. also, at the end of the song, Misto acts as, like, a bouncer, and when Etcetera gets hyper and won't shut up, Tugger kinda gives Misto a look, and Misto sparks Cetty with magic, making her straight up freeze in place.

there's definitely mother-son tension between Munk, Tugger and Griz. Alonzo, being one of the last take-ins before Griz got exhiled, and the person who really helped Munkus deal with the trauma of having the memories of Griz turning him resurface, pulls Munk away from Griz after she tries to guilt him. while Lonzo is comforting Munk, Demeter steps in to taunt Griz.

Bustopher Jones is largely the same - though I'd have Bustopher and Deut as double-up roles, cause imo they're more vocally compatible than Bustopher and Gus (also I believe they were written to be the same track anyways?). also, Bustopher, being a socialite and owning a bunch of clubs, he only ever makes a small appearance each year. he's Jenny's kind of, like, celeb crush, which Skimble (her husband, I don't think I mentioned before, but they're married - Silly's their bio daughter, and they adopted Mungo and Rumple, but I'll get into that in a bit) fully endorses, he thinks it's cute when Jenny gets flustered by Bustopher hehe.

Mungo and Rumple time, let's goooo!!!! so! my concept for them is they're twins who got turned in maybe the 90s or so, and were in the foster system for years, being passed from family to family, and the longer they spent in the system, the more they acted up, and the stories they talk about in their number is largely the things they got kicked out of homes for. during the Sunday dinner verse, they're at the back of the stage, and the two oldest mice kids portray younger versions of them (in human form) and the swings/booth singers would play the family, cook and social worker - on "then the family'll say, it's that horrible cat", the foster parents turn to young Mungo and Rumple, on "was it Mungojerrie, or Rumpleteazer", they get given their bags on their names, and on "and most of the time, they leave it at that" the social worker takes them while current-day Mungo and Rumple look on, upset, before shaking it off to pretend everything's fine. young Mungo and Rumple stay on, maybe doing the same/similar chorey to their current-day counterparts as they're taken from family to family, and on the line about the ming, young Mungo and Rumple scamper off, scared of the consequences, while current M+R look at eachother panicked. they then blame eachother on the "IT WAS MUNGOJERRIE! AND RUMPLETEAZER!" (so they'd swap lines there), then roughhouse/tussle, before going into play-fighting, then into their secret handshake and then the duo cartwheel. Jenny and Skimble are the first to enter in the play-off, since they took them in after realising the system was failing them again and again.

Old Deut's song is same-same... so's the Song of the Jellicles... only main difference in Jellicle Ball is the Pas du Deux being between Tugger and Misto - Tugger's checking himself out/neatening himself up after the first section of the ball, and Misto does that thing where he taps him on the shoulder and sneaks over to his other side before they start dancing together. in the background, the others are napping or quietly socialising, mayhaps a few other couples are snuggling - Deme and Munk are snuggling, and Munk sees Lonzo preening, Deme smiles and tells him to go to his boyfriend, before heading to Bomba to snuggle with her. then the rest of the ball is basically same-same again.

I was tempted to put Memory part 1 in the intermission, since when I was in Cats Abridged, it was cut entirely (same as Moments of Happiness) and I felt Jellicle Ball was a far cleaner Act 1 closer, but seeing the show in Sydney last month, I realised that the Memory (or, as it's referred to in the programme, Grizabella the Glamour Cat) closer works well, so everyone clears out, but Deut stays back, hiding in the set to listen in.

Moments of Happiness would be acoustic in intermission. just Deut on stage accompanied by a single piano, maybe one or two strings. (also it'd just be the song itself, the intro instrumental will be reutilized at the top of Act 2!)

at the top of Act 2, Victoria gets her "true White Cat Solo", before Jemima comes in with Moonlight.

Gus's song is pretty same-same too - I'd love to have an actor of age as Gus, honestly. they'd only need to be on for Gus, Pekes and Pollicles and the bows. Jellylorum is Gus's hospice nurse, and wheels him on in a chair (he's an ambulatory user).

for those who aren't aware - Pekes and Pollicles has officially taken the place of Growltiger (like, I borrowed the perusal script, and Pekes and Pollicles is after Gus in it). I really like the idea of after Gus says "I once played The Rumpus Cat..." Old Deut wheels over a box of Gus's old costumes from the production he was in when he says "so do it again, come do it again", and Gus organises the kittens into the costumes to play the Pekes, Pollicles, Pugs and Poms.

Skimble's number is also much in the same - maybe they pull an old coaster cart out of the set for the train?

Macavity is where it gets interesting!!! so! Old Deut gets kidnapped, everyone scatters, and Deme starts the number. now she has a very negative history with Macavity. he turned both her and Bomba around the same time, but Bomba was able to escape earlier than Deme, since she fell into a toxic/abusive relationship with Mac. when she fell pregnant with Jemima, it... was not by her own volition, but it was the kick she needed to escape. Bomba helped her out and to the Jellicles. she was potentially already dating Bomba, but her relationship with her and her relationship with Munkus really bloomed while she was carrying Jemima. Munk became Jemima's adoptive father, and the only father she knows, and Demeter is deathly overprotective of her.

anyways, back to the show - so Deme starts the song (I have very specific blocking ideas! - in the music after her verse and before the first chorus, she's self-soothing, patting herself down, etc, and on "he's broken *every* human law" her arms slide into a self-hug, and on the "breaks" of "he breaks the law of gravity", she tugs at her shirt). Bomba comes in to help soothe her girlfriend. Griddlebone, being an agent of Macavity, takes the line "he's outwardly respectable" and then also the "I might mention Mungojerrie" line, to which, Jenny overhears her talking shit about her boy, and delivers the "I might mention Griddlebone".

during the Macavity fight, Mac tries to kidnap Deme, but ends up getting the henchcats to kidnap Jemima while Deme and Munk are distracted.

I really wanna do the version of Mr Mistoffelees that was in the Broadway revival (cause I think that version of the Deut rescue is way cooler)... either way, on the first "...this phenomenal cat produced 7 kittens right out of a hat" Misto brings Jemima back.

okay, Memory is Memory, not much to change up there BUT JOURNEY TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER?!? OOH BOY I AM EXCITED TO SHARE MY CONCEPT, I LOVE IT SO MUCH FRFR

so! Griz gets accepted by everyone again, and during the instrumental, they've circled her and turn in to sacrificially... unalive... her - they turn back to the audience on "the mystical divinity..." with blood on their hands and faces. on "vivat" her body (a dummy) gets lifted by Peter, Jono, Quaxo and James, who then carry her out through the audience.

yippee, finale and bows and everyone can go home!!! I really want to, like, draw the audience in, make them feel safe with the Jellicles, only to have the uncomfortable cult-like sacrifice of Grizabella at the very end - a sacrifice that they've been told the whole Jellicle Ball is leading up to, not that they'd know the implications of.

anyway... I really love my horror-esque, lore heavy spoopy silly Cats... I would literally give anything to be able to get it to happen for real...

next time I post about it, it'll be more on the individual lore/relationships of each of the cast, as well as costuming, since they can kinda go more hand-in-hand!!!

[storyweaverofgondor]

Alonzostrap Moodboard

Gift for @rainbowratsstuff for the Jellicle Valentine event.

[strawberry-jellicle]

um munkustrap and bombalurina

Munkustrap!! Dad!

• Munkustrap is a silver tabby-coon! He, also, is a middle child. Although, he prefers the term "eldest brother", referring to Tugger as his "only brother" and "younger brother"

• Grizabella was a part of his life until a litter after Tugger was born. Munk remembers heing a kitten and waking up as the jellicle moon set after a ball. He watched as his mother nuzzled his baby brother then nuzzled him, and told him to "be strong for your dad" and "always keep your chin up". He kept it up alright. How else would he watch his dad help her go to to Heaviside Layer many moons later?

• Munks puts SO MUCH pressure on himself to make things easy and smooth for everyone at the junkyard. He works himself to the bone, and his record is 72 hours without sleep before Bombalurina had to carry him back to their den

• Alonzo and Bomba took over patrolling for the next 3 nights

• As serious as he is about patroling, Munk can't help but be thankful for the quiet moments during the night patrol when him and Alonzo can just sit with their tails wrapped around each others

• Munkustrap offered up his den for Demeter and Bombalurina when they came back to the junkyard after escaping Macavity years ago

• The girls gave him back the den aftet a couple months of returning, insisting they could go stay in the den they found

• Present time Munkustrap shares the den with his, now, mates, Demeter and Bombalurina

• Munkustrap won't admit it, but he just cant resist the smell of those damned circular meat slices humans put on the hot cheese triangles

• Because he *is* part maine coon, he does need regular grooming. Luckily, he's got his partners to help him out!

• He cried when Jemima and Sillabub were born. They were just so small and he couldn't believe he was a dad!

~

Bombalurina!!! My Red Queen!

• Girlboss. Next question.

• I'm agreeing with fellow CATS bros here, but Bomba is the tallest jellicle. Mavacity and Old Deut being the only ones taller than her

• Her and Tugger are casual mates. Nothing romantic, all sexual. The two are practically inseparable, attached at the hip since Bomba came to the junkyard

• She's hot shit and she KNOWS it

• Her and Misto team up to prank Tugger when they get bored

• Bomba is a very touchy feel-ey cat. She LOVES contact and touch, platonic or otherwise. Catch this Queen sunbathing in a 12+ cat pile, or even just group dancing

• She's very good at using her charisma to her advantage; Munkustrap appoints her as the Weekly Jellicle Meeting Planner

• Bombalurina, in turn, assigns Jenny and Jelly for kit watching and updates on the Nursery (so she can report the findings to Munk, who always worries over the kittens)

• Matching her coat, her favorite colors are red, black, and gold (the last two because of a special Queen in her heart)

• Bomba has no issue speaking her mind, and is very blunt when getting a point/question across

• Bomba expected herself to be more of a "wine aunt", buuuut being a *not so perfect* influence on her's, Munk's, and Deme's kittens is so much fun!

• Bomba and Munk can never tell Jemima and Sillabub no, leaving Deme to be the one to do it. Munk can't say no to any kitten unless it's life threatening

• Munkustrap is one inch taller than Tugger, and it's all they feud about...all in brotherly fun of course

[rorycharles01]

WereCats Designs part 3 - Deut bros and their partners

aaahhh I'm finally getting my ass back into posting these designs, I'm so so sorry it's taken so long to get back into the rhythm 😭

okay, let's start with my boy

Munkustrap!

Munkustrap is the biological older brother of Rum Tum Tugger, and the adopted son of Grizabella and Old Deuteronomy. Being the oldest son, he's the next in line for the title of Jellicle Leader - a role we see get bestowed upon him at the very end of the show. He's the primary Jellicle protector and is very caring towards the entire tribe. quote from the programme: "MUNKUSTRAP is the protector of the Jellicles and the next in line once his father Old Deuteronomy retires and passes the mantle on. This is his first time running the Jellicle Ball, and he is under a fair amount of stress to make sure it’s up to his father’s standards. During the show, we see him fully grow into his role as a leader, and at the end, Old Deut passes the mantle to him, marking him the new Jellicle Leader." his base design is kinda a mix of the original and the Il Sisitina Munk designs, and his human clothes are slightly punk-y, with ripped and cuffed black jeans and a white dress shirt with suspenders. He's got a short hair cut with dyed silver tips. He was bitten by Grizabella and his bite mark is on his right forearm.

Rum Tum Tugger!

Tugger is the punk-rock party prince of the tribe. he's the younger brother of Munkustrap and adoptive youngest son of Old Deut and Griz. he's a flirt by nature but is in a very secure monogamist relationship with Mistoffelees. quote from the programme: "RUM TUM TUGGER is the “party prince” of the “central family” that is Old Deut, Munkustrap and Tugger. Whilst Tugger relishes in his punk-rockstar persona, and the squeals from the adoring kittens, he has a soft side, shown in moments like the song Old Deuteronomy, his par de deux with Misto during Jellicle Ball, and the song Mr Mistoffelees." His base design is the same pattern as his brother's but in browns rather than greys, and he's got a little heart in his makeup that Munkus doesn't have. he wears ripped jeans, punk belts, a Sex Pistols t-shirt, a leather jacket, leather fingerless gloves and combat boots. like his brother, he was bitten by Griz and has a bite mark on his right forearm.

Demeter!

Demeter is Munkustrap and Bombalurina's girlfriend and Jemima's mother. She was in an ab*sive relationship with Macavity before finding solace and rescue in the tribe, and her daughter was the one good thing that came out of that relationship. quote from the programme: "DEMETER is Jemima’s mother and Munkustrap’s and Bombalurina’s girlfriend. She was turned by Macavity inthe 2000s or 2010s. She felt trapped by him in a toxic, abusive relationship, only gaining the courage to leave after he impregnated her. Bombalurina helped her escape and find a safe home and family with the Jellicles. Demeter and Munkustrap got close fast, and she started dating him and Bombalurina not long before Jemima was born. Munkustrap became Jemima’s adoptive father and the two constantly try hard to keep the truth of Jemima’s birth hidden. Demeter is incredibly worried about Macavity showing up at Jemima’s first Jellicle Ball and trying to take her, so she spends the night on guard, jumping at the slightest sounds." Demeter's base design is the same as Jemima's but pale brown where the pink/red is (basically like Gabrielle Parker's 2024/25 Jemima costume). She has curly blonde hair and a large scar across her left eye from a fight with Macavity. being bitten by Macavity, her bite mark is on the left side of her neck. Her streetwear is grungy, with torn denim short-shorts, a torn and cropped t-shirt (possibly a graphic tee) and red boots.

Bombalurina!

Bombalurina is Demeter's girlfriend and is unabashed in her femininity and sensuality. she's gorgeous, knows it and won't miss an opportunity to remind you. quote from the programme: "BOMBALURINA was turned by Macavity at a similar time to Demeter, and the two became fast friends. When Macavity started showing favouritism towards Demeter, she encouraged Bombalurina to leave. After doing so, Bombalurina found the Jellicles, but stayed in contact with Demeter the best she could. When Demeter fell pregnant at the hands of Macavity, Bombalurina helped her escape and join the Jellicles. The two grew closer, and soon started dating." her base layer is very much the same as her original design, and her bite mark, like all Macavity's victims, is on the left side of her neck. her human clothes include fishnets, heels, a leather bodysuit/leotard and matching short-shorts. her hair is burgundy and voluminous.

Alonzo!

Alonzo is Munkustrap's boyfriend and second-in-command. he's a fierce tribe protector and is incredibly loyal. quote from the programme: "ALONZO is Munkustrap’s boyfriend and second-in-command. He was one of the last teenagers taken into the tribe before Grizabella got exiled, and helped a then-teenaged Munkustrap deal with the loss of his mother, and the re-emerging traumatic memories from being turned. During this time, the two gained a bond that neither of them would ever gain with anyone else, even other partners, and the two naturally started dating in the 2000's. As Munkustrap’s role in the tribe got bigger, Alonzo was right by his side, learning everything and helping out wherever he could." I might be a tad biased, since this is the role I'd want to play if/when I get this production up and running, but Alonzo has one of my absolute favourite designs. his base is a mix of the original London and the Il Sistina designs and his bite mark is in the same position as the rest of Macavity's victims. he has a black wolf cut with a white money piece in front, and wears black ripped and cuffed skinny jeans and a pale green button-down with a white square design/pattern.

Mistoffelees

Mr Mistoffelees is Tugger's partner and the most powerful of the Mystical Cats. I refer to them with he/they pronouns for this production. quote from the programme: "MR MISTOFFELEES is the most powerful of the tribe’s mystical cats. He’s still coming into their magic, but plays off any mistakes with an air of confidence, you'd be easily mistaken that he did it on purpose. They’re proudly dating the punk-rock Party Prince, Rum Tum Tugger, and will often play the “jealous” boyfriend and playfully “show off” their relationship to Tugger’s fans" I love love love their design so much. I wanted an androgenous design for him, and I really hope that comes across. his base layer is based on the updated international tour Quaxo design and on the Il Sistina Misto design. VERY FLUFFY. they've got a midnight blue silky bodysuit with a looser top section and silver moon and stars pattern along that top section. his shoes are sparkly silver (or maybe black) jazz shoes, and they have fluffy short hair. Not sure where his bite mark is, cause I haven't decided who they were bitten by, or if he was maybe a biological werecat. (oh, also, they absolutely have a pink nose. pink nose Misto supremacy!)

[fancy-feast-after-dark]

Munkustrap gives the good succ