Discover Top Posts Tagged with #cats 1994

Popular Recent

what did i stumble upon (also right after this in the vid, tugger comes up and dry humps a guy from behind, moans, and kisses his neck)

#mungojerrie #cats #cats the musical #cats 1994 #west end #mungojerrie cats #rum tum tugger #rum tum tugger cats #cats the jellicle ball #the jellicle ball #jellicle cats

There’s a Recording of The Jellicle Ball From 1994 Broadway and I Took Misto Pictures

So, on the Cats Wiki, there’s a pro-shot recording of the Jellicle Ball, Song of the Jellicles included, from Broadway in 1994. It says 1993, but it features a Victoria who didn’t take the role until 1994. That means it’s from the time when Lindsay Chambers was playing Misto there. Chambers played the role for that entire year. So, with the Zurich bootleg, I could compare him to himself, as well as to Jacob Brent in 1998, because this is how he would’ve first learned the role, though the footage is from a few months before he was cast as Pouncival.

The result is a lot of Misto Facial Expressions:

He has this smug, pleased with himself look that 1998 Misto sometimes gets. Zurich Misto is less confident, so you don’t see much of this sort of thing with him.

Broadway Misto here isn’t mute. His lines in The Song of the Jellicles are the same ones he usually gets in most productions of this number where Misto isn’t mute. The first screenshot was from after he demonstrated his “gavotte and a jig”. The second is from after doing a cartwheel in the Jellicle Ball dance. He is so proud of his abilities!

Now, here are some side-by-side comparisons of moments in this video with 1998 counterparts:

Bomba interrupts Misto’s dance and he’s Not Cool With It.

1998 Version:

A bit less hurt, a bit more contempt, same general idea.

I tried to get a Zurich screenshot of this same moment, but there’s a bit of a problem:

There are virtually no close-ups in this bootleg. It’s possible to tell who everyone is from this distance, not you can’t see their facial expressions. So, I can’t tell how Misto is reacting to this situation other than that he feels an emotion. Not sure which, but he feels one.

I also ended up comparing the split second between Misto’s fist bump with Alonzo and Pouncival joining the pair.

I mostly did this because Broadway Misto adjusts his “tie” and that’s adorable.

In Zurich, the fist bump barely even happens...

And Misto seems a bit confused, to be honest.

There are a lot of moments in the Zurich bootleg where Misto looks lost or confused, but for all we know, his facial expression might be for a completely different emotion. But, the way Zurich Misto moves is often a bit awkward. He’s a good dancer, but he often doesn’t seem to know where he’s going, suddenly changing direction. Broadway Misto doesn’t have any of this trait. Was it the result of Chambers having spent two more years playing the role, or a change in characterization?

The 1998 version, possibly due to editing, so we don’t see as much empty space on the stage, is paced quickly. Misto and Alonzo have their fist bump, then Misto immediately turns his head to see Pouncival approaching. There’s no time to adjust his “tie” or stand around confused.

Tldr:

The 1992 bootleg’s quality makes it impossible to be completely certain of this, but Broadway Misto here is closer to 1998 Misto than to Zurich Misto in personality. The differences between Zurich and 1998, might not just be differences between Chambers’ and Brent’s interpretations, but differences in Chambers’ own interpretation of the character over time. Broadway Mistos having some amount of required singing role might’ve had something to do with this, along with just having spent more time playing the character. I don’t know, but this was fun.

#cats broadway #cats 1994 #cats zurich #lindsay chambers #cats 1998 #jacob brent #i'm all like #i saw a misto and he made a face better post it #mr mistoffelees

“The Rum Tum Tugger- IS A TERRIBLE BORE!” anyways i thought this would turn out bad but im actually quite proud of it lol

#fergus logan #john partridge #we all know what video this is from lol #cats #cats the musical #cats 1994 #cats 1995 #tuggoffelees #the rum tum tugger #rum tum tugger #mistoffelees #my art #mr mistoffelees #i have never drawn tugger the same way twice #haha rip

A Scene in Cats 2019 Where the Music Makes the Scene Better

Last time I spoke about Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat and mostly talked about how I think Steven McRae’s talent as a dancer influenced how the song was basically choreographed and how it seemed as though all the energy went into this performance.This time, it’s Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer’s turn. I actually really liked this both as a song and performance. Like with Skimbleshanks, I will be going over my initial thoughts with the music and then the scene itself. I also think the same can be said here when those cast for Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer make the scene better than it needed to be. Alright here we go!

When I first listened to the soundtrack recording, I was very puzzled. I was already familiar with the version from 1998 which is upbeat and fun. This version was jazzy and slow. I was definitely surprised but in a good way. When I did some research to see if this version was actually from the show’s history. And it was (and is) used in the original London production. If you want a good idea of how it was performed you can see it here as it is in the 1993 London production. Anyway, the opening instrumentals really gave an immediate different feel from what I was used to. Just from that opening, I know that these cats are sneaky and they know it.

I also get a Pink Panther type of feeling with the instrumentals. Where Pink Panther sets the mood of the music to be mysterious and shows how it’s a detective film, Jerrie and Teazer give off a mood of sneakiness and danger. And that only in the first 16 second of the track. The use of the cymbals and the horns also lends towards tension. We don't know what these cats are going to do. Because I am listening to it first, I don’t know if they have an audience or not. Who are they singing to and why? The use of piano is also hesitant yet inviting. We want to know. We have a need. The same can be said with the clarinet, strings, and some of the piano. It is a hint of what’s to come.

Then we hear the characters singing. I needed to remember that this was recorded as a ‘live performance’ in the Tom Hooper style. (If you don’t know what I am referring to, watch this video. I also made a post about it. Just search the tag #sideways and you’ll find it.) Anyway, so far in the movie, as according to the soundtrack, we have heard 3 solos. 2 of which were terrible and 1 that was actually pretty good. The reason being that it was sung live just like Les Mis was. I thought they were going to butcher Mungo and Teazer but was surprised when I heard the singing capabilities of the actors (Naoimh Morgan and Danny Collins) who are from the world of musical theater. Of course I didn't know that when listening to the track at first but one can tell they had experience with this type of music. Their voices pull you into their story almost as if they are talking to the audience very much like in the stage show. I also want to point out the instrumentation once more since, unlike the other songs,it almost becomes a character in itself by contributing to the version that is being performed.

After that we come to the midpoint where we hear big brass and percussion. There is something happening but we don’t know what it is. We can infer by the use of these instruments that something chaotic is happening in the scene. It builds and builds and we hear Rumpletazer come in once more but quieter as she is hiding something. It’s 72 seconds of instrumental music which takes us to a different location musically with the instruments. As Teazer sings her part, we hear more piano but with Mungo, we hear a dynamic change with the horn and the instruments that follow. The music becomes more playful and more like the characters we know from the stage version.

What I really love about this track is the playfulness we hear when they are at the dining room section of the song. Mungo breaks the song by speaking instead of singing and it works. It works because it helps us understand how the cats view humans. To them, we are their source of fun. These two cats like to trick humans for food and essentially cause as much chaos as they can. Then we hear an entirely new voice. It’s Victoria and we realize these two actually do have an audience. It's this new voice who sounds taken in by their story. They have her wrapped around their paw. You can especially tell this because Victoria finished the line “it’s that horrible cat”.

Afterwards we get another big band moment but it lasts longer than the last. There’s more bombastic horns and saxophones and percussion while their voices reach above them. This combination pushes that chaotic sneaky narrative we heard at the very beginning. We even hear a guitar that uses the same musical theme as the horns/saxophones.

Then we get towards the end of the track and I hear something I have no idea how to take. We hear them creating the chaos we have only heard through the music. We hear the smash. We hear the crash. However, it sounds very rushed and the actors sound out of breath. I can barely tell what the lyrics are and if I wasn't so familiar with this song I would probably never know.

Then the music quiets while keeping that mischievous tone. I also love Victoria’s high note for the word “and” and how it matches with one of the instruments. But Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer whisper “and there’s nothing at all to be done about that” like it's a conspiracy and they can get away with pretty much anything. The end of the song also has a sense of finality. This is who they are and they managed to get Victoria to follow what they want. The fact that the music does this also suggests that something is going to happen. Nothing stays final and their chaos doesn't end there. All of which we see later in the film but not the music. We just get a taste.

Overall, I like what they did with this song musically and vocally. This version is different and not used as often as the one we know which is smart. They also had to choose a version that matched the film’s aesthetic, was different in mood from Bustopher Jones, and gave a different interpretation of the characters. It needed to stand out against what we had heard so far and I think it accomplished that task.

Now onto the scene itself. I had to backtrack a bit after Bustopher Jones and really listen to the dialogue that happens during the track itself. The first 16 seconds of the song is instrumental yet the dialogue within that section is important. Victoria had to leave her new friends because of Macavity. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer literally pick her up which transports her into their world of chaos and shenanigans. I’m going to be pointing this out a lot in this section but the tail animation is used perfectly throughout the sequence. Their tails are used to make sure Victoria is looking at them when each of them is speaking. It’s a great detail which then causes us to pay attention to the two cats’ relationship. Their facial expressions are also great! We get a moment where Rumpleteazer is speaking to Victoria and the look on Mungojerrie’s face gives us a hint of what’s in store. The music itself helps with this set up of mischievous fun.

You can also see how Victoria is very uncomfortable with the two cats at the very beginning of the song. Her face and posture is uptight and uncomfortable. She is kind of forced to be there since none of the other cats are there with her. She doesn't want to be there but Rumpleteazer ‘encourages’ her to have some fun. Teazer steals the spotlight in the beginning of the song as it shows Victoria this is what they do. She even does this thing with her hand as if she is hypnotizing the other queen. Teazer even nods to Jerrie to continue with the job. It’s almost as if Teazer is technically used as a reassurance device to show that this is okay and they’ve done this before.

Then Teazer puts the pearls around Victoria’s neck. Of course this is done with the line “suddenly missing her Woolworth pearls” and it is effective. This is when Victoria begins to trust these two cats. To her they are different. They don't take the world seriously. The fact they are having fun basically destroying every room in the house makes everything right.

The camera work from when they are on the bed to when Mungojerrie puts the drawers on Victoria is very well done. The circular motion of the camera creates movement with the choreography without it becoming nauseating.

I don’t have much else to say about the sequence other than once the music picks up near the end, we see why they become so out of breath. They are literally destroying the kitchen and the bedroom with very little care. And, again, Victoria is fully invested which also contributes to her part in the actual song. In the version we know, the only vocals come from Mungo and Teazer. This version has Victoria, who represents the audience. At the beginning we only hear the two trouble makers. Then Victoria has bits and pieces. She, like us, wants to be part of this new type of fun. And destroying property can be fun.

Overall this is a version that deserves to be seen and heard. I think if we got the other version, we might have a different movie all together and these characters might be different. This is definitely one of the many highlights of the film. The others being the ones I’ve already written about. But what I love most about this sequence is the acting, tail animations and the use of practical props.

I will say this now, if it wasn't for Naoimh Morgan and Danny Collins, this could have been a lot different. The acting, especially the facial expressions throughout the scene, are perfect for these characters. They give a sense of mischievousness and like they can get away with anything. Their facial expressions give more to this idea that these characters like to have some relatively harmless fun. If it wasn't for those facial expressions, I don’t think I would have enjoyed this version as much as I did.

There is also the use of dialogue that I didn't expect to like but it works. In between some of the phrases, dialogue is said by the two cats which help with their character. My favorite bit is from Mungojerrie on the stairs. He says something to a ‘police officer’ which is in character for the purpose of the film.

This is also probably one of the best scenes to watch if you want to see how they used the tail animations for the characters. My notes for this scene were mostly just how they animated those tails. I wrote examples above, but another one is when Victoria is singing ‘And’ at the end of the song. If you pay close attention, her tail rattles because of the high note. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer also constantly use their tails to communicate with each other and Victoria.

There are also two things I want to commend in this sequence. The use of practical props and the scale of the set. I really like how the cast used the practical props in a way that not only showed quirks of the characters but also development (in Victoria’s case.) My favorite set of props they used were during the dining room scene. There were parts where it did feel a bit faked and plastic but I ignored it in favor of the performance. There were several points I did have to remind myself that this world is different from reality. Other than that, this sequence used props that pushed the story rather than hinder it. They weren't there to be there, the props were there for a reason. One can say they are a character in themselves because this world takes human objects and transforms them into how a Jellicle may see them.

They didn't need the theatrics of the stage version. What I mean to say is they didn't need the double cartwheels because they were not necessary. Instead we got the over the top music, wonderful acting, dialogue that made sense, and a version of the characters that make sense within the world of the film. While I know a lot of people wanted the double cartwheel (myself included), it felt fine the way it was. If you want to watch a version of this with the double cartwheel, I highly suggest watching this video. It’s a dress rehearsal from the 1994 West End production with Jason Parmenter & Vikki Coote.

Overall, I love this version of the song and scene. It fits the characters of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer while also continuing Victoria’s journey through the Jellicle tribe. This is also one of the few songs where there aren't any interruptions from other cats or mice. The other one being Skimbleshanks (there was one but that’s it). The only ‘interruptions’ are dialogue between Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer which never break the song. It doesn't take away from the flow of the song like in Rum Tum Tugger where the interruption disrupts the scene and performance. Here, it was done in a way that was smart.

I would definitely suggest this to others who want to know some of the good parts of this film. It is definitely up there with one of the best sequences of the film. Right along with Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat and the Magical Mr. Mistoffelees.