Hamburg!Demeter's journey (1 / 4) - A stranger in the tribe
Jacob Brent talked once about the idea that Demeter was new to the tribe: that what we see in the musical is her first introduction to the Jellicles, on the night she flees from Macavity.
With all respect to his memory, I don't see 1998 Demeter as being new to the Jellicles. But there's one production where this does read as true to me, and that's Hamburg (1986–2001).
I have a little series of posts on this subject, because she has a heart-wrenching and beautiful arc; and, although these points hold true for every performance of Hamburg that I've seen, I'm focussing mostly on Juliann Kuchoki's performance in August 1999, since that video has the clearest footage.
(Look at this beautiful queen?!)
The first sign we have of her uncertainty and her skittishness—apart, of course, from her appearance in the car headlights at the start of the show—is just before 'the Naming of Cats'. After the final hiss of "what's a Jellicle Cat?" she breaks away from the centre of the group and dashes away to stage left (passing behind Plato, Cassandra and Bombalurina). She hovers anxiously on the side of the stage, not returning to the group until the very last moment before they start to chant - finally slotting into place beside Bombalurina, with Cassandra behind her and Rumpelteazer in front.
That, of course, could be just skittishness. But Demeter's unfamiliarity with the tribe is more clearly signalled in 'Gumbie Cat', when we're still learning to recognise the characters. She holds herself apart, and has to be persuaded to join Jellylorum and Bombalurina every time they start to sing together....
... and in fact Jellylorum deliberately reaches out to her and demonstrates how she can join in.
Even so, after each stanza she breaks away from them, returning to her uncertainty and discomfort.
In this way, she's still given those positive female relationships with Bomba, Jelly, and Jenny, but we see them in the process of being built - we see the women welcoming her into the tribe and teaching her their ways - rather than seeing the relationships as an established fact.
Next: learning to relax and have fun! Links under the cut.
@skimblyshanks has already posted my ultimate favourite Demeter look - pre-revival Australasia - so instead here is another beautiful floofy golden queen...
Mexico 2013: Lisette Garzón as Demeter. (Mexico 2018 over here.)
(And look at that cute little Tantometer moment with Tantomile cover Natalia Leal - Cats/Wicked mashup!)
Hamburg!Demeter's journey (3 / 4) - Finding her voice
Demeter, in the Hamburg production, seems to be new to the tribe and takes some time to relax. But long before she's comfortable with these cats and this place, she's forced into an inarticulate panic by the intrusion of - apparently - Macavity. And she has to try to communicate when she's least able to do so.
This is the first Macavity scare, so he isn't actually present. Nevertheless, Demeter - who has been sitting off to one side throughout Bustopher's song, thrown back into solitary gloom by thoughts of Grizabella - takes the scare very seriously.
She runs first to Munkustrap, trying to communicate with him. But, like in a nightmare, she can't speak: she can't make herself understood. She claws at his arm a couple of times, but he isn't even looking at her: he's focussed outward, looking for threats. Agitated, she runs to Bombalurina (lashing out at Cassandra when Cassandra reaches out to her), and almost drags Bomba back to make her explain to Munkustrap - but Bombalurina doesn't understand either.
Panicking, Demeter looks for help both to Bombalurina and Jellylorum, the only two cats with whom she has so far formed a connection. They can't help her - and finally she manages to blurt out, 'Macavity!'
Everybody takes that seriously, at least, and they dart offstage - although Munkustrap does share a look with Coricopat and Tantomile where the three of them seem to conclude that it's probably not Macavity, but still worth being wary...
But Demeter is still very used to being alone.
Bombalurina repeatedly steps up to be her strength, to reassure her or show her how to behave, or just to check in on her. But after the first stanza of the 'Macavity' song, she seems to have forgotten that she isn't all alone again.
And that's when Bombalurina, reliable and warm and strong as always, steps in to join her, and to bring her back to the present.
She confirms what Demeter says, she moves with her, but she keeps her grounded as well, until they're moving together to teach the kittens, and to affirm their own bond.
The culmination/confirmation of Demeter's acceptance into the community, of course, is the moment when she's finally proven right, and she has to apparently show aggression to their beloved leader and the kittens, and see whether they will take her word on it.
She's inarticulate again, charging in and scattering them almost fiercely with her paws, dragging Victoria away, lashing out at Mungojerrie. Then she darts to Munkustrap, who is reaching for her, bewildered - but not aggressive.
He trusts her. He knows something's wrong. So do Jelly and Jenny and Skimble over there on the right. So does Rumpelteazer - look at her, reaching out to haul Mungojerrie back by the tail when he tries to move forward again! And Pouncival at this point is just following Mungojerrie's lead, because he doesn't know what's going on.
When she actually leaps on Deuteronomy's back, the SkimbleJellyDots gang cringes back toward the bedframe/ladder, and the two queens lash out, but it seems more like agitation than aggression. Even Munkustrap (you can see his paw entering shot on the far left) isn't trying to stop her. Someone he just met today is attacking Deuteronomy and he isn't trying to stop her. That's huge. He knows. He doesn't know how or what, but he trusts something's wrong, and that Demeter understands it - even if he doesn't understand her.
She's one of his cats now, and that means everything.
And then, of course, we have the Macavity fight. Munkustrap gets thoroughly trounced - this Munk is a diplomat, not a fighter - and Alonzo saves the day. But both of them stepped up for her as much as for the tribe, and proved that she's important to them. And the queen who was flinching away from all toms at the start of the night, now seeks Alonzo out to nuzzle him like this.
But there's still one thing Demeter hasn't quite found the courage for...
