Samuel Buchanan as Macavity, Nora DeGreen as Demeter, Sammy Fossum as Alonzo, Kade Wright as Munkustrap, and Michelle Carter as Jenny. US tour 6, October 2022.
So, since there are a lot of screenshots to cover, I’m going to include a Read More break, like I did the last time something like this happened.
But first, here’s Munkustrap glaring at the audience in a moment of awkward silence.
Onward!
During the opening, Munkustrap just picks up Victoria and spins her around a bit. Actors playing Munkustrap have to be good at lifting people.
Munkustrap can roll his eyes at an upward angle. I think we now know where Misto learned his eyerolls from.
Munkustrap has to stand in the back with his dad, but he’s too short and almost completely hidden behind Bombalurina. Oops.
And another creepy eye moment. What’s with that? Are you trying to frighten the children out of the theatre?
Now, I’ve already reblogged a gif set of Munkustrap greeting various characters before the ball gets started, so I’ll just stick to a highlight reel:
From what I’ve noticed in previous watches, Electra is the kitten who cuddles up to Munkustrap the most. Here, she’s not as much “cuddling” as she is “using dad as a scratching post”.
I only realized after I posted the gif set that I had a better joke for this scene.
Original: Misto, trying to be an Adult™
Better: Misto, practicing his airs and graces
As Misto leaves, Munkustrap has a brief moment of confusion. Wasn’t he a kitten like two minutes ago? They grow up so fast!
Misto learned his eyerolls from Munkustrap and his airs and graces from Skimble, who greets Munkustrap like the prince that he sort of his. But, Munk’s a man of the people. He doesn’t really like being treated like royalty.
Here’s some Demestrap again. Due to future screenshots in this post, I would like to reaffirm that I ship Demestrap and see it “endgame”, so to speak. They’re a couple by the end of the show.
Also, the Psychic Twins look like they’re judging, and that’s not cool.
Etcetera can’t read a room and doesn’t realize that Munkustrap’s spending some time with a woman he loves who’d just escaped from being kidnapped. To be fair, it’s hard to explain that to a kitten.
Demeter and Alonzo are the only cats Munkustrap greets with nuzzles. That means they’re both Important.
When it’s time to start up The Old Gumbie Cat number, all the kittens, as well as some younger cats who aren’t kittens anymore, gather round. They are all sitting down to hear the story. Except for Misto, who thinks it’s either his turn to sing, or his turn to be sung about. In the original London production, Misto sings Munkustrap’s part here, so it’d be an easy mistake to make, I suppose.
Anyway, Munkustrap has already noticed that Misto’s not sitting down and seems to realize that Something Is About to Go Wrong.
Sure enough, Something Goes Wrong. But, notice how Munkustrap handles it. When we get to The Pekes and the Pollicles, we’ll see a lot of Munkustrap getting annoyed with everyone’s screw-ups, but throughout this number, he’s very laid-back.
As Misto tries and fails to save face, Munkustrap keeps singing and acting like nothing happened. Misto already feels bad about this mistake, so there’s no reason to get onto him for it. And, as The Center of Attention at the moment, other characters will possibly decide how to react based on his reaction. This can serve as a cue to the kittens that they should also ignore what just happened. The kittens don’t listen, but I suppose it’s the thought that counts.
He also gives Misto the job of opening the car. He both knows that Misto has magic, at least enough to do that, and that Misto really just wanted to be included and giving him some sort of job would make him feel better and distract everyone from his previous mistake.
I get the feeling that this sort of thing happens quite often.
But, enough about that. Let’s talk about the cat Munkustrap is singing about.
Munkustrap shows a lot of affection for Jenny throughout the number, an affection that she appears to return. In general, Munkustrap gets along well with the older cats, especially when compared to his brother.
And then things like this happen.
And this too.
We see kittens playing with the tails of older cats from time to time, but they usually tug on them or pounce on them. Munkustrap spends several seconds just stroking Jenny’s tail.
Look, I’m not saying they’re a couple, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was something between the two at some point.
Another interesting thing about the number is that when other cats mess up, Munkustrap lets Jenny handle it herself. Pouncival comes out in his beetle costume too early and Munkustrap barely reacts. He trusts Jenny to share the job of directing the kittens.
The Tugger crashes the party. Munkustrap leads Jenny away to safety. This sort of youthful debauchery could give a lady like her a heart attack.
Munkustrap spends Tugger’s number standing on the tire and just waiting for it to stop. Once his brother starts something like this, all he can do is wait it out. Still, Skimble worries a bit.
He also checks on Asparagus, possibly apologizing for his brother’s behavior. Yeah, he does this sort of thing a lot, but the older cats will never get used to it.
