Vienna 1989/90 giving me that tasty Tuggoffelees juice at the end of Mistoffelees' number. Love how Misto just spins Tugger away. It also actually reminds me a lot of a very similar duo spin dance at the end of this number that happens in Zurich with Lindsay Chambers' Misto, but instead it's with Munkustrap rather than Tugger.
And in Zurich's case, well, let's say that this Misto has a very different experience to Valentin's (who reminds me a lot of Tim Scott's Misto, especially with the makeup), and Munk is more showing he has accepted him fully.
@absolutehumandisaster - hope you don't mind me tagging you as I feel you'd be interested in my "little" tag ramble/thoughts on Valentin's vs Chambers' Mistos and how Valentin's is Chambers' Misto once he is fully accepted and has grown exponentially in confidence by the next Jellicle Ball.
So, we most likely started with Munk’s Assistant Misto. OLC had Misto sing Gumbie Cat, along with a lot of other exposition that was later given to Munkustrap. Munk and Misto appeared to pass the leadership role back and forth.
Problem: Misto is such a prominent figure in the tribe that no one should be surprised by his powers. He uses them to be the center of attention all the time.
Munk’s Assistant evolves into Showman Misto. When OBC Misto carries a musical number, it’s either him showing off or him putting on a show. Munkustrap gets the important exposition. Misto isn’t a high-ranking member of the group and is generally strange, so some of the tribe might only know him as a sort of stage persona.
Problem: Okay, his magical skill is still a bit too obvious. After bringing those puppets to life, the idea that he could teleport Old Deut back to the tribe isn’t that much of a stretch. Also, when Misto describes himself as “vague and aloof” while showing off with everything he’s got, it gets a bit too ridiculous.
Showman Misto evolves into Vague and Aloof Misto. This starts in Vienna. They take a character that had been doing a lot of singing and make him completely mute. They use a similar character design to what was used on Broadway, giving him a strange appearance. When he’s completely silent and cryptid-looking, he comes across as genuinely mysterious.
Now, for the next few years, this is what we’ve got. London Misto is Munk’s Assistant, Broadway Misto is Showman, and Vienna Misto is Vague and Aloof. Even as the casts of different productions begin to change, the characterization has been decided on. The prominence of the Broadway show means that Showman Misto is quite popular internationally. US Tours sometimes used it and Japan fully embraced it. On the continent of Europe, outside of the UK, productions based on Vienna begin to pop up, and they start out with Vague and Aloof Misto. But then, something weird happens.
I could go on a long tangent about the Coming of Age Arcs of Cats, but I’ll keep it to brief notes here:
Victoria was the original Coming of Age cat, going through puberty. She has a solo dance where she begins to explore her own body. Later, at the Jellicle Ball, she has a sort of sexual experience with a tom around her age. Which tom it is literally does not matter because this scene is about her. The reason why London eventually went with Admetus is because the Admetus actor also played Macavity, and therefore had to be ripped and able to lift equally-ripped Munkustrap, so lifting little Victoria would be easy for him.
When the show moved to Broadway, they decided that the boy in the dance should have an arc to parallel the girl, because a physical coming of age arc focused entirely on a girl happened so rarely that no one knew how to react. They took the character of Bill Bailey, one of the Two Tom Kittens of the show, and rewrote him as Tumblebrutus, a boy with an arc about wanting to appear tough to impress his friends and the adults. Because he isn’t played by the same actor who plays Macavity, he can participate in the Macavity fight, coming of age that way.
The Vienna production did the same thing the Broadway Production did, as did most productions made between 1982 and 2002.
But, in 1989, the Paris production shifted the coming of age arc from Tumblebrutus to Mistoffelees. Misto had his own song. He was already a prominent character. This takes us even further away from the point that, in the mating dance, the tom doesn’t actually matter. But, the Macavity Fight came right before Misto’s number, so they couldn’t just give him the Tumblebrutus arc. Instead, his number becomes the moment when he comes of age.
So, this change is made, but Misto is still somewhat Vienna based and mute. He’s now being played a bit younger and less secure to match the coming of age arc. He might actually come across as shy, or at least a bit awkward, if you combine this immaturity with the fact that he never speaks. When you age down Vague and Aloof Misto, you get Shy Misto.
Technically, Shy Misto is a form of Character Arc Misto, because he has a character arc, but the Mistos I consider Shy feel different from the ones I’ve called Character Arc. Shy Misto is either Vague and Aloof aged down or Character Arc but mute.
Now, Shy Misto moves from Paris to Zurich and Amsterdam. More Vienna-based productions. Actors who played Misto in these productions went on to play the same role in non-Vienna-based productions. This included Broadway. This led to Shy Misto and Showman Misto being combined. Misto sings, though not as much as before, and he has that flashy Showman energy, but he still has Shy Misto’s character arc and younger age. This creates Character Arc Misto.
The 1998 VHS uses Character Arc Misto and it’s the most accessible version. A generation of future Mistos will base their own characterizations on this one.
Then something happened with the Broadway Revival and Misto lost his arc. The actors playing Misto and Tugger played up their dynamic to compensate, but with only their dynamic making Misto stand out, this is how we get Tugger’s BF Misto.
So, people built off of each other’s ideas to create new characters, providing several options on how to portray Mistoffelees. The changes mainly occurred between 1981 and 1996.
Now, to give credit where credit is due, here’s who I believe to be the first actors to perform each Misto type:
Munk’s Assistant: Wayne Sleep, 1981
Showman: Timothy Scott, 1982
Vague and Aloof: Valentin Baraian, 1983
Shy: Tibor Kovats, 1989 (He was the first Paris Misto and the first Zurich Misto. The actors to take the role after him in both productions were Shy Mistos, so it probably began with him. The oldest known recording of a show with Shy Misto was from Paris in 1990, when the role was played by Guy-Paul de St. Germain)
Character Arc: Jacob Brent, 1996 (This actually could’ve been Lindsay Chambers shifting from a Zurich Shy Misto to something that matched what was already being done on Broadway, but I’m not sure of that, having only seen Chambers in a Zurich bootleg. Character Arc Misto was definitely inspired by him though.)
And can you, as cats do, begin with a C
That always triumphantly brings down the house?
Well, not if you’re Mistoffelees in the original Vienna production - he’s entirely mute, not even singing along with the chorus parts or speaking in “Naming of Cats”. But he’s still fully engaged in what’s being said.
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—
All of them sensible, everyday names.
Sorting Misto Portrayals Into Categories Because I Do This With Literally Everything wtf
So, most Mistos can be placed in six vague groups
Showman Misto:
Sings a lot
Takes charge of his own number early on
Memorable and fun to watch, but lacking an arc
Example: Timothy Scott (Original Broadway Cast)
Tugger’s BF Misto:
Confident when backed up by Tugger
Doesn’t have the usual disdain for Tugger
Seriously, his character revolves around Tugger
Example: Ricky Ubeda (Broadway Revival)
Note: Ricky is the only example of this type of Misto I’ve seen, but it felt like it needed its own category. Could be considered a variant of Showman Misto.
Character Arc Misto:
Only sings a little or not at all, though he’s usually not mute
Young and trying to prove himself, doesn’t lack confidence outside of general inexperience
Lets Tugger lead his number and doesn’t direct him, unless it’s at the very end
Example: Jacob Brent (1998 VHS, among others)
Vague and Aloof Misto:
Mute
Leads his own number, not lacking confidence, but also not singing any of it
It’s hard to tell what his motivations are: He’s mysterious
Example: Valentin Baraian (Vienna 1983-1990)
Note: This is the most likely type to be cryptid, though Cryptid Misto is an aesthetic that can be applied to any type, really.
Shy Misto:
Mute
Young and insecure, prone to making mistakes
Not taken seriously by most older characters until near the end
Example: Lindsay Chambers (1992 Zurich, among others)
Note: Laurie Davidson is a sort of speaking variation of this, but the movie’s too different from the play for anyone to match up with anything.
Munk’s Assistant Misto:
Sings Gumbie Cat
Clearly an adult, on equal footing with Munkustrap
Too present in the tribe to hide his powers. For this reason, this version is rarely used
Example: Victor Ullate Roche (Madrid 2003-2004)
Note: This was probably the first type of Misto to ever exist, because Misto sang Gumbie Cat originally, creating a sense that Munk and Misto were passing leadership back and forth. I haven’t paid enough attention to the Original London Cast to be certain that Wayne Sleep fits the type, outside of singing Gumbie Cat. The character has evolved away from this and the Madrid production might be the only later production to use it.
None of these Mistos are bad. I have a preference for Character Arc Misto, but Misto is not required to have an arc and other types can be fun. Each version plays a different role, and they all have strengths and weaknesses. The only one that doesn’t entirely work is Tugger’s BF Misto, because of how much Misto becomes a satellite character. But, this version of Misto is much newer than the others, so the bugs haven’t been worked out yet. It’s a new Misto prototype.
Vienna-Based Mistos and Grizabella: Misto Becomes the Misto You Know
Once again, I find myself fascinated with the Vienna production and it’s descendants, especially when it comes to Mistoffelees. There are bits with Misto in these productions that are sometimes very similar to the 1998 VHS, but other productions don’t have them.
In the majority of productions I’ve seen, when Grizabella first appears, the first cats to respond are Coricopat and Tantomile, who hiss at her. Some productions have Mistoffelees sense her first, which all the Vienna-based ones do. But, they all do it slightly differently, with a noticeable difference between the first two (Vienna and Amsterdam) and the later two (Paris and Zurich)
Vienna:
This production started in 1983, but the recording is from 1990, near the end of the show’s run. Mistoffelees was played by the same actor, Valentin Baraian, playing him for most of the run. Occasionally, covers would step in, but he was the official Vienna Misto the whole time. So, despite the film being from 1990, it’s a characterization developed in 1983. I’m sure it evolved over time, but not in the same way as productions where the role changed hands.
I know it’s very hard to see here, but those are Misto’s hands behind Grizabella. When he first approaches her, he briefly tries to block her path, but when she insists on going forward, he walks behind her.
A cat, I’m not sure which one, runs up to Grizabella and hisses at her. Misto signals the cat to stand back. Throughout the scene, several cats approach Grizabella, some attempting to reach out to her, and others just to hiss at her or scratch her. With the former, one of the older cats will rush to stop them. Misto himself only stops the ones approaching threateningly. This means that he’s following her around to make sure that the others don’t hurt her.
After Grizabella starts singing, he tries to fend off the cats who approach her, but only the ones that do something to upset her, since she turns on them for the “you see the border of her coat is torn” line.
Conclusion: Vienna Misto is one of the adult cats, allowed to approach Grizabella and take charge while she’s there, since Munkustrap seems reluctant to do anything one way or another. But, even though he knows who she is and what she did, he personally has nothing against her and shadows her to keep her from getting hurt. Since one of the kittens succeeds in scratching her, he doesn’t seem to be very at it, but he cares enough to feel like he needs to try.
Amsterdam:
NOTE: Due to not having access to a full recording of this production, if one even exists at all, the following screenshots are taken from the clip @junkyard-gifs uploaded. As far as I can tell, the clip is from 1987.
When Misto notices Grizabella, he runs up to her and holds his arms out, blocking her path. Once again, it seems like Misto is old enough to know who she is and that she’s not welcome.
However, Grizabella will not be stopped. She just shoves him out of the way. He’s not Munkustrap. He’s not the protector. He can’t tell her what to do.
However, this shove is technically an act of violence, so Misto warns the others to stay back. She attacked him! I’m guessing this Misto is not often shoved out of the way. Some Mistos are, but not this one.
The other cats scatter and Munkustrap steps up to handle the situation. Misto is still mad about it.
Conclusion: Amsterdam Misto (Dr. Diavolo, which is an amazing name) is one of the adult cats, since he seemed to know right away that Grizabella wasn’t welcome. But, unlike Vienna Misto, who seemed to have some sort of connection to Grizabella, this Misto doesn’t like her and likes her even less after she pushes him. He seems less mature and more prideful than Vienna Misto, with his dramatic reaction to being shoved, but I get the feeling that most of the other cats would’ve behaved the same way in this situation.
Now, both of these Mistos knew who Grizabella was. In general, full adults know Griz, while the kittens and sorta-adults don’t. This is the most clear generation gap in the show. In both these productions, Misto was put on the side of the adults. This matches up with most earlier portrayals of the character. By the time Jacob Brent played him, he was a younger character, only just starting to become an adult, who comes up age by the end of the show. I’ve always been curious as to when exactly this change took place. How did we get from here:
to here:
I don’t have any pictures of Timothy Scott’s Misto and Grizabella, so this comparsion doesn’t work quite as well, but you get the idea. In the above picture, Misto is just sort of waiting to see what Grizabella does. He doesn’t know her.
Well, I think the next two entries in the Vienna Line show some of the journey from point A to point B
Paris
The recording of the Paris version is from 1990, during the last month of the show’s run. It was uploaded to YouTube by Guy-Paul de St. Germain, who played Misto in the recording, and in London shortly after, as well as in a later UK Tour.
Misto approaches Grizabella, and the film quality makes it hard to see what’s going, but what I think is going on is that Munkustrap and Misto are equally quick to react to Grizabella, but Munkustrap keeps his distance, while Misto approaches her. From what I can tell, he does so neutrally, just trying to figure out who she is.
Munkustrap doesn’t physically intervene, but he warns Misto to get away with a sharp hiss. Misto backs away and stands in the corner, where he remains for the rest of the number.
After one of the kittens (I’m pretty sure it’s Tumblebrutus) scratches Grizabella, Misto sort of leans toward her, almost taking a step in her direction. But, he looks back over his shoulder before doing anything, and whatever he sees keeps him in place. I’m guessing he was looking to Munkustrap for permission to see if she’s alright after being scratched, and was denied permission.
Conclusion: Paris Misto most likely doesn’t know who Grizabella is. He obeys Munkustrap’s instructions regarding her, but he doesn’t seem to know what to think of her. He’s concerned for her when she gets hurt, but he prioritizes Munkustrap’s orders over that concern. The general tone is very similar to the VHS, though 1998 Misto started glaring at Grizabella, copying Munkustrap, instead of just following his instructions.
Zurich
The Zurich footage is from a 1992 bootleg. In 1992, Misto was being played by Lindsay Chambers, who’d go on to play him on Broadway for a few years. He was playing Misto on Broadway when Jacob Brent was cast as Pouncival, so this is where Brent’s Misto starts to connect to Vienna-based Mistos.
When Misto starts dancing to the reprise of Tugger’s song, he gets really into it and Grizabella shows up right behind him, making it seem like he nearly crashes into her. When he sees her, he just stops and stares. He doesn’t react at all. He just waits to see what she’ll do.
Even though he’s not doing anything, Grizabella treats him like Amsterdam Misto, pushing him out of her way. Since Amsterdam Misto was actually blocking her path, it made sense for her to do that, but here it’s just rude! He doesn’t know who she is and made no move against her. If she wants a cat to welcome her back into the tribe, he probably would’ve done it. But it seems like Zurich Grizabella is focused on getting to Munkustrap. She wants to talk to the one who’s in charge.
Like in the Paris version, when Grizabella is scratched, Misto steps towards her. But, Zurich Misto is quick to stop himself. He doesn’t need Munkustrap to tell him to stay away, though Munkustrap is right there. I can’t tell if he’s glaring at Misto or glaring at Grizabella, because of Bootleg Quality. But, if Munkustrap isn’t glaring at Misto, Misto just decided to stop by himself, probably remembering getting pushed out of the way. Grizabella really lost herself an ally here. From other scenes in this version, I’ve noticed that Zurich Misto often doesn’t seem to understand the social rules of the tribe and gets in trouble frequently. In the very next scene, Skimble will stop him from pulling Bustopher’s tail, but he’ll insist on doing it anyway, so even if the rules are explained to him, he still might break them if he really wants to. He’d go against the tribe to support Grizabella if he felt like he had a reason to. But, because she pushed him, his first impression of her is negative, so if the rest of the tribe says she’s bad, he’ll go along with it.
Zurich Grizabella confuses me, basically.
Conclusion: Like in Paris, Zurich Misto is not a full adult. He doesn’t know who Grizabella is and reacts to her neutrally at first. The key difference is that he doesn’t go against Grizabella because that’s what the adults are doing, but in direct response to her actions. Compared to both Paris and the VHS, Zurich Misto isn’t quite as invested in pleasing authority figures. He wants the Important Cats to like him, but he’s more willing to go against them.
So, my theory about How Misto Became 1998 Misto is:
1. In different ways, both the London and Broadway productions originally characterized Misto as a full grown adult, somewhat established as a magician due to a love of showing off.
2. Most early productions had a similar characterization for Misto, including the Vienna production.
3. The Paris production seemed to be where things began to change. One of the actors who played Misto, either Tibor Kovats or Guy-Paul de St. Germain started playing the character differently. This might’ve been because of the decision to have Mistoffelees dance with Victoria. London’s Admetus and Broadway’s Tumblebrutus were established as kittens around Victoria’s age. If Misto was out of her age range, it would be kind of weird. This wouldn’t stop the London production from pairing her with Alonzo in its later years, but whatever. So, Misto was aged down to be only as old as they could get away with if they wanted to pair him with Victoria, even if it was just for one dance, since a lot of productions don’t have Victoria interact with her dance partner much outside of the dance itself. Mistoria shippers can make a thing out of it and everyone else can not make a thing out of it, because it works either way.
4. The Zurich production also paired Mistoffelees with Victoria for the dance, so they might’ve aged him down for similar reasons. Like in Paris, Tibor Kovats played Misto in this version early on. I don’t have any footage of him in the role, but he’s what really connects Paris and Zurich, so this Misto characterization might’ve come from him. If not, Guy-Paul de St Germain and Lindsay Chambers had very similar ideas for what to do with the character, with just enough difference that it could just be a coincidence.
5. Guy-Paul de St Germain played Misto in London, bringing this new characterization into that production.
6. Lindsay Chambers played Misto on Broadway, bringing this new characterization into that production. Future Mistos of both London and Broadway would be more likely to base their portrayals on these Vienna-based Mistos.
7. When Jacob Brent was cast as Pouncival on Broadway, Lindsay Chambers was playing Misto. Jacob learned the part while Chambers was playing it, and when it was his turn to play Misto, he also played him as a young tom coming of age.
And he was very good at it.
8. Jacob Brent played Mistoffelees in the 1998 VHS. When the show closed in London and on Broadway, the 1998 version became the version that most people saw first, so a generation of future Mistos learned his characterization, so it became the one that remained popular into the present day.
