Cats

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Cats
Cats Logo.svg
Musical dates
Title: Cats
Original title: Cats
Original language: English
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Book: TS Eliot , Trevor Nunn
Literary source: TS Eliot: Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
Premiere: May 11, 1981
Place of premiere: London , New London Theater
Place and time of the action: London, modern times (today)
Roles / people
  • Grizabella
  • Gus, the theater hangover (Asparagus)
  • Old Deuteronomy (Alt Deuteronimus)
  • Bombalurina
  • Munkustrap
  • Rum Tum Tugger
  • Demeter
  • Skimbleshanks
  • Rumpleteazer
  • Mungojerrie
  • Jennyanydots (Jenny Fleckenfell / Jenny Fleckenreich)
  • Quaxo / Mr. Mistoffelees
  • Jellylorum
  • Victoria
  • Jemima / Sillabub
  • Macavity
  • Bustopher Jones (German also Mürr)
  • Growling
  • Griddlebone
  • Genghis
  • Coricopat
  • Tantomile
  • Alonzo
  • Carbucketty / Pouncival
  • Bill Bailey / Tumblebrutus
  • Electra (Elektra)
  • Etcetera
  • George
  • Admetus / Plato
  • Victor
  • Exotica
  • Rumpuscat (tomcat rumpus)
  • Cassandra
  • Pekes and Pollicles
  • The Siamese
  • Mice / cockroaches

Cats ( English cat ) is a revue-like musical by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) with texts by TS Eliot ( Poems from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats , supplementary text to memory of Trevor Nunn ). It is one of the most successful musicals of all time.

Production history

Emergence

The text of the musical is based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats , a collection of poems written for children by TS Eliot, which was published in 1939 and was very popular in England . Andrew Lloyd Webber began setting poems from this cycle to music in 1977. He considered the idea of creating a musical anthology from these songs that could also be broadcast on television. This motivated him to perform some of the pieces at the Sydmonton Festival in the summer of 1980 . Valerie Eliot, the writer's widow, attended this festival and brought back unpublished poems by Eliot that Eliot had not included in his book. This included "Grizabella, the glamor cat", the lonely and excluded former glamor cat. According to Webber, this poem gave him the idea of ​​giving the whole work a continuous plot - which Eliot does not - and turning it into a musical in which Grizabella would play the leading role. He began to rewrite his songs for this new purpose.

Webber approached the director Trevor Nunn, who was then head of the Royal Shakespeare Company , about the idea of ​​turning the set of poems into a musical. Webber and Nunn continued to work with Valerie Eliot, who provided them with material from Eliot's estate, to work out a coherent plot. Three other unpublished poems by Eliot were included in the libretto by Cats. An unfinished draft poem by Eliot gave Webber and Nunn ideas for a new introduction to the song "The Naming of Cats," and finally a remark in Eliot's letter gave them the idea of ​​a destination for a full-length storyline, namely the selection of a cat for the ride to the “Heaviside Layer”. On the one hand, it is an allusion by Eliot to the still relatively recent physical discovery of a high layer of the earth's atmosphere , the Kennelly-Heaviside layer , on the other hand, the expressions "heaven" (sky) and "lair" (bed of an animal) are used ( "Camp on the heavenly side"; in the German translation by Michael Kunze, the physical allusion is included with "spherical space").

Memory ("memory")

In the course of the rehearsals for the premiere , there was a decisive addition. Nunn was of the opinion that the dramaturgy of the play needed an emotional climax. At his request, Webber wrote the piece Memory , for which Nunn wrote the text himself, using verses and ideas from Rhapsody on a Windy Night , a poem by Eliot already written in 1911, which has no context with Old Possum's Book stands. “Memory”, which has become an international hit , is therefore the only song that is only loosely based on a poem by Eliot.

Production design

For the realization, Nunn brought in the costume and set designer John Napier, whom he asked to place an allusion to Eliot's famous, highly literary epic "The Waste Land" (The Waste Land ) in the setting. According to Nunn, the location of the action stems from this idea: a junkyard , the individual components of which are oversized, whereby the human characters in cat costumes are brought into line with the proportions of cats.

The make-up is applied according to original photos. The elaborate wigs are hand-knotted from buffalo hair for each actor. The costumes are tight-fitting Lycra jerseys , which are painted with spray paint and traditional brush techniques based on the original designs by John Napier. The performers also wear hand-knitted arm and leg warmers that are matched to the colors of the respective costume.

successes

Cats won seven Tony Awards in 1983 (Best Musical, Best Book, Best Music, Best Director, Best Lighting, Best Costumes, and Best Actress for Betty Buckley as Grizabella ).

The musical was played in London's West End for exactly 21 years. This made Cats the longest-played work in the history of the British musical (replaced in 2006 by Les Misérables ). With over 50 million viewers to date, Cats is one of the most successful musicals in the world.

The most successful song Memory (German memory ) of the mangy old cat Grizabella been performed by many singers; the most famous versions come from Barbra Streisand , Pia Douwes , Angelika Milster and Elaine Paige .

Individual productions

Cats in Warsaw (2007)

World premiere in London

Cats premiered on May 11, 1981 at the New London Theater , London, with Elaine Paige , Brian Blessed , Paul Nicholas and Wayne Sleep in the lead roles (and Sarah Brightman in a supporting role). This original production was produced by Cameron Mackintosh . After 9,000 performances, the last curtain fell in London - again on May 11, 2002.

In this original version there were a lot of cats to be seen; From the Broadway version of the musical, some characters were omitted from the worldwide productions.

Original cast

Surname figure
Steven Wayne Admetus
Roland Alexander Alonzo / Rumpus Cat / Tumblebrutus
Peter Barry Bill Bailey
Stephen Tate Asparagus / Growling Tiger
Geraldine Gardner Bombalurina
Brian Blessed Bustopher Jones
David Baxter Carbuckety
Seeta Indrani Cassandra
Donald Waugh Coricopat / Gilbert
Sharon Lee Hill Demeter
Anita Pashley Electra
Julie Edmett Etcetera
John Chester George
Elaine Paige Grizabella
Susan Jane Tanner Jellylorum / Griddlebone
Sarah Brightman Jemima
Myra Sands Jennyanydots
Wayne Sleep Mr Mistoffelees / Quaxo
John Thornton Mungojerrie / Macavity
Jeff Shankley Munkustrap / Grumbuskin
Brian Blessed Old Deuteronomy
Paul Nicholas Rum Tum Tugger
Bonnie Langford Rumpleteazer
Ken Wells Skimbleshanks
Femi Taylor Tantomile
Finola Hughes Victoria

new York

The Broadway premiere of Cats took place on October 7, 1982 in the Wintergarden Theater in a version that approximated the original (with Betty Buckley as Grizabella and Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy). This production ran with 7485 shows until September 10, 2000. The stage was round, ramps led into the auditorium and there were “stage seats” on both sides. The Growltiger ship was designed as a prospect, the bridge elements were anchored in the ground. In addition, the entire theater hall had been converted into an oversized garbage dump - not just the stage.

For the Broadway version, the song Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer was rewritten and The Ballad Of Billy M'Caw was replaced by the Italian aria In Una Tepida Notte . Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were later performed in London, New York and in all other productions, again in a modified version.

Some characters have also been renamed: Jemima, Bill Bailey, Carbucketty and Admetus were called Sillabub, Tumblebrutus, Pouncival and Plato. The roles Quaxo, Victor, Etcetera, Electra, George and also the so-called choir cats - which could only be seen together with other cats and had no character of their own - were completely deleted.

After Cats closed on Broadway, the National Tour IV started , touring North America and parts of South America.

Vienna, Austria)

On September 24, 1983, Cats was premiered in German under the artistic director Peter Weck at the Theater an der Wien . Here the roles were cast with Angelika Milster , Steve Barton , Ute Lemper and Joachim Kemmer , among others . In 1988 the musical moved to the Ronacher and ran there until 1990. The 2,040 performances attracted over 2.31 million visitors.

In 1995 Cats came back to Vienna briefly as part of the Cats Eurotour. Here Pia Douwes was seen as Grizabella, who already worked in this role and in other cat costumes in the Theater an der Wien and in the Ronacher. In 2011 Cats was seen in their own theater tent in Vienna, Neu Marx.

It has been performing again at the Ronacher in Vienna since September 2019.

Budapest (Hungary)

On March 25, 1983, Cats premiered at the Madách Theater in Budapest ; since then the piece has been played continuously in Hungary. However, in contrast to the other productions, the set and costumes are completely different. The musical has also become a part of the Szeged Summer Festival. This production has been played over 1300 times so far. On November 7, 2007, a new version started in the Madách Theater with a few changes.

Hamburg

Joined Hamburg in 1989,
DM 90

On April 18, 1986, the German premiere took place in the converted Operettenhaus in Hamburg . The play ran there for almost fifteen years. Hamburg was the ninth performance location worldwide. Some of the costumes were changed for the Hamburg version, and the make-up of the individual actors was also more complex. The cat names were taken over from the Broadway production, but the translation used in Vienna was not, but its own was made.

The production of Cats on Spielbudenplatz (as part of the entertainment and red-light district of St. Pauli and Reeperbahn ) also coincided with a time when further theaters were (re) being built there in the late 1980s, and at the same time heralded Hamburg's development into a musical city a. The Hamburg production was produced by Friedrich Kurz , who founded the Stella-Theater-Produktions-GmbH for this purpose. Stella AG was built up with Rolf Deyhle , under which further musical theaters were created in Hamburg (now part of Stage Entertainment ).

Between December 28, 2010 and March 5, 2011, Cats returned to Hamburg as part of a tour production on the Heiligengeistfeld in a tent.

German tour production

After the end of Cats in Hamburg in 2001, the production was moved to the Palladium Theater in Stuttgart . The bankruptcy of the production company Stella Entertainment meant that a takeover in Düsseldorf could not take place. The legal successor Stage Holding , today Stage Entertainment , first brought the musical to the Theater am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin . The Berlin version was traced back to the London original. Therefore there were changes in the costumes, the make-up, the choreography and the set design. In addition, the young cat Electra, who was previously only seen in London, was added. Stage Holding then converted the piece into a tour production, which was first shown at the Capitol Theater in Düsseldorf and later in Hanover , Bremen , Munich , Dresden and Basel, and in 2006 for the first time in Leipzig and again in Munich and Basel. An interesting detail due to the many venues during the total of 20 years in Germany is that the former Hamburg studio musician and electric bass player Jan Uwe Leisse is the only artist who has worked at every venue of the German Cats production. Up until the end - at that time he had been a full-time lawyer for many years - he still helped out with individual performances in the orchestra on the tour.

For the tour production, the piece was brought back to the original version and a revised version of the texts from the Vienna version was used. The Italian aria In Una Tepida Notte was replaced by Billy M'Caw's Ballad , which was performed in the original London production for the first few years. The previous stage design was retained, but for technical reasons it was not transformed into a large pirate ship on all stages in Growltiger's last fight (e.g. in Munich this is only hinted at by bringing a small mast with a sail and a steering wheel onto the stage will).

Cologne, Frankfurt

A new production of the musical was staged from November 12, 2008 to December 14, 2008 in the Musical Dome in Cologne and then from December 17, 2008 to January 9, 2009 in the Alte Oper in Frankfurt am Main . This version used the English original language. The content was made understandable to the German public with short subtitles on four large screens. The equipment and stage design corresponded to the original, only in Growliger's last fight the pirate ship was indicated by a foldable mast and a steering wheel brought onto the stage.

More productions

Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Really Useful Company Limited holds all performance rights . In the past, every production worldwide had to largely adhere to the specifications of the original version. In the meantime, the play has apparently been cleared for complete new productions, as there is at least one Polish version called Koty , in which the play was relocated to the roofs of Warsaw (in contrast to the junkyard or backyard design otherwise used ). For the first performance on a permanent stage in Germany since 2009, the Koblenz Theater has secured the rights to Cats . From July 2015 the musical could be seen on the open-air stage of the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress .

The open-air theater in Tecklenburg also performed the musical in its own staging version, as did the Luisenburg Festival in Wunsiedel in 2016 and 2017.

The first German-language amateur performance took place in 2013 at the Ulstertal School in Hilders / Rhön, others followed, including 2015 at the Landesmusikschule Gallneukirchen for the first time in Austria. A special feature is that this musical has its own version of the play authorized by the authors for amateur performances.

While a round stage was used for the premiere, a conventional box stage was used for all other productions (except Tokyo and Australia Tour) , but the auditorium and the audience were also included in the performance.

Video recording

The London version was released in 1998 on VHS and DVD. However, the addition of Growltiger's Final Battle is missing here , as AL Webber refused to record without the blind Sir John Mills as Gus . The main roles are Elaine Paige ( Grizabella at the world premiere) and Ken Page ( Old Deuteronomy at the Broadway premiere). Michael Gruber (Munkustrap - the narrator), John Partridge (Rum Tum Tugger), James Barron (Bustopher Jones), Jacob Brent (Mistoffelees), Phyllida Crowley Smith (Victoria - the only white cat) and Veerle Casteleyn (Jemima) play in other roles ) in the video production. The music was re-recorded with a 70-member orchestra and the choreography was specially adapted for recording. In contrast to the first production, the Adelphi Theater in London was used for this production (with a peep box instead of the round stage). A cat named Exotica also appeared here for the first time.

New German tour production

Cats theater tent in Hanover on Waterlooplatz , 2011

The new German tour production, produced by BB Promotion and Mehr! Entertainment, celebrated its premiere on January 6, 2011 in Hamburg. The tour took Cats to Hamburg, Berlin, Hanover, Mannheim, Luxembourg, Zurich and Bielefeld in 2011. Further locations are Oberhausen (2011/2012), followed by Vienna, Cologne, Stuttgart and Nuremberg in 2012. The tour was planned for a period of at least three years; further tour stops from 2013 were Munich, Linz, Frankfurt and Graz. It was played in the Cats own theater tent. At the end of 2013, the theater tent was finally sold to Circus Flic Flac , who used it for the first time for their Christmas program in Aachen .

action

first act

The cat Munkustrap, second in the cat hierarchy (after Old Deuteronomy) and protector of cats, takes on the role of the narrator: A large flock of cats comes together once a year at a London garbage dump to celebrate the Jellicle Ball , at the end of which a cat chooses becomes to be reborn and have a new cat life. After the overture, the cats come on stage one after the other and tell what Jellicle cats are ( Prologue: Jellicle cats ).

Then they explain how difficult it is to come up with a suitable name for the cats ( The names of the cats ). The young, only pure white cat Victoria opens the ball with a dance ( The invitation to the Jellicle Ball ). The Jellicle Ball can begin.

Jenny Fleckenreich, the old Gumbie cat, begins. She sleeps all day, but every night she teaches mice and cockroaches manners ( The Old Gumbie Cat ). In this scene the Rum-Tum-Tugger bursts, the Rock'n'Roll-Hangover, which the female cats find very attractive ( The Rum-Tum-Tugger ).

An old cat appears: It's Grizabella. She was once the famous and beautiful glamor cat, but she left the clan to discover the world. Now the cats no longer want to accept them. Only the cat Demeter seems to miss her. Grizabella moves away again. ( Grizabella, the cat star ).

Bustopher Jones, the dandy cat, a fat cat who feels at home in London's pubs and clubs, comes by and makes Jenny, the gumbie cat, beautiful eyes ... ( Bustopher Jones ).

Suddenly there is a loud bang. It's Macavity, the only bad guy among cats. All cats run away. Now Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer come on stage. The two chaos rob the family where they live, the last nerve. They live in Victoria Grove and steal and destroy everything that comes between their claws ( Mungo Jerry and Rumple Teazer ).

The cats sense that the chief, old Deuteronimus, is coming. Munkustrap and the Rum-Tum-Tugger tell of the many lives and good deeds of the wise patriarch ( old Deuteronism ).

Now Munkustrap tells of the fight between the Pekingese and the Pollicle dogs, two rival dog tribes, and of the "Great Rumpus Katz", which put an end to the dispute ( The fight between the Pekingese and Pollicles ). After the cats have been roused by a second bang by the villain Macavity, the big Jellicle Ball ( The Song of the Jellicles / Jellicle Ball ) begins .

After the ball, Grizabella reappears, but is again left alone by everyone and agrees to her song Memory ( Grizabella (Reprise) / Memory I ).

Second act

When Grizabella stumbles away, the cats come back on stage and Old Deuteronism remembers what happiness really is. Then animates the youngest cat, Jemima, and the other cats to sing the song Memory ( Glück / Memories II ).

An old gray tomcat appears on the stage. It's Gus, the theater cat. With Jellylorum he explains what he has achieved in the theater world, and of his greatest success: Growltiger. ( Gus, the theater hangover ).

The scene changes in a flash and the story of Growltiger (disguised Gus) is told, the most feared pirate cat and his lover Griddlebone (disguised Jellylorum) and Growltiger's greatest enemy, the Siamese, who surprise them both; Griddlebone escapes, but Growltiger has to jump off the plank ... ( Growltiger's last fight, formerly with the Italian love aria “In una Tepida Notte”, now with the “Ballad of Billy McCaw” ).

Gus comes again, sobbing, realizes that the theater “is not what it used to be” and leaves the stage ( Gus (recapitulation) ).

A cat lies asleep in the corner. It's skimbleshanks. He always travels through England by train and takes care of the train passengers ( Skimble from the railroad ).

One last bang sounds: Now the villain Macavity appears and kidnaps old Deuteronimus.

The cat ladies Bombalurina and Demeter sing what they know about Macavity ( Macavity ). He appears, but disguised as Old Deuteronomy. Demeter recognizes him and the cats have to fight him. Finally Macavity gives up and disappears without a trace ( The fight with Macavity ).

The Rum Tum Tugger thinks that the magician might help Mr. Mistoffelees. He does it; he conjures up old deuteronimus again ( Mr. Mistoffelees ).

Calm returns. Old Deuteronism must now make the Jellicle choice. This is announced by Jemima and Munkustrap ( The Jellicle Election ).

But Grizabella appears again and sings the last part of her song: Memory.

Grizabella wants to go, but Victoria touches her, now she is accepted again and is even chosen by old Deuteronism to ascend to the Heaviside layer ( The Journey into Spherical Space ).

Finally, Old Deuteronomy gives a moving, concluding speech to the human audience ( finale: How do you address a cat ). [END ACT 2]

More detailed character description of the individual figures

Old Deuteronomy: is the wise, kind and very old leader of the Jellicles. He is respected and respected by all Jellicles, because Old Deuteronomy is also the one who will choose a cat from the circle of Jellicles to receive a new life. The leader therefore exudes a lot of warmth, attention and love.

Munkustrap: is the gray tiger tomcat who is particularly noticeable for his imposing and courageous manner. He sees himself as the spokesman for the Jellicles and, according to Old Deuteronomy, also takes a leadership position and is respected in this, even if the kittens sometimes make fun of his proud demeanor and imitate him. Later in the play there is a fight between him and Macavity.

Macavity: is the villain among cats and scares the Jellicles several times by appearing. He is said to be the mastermind in numerous crimes and to break every human law, including that of gravity. At least that's what Demeter and Bombalurina report.

Grizabella / Glamor Cat: is one of the central characters of the musical. The once glamorous cat has seen better days. She left the Jellicles circle years ago and is therefore no longer accepted and harassed accordingly. But she does not give up hope and appears again and again during the ball, even if she gets resentment from the older Jellicles. Only the younger kittens Jemima / Sillabub and Victoria are interested in her, but are held back by the older ones. Grizabella is ultimately chosen to have a new cat life.

Demeter: is the cat that Macavity really knows and is a multi-layered character. Because, on the one hand, she's completely turned on and wild and, on the other hand, completely inconspicuous and tense when she's looking for Macavity. She warns the others about him, and it is she who recognizes and exposes Macavitys masquerade. Apparently, she and the villain seem to have had something like a relationship, which is probably the reason why Macavity tries to kidnap her - which is prevented by Munkustrap and Alonzo. In most productions, Munkustrap and Demeter are a couple.

Bombalurina: is Demeter's sister and undeniably the cat with the most sex appeal. She is therefore usually embodied by a great actress with a smoky and powerful voice. Their reddish “fur” is also striking. Mostly she approaches the Rum Tum Tugger in her irresistible way, but she too is rejected by him at times.

Rum Tum Tugger: The Tugger is probably the most curious and reluctant character in the musical. He has a free choice with all female Jellicles, because they cannot escape the fascination of his hip swing - much to the chagrin of the other male cats. But with all the comedy and show, the Tugger also has a serious side, because like Munkustrap, he also has an explanatory role.

Etcetera: is one of the youngest Jellicles and is - quite suitable for teenagers - The Rum Tum Tugger and they are very close. However, her role did not appear in all country productions. However, it can be found in the film adaptation of the musical. It is easy to recognize by an almost white costume with a thin striped pattern.

Electra: is also one of the young kittens and the sister of Etcetera and just like her crazy about the tugger. She is the naughtiest of the female kittens. In her portrayal, she is pretty much Etcetera's negative, as her costume is red-black and darker. But her character is not of greater importance for the story either, as her role was only seen in London, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Mexico and the Europe tent tour. But she is on the video.

Jemima / Sillabub: Jemima or Sillabub is the youngest of the Jellicles, but is the most important character among the kittens, because through her Grizabella learns what happiness means. She sings together with Grizabella and opened the eyes of the others. The different name comes from the fact that Jemima is the original English version and Sillabub appears in other countries, but the character is the same. But there were also productions with both characters (Vienna and initially Broadway).

Tumblebrutus / Bill Bailey: is one of the youngest and liveliest tomcats and therefore only drives mischief with his buddy Pouncival / Carbucketty. He often discharges his excess energy in flick-flicks and somersaults. He can be distinguished from his friend Pouncival / Carbucketty by a brown spot around his right eye and a spotted costume. In the couple dance, he and Victoria get very close. In the video, his name is Tumblebrutus.

Victoria: is a young Jellicle and it is not without reason that she bears the name of the former Queen of England. She is a completely white cat and therefore immediately catches the eye. She is allowed to demonstrate her excellent dancing skills in a solo and promptly attracts Mr Mistoffelees. Through her touch, Grizabella is taken back into the circle of the Jellicles.

Mr Mistoffelees / Quaxo: is the smallest, but certainly also the smartest tomcat. Almost completely black, looking quiet and shy. Of all the Jellicles, he is the only one with magical powers. Therefore, he also conjures up Old Deuteronomy. He is also an excellent dancer and therefore invites you to the Jellicle Ball together with Victoria.

Skimbleshanks: or just Skimble, is the train hangover from the night express, who ensures order on the train journeys and wears a vest as befits his status. He's a more mature fellow and is seen as something of an uncle.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer: together they are the cheekiest and most inseparable pair of cats that you can imagine. The two have literally nothing but mischief on their minds. Nothing is safe from the two of them, not even the expensive Ming vase. It's worth keeping an eye on both of them on stage, because they're just doing nonsense.

Coricopat and Tantomile: is the pair of twins who mainly stand out on stage because of their synchronous movements and identical costumes.

Cassandra: is the most mystical looking Jellicle. She differs from the others in that her costume is completely smooth and almost monochrome; she is a siamese cat. Mr Mistoffelees chooses them for his magic trick.

Exotica: very similar in appearance to Cassandra. However, her exotic grace is of no further importance for the musical, because she rarely appears in a production, but can also be seen on the video for which her role was specially invented.

Jennyanydots / Jenny Fleckenfell (Gumbie Cat / Gumbiekatz): is one of the older Jellicles and, as a gumbie cat, teaches mice, which she teaches manners. But she is also a kind of teacher among cats and, like Jellylorum, takes responsibility for the youngest.

Jellylorum: is one of the more mature jellicles and takes on a kind of mother role for the youngest kittens. She is very skeptical of Grizabella and keeps others from getting closer to her. In the scene with Gus, she reports with him about his successes.

Asparagus / Gus: is the old and frail theater cat. He talks about his successes, especially about his greatest success as Growltiger the pirate, who is brought back to life in "Growltiger's Last Battle". In this scene, in some productions (including the Hamburg version) a ship is set up on the stage. In other productions - including in the video - this play cannot be seen. In the video, however, there is a young asparagus.

Growltiger: is Gus' most successful role and can therefore only be seen in "Growltiger's Last Battle".

Griddlebone: also belongs to Growltiger's piece. She is a very posh white cat who tried to seduce the pirate cat.

Plato / Admetus: is also one of the younger tomcats, distinguishable from Pouncival / Carbucketty and Tumblebrutus / Bill Bailey by a lighter costume without spots around the eyes (only on the cheek and forehead). In the video it is he who performs the couple dance together with Victoria, here his name is also Plato.

Alonzo: is a big cat who saves Demeter from Macavity. The black spot around the left eye is noticeable, and his costume is usually black and white or slightly varying in brown and white.

Bustopher Jones / Bustopher Mürr: is an already established, but very elegant Jellicle. Apparently man is his great role model, because he tries to dress accordingly. He enjoys spending his time in the most famous bars and restaurants across London. It is difficult to overlook the fact that he is not averse to good food. He is respected by the other Jellicles. Jennyanydots in particular finds the fat man very attractive.

music

Track list

The following list shows the titles of the current version (modernization of the Vienna version) from 2002 (translated by Michael Kunze ) as well as in brackets those of the Hamburg version from 1986 (translated by John Baer, ​​Sabine Grohmann and Marc Henning):

1st act

  • overture
  • Prologue: Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats (Prolog: Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Katz ') - Ensemble
  • The Names of Cats (The Naming of Cats) ensemble
  • The invitation to the Jellicle Ball
  • The Gumbie Cat (The Old Gumbie Cat) - Jenny Fleckenreich, Munkustrap, Bombalurina, Jellylorum, Demeter
  • The Rum Tum Tugger - Rum Tum Tugger with ensemble
  • Grizabella, the cat star (Grizabella, the glamor cat) - Grizabella, Demeter, Bombalurina
  • Bustopher Jones (Bustopher Mürr) - Bustopher Jones, Jenny, Bombalurina, Jellylorum
  • Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer - Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer
  • Alt Deuteronimus (Old Deuteronomy) - Munkustrap, Rum Tum Tugger, Alt Deuteronimus
  • The fight between the Pekingese and Pollicles (From the terrible battle between the Pekies and Pollicles and the marching song of the Pollicle dogs) - Munkustrap, Pekingese, Pollicles, Kater Rumpum
  • Song of the Jellicles - Ensemble
  • Jellicle Ball
  • Grizabella (recapitulation)
  • Memory - Grizabella

2nd act

  • Moments of true happiness - Alto Deuteronimus and Jemima with ensemble
  • Gus, the theater hangover (Gus, the theater hangover) - Gus, Jellylorum
  • Growltiger's last fight (Growltiger's last battle) * - Growltiger, Griddlebone, Genghis, the crew ( consisting of Skimble, Tugger, Misto, Munkustrap, Alonzo / Victor) , the Siamese
  • Skimble from the railroad (Skimbleshanks) - Skimble with ensemble
  • Macavity - Demeter, Bombalurina
  • Mr. Mistoffelees - Rum Tum Tugger with Ensemble
  • Memory - Munkustrap, Jemima, Grizabella
  • The Journey into Spherical Space (The Journey to the Heaviside Layer) - Ensemble
  • How to Address a Cat (About Addressing Cats) - Old Deuteronimus with Ensemble

* Not included in the film version.

Recordings

From Cats following recordings were released:

  • London: Full Shot and Highlights
  • Broadway: Full Shot and Highlights
  • Vienna: highlights
  • Budapest (Macskák): Highlights
  • Sydney: complete recording
  • Tokyo: Complete Shots and Highlights
  • Oslo: Highlights (was only available at the theater)
  • Hamburg: complete live recording
  • Amsterdam: full live recording
  • Paris: complete recording
  • Mexico City: Highlights
  • Warsaw (Koty): Highlights
  • Prague Highlights (unpublished)
  • Moscow Highlights (Promotional Only)
  • Netherlands Tour: Live Highlights
  • Italy: highlights
  • USA: Karaoke CD (Highlights)

Film adaptations

The musical was filmed as Cats by David Mallet in 1998 and released as a direct-to-video film. The film was shot at London's Adelphi Theater . Elaine Paige was seen as Grizabella , John Mills as Gus , Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy and Michael Gruber as Munkustrap .

A second film adaptation was made in 2019 under the direction of Tom Hooper . The film launch in the USA and the United Kingdom was on December 20, 2019, in Germany the film opened on December 25, 2019. Jennifer Hudson took on the role of Grizabella , Taylor Swift will appear as Bombalurina , James Corden as Bustopher Jones , Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy , Jason Derulo as Rum Tum Tugger , Idris Elba as Macavity , Ian McKellen as Gus , Rebel Wilson as Jennyanydots and Francesca Hayward as Victoria .

Web links

Commons : Cats  - collection of images, videos and audio files

musical

Movies

Sources and References

  1. See Webber's report in '... up up up to the Heaviside Layer' ( Memento from October 17, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ^ Note from Trevor Nunn ( Memento of May 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) on reallyuseful.com; Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  3. Interview with Trevor Nunn ( Memento from October 4, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ^ Cats Hamburg
  5. ^ Andrew Lloyd Webber | Stage a musical. In: www.stageamusical.com. Retrieved November 21, 2016 .
  6. ^ Website of the "Teatr Muzyczny ROMA" Warsaw ( Memento of November 11, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  7. ^ Rhein-Zeitung: Hair and Cats come to the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in Koblenz
  8. Musical 2017. In: www.luisenburg-aktuell.de. Retrieved November 20, 2016 .
  9. Ulstertal School - 2013 Musical - Cats. In: ulstertal.hilders.schule.hessen.de. Retrieved November 20, 2016 .
  10. ^ Musical CATS. In: Gallneukirchen. Retrieved November 20, 2016 .
  11. News from the cats . March 9, 2015 ( musikundbuehne.de [accessed November 20, 2016]).
  12. cats.de ( Memento from September 28, 2010 in the Internet Archive )