A moonlit junkyard…cats slither or jump out from behind a soda can or a pipe. Slowly they gather and sing about their kind…the Jellicle Cats! Each with their own attitude and sass in pulsing or fluid-like movements. With the extension of an “s” sound or of a leg above their heads, the dancers in this magnificent show really embody the mind of a cat.
Watch the opening of the show as each cat appears (The entire set is actually made to appear two to three times larger than the performers!):
The theme starts and the cats begin to quietly sing….”Because Jellicles are and Jellicles do…”. One can not help but groove in their seat!
As you are introduced to these mysterious beings you are swept away on a journey that follows each of their desires to reach the “Heaviside Layer”. The tribe of cats must make the “Jellicle choice” by deciding which cat will be reborn. As a result, we get to meet a handful of cats who each tell us their own unique story and “pitch” in a sense for why they personally should be chose to ascend. As you watch, it becomes clear that many of the cats simply don’t need to be reborn, or don’t deserve it. However, one cat—Grizabella is ultimately chosen. An older cat, who the tribe has shunned due to her appearance…Her song memory stands out from the score. When she sings this heartfelt and soulful song, the other cats finally realize that despite her haggard and aged appearance, she too is worthy of love, kindness, and respect. CATS has a beautiful sentiment of acceptance despite our differences.
Listen to Elaine Paige masterfully execute this emotional piece:
When Grizabella ascends to the Heaviside Layer:
A show filled with heartfelt melodic ballads, elastic choreography, and costumes/makeup that will make you stare in awe. Andrew Llyod Weber strikes again. When he was young, his mother would read him T.S Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”. Eliot compiled this book with poems that he wrote to his godchildren. One of lines being “poor little dogs and dear little cats,” . Eliot’s goddaughter mispronounced the words, which lead to him write an unpublished poem, titled, “Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats.” Bringing us to the CATS musical we know today!
It is funny to note that Andrew Lloyd Webber is quoted with being “quite neutral” when it comes to CATS. Although he did see the music as a challenge. He said, “When I [had] written with lyricists in the past … the lyrics have been written to the music. So I was intrigued to see whether I could write a complete piece the other way ‘round.”
The show has its own charismatic personality. It has many interactive parts in which the cats will walk in the aisles and crawl up to those in the orchestra—a quality that i personally LOVED…however, Evelyn Amato would disagree. She had stated that one of the dancers had danced just a little too close for her liking. And so, she sued for $6 million! If you ask me, she got what she payed for! A silly yet emotional experience in which one gets a peek inside the life of a junkyard cat.
I remember when this went to Broadway recently and it was all over social media because of how creepy/realistic they look. I thought that it would be a show with not a lot of meaning and almost like a joke, just based on the looks of them. After your explanation, I realized I was very wrong and it does end up having a significant meaning. I liked the way that you explained this because it was short and to the point, but I still understood the storyline.
When I was little we watched the film of the CATS play and I vividly remember being so in awe of it. From that point on I made sure we always had the one copy of the DVD rented from the public library week after week because I would watch it on repeat. While reading your blog I realized that my younger self didn’t really pick up on much of the story line 🙂 I completely agree that the makeup, costumes, and dance choreography were all so well done and definitely picked out with a high attention to detail. I enjoyed learning the little tidbit about why they were called the Jellicle Cats, that fact is so cool!
My first thought is that I can’t believe she actually sued for that much money because of the cats’ dancing. Personally, I would expect that from a theater show. It is also so interesting how the concept for the musical came from a mispronunciation. I’m impressed with the plot intricacies that came from such a small idea. I personally have never seen cats, but this post makes me want to. Maybe the fear of the recent movie version is what’s holding me back lol.