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Reasons to Love Cats
1. T. S. Eliot’s verse.
2. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music.
3. Gillian Lynne’s choreography.
4. The great costumes.
5. The amazing makeup.
6. The plot, confirming that our felines really are up to something.
7. It was on Broadway for 19 years and is still being performed in other places; audiences don’t get sick of it.
8. “Cats” is Now and Forever.
9. After a while, you don’t see the performers as people, you see them as some sort of cat-human hybrid.
10. Grizabella is the elderly, left-behind cat who wishes she could rejoin the tribe. She ties the whole story together.
11. Munkustrap is brave and protects the others. He’s also the storyteller and tries to keep the Jellicle ball running smoothly.
12. Old Deutoronomy is the leader of the Jellicle tribe and is revered by even the most trouble-making members.
13. Macavity’s the antagonistic character, but obviously has a softer side, as Bombalurina and Demeter suggest.
14. Speaking of Bombalurina, she’s an extravagant, supermodel sort of cat who’s not afraid to flirt with…well, all the toms. She also seems to be Demeter’s protector, shielding her from harm.
15. And Demeter…she’s obviously very afraid of Macavity and warns the other cats whenever he drops by the ball. She, too, is rather extravagant, but not as much as Bombalurina.
16. Rum Tum Tugger’s the womanizer cat. If you read the poem, he doesn’t seem that flirtatious, but in the song he most certainly is!
17. Mistoffelees is the magical child prodigy who brings back old Deutoronomy.
18. Rumpelteazer’s a troublemaker, but not in a bad way like Macavity is. As I’ve said before, she’s like a naughty little kid.
19. We can’t forget Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer’s partner in crime. They’re much more comical as a duo then they would be solo.
20. Jemima’s a rather vulnerable cat. She’s kind and tries to allow Grizabella back into the tribe.
21. Victoria’s the noticeable, silent white cat. She’s quite a dancer, too.
22. Jennyanydots is just silly.
23. Et Cetera is Rum Tum Tugger’s biggest fan. She’s one of the younger cats and is a little rambunctious around Tugger, but in a cute way. Besides, my cousin played her in their award-winning show choir performance, so how can I not adore her?
24. Jellylorum is a very maternal, caring cat. She seems to be Gus’s prime caretaker.
25. Cassandra stands out. She’s the sleek Siamese who’s Mistoffelees’s assistant in his stunt to bring back Old Deuteronomy.
26. Skimbleshanks is the Railroad Cat. He has his own song (another favorite of mine.)
27. Tantomile and Coricopat. Other than having great names, they’re always together and easy to spot.
28. Admetus is just sort of there…sometimes.
29. So is Plato. He wants to BE Rum Tum Tugger.
30. Pouncival. I don’t know why I’m so fond of him. He’s very acrobatic and mischeivous.
31. Tumblebrutus, too, is very acrobatic, but he’s serious in contrast to Pouncival’s playful personality.
32. Alonzo. All that black and white gets a bit creepy, but he is very noticeable. He is also willing to fight Macavity.
33. Electra. She’s a small part, but I like her. In the movie, the way she says, “…with book and with bell,” is, well, electrifying.
34. Gus the Theater Cat is very old and enjoys reminiscing bygone days.
35. Asparagus (NOT the Theater cat) and Exotica were created just for the film.
36. The Great Rumpus Cat is respected although he’s very clumsy and more than slightly goofy.
37. Growltiger is the Terror of the Thames.
38. Griddlebone is his one weakness.
39. “The Pekes and Pollicles” is a skit gone wrong for the Jellicles. It’s quite silly (especially with that Rumpus Cat guy,) but enjoyable.
40. The overture. I love it! In the movie, with the huge orchestra, it sounds so extraordinary.
42. The Really Big Shoe.
43. Subtle costume changes make it look like there’s more cats than there really are.
44. There’s at least a hundred more crazed “Cats” fans like me with their own pages.
45. Even I can write a “Cats” fanfic.
46. Jellicle names are waaayyy too much fun to make up!
47. “Memory.”
48. “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats.”
49. “The Old Gumbie Cat.”
50. “The Rum Tum Tugger.”
51. “Bustopher Jones.”
52. “Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer.”
53. “Old Deuteronomy.”
54. “The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles.”
55. “The Jellicle Ball.” (That’s the really long instrumental dance number!)
56. “Grizabella the Glamour Cat.”
57. “Skimbleshanks – the Railway Cat.”
58. “Macavity – the Mystery Cat.”
59. It’s on video for all of us who can’t go to Broadway (or, as is the case nowadays, England) !
60. “The Naming of Cats.”
61. There really is a Heaviside Layer.
62. “The Magical Mr. Mistoffelees.”
63. There’s a behind-the-scenes tape that shows how the video was made.
64. “The Addressing of Cats.”
65. All the actors are extremely talented and educated (see below.)
66. Et Cetera loves Tugger.
67. The license plate on the car (in the film) says TSE 1 for T.S. Eliot.
68. Pouncival grabs his ears when Jennyanydots hits a high C.
69. Apparently Plato is obsessed with his feet.
70. The set is soooooo cool.
71. Jacob Brent as Mistoffelees (in the video.) Need I say more?
72. John Partridge as Tugger.
73. Drew Varley as Mungojerrie.
74. Jo Gibb as Rumpleteazer.
75. Michael Gruber as Munkustrap.
76. Elaine Paige as Grizabella.
77. Veerle Castelyn as Jemima.
78. Jo Bingham as Et Cetera.
79. Rosemarie Ford as Bombalurina.
80. Karl Morgan as Pouncival.
81. Phyllidia Crowley Smith as Victoria.
82. Femi Taylor as Exotica.
83. Aeva May as Demeter.
84. Bryn Walters as Plato and Macavity.
85. Leah Sue Morland as Electra.
86. Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy.
87. Susan Jane Tanner as Jellylorum.
88. Susie McKenna as Jennyanydots.
89. Fergus Logan as Tumblebrutus.
90. James Barron as Bustopher Jones.
91. Frank Thompson as the Great Rumpus Cat and Admetus.
92. Jason Gardiner as Alonzo.
93. Rebecca Parker as Cassandra.
94. Tommi Sliiden as Coricopat.
95. Kaye Brown as Tantomile.
96. Sir John Mills as Gus.
97. Bryn Walters as Macavity and Plato.
98. Geoffrey Grant as Skimbleshanks.
99. Bustopher Jones golfs with a spoon.
100. Jemima is called Sillabub in the stage performances.
101. The Swedish cast had it set in an attic instead of a junkyard.
102. Pouncival’s other name is Carbucketty.
103. Plato’s British other is George.
104. Tumblebrutus’s other name is Bill Bailey.
105. Tugger is a playa’.
106. I can spend hours surfing “Cats”- themed sites.
107. The “Munkypoo” Conversation!
108. After seeing “Cats,” the insane, Jellicle-obsessed people start acting feline.
109. “Feline, fearless, faithful and true…” - “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats”
110. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer have great Cockney accents.
111. When Cassandra says, “Jellicle cats have moonlit eyes…” look at Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer in the background. Whoa!
112. Mungo and Rumple are so cute together.
113. Femi Taylor was in Return of the Jedi.
114. Ken Page was the original Broadway Old Deuteronomy.
115. Elaine Paige was the original West End Grizabella.
116. Susan Jane Tanner was the original West End Jellylorum.
117. Femi Taylor was the original West End Tantomile (but, as I said before, was Exotica in the movie.)
118. A lot of the cat names are composed names from mythology or of pieces of words.
119. “Cats” has been seen by something like 20 million people in 48 nations worldwide.
120. Apparently the word “Jellicle” came from when T.S. Eliot’s niece tried to say, “dear, little” cat. Likewise, “Pollicle” is derived from when she said, “Poor, little” dog.
121. It takes a very stable man to dance around in Spandex.
122. Where else would you see spiked collars in a theater?
123. While we’re on that tangent, where else would you see people wearing tails in a theater?
124. Almost everyone can recognize a reference to “Cats.”
125. “Daylight through the trees in summer, endless masquerading, like a flower as dawn is breaking, the memory is fading….” ~ “Memory” (Reprise)
126. In the beginning, when “Cats” first opened in England, there were no wigs or makeup. They had the unitards and tails, and the female characters had their hair braided with tufts at the ends to look like ears.
127. There are so many mythical references in the play that people can write fanfics relating to just about anything.
128. Fiberoptic cables are used to create the cat-eye effect in the beginning of the film.
129. As is the style with most Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, there is really no spoken word in “Cats.” Rum Tum Tugger’s prelude to “Mr. Mistoffelees” may not be sung, but it is still in verse, and that’s what counts.
130. When you think about it, “Cats” really is the definitive Broadway musical.
131. One can debate about cat relationships for hours on end.
132. Although the play itself isn’t particularly humorous, many talented people can write a comedic fanfic (or, in Rheow’s words, an “Insane Badfic,”) without being disrespectful.
133. Many talented people can also write a serious fanfic without being disrespectful.
134. You can find some amazing fan art if you surf the Net for a little while.
135. There’s going to be a 2001-2002 “Cats” tour.
136. Andrew Lloyd Webber said that the show just needs a rest and will be back on Broadway in a few years. Yay!!!!!
137. T.S. Eliot won a Tony Award for his contributions to “Cats” even after his death (and is the only person to do so.)
138. Not wanting them turned into “cartoon cats,” the Eliots would not sell Disney rights to the poems.
139. They are practical cats.
140. Whittingtom, Brummel, Argentine joints, Scotland Yard, and myriad other things are mentioned in “Cats.”
141. A lot of people make their own cat costumes.
142. Ellsworth High School won first place in a national show choir competition in 2000 doing an abridged version of “Cats.”
143. The movie is the only thing anyone I know has bought off a call-to-order TV commercial…
144. …And the free art really did come with it.
145. Everyone has a favorite Cat.
146. People name their cats after characters from the show.
147. The movie cast represents several different countries: three Americans, a Belgian, a Scot, and a largely British cast.
148. There aren’t any “Cats” hate sites out there, which I think goes to show you that there isn’t anyone who dislikes the show that much.
149. It’s a family musical; there’s something for everyone. I think that everyone can enjoy “Cats” no matter who they are.
150. Everybody, deep down, wants to be a cat.
Got more reasons?