CATS

About CATS

It all began by the poetry of Thomas Stearns Eliot. According to the anecdote told by Andrew Lloyd Webber, he got the idea for the musical... in a plane. He was going on a long journey so he wanted to read something during the flight. In a shop on the airport he saw a book with the poems about cats that his mother used to read to him when he was a child. (It was "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" by T. S. Eliot, of course!). He bought the book and when he was viewing it in the plane, he thought he could create a musical about it. That's how "Cats" the musical came into being. Now "Cats" is one of the world's most famous musicals.

Where is the libretto from?
Most of the lyrics are taken from "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" by Thomas Stearns Eliot (originally published in 1939). A few poems have been changed a little (e.g., eight lines have been added to the "Song of the Jellicles"). Some of the texts, like "The Marching Song of the Pollicle Dogs" and the story of Grizabella were discovered among the unpublished writings of Eliot. The prologue is based on another unpublished poem, entitled "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats". "Memory" includes lines from and is suggested by "Rhapsody On a Windy Night", and other poems of the "Prufrock" period. All other words in the show are taken from the Collected Poems.

What is "Cats" about? - Synopsis: ACT 1 Midnight on the junkyard. When car lights tear the darkness, a running feline appears for a moment. After a while other cats creep out of their hideouts. They gather to the annual Jellicle Ball. It's a great celebration of the tribe of Jellicle Cats. This night they will choose one cat who will go to the Heaviside Layer and start a new life. Jellicle Cats are proud of who they are. They start the meeting with a song about their beauty, variety of their characters and special abilities. Then they reveal that every cat has three different names: an ordinary name that family uses daily, a more dignified name which never belongs to more than one cat, and finally - a secret name that no man can discover. Victoria, a young white cat, dances with Mr Mistoffelees , a cat with black fur. They invite Jellicles to the Ball. Munkustrap, a large grey tabby, tells about the Jellicle Ball. The cats are waiting for their leader, wise Old Deuteronomy, who will help them choose which cat will be reborn in this special night. In the meantime Jellicles introduce themselves one by one. Jennyanydots is lazy all day long but when the night comes, she teaches the mice and trains the cockroaches. The Rum Tum Tugger is an eccentric and playful cat who likes to be the center of attention... and he succeeds in it - all the female cats adore him! Grizabella is an old cat who left the tribe of Jellicle Cats a long time ago. Then she was beautiful and now she is lonely. Bustopher Jones is a remerkably fat "twenty-five pounder". He's known as the smartest of cats because he always wears his white spats and he frequently goes to the best clubs and pubs. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are a couple of fun-loving cats who always get into trouble because they "go through the house like a hurricane". When Old Deuteronomy turns up, all the cats start to rejoice. They sing about his long life and they confess how much they respect him. Munkustrap entertains Old Deuteronomy with a tale about the awful battle between dogs and about the intervention of the great Rumpus Cat. Jellicle Cats begin their Ball, the wonderful annual dance of all the tribe. Grizabella wants to join them but the cats still avoid her. She leaves disappointed. ACT 2 After the Jellicle Ball the cats listen to their leader's song about the moments of happiness and they contemplate. Then the rest of the cats introduce themselves. Gus is an old cat actor who recalls the memories of his best roles and worries about the contemporary theatre which can't equal with what he was into. Skimbleshanks is the Railway Cat. He tells about his work as a "guard" of teh train where he catches mice, helps the travellers and make sure every detail is perfect. Macavity, the Mystery Cat, interrupts the celebration and captures Old Deuteronomy. Two beautiful female cats, Demeter and Bombalurina, sing about the evil deeds of Macavity. After a while Macavity returns, disguised as Old Deuteronomy, but vigilant Munkustrap discovers the ruse and he fights with Macavity. When the evil cat seems to be almost defeated, he manages to escape. Jellicles try to find Old Deuteronomy. Mr Mistoffelees appears to be useful. He uses his magical powers to bring the wise cat back. Now Old Deuteronomy can make his choice of the cat that will go to the Heaviside Layer. And then Grizabella appears once more. She sings that all she's got are her memories and she yearns for anybody's touch. The cats, moved by her sad story, accept Grizabella and Old Deuteronomy chooses her to be the one who will be reborn in the new Jellicle life. In the end Old Deuteronomy sings that "cats are very much like you".