'CATS' - Characters - Musical Haven

Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

'CATS' Characters

My opinions and views of the characters, so please don't flame me.

Also, (shoulda thought of this earlier) if you know the range of a character (alto, soprano, tenor, bass), please let me know.

Main Characters
Secondary Characters
Tertiary Toms
Tertiary Queens

Main Characters

	Grizabella The heroine. The common theory is that she left the Tribe a long time ago and the world was not kind to her. She left beautiful and graceful and has returned with only the beauty of her voice remaining. The actress needs to be able to sing well, but not necessarily dance well, although that is a big plus.
	Old Deuteronomy The Leader of the Jellicle Tribe, he is very old and very wise. He is the first to see that Grizabella deserves the Choice, but she apparently must be accepted by the Tribe before she can go to the Heaviside Layer. He is kidnapped by Macavity and his henchrats/cats and rescued by Mr. Mistoffelees at Rum Tum Tugger's suggestion. Commonly thought to be the father or grandfather of many of the tribe members. The actor needs to have a strong, deep singing voice, but not neccessarily dance well.
	Gus The Theatre Cat, many believe that he would have received the Choice if Grizabella had not shown up. He was an excellent actor in his Youth and one of his most famous roles was the role of Growltiger. Many believe Jellylorum to be his daughter, sister, or Mate. Since the actor usually plays Bustopher Jones and Growltiger as well, he needs to have a strong, operatic voice and be able to dance well.
	Macavity The villian of the musical, he is a criminal mastermind. It is said that T.S. Eliot modeled him after Moriarity from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mysteries. With the help of his henchrats/cats, he kidnaps Old Deuteronomy to prevent him from making the choice. The actor usually plays the Great Rumpuscat and/or Plato, there is no demand for a good singing voice. But he must be a good dancer.
	Mr. Mistoffelees The Conjuring Cat, he rescues Old Deuteronomy, at Rum Tum Tugger's suggestion, after Macavity, with the help of his henchrats/cats, kidnaps him. He is often seen hanging out with Skimbleshanks. Many believe him to be Bustopher Jones' son or nephew and Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer were originally a puppet show Mr. Mistoffelees puts on for Bustopher Jones' entertainment. He was, at first, the narrator, but Munkustrap was slowly given more and more of Mistoffelees' parts as Mr. Mistoffelees was given more dancing parts. Now the actor must be an excellent dancer.
	Rum Tum Tugger The Curious Cat, Rum Tum Tugger is the studmuffin of the Tribe. Most of the younger Queens spend a good portion of their time salivating over him. When Old Deuteronomy is kidnapped by Macavity and his henchrats/cats, Rum Tum Tugger suggests that the Tribe ask Mr. Mistoffelees to help them find the Leader. The actor must have an excellent voice and be able to do a passable impression of Elvis, particularly the pelvis thing.
	Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer The catburgler members of the Tribe, they are usually the ones found to be having a good time. There is a debate over wether the two are siblings or Mates. In the original poem, both were Toms. They were originally a puppet show put on by Mr. Mistoffelees for Bustopher Jones' entertainment. Since the duo sing their song and dance, the actor and actress must be able to sing and dance well.
	Bustopher Jones The Cat about Town, Bustopher is the largest member of the Tribe, after Old Deuteronomy, of course. He doesn't put in much of an appearance. He sticks around long enough for Jennyanydots, Bombalurina, and Jellylorum to sing his song. Jennyanydots seems to be quite taken with him, singing his praises more than either of the other two. He seems to return the affection, since he gives her his rose at the end of the song in the video. Since the actor usually portrays Gus and Growltiger as well, he needs an operatic singing voice and be able to dance fairly well.
	Jennyanydots The Gumbie Cat, she sleeps and lounges all day, preferring warm and flat spots. However, when the family goes to bed, she sets to work, teaching the mice to make themselves useful and the cockroaches to be Boy Scouts. She seems to be fond of Skimbleshanks and sings Bustopher Jones' praises more than Bombalurina and Jellylorum. Since her song features the only tap dancing in the whole show, the actress must dance well and have a pretty good singing voice.
	Skimbleshanks The Railway Cat, it's his job to make sure the trains are always running smoothly. He sees to the luggage and passengers and makes sure nothing is amiss. He seems to be well-liked by many in tribe, particularly Jennyanydots and, some say, Jellylorum. Due to the fact that Skimbleshanks sings a good portion of his song and does quite a bit of fancy footwork, the actor must be able to sing and dance well.
	Growltiger The Terror of the Thames, Growltiger was one of the most famous roles Gus ever played. A pirate, Growltiger hates Siamese with a passion "[b]ecause it was a Siamese had mauled his missing ear." On a warm summer night, with his crew abed, Growltiger was disposed to reveal his sentimental side to the lady, Griddlebone, a beautiful white Persian. As he wooed the lady, the Siamese crept in and ambushed him, with Griddlebone conveniently disappearing. In the end, Growltiger was forced to walk the plank. Since the actor also plays Gus and Bustopher Jones, not only does he need an operatic voice, but also good acting abilities.

Secondary Characters

	Munkustrap The main singer of the show, he has a part in most of the songs. Many believe him to be the Sentinel of the Tribe and Old Deuteronomy's second-in-command and heir. When Demeter reveals Macavity, Munkustrap is the one to challenge him. Munkustrap has been seen as possibly Mated to Demeter, Cassandra, or Bombalurina. Due to the sheer number of singing parts, the actor must have an excellent singing voice to play this role.
	Jellylorum Genrally viewed as an older Queen, Jellylorum sings about Gus' past and dresses up as Griddlebone for Growltiger's Last Stand. Many speculate that she is Gus' daughter, sister, or Mate. She seems to like Skimbleshanks quite a bit, too. Along with Jennyanydots, she takes care of the younger cats, particularly Victoria, Jemima/Sillabub, Electra, and Etcetera. Although dancing ability is a good idea, the actress who plays Jellylorum needs to have an excellent singing voice and, since she also plays Griddlebone, it needs to be operatic.
	Bombalurina The vamp of the Tribe, she usually stands out from the crowd thanks to her red coloring, shapely build, and height. She sings in a good portion of the songs, including 'Macavity', 'Bustopher Jones', and 'The Old Gumbie Cat'. Many speculate that she has had a past with Macavity. She is often seen as either Demeter's mother or sister. She's been paired with Rum Tum Tugger, Munkustrap, and Macavity. The actress should be tall and well-built, with an alto voice and good dancing ability.
	Demeter A shy, timid Queen, she always seems to know when Macavity is nearby. She seems to have had some kind of past with the Hidden Paw and it wasn't pretty. Often seen as Bombalurina's daughter or sister. Usually paired with Munkustrap, Alonzo, or Macavity. Some even say she has the Gift of Seeing. Needs to have a good voice and good dancing ability.
	Jemima/Sillabub One of the youngest Jellicles, she also seems to be the wisest, being the first to understand Old Deuteronomy when he speaks of 'The Moments of Happiness' and singing with Grizabella. Jemima is generally considered the youngest member of the tribe, along with Pouncival/Carbucketty.
	Victoria Although she does not have any major singing parts, she still has a rather major role in the show. She performs the Invitation Dance after the 'Naming of Cats' and is the first to touch Grizabella and accept her. She also dances with a Tom (either Plato or Tumblebrutus/Bill Baily) during the Jellicle Ball. Many believe that she loses her innocence at this time. Obviously, dancing ability is a must for this character.
	The Great Rumpus Cat Featured in 'The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles', he is basically the feline equivilant of Superman, right down to the big 'R' on his chest. His costume usually has stylized muscles painted on it. The actor sometimes doubles as Macavity and Plato or Admetus. Either way, the actor needs to be able to dance well.
	Tantomille and Coricopat Not exactly major, per se, they would not have fit in either of the tertiary characters sections. Mystical twins, they usually move in sync with each other. They always seem to be the first to know what's going. Some speculate that they're actual twins and others speculate that they are actually Mates. It's a good idea for the actor and actress to have a rapport with each other.

	Admetus One of the smallest parts, he usually stays in the background and does little to draw attention to himself. Sometimes doubles as the Great Rumpus Cat. Dancing ability is the emphasis with this character.
	Alonzo Often considered the third-in-command, after Old Deuteronomy and Munkustrap, he's the one who rescues Demeter when Macavity tries to kidnap her. In some productions, he's the one who challenges Macavity when Munkustrap gets knocked out. He is usually paired with Cassandra, Demeter, or Bombalurina. His coloring varies from production to production and the actor should be an excellent dancer, but not necessarily have that great a voice, although it is a nice bonus.
	Asparagus He's an oddity. Jellicles supposedly are the only ones with their names, but Asparagus has the same name as Gus, at least in the movie. He's also been called Victor. Another background cat, some say he's an adolescent and others say he's an older cat. The actor should be able to dance well and a good singing voice is a bonus.
	Plato Yet another background cat, he sometimes dances with Victoria in the middle of the Jellicle Ball. There's a general consensus that he's a younger Tom. He also is nowhere to be found, usually, when Macavity shows up, because the actor who plays him often doubles as Macavity and, possibly, the Great Rumpus Cat. Since the actor does so, dancing ability is a higher priority than singing ability.
	Pouncival/Carbucketty Another character who can be called by either of two names, Pouncival is generally thought of as one of the youngest members of the tribe. When Grizabella shows up, he's the one to scratch her and he admires Rum Tum Tugger very much. He also seems to like Bombalurina quite a bit. Since he's one of the featured dancers, the actor must be an excellent dancer.
	Tumblebrutus/Bill Baily Yet another character called by either of two names, Tumblebrutus is one of the more acrobatic members of the tribe. Generally thought of as an adolescent Tom about Alonzo's age. He, too, admires Rum Tum Tugger a great deal, although he seems to prefer Queens his own age. Also a featured dancer, the actor needs to dance well.

Tertiary Queens

	Cassandra A mysterious Queen, she is the only member who does not wear any warmers or gloves. She usually remains cool and aloof. Some say she's Siamese, others say she's Burmese. She helps Mr. Mistoffelees bring Old Deuteronomy back after Macavity kidnaps him. She has been paired with Alonzo, Munkustrap, or Mr. Mistoffelees. Generally speaking, the actress should be tall and slender with excellent dancing ability and an alto voice.
	Electra Another one of the kittens, she is generally dark in coloring and one of Rum Tum Tugger's biggest fans. She usually hangs out with Etcetera. The actress should be a good dancer.
	Etcetera The last Queen kitten (Or Princess, as one of my friends prefer), she is generally considered to be an airhead. Usually light in coloring, she is another one of Rum Tum Tugger's biggest fans. She can usually be found near him or with Electra. Sometimes she doubles as Rumpelteazer The actress should also be a good dancer.
	Griddlebone A white Persian Queen, she is featured in 'Growltiger's Last Stand'. As Growltiger tries to woo her, the Siamese ambush him while she, conveniently, disappears. Since the actress doubles as Jellylorum, operatic singing ability is the priority with this character.
	Exotica Only found in the video, she is played by Femi Taylor, an original London cast member, either Bombalurina or Tantomille. The character changes costumes, sometimes a solid brown version of Cassandra, sometimes wearing gray leg and arm warmers, sometimes with black tabby stripes. Because she is not seen very often in the Video, her personality remains unknown.

'CATS' Main*Musical Haven
E-mail Thespia