Oriana's Moonlit Playground

  » Adoptees
  » Why Cassandra is Abyssinian
  » Homeless Stuff
  » Kitty Quotes
  » Movie Bloopers
  » My CATS Experience
  » My Jellicles and Pollicles
  » Real Cats
  » Romantical Cats
  » Video Clips

  » About the Webmistress
  » Awards Won
  » Causes I Support
  » Contact Me
  » Links
  » Linking to Me
  » Merci Beaucoup
  » Past Layouts
  » Sister Sites

Synopsis

Act 1

When Cats are Maddened by the Midnight Dance

Midnight. Not a sound from the pavement. Suddenly an explosion of music and light reveals a larger-than-life junkyard. Probing car light tear across the darkened landscapes of bottles and boxes, briefly catching the darting image of a running feline. Tonight is the one special night each year when the tribe of Jellicle Cats reunites to celebrate who they are. They emerge singing of their unique abilities and special traits.

"Jellicle Cats are queens of the night,
Singing at astronomical heights
Handling pieces from the 'Messiah'
Hallelujah, Angelical Choir"

The Cats are at first suspicious and reluctant to allow the audience into their domain. They are proud, however, and in The Naming of Cats explain to their human visitors who they are and reveal that cats have three different names: the one that family uses daily, a more dignified name, and a secret name. It is the contemplation of these secret names which keeps felines deep in thought.

"But I tell you a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar and more dignified
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?"

Victoria, a young white cat, dances to signal The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball. Munkustrap, a large gray tabby, explains that the Jellicle Cats meet once a year to rejoice!! They are waiting for their leader, the wise Old Deuteronomy, who will choose which one of the Jellicle Cats will journey to the Heaviside Layer to be 'reborn' into a new life!

"Jellicle Cats come out tonight,
Jellicle Cats come one, come all
The Jellicle Moon is shining bright
Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball"
"When Old Deuteronomy, just before dawn,
Through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife,
Announces the cat who can now be reborn,
And come back to a different Jellicle life."

Jennyanydots, the Old Gumbie Cat, sleeps and lounges all day long. "She sits and sits and sits and sits, and that's what makes a Gumbie Cat!"

The Rum Tum Tugger is a playful prankster that the female cats find extremely attractive, and who enjoys being the center of attention.

"If you put me in a house than I'd only want a flat,
If you put me in a flat than I'd rather have a house.
If you set me on a mouse than I'd only want a rat,
If you set me on a rat than I'd rather chase a mouse."

Grizabella, the Glamour Cat, is shunned by the rest of the tribe despite being a Jellicle Cat. She left the tribe years ago to explore the outside world and now wants to return.

"She's haunted many a low resort,
Near the grimy road of Tottenham Court.
She's flitted about The No Man's Land,
From the Rising Sun to the Friend At Hand"

Bustopher Jones is a large 'twenty-five pounder', always clad in his signature white spats. He spends his time eating and eating and eating in one of the many English pubs and clubs that he frequents.

"He's the cat we all greet,
As he walks down the street,
In his coat of fastidious black.
No commonplace mouser
Have such well-cut trousers,
Or such an impeccable back."

Suddenly a thunderous crash, followed by the sound of police sirens and flashing red lights signals the villainous Macavity is on the loose! The cats scatter, leaving an empty stage.

Two off-stage giggles signal the entrance of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, a fun-loving, frolicking team of pranksters who are always getting in trouble with the family with whom they live.

"If the drawers were pulled out from the bedroom chest,
And you can't find one of your winter vests,
Or after supper, one of the girls
Suddenly missed her Woolworth pearls,
Than the family would say
"It's that horrible cat""

The entire tribe re-enters as their benevolent and wise old leader Old Deuteronomy arrives. The cats adore and respect him. "And now that the Jellicle leader is here, Jellicle cats can all rejoice!"

They entertain him with a special show Munkustrap narrates, The Aweful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles together with The Marching Song of the Pollicle Dogs. The cats dress up as the two rival dog factions who bark ceaselessly at each other until they are frightened away by the great Rumpus Cat, a sleek and powerful feline.

"His eyes were like fireballs, fearfully blazing.
He gave a great yawn, and his jaws were amazing!
And what with the glare of his eyes and his yawning
The Pekes and the Pollicles quickly took warning
He looked to the sky and he gave a great leap
And they every last one of them scattered like sheep."

Yet another crash from the villainous Macavity is heard, which sends the Cats scurrying. Old Deuteronomy soothes them as they come back one by one. It is time for The Jellicle Ball, the great annual dance in which all of the cats celebrate.

"We're quiet enough in the morning hours
We're quiet enough in the afternoon
Reserving our terpsichorean powers
To dance by the light of the jellicle moon"

Grizabella appears once more, wanting to rejoin her family and be a part of the celebration. She is left to contemplate her Memory of the time before she left the tribe. She stretches out her hand behind her, hoping another cat will touch her. She is still not accepted and, disappointed, slinks off into the night.

"Memory - all alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again."

Act 2

Why Will the Summer Delay - When Will Time Flow Away

After the Jellicle Ball, the cats rest and contemplate The Moments of Happiness before introducing more Cats.

Gus, The Theatre Cat is an aged stage actor who worked with the greatest actors of his day. Gus tells of his greatest theatrical triumphs, and yearns to perform again.

In the pantomime season, I never fell flat
And I once understudied Dick Whittington's cat
But my grandest creation, as history will tell
was Firefrorefiddle, the fiend of the fell

Skimbleshanks, the Railway Cat introduces himself. A friendly uncle to all cats, Skimbleshanks attends the trains he rides, and makes sure every detail is perfect.

"At eleven forty-two with the signal overdue
And the passengers all frantic to a man
That's when I would appear and I'd saunter to the rear
I'd been busy in the luggage van!"

A third crash interrupts the celebration, and this time the villainous Macavity appears. Two of his henchrats invade the proceedings and kidnap Old Deuteronomy. Demeter and Bombalurina sing what they know of Macavity, whose evil deeds have resulted in his being dubbed the 'Napoleon of crime.'

"And they say that all the cats whose wicked deeds are widely known
I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone
Are nothing more than agents for the cat who all the time
Just controls the operations: the Napoleon of crime!"

Macavity returns, disguised as Old Deuteronomy, but he is exposed and battles with Munkustrap and the other male cats. Tired and almost defeated, Macavity rigs an electrical explosion that puts out all the lights, leaving the Jellicles in the dark. But they still have to find Old Deuteronomy. The Rum Tum Tugger calls in Mr. Mistoffelees, the conjuring cat, to use his magical powers to bring back their leader. Mistoffelees succeeds in reinstating the lights, locating Old Deuteronomy and showing off his magic tricks, including his infamous conjuring turn.

"His manner is vague and aloof
You would think there was nobody shyer
But his voice has been heard on the roof
When he was curled up by the fire
And he's sometimes been heard by the fire
When he was about on the roof
At least they all heard that somebody purred
Which is uncontestable proof
Of his singular magical powers"

At last the time has come for Old Deuteronomy to make the Jellicle choice and decide which cat will be reborn into a new Jellicle life. At that moment, Grizabella reappears. Again she recalls her Memory of how things used to be. This time the cats accept her back into the tribe and it is she who is chosen to Journey to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn.

"The memory is fading
Touch me; it's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory of my days in the sun
If you touch me, you'll understand what happiness is
Look - a new day has begun"
"Up, up, up past the Jellicle Moon,
Up, up, up, up to the Heaviside Layer"

The Jellicle Ball has come to a conclusion, but first Old Deuteronomy instructs the human spectators in The Addressing of Cats. For all of their unique qualities and differences, he says, "cats are very much like you."

"Before a Cat will condescend
To treat you as a trusted friend
Some little token of esteem is needed
Like a dish of cream"

Disclaimer: CATS is copyright Andrew Lloyd Webber and RUG. I do not own or claim to own any part of it. This site is only up for the enjoyment of others. The layout, name, and idea for this site do belong to me, however, so please do not claim them for your own. Purrs!

Site layout, name and idea (c) Oriana