The Naming Of Cats by T. S. Eliot
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter--
But all of them sensible everyday names.
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?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover--
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter--
But all of them sensible everyday names.
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?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover--
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
So, Cats. I have to tell I had a difficulty of choosing a favourite character...because I love almost every single one of them. But before saying anything in particular about the characters, lets see the story.
The events take place on a dump somewhere in London. This dump is the meeting place of the Jellicle cats. And as the cats one by one appear on the scene, they tell us what it means to be a Jellicle cat (being blind at birth but being able to see in the dark, jumping and climbing, walking on wires) and they explain in a poem that a cat has three different name. A black and silver tomcat, Munkustrap, who is a protector of the clan and is second in command explains why they are there: they meet once a year so their leader can choose a cat who can go to the Heaviside Layer (which is a Heaven of cats) to see the wonders it holds and to be reborn to a new Jellicle life. Then the cats greet each other, and we can see that Munkustrap is loved and respected by everyone.
After the opening scene Munkustrap introduces a cat who could be considered for this choice: the Gumbie Cat, Jennyanydots. She has a very useful job: she turns mice and cockroaches into helpful creatures, rather then letting them to destroy everything around them.
Shortly after her number the Rum Tum Tugger appears with a very oblivious "Meow". He is the rock star of the Jellicles. He flirts with every female cat, the female kittens (the white Victoria, the lovely Jemima, the hyperactive Etcetera and her less outgoing sister, Electra) have a crush on him, just like some adult females (Cassandra is one of his fans and Bombalurina, a very beautiful red queen openly flirts with him, but she is rejected). He is popular amongst the young males (Plato, Tumblebrutus, Pouncival and Admetus) , who try to copy his moves. The only female who seems to dislike him is Demeter, Bombalurina's sister* (and maybe some of the older female cats). Amongst the older male cats (like Skimbleshanks or Asparagus), obviously, he is not very popular.
After his show an unexpected visitor appears: Grizabella, the former glamour cat who has left the tribe for a long time and now is hated by everyone, or at least they are reluctant in accepting her back amongst them
As a foil we see a highly respected and very fat black cat, Bustopher Jones in white spats, who is paying them a visit. Everything is going on just well, when a noise, which indicates the presence of an evil cat (Macavity) makes the cats leave the scene. The last to evaporate are Alonzo (a black and white tomcat with two black spots on his white face) and Munkustrap, who search the area. Just as soon as they are gone Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer appear. Brother and sister, these young cats have a habit of stealing food and other goods from the human families. But they are more like playful kids who are followed by trouble. Trouble appears again when the cats come back and they throw away their bags with the stolen goods. Then Quaxo a young black and white tom senses Old Deutoronomy, also Coricopat and Tantomile, the telepathic Siamese twins do. He is a huge and very old cat, loved and respected by the other cats and who according to Munkustrap lived many lives in succession, and Tugger sais that he has burried 9 wives...or even 99. Many of the Jellicles are his grandchildren. Since Munkus and Tugger sing a duet about Old Deutoronomy, it is thought that they are his sons, together with Alonzo.
To entertain Old Deutoronomy (and us), Munkus relates a battle between the rival dogs"the Pekes and the Pollicles together with some account of the participation of the Pugs and the Pums and the intervention of the Great Rumpus Cat". The cats are "dressed" as the rival dogs, wearing boxes and shoes on their heads and feet. Munkus is orchestrating them, but herding cats is not an easy job, not even for him. He has to yell a "NOW" at them when they all start barking. At the beginning of their little "play" the first Peke, Rumpleteazer is trying to draw Munkus's attention to herself (at the beginning, while he was introducing Jennyanydots she was copying the way he was moving) but without any luck. On top of this Rumpus (a very ugly and "hairy" cat) is trying to steal Munkus's spotlight. So does Tugger, who plays the bagpipe.
After a short appearance of Macavity, who is wanted for robbery and other deeds, the Jellicle ball and the "Mating dance"take place when most of the cats choose a mate. Victoria is chosen by Plato, Cassandra can be seen dancing with Alonzo, Bombalurina is dancing with Tugger, but later he is seen with two kittens (Electra and Etcetera) while she is seen with a younger male.
Grizabella returns, asking to be touched by the other cats and accepted, but she is left alone on the scene with Old Deutoronomy. Not even Munkus dares to touch her. Demeter, who really has pity for the old cat is stopped by Bombalurina, while the pure and good hearted Victoria is stopped by Jellylorum. Grizabella sings "Memory", waiting to be touched, but since nobody does, she leaves. After she leaves the innocent Jemima sings a songs about the essence of happiness and beautiful memories. During her moving song a very old cat, called Gus (Asparagus II) the theatre cat appears, led by Jellylorum, an older female. He relates his memories about his career as an actor in his youth. This moving song also takes the cats closer to accepting Grizabella.
After Gus's performance they introduce the merry and loveable railway cat, Skimbleshanks, who sings about his work on the train.He is interrupted though by the (re)appearance of Macavity. He and 3 black cats working for him abduct Old Deutoronomy.
All cats leave the scene, except for Demeter (who always senses Macavity's presence) and Bombalurina. Together they sing what they know of Macavity. (He cheats at cards, he has agent like Mungojerrie or Griddlebone, who doesn't appear in this adaptation. He is a criminal cat, who always has an aliby and one or two to spare.)
After their duet Old Deutoronomy appears, and everything seems to be all right. Demeter is very tense though and angry. She jumps on Old Deutoronomy's back and after a short fight she reveals that it is Macavity in fact, "dressed" as Deutoronomy. Then the evil cat tries to abduct Demeter, but she is protected by Alonzo and Munkus. Munkustrap fights Macavity (a bigger, thin and ugly cat with ginger coat) but he is gravely injured in the process. Alonzo fights Macavity too and together with some other cats he manages to defeat Macavity. He takes profit from a short circuit caused by himself, and runs away in the darkness.
Just as soon as Munkustrap opens his eyes he seeks out Demeter. Demeter is also looking for him. They nestle to each other and we can see Munkustrap as in the "intimacy" of the searchlight he takes Demeter's paw.
This romantic scene is interrupted by Tugger, who suggests they should find Mr. Mistoffelees. He is a small black cat with magical powers, who can "pick any card from the deck, he is equally cunning with dice and he's always deceiving you into believing that he is only hunting for mice." And who not long ago "produced seven kittens right out of a hat."(Demeter and Munkustrap, now officially mates, sing the backup vocals along with Bombalurina.) Mr Mistoffelees (an alter ego for Quaxo) appears and the first thing he does is turning on the lights. After a short dance he covers Cassandra with a red sheet, and when he lifts is, Old Deutoronomy appears. Everybody is happy, Mr. Mistoffelees brings Cassandra back.
Jemima sings another version of "Memory", reminding the cats that soon it will be morning. Munkustrap asks again who is the cat who will be chosen to be reborn. Grizabella appears for the last time and and sings "Memory" (reprise) along with Jemima. But while the kitten's version is full of the joy of life and hope, Grizabella's words are full of sorrow and desperation. Moved by her desperate desire to be accepted again,Victoria is the first one to touch her, then all the other cats do. She has been accepted.
Seeing how much she has suffered, choose her to go to the Heaviside Layer. After she disappears into the clouds Old Deutoronomy sing "Ad-dressing of cats". The cats say that the point was to bring humans closer into understanding their world and their personality. And they might be difficult to please, but if you have patience and a little fish paste to bribe them, in time you will be treated as a trusted friend. With this last song the film comes to an end.
* Relationship between the characters seems to be flexible and can be changing depending on the production (so the Wikipedia says) and since I only saw the movie version I based my opinion on what I've noticed and on what I've read on other people's blogs and webpages (see some adresses lower) about CATS.
And noooow, the characters:
I think I should talk about the characters in the order I chose to mention them in the summary, otherwise I can't keep track.
1. Munkustrap (played by Michael Gruber)
I think i am going to write an ode about him, because he is my favourite (male) character. (I am a girl.....duuuuuuh. Of course he is)
If I say that the actor who plays it has a gorgeous singing voice, is a fantastic dancer, he moves smoothly just like a feline, he has wonderful acting skills and he brings out the feline features with elegance and style, he has strong presence on stage you will understand why I like him. If I tell you that Munkustrap is a loveable, kind character who has a strong personality, the perfect mixture of seriousness and playfulness it explains as well why he is my favourite (male) character. He is brave, he is kind (even though he hesitates to accept Grizabella), he is always ready to protect the others. His fellow cats seem to love and respect him. He is gentle to the kittens, he is close to his brother, Alonzo. Asparagus and Plato are also his friends. Even though he is a very handsome cat (who looks lovely and awesomely cute when he winks---and very cat-like in the same time...) he rejects Rumpleteazer when she is flirting with him during the "Awful battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles". He also doesn't participate in the "Mating scene". Later we find out the reason why. He is patient (even though he looses his control over the cats while they are presenting the Peke and the Pollicle battle to Old Deutoronomy), he is playful (Sometime he has a slightly annoyed yet funny look on his face, which sais that "these cats are hopeless"...or a surprisingly innocent one. And the look he has when Tugger plays the bagpipe again: "Why????? Thank Heaviside Layer this meeting takes place only once in a year...."), and he is always there to help and protect the tribe. He has great respect for the elders (like Gus, the theatre cat- whom she watches with some sort of sadness, for Bustopher Jones and Old Deutoronomy). He is a purrrrrfect leader material.
Signature song: The Awful Battle of the Pekes... although he shares songs with others too, like Gumbie Cat (with Demeter, Bombalurina and Jellylorum), Old Deutoronomy (with Tugger), Invitation to the Jellicle Ball (with Quaxo/Mistoffelees), but he also sing in the chorus in almost every song.
Signature dance: The fighting scene with Macavity, but he also dances and sings in many other songs (except for Rum Tum Tugger, "Mating dance" and I think he only sings in Skimbleshanks the railway cat) and in his own numbers, of course.
Relatives: Old Deutoronomy is possibly his father, and since Munkustrap sings about Old Deutoronomy with Tugger, they might be brothers. Alonzo is their their brother too, since he is the one who fights Macavity after Munkustrap is injured. Some say that Admetus and Bombalurina are their sister and brother too, but I don't think that is so, since there is no sign that they would be part of the "family". In fact Bombalurina can be seen flirting with Tugger and maybe even with Admetus during the "Mating dance".
I am not sure about how close he is to Tugger, but we can see him raise an eyebrow with respect at the end of Tugger's solo and they introduce their father together.
Mate: He IS a curious cat, since he is rejecting Rumpleteazer and doesn't participate in the "Mating dance". But his indifference lasts only until Macavity tries to abduct poor little Demeter. After the fight with Macavity, even though he is gravely injured, Munkustrap hurries to Demeter to see if she is all right. Demeter is also worried about him and the two cats nestle to each other. (Confessing their love to each other) We can also see him take her paw even though everyone can see them together in the light of the searchlight. (They look lovely together, and we have our love story.) And the look on the other's face is something like: "These two were a couple all along?" Well probably not, but they look somewhat surprised. Priceless...On the other hand their romantic moment is so natural...they seem to be very used to it. So, yes, Demeter and Munkustrap are mates.
Nota bene: I've read that in other productions he is mated to Jennyanydots or to Cassandra. In this production Jennyanydots is too old to be his mate and Demeter has a more important role than Cassandra.
Physical appearance: a silver and black tabby tomcat. He is an young, adult cat, can often be seen slightly separated from the others, as if he was watching over them. And he is pretty tall...
Personality traits: I guess he is proud to be an English cat. He is more serious than his brother, Tugger and more outgoing than the silent Alonzo. He is kind and protective. He respects the elders (he can be seen greeting Gus, the theatre cat with love and gentleness). He still has a drop of kitten-like playfulness in him. He is not driven by his pride, but he is slightly annoyed when others try to steal his spotlight (especially when not even the Rumpus Cat seems to cooperate). He is loved and respected, though he doesn't have that much control over the cats like Old Deutoronomy.
If he was a real cat: could be a Maine Coon (because of his kind nature, though he doesn't have a mane) or a British shorthair.
2. Jennyanydots, the Gumbie cat (played by Susie McKenna)
Jennyanydots is an older female cat. She is kind and protective toward the young cats. She is very lazy, though she likes to teach music and tatting to mice, and she transforms cockroaches into helpful boy-scouts. She is always present. She is a nice character, even though she hesitates to accept Grizabella. She is some sort of aunt to the cats.
Signature song/dance: Gumbie Cat (she shares it with Bombalurina, Demeter, Jellylorum and Munkustrap) and Bustpher Jones ( shared with Bombalurina, Jellylorum and Bustopher Jones).
Relatives: Jellylorum is probably her sister, Skimbleshanks is most likely her brother (they have similar colours in their coat.
Mate: Unknown, though we can see Bustopher Jones give her a flower. (But some say that Skimble might be her mate, not her brother.)
Physical appearance: "Her coat is of the tabby kind, with tiger stripes and leopard spots." She has white chest, and reddish stripes, like Jellylorum and Skimbleshanks.
Personality traits: She is a funny, respectable lady who likes order and discipline (and who doesn't notice that she is close to get stabbed with a fork by Pouncival dressed as a beetle...or if she notices, she takes it very well). She has great amount of sentimentalism in her. Maybe more outgoing than her sister and friendlier. She is one of the cats who help Alonzo and Munkustrap fight Macavity.
If she was a real cat: No idea...yet.
3. Rum Tum Tugger (played by John Partridge)
This cat is also one of my favourite characters. He is the rock star of the Jellicles, he is very popular amongst the females (except for Demeter) and amongst the young males, who try to be like him. He is not present all the time, but when he is, he has the spotlight. Partridge has a fantastic singing voice, really suites the character. And he plays Tugger very well....Just think about it: how many people could sing two songs about cats (!!!) and make those songs sound sexy? Well, I don't know the answer for that, but he does! (A few days ago I've learned he could do the same trick singing about trucks and trains....Just listen to this.) And he has a very cool, smooth, silky and sexy voice.
He is a very picky cat. He is never fully satisfied, whatever you give him. "If you offer me pheasant, I would rather have grouse. If you put me in a house, I would much prefer a flat, if you put me in a flat, then I would rather have a house. (...) If you offer me cream, then I sniff and sneer for I only like what I find for myself." He is not present all the time. After Grizabella appears on scene for the first time, he leaves and returns only when Old Deutoronomy appears. He is a talented musician (he plays the bagpipe) and he is capable of tenderness and gentleness (he seems to be really happy when Deutoronomy returns). He is the one who has the idea to ask Mr. Mistoffelees for his help after Old Deutoronomy (whom Tugger greatly respects) has been kidnapped by Macavity. Female kittens have an absolute crush on him (compared to Munkustrap who is more like a big brother or a father-figure to them).
Signature song/dance: The Rum Tum Tugger, but he also shares a song with Munkustrap about Old Deutoronomy (the reason why it is thought they are brothers...and their voices sound together so wonderfully well), he plays the bagpipe during The Awful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles (and he manages to irritate his brother) and he is the one who introduces Mr. Mistoffeless.
Relatives: Old Deutoronomy is his father, Alonzo and Munkustrap are his brothers. Tugger is the one who says that the Jellicle cats are Deutoronomy's progeny. He is somewhat close to Munkustrap and he is probably friend to Mr. Mistoffelees. He is often absent from the stage (like when Alonzo and Munkustrap fight Macavity), he is always a little separated from the tribe.
Some say that Bombalurina is also his sister, but she is not....at least, not in this production. It is also thought that Jemima might be Munkustrap's daughter, which would make her Tugger's niece. (And he seems to have a soft spot for her. Others say that Jemima is rather Demeter's daughter, aspecially if you take the colours in her coat.)
Mate: Not sure. He can be seen flirting with almost every single female cat (but he might consider Demeter weird...at least according to the look on his face when he finds her staring into the thin air). During the "Mating scene" he can be seen dancing with Bombalurina (even though she is rejected by earlier) but during Mr Mistoffelees's dance we can see him holding Electra and Etcetera.
Despite of the fact that we can see them constantly flirting with other cats (and rarely with each other) it is thought that he and Bombalurina are in fact mates. (I don't think that their flirtatious manner is the basis of a happy relationship, but anyway....On the other hand it sounds logic: the wilder and untamed Bombalurina to be his mate, while the shyer and more gentle Demeter to be Munkustrap's mate.)
Physical appearance: He is a black cat with yellow leopard spots on his chest, wrists and legs. He is the only cat who has a mane, which has a light golden brown colour. He is very tall.
He is also a very attractive male cat....and knows it!
Personality traits: He is a cat who cannot be mistaken for someone else, he cannot be ignored either. He is always slightly separated from the group. He might be somewhat close to his brothers, but the only ones he really respects are Old Deutoronomy and Mr. Mistoffelees. Munkustrap and Tugger they both have sense of humour, even though Tugger's humour is crazier, while his brother tends to be ironic (".... or harier"-part)
He is particularly unfriendly to Grizabella, like most of the cats, even though he comes to accept her in the end. He is a very picky cat who likes flirting, who likes being in the spotlight (and is very surprised if his efforts are not appreciated---see the bagpipe-playing part). He is also a very seductive and handsome cat (but not in a dangerous way). Not exactly the protector type, but almost every female has a crush on him. He is not a bad guy, he is just a little self- centred, vain but funny and playful. He is optimistic who doesn't loose his good mood easily. He is a smart cat too, since he is the one who suggests they should ask for Mr. Mistoffelees's help. He turns every song he sings intro a show. He is a cat who just...likes being himself.
If he was a real cat: He is said to be a Maine Coon because of his mane.
4. Victoria (played by Phyllida Crowley Smith)
Victoria is a very beautiful, lovely, gentle...and flexible cat. She is my favourite female apart from Demeter and Bombalurina. Some say she is a female leader because on one occasion she and Munkustrap are the ones who search the area to see if Macavity is there. She is a female kitten, but she is the oldest one of them, since she has a mate. She also leads the first dance. She is radiant and graceful. She is rather silent (though in some productions she is the one who sings Memory with Grizabella).
Signature song/dance: I am not sure if she has a solo or maybe only a few words ( The Jellicle Ball), but she leads a dance (Invitation to the Jellicle Ball) sha has a solo dance with Mr. Mistoffelees, Plato and a few seconds even with Munkustrap (during the Jellicle song for Jellicle cats he takes her in his arms and lifts her up). She is a chorus kitten and dances in every dance (if she is present).
Relatives: Mr. Mistoffelees/Quaxo is thought to be her brother (they are both monocromatic though Quaxo has white legs) and some say their father is...Macavity. (Which makes her Tugger's and Munkustrap's niece) She also close to Old Deutoronomy and she is friend with Jemima, Electra and Etcetera.
Mate: She is mated to the young Plato. The have a solo dance during the "Mating scene" and judging by the look on her face and by their attitude it is the miracle of the first love. She seems surprised and happy to find him next to her. As if they see each other for the first time.
She also has a crush on Rum Tum Tugger, but it is nothing serious. But it is true that she is one of his biggest fans.
Physical appearcence: She is a completely white kitten. She is easy to notice. Just as easy as her brother, who is completely (or mainly) black. She doesn't have gloves and her arm warmers don't cover her hands. Unlike the other cats, she has pink ears and nose. She is very elegant and graceful. She is the most beautiful young female cat.
Personality traits: She is a lovely, playful kitten, who is courageous and gentle. She is one of the cats who is willing to accept Grizabella, but the older females stop her. She seems to become a female protector (just before the Ball Macavity appears again and she searches the area with Munkustrap to see if the villain is still there). She is funny and playful (see the look on her face when Rumpleteazer sneezes). She is the first cat who touches Grizabella, and she greets her with kindness and respect. Very beautiful moment. She is not afraid to touch her dusty coat (this symbolises, - just like the mating dance-, that she has become an adult who is not afraid to make her own choices) and she realises that Grizabella deserves to be accepted into the group not just because she has suffered a lot, but also because she was not afraid to make her own choices in life, even though she took the wrong path.
If she was a real cat: American Songhair/Persian cat/ British Shorthair/Silver Burmilla (Victoria has a few light brown stripes) /Turkish Angora.
Sources:
www.wikipedia.com
http://www.catanna.com/catsphotos.htm
http://www.freewebs.com/rumpleteaser33/Homepage.html
http://cats.qwqw.hu/
http://bluestar1832.pixnet.net/blog/post/27114125
http://bombatheredqueen.webs.com/moviecast.htm
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