Posted: 5/15/24 at 5:32pm
KJisgroovy said: ""Every single major production of Cats has changed scenes, songs, arrangements, characters who sing them, some songs cut entirely, others truncated."
Is this true? I feel like the only text changes I've noticed in the many different productions over the years have involved Growltiger's Last Stand (due to budget and vocal abilities) and Pekes and the Pollicles. I don't think I've really seen much deviation beyond that?
That said... I'd imagine they'll play around with things a lot here... and I think that's what the poster was asking. How much changing is going to go on? Someone mentioned Company... they changed the text to make that work. This isn't the same situation... or is it? Anyone know?"
Let's use purely Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer from Cats as an example. It started out as a slow Jazzy song in London sung by the pair, when it moved to Broadway the characters didn't even exist for many years. Instead the song was sung by Quxio while two other Cats in Trash costumes acted out in a more familiar version of the song. It wasn't until the late 80s I believe that what has become the standard version set in.
The order in which the songs feature in the beginning vary as well. The revival combined Pekes and the Pollicles with some of Growltiger. Japan had a Kabuki influence in their make up and costume design. Rum Tum Tugger was depicted as Elvis instead of Mick Jagger.
