Cats The musical

icons!

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:03:31 GMT

Come see Cats at the Heritage Theatre Company in Maplewood MN

Wed, 07 May 2008 21:22:40 GMT

I can't believe I forgot to post that the production of Cats that I am in (as Etcetera) has opened!
If you are in the Minnesota region come see the Heritage Theatre Company's production of Cats May 2nd-18th Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm in the Maplewood Community Center right off of White Bear Avenue.
For tickets and more information go to this website
http://www.heritagetc.com/showinfo.html

I hope you'll come:)
A bunch of us made our own costumes and I'll post pictures of them later (many of the audience thought they were rentals they looked so good), but come see for yourself;)

Our Production of Cats!

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 04:25:36 GMT

Hey kittens!
I go to Northern Kentucky University- and this spring semester we are putting on Cats- and I must admit, it's the show of a lifetime. I didn't realize until now that I am incredibly obsessed with this musical- and even though I practiced and trained for the past year to make it into the show, sadly I didn't- but I did make most of the costumes and did most of the makeup!

(side note- Skimbleshanks doesn't have his little shoes on in one picture, and some other pieces of costumes were missing- most of these pictures were taken at dress rehearsal while we were furiously sewing... hee!)

Here are some pictures from our production, which is currently running. I am so proud of the entire cast and crew- I hope you enjoy the pictures, and please, tell me what you think!!

unitards

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:23:44 GMT

For those of you who have done Cats or built costumes, which unitards would you recommend or to avoid? I'm in a community theatre producion (Etcetera/Electra) and we have to provide our own unitard (which they will paint/dye) and I'm trying to find the least expensive option (as we also need to buy makeup and wigs too)...

Feedback would be great!

CATS icons!

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:06:29 GMT

Follow the link for more:
Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball

Real life Bustopher!

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 09:12:57 GMT

I was poking about icanhascheezburger.com and found this one..It's Bustopher Jones! I recaptioned it with a quote from his song.

moar funny pictures

My CATS report and pictures.

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:44:00 GMT

I went last week to see CATS at my old High School and I have some pictures from the show that I wanted to share with you all.

My dad saved the E-Town Merchandiser a small paper for me. So the hubby cut out the article for me. I think the paper is a week before the show though. I'm not sure. *grins*

The E-town Merchandiser article

Rest of the article

Well the first night for the show was very nice. We sat in the middle aisle and on the left side at the end of the row so I could see them better. *grins* The hubby got some pictures of the set on Friday night instead of Thursday night.

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Set 4

Set 5

Set 6

Like any show always the first night you have some small troubles. Well that night they had problems with the microphone headsets they wore. Some would go out and some squealed so it was a little hard to hear at times. But still they did a good job for high school students.

It was neat that when they appeared some came down the aisles and it was nice seeing that. They also always had the chorus cats besides the main characters on stage the whole time. Of course the costumes were based off the Broadway productions. Which meant that they were a little off but otherwise very good.

After the shows both nights we went. I got some pictures taken with some of the cast in their costumes still which was very nice.

Of course the first picture I have here is of the mystic twins, Coricopat and Tantomile. Those two did a very good job synchronizing their movements together. Which can be very hard to do.

Coricopat and Tantomile

The next picture here is Macavity the Mystery Cat. The criminal cat. *grins* I can't remember if Macavity was played by a girl or not. I do know some of the male parts were filled by females. I know the fight scene they did was pretty good.

Macavity the Mystery Cat

Then of course I have here the Magical Mysterious Mr. Mistoffelees. He did a very good job both nights we went. He did tell us that his jacket he wore that lit up was heavy. In the Broadway show and London shows Mistoffelees comes down a rope this time he came out of a box on the side. You might be able to see the box in one of the top pictures. It says coke cola on it.

The Magical Mysterious Mr. Mistoffelees

Mmm now here is a picture of my one favorite male character The Rum Tum Tugger. Here also is Rumpleteazer, part of the mischievous duo of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. The guy playing Tugger did such an amazing job both nights we went. I really enjoyed his performance. As did the girls playing Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie. That double cartwheel they did is very hard to do and they did a good job during their routine.

The Rum Tum Tugger and Rumpleteazer

Here are the pictures I have of Mungojerrie the other part of the mischievous duo of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. I believe the other here is Cassandra but I can't remember if it is or not.

Mungojerrie and Cassandra

Mungojerrie and Cassandra 2

Next we have Old Deuteronomy the Leader of the Jellicle Cats. He did a good job too. Though at times I think when they did the Moments of Happiness he was trying to sound like Ken Page the original Broadway Deuteronomy and video.

Old Deuteronomy the Jellicle Leader

Here I have a picture of Pouncival. He is one of the tom kittens that admires The Rum Tum Tugger. I think the other with him was Carbucketty or either Bill Bailey. Wish I could remember who it was. Pouncival has the white face with the tan part across his eye and his nose.

Pouncival and one of the other cats

The one thing they did take out of this production was the part of the The Pekes and the Pollices with the Rumpus Cat . Anyway I have three pictures with him. He stayed on the stage the whole time too.

Rumpus Cat

Rumpus Cat 2

Rumpus Cat 3

I do wish I had a photo of the one playing Gus the Theatre Cat. He did such an amazing job too. But they didn't do Growltiger's Last Stand . Which is almost like an opera part. But otherwise his whole routine was very enjoyable.

This picture I have here is of Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat. He was amazing. I also liked how they did the train part too.

Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat

The last two pictures I have here are of Tumblebrutus. Of course like always he did a great job.

Tumblebrutus

Tumblebrutus 2

I do wish I had some pictures of Munkustrap, Demeter and Bombalurina and the others I missed. If we had gone Saturday night I would have probably gotten some of the postcard size pictures they have of them but since we didn't go then since we couldn't drive the van anyway that night since our tags had expired Friday night at midnight. *grins*

CATS musical

Really Useful Official site

cross posted to jack4will

EDIT: I had to make the pictures links instead of showing the pictures. Since the pictures were large. I didn't want to stretch anyone's layout.

sorry about that.. :)

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:55:56 GMT

Well, when I first turned up here in December, I was planning for my audition for Cats!
I really wanted the part of Etcetera, but I only got chorus. I was heartbroken at first, but now I'm happy because I can be my own cat. (For the record, my character is Bumblejuju. Hehehehe. :3 I know some people look down at OCs but... It's for the stage, gimme a break)

So I decided to fill you in on how it's going! We don't have costumes or anything yet, so I can't really give you any super cool pictures.

Our cast is... quite different if you're used to the movie, like me. For instance...

Our Munkustrap, Mungojerrie, and Macavity are all played by girls. Our Rumpus Cat was too, but our teacher cut Pekes and the Pollicles out because he thinks it's Andrew Lloyd-Webber's "worst song ever"... (Something I can't agree with him on)
Our Tugger's personality is perfect! He's only 5'5" though! Hahaha. He thrusts right in my face at one point... (-squeals to herself-) Our Skimbleshanks is definitely perfect, though. He's really adorable and acts JUST like him!

In ours, the main singers are Munkustrap, Skimbleshanks, and Alonzo. The first of the two have extensive acting and singing experience and our Alonzo is actually releasing an album soon! All of our cast is really great, though.

Once I take some pictures of people, I'll show you guys (:

Musical icons

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:18:20 GMT

Cats
The Lion King
Wicked
Phantom of the Opera

Teasers:

Get the rest here.

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:39:45 GMT

Hi there!

I'm looking for a fanfiction a friend sent me a couple of years ago. I lost it and I really want it back. Unfortunately I can't remember the title nor the author.

It's about Macavity's daughter (whose name is in the title). One day a ghost or whatever appears and makes him having sex with his own daughter. She gets pregnant, runs away and the ghost tells her what to do. I can't remember well.
And sometimes the story turns to the Jellicles where a new cat appears which happened to be Mac's daughter's best friend. She gets engaged with Tumble, I think.

Does anyone know which story I mean and where I can find it? Please?

Newbie - with fic!

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:14:41 GMT

Hi everyone! I'm AKAtheCentimetre, I'm new 'round here.

I've been a fan of CATS for years - it was my favorite video when I was little, and I recently rediscovered it and naturally became completely obsessed again. I saw a live performance a few years ago when it was touring in Portland, Maine, but I don't know which cast it was. My favorite character has always been Munkustrap, but I love everyone and everything to do with this show!

So I'm not sure if this is allowed in this community (if it isn't, feel free to holler), but I recently started writing a human!CATS fanfic I was wondering if I could share. It might end up being very long, and I'm certainly having fun writing it! If you want to read it, here it is...

Title: The Junkyard
Rating: T (for Teen, PG/PG-13)
Summary: College junior Demeter Felina finds herself working at The Junkyard, a well-known homeless shelter in Boston. What and who she finds there will change her life forever.

“Rina.”

Schnooorrr.

“Rina!”

“…piss off.”

“Oh, come on, Rina,” I said cheekily, poking my roommate repeatedly as she wriggled around in her bed, trying to get away. “It’s eight-thirty already! We’re going to be late!”

My friend’s flaming red hair emerged slowly from underneath the covers like a deep-sea creature, eyes blazing through half-closed lids. I choked back a giggle, schooling my expression into one of mock sternness.

Rina’s glare abruptly broke as she yawned, and she stretched her arms out above her head. “Give me – ” she considered a moment, squinting in the bright sunlight that was shining into our dorm room. “Three. Three reasons why I should care.”

I snorted and got up off her bed, straightening my button-down black t-shirt, nearly tripping over one of the several large textbooks which were lying scattered about the floor. “Ok then. One,” I said loudly, walking over to the long mirror which hung on the grubby white wall and peering into it at my pale skin. “We need to complete this internship if we want to graduate with degrees in public health.”

“Demi,” Rina groaned, pulling her quilt back over her head. “You of all people should know that I can’t talk about school at this ungodly hour of the morning. Not unless I’ve had several cups of coffee first.”

“Second,” I continued, ignoring her complaints as I checked my tousled blond-brown hair, “we have a duty to help society. Working in a homeless shelter seems a good way to prove it.”

I ducked just in time to avoid the copy of Gina Kolata’s Flu which had been chucked at my head from Rina’s general direction. A long, low growl crept out from beneath the covers. “Caaaffeeeeiine…”

I grinned at my reflection and settled one tiny piece of wayward hair back into its place. “And third,” I said matter-of-factly, “we’re getting paid.”

3…2…1…

“I’m up! I’m up!”

I laughed as a redheaded blur suddenly dashed past me out into the corridor of our dorm, burdened with towels, flipflops, and all the other necessities for making it in and out of our shabby common bathroom-cum-showerhouse alive. “You’re so predictable!”

“Well, I am so sorry!” she called back over her shoulder. “Don’t leave without me!”

I will be the first to admit that Tufts Medical School isn’t exactly John Hopkins, or Harvard Medical, or any other famous institution you might have heard of. Nor are the dorms luxurious, fancy, or even comfortable. But the neighborhood made up for absolutely anything. As Rina and I stumbled (well, she stumbled in her high heels – I had to catch her, of course) out of our dorm building, we found ourselves smack dab in the middle of Boston’s humming Chinatown, the streets already stuffed full with infamous Boston traffic and the sounds of various animals squawking, old Chinese ladies chattering away to each other while they did shopping, and drivers being horrifically rude to each other. Above it all floated a mélange of odors so strong it had taken me several weeks to get used to it, even though I had spent most of my life in New York City – of dumplings, cooking meat, and the smoke from the exhausts of all the buses emerging from the nearby South Station.

I took in a deep breath of fresh – if you could call it that – air while Rina reached down with a growl of frustration to fix her shoes. “Alright,” she said as soon as she straightened back up again. She pointed fiercely to a Dunkin Donuts which was about a block away – and also in the opposite direction of the shelter we were supposed to be going to. “Coffee! Now!”

“Rina! We don’t have time! C’mon, seriously – we’re meeting our boss in – ” I glanced at my watch “ – augh! Ten minutes! Come on!”

“Fine,” Rina growled, stalking behind me as I hurried down the sidewalk, narrowly dodging groups of teens and children milling about in front of a run-down public high school. “But you will be held solely responsible for the consequences of my caffeine-less actions. Got it?”

I let out a snort of laughter, tossing my head happily as I crossed a small street – the sun burst out from behind the buildings we had been walking next to, warming my face for a few brief moments before we plunged back into shadow again. “Honestly, Rina. What on earth did you do last night, anyway?”

“Went down to Jillian’s for the Sox game,” she said casually as she drew level with me, her heels clicking smartly on the sidewalk. “Great crowd. Just the right balance of screaming sports fans and sexy guys to dance with.” She winked at me cheekily. “You should have come. You would have enjoyed it.”

“I’m a Yankees fan, remember?”

“Ah! Sacrilege!” she cried melodramatically, placing a fluttering hand on her chest. “You are no longer my bosom friend!”

I turned away from her, chuckling – and, because this was Boston, fervently hoping that no one on the street had heard me admit I liked the Yankees better than the Red Sox. I had no wish to die young.

As we waited for the lights to change so we could cross to yet another block, heading closer to South Station and the Chinatown Gate, I looked up and just caught a glimpse of the building we were heading towards. It was a large brick block, looking very run-down and worse for the wear. Some of the windows were broken, and the bricks were sooty at first glance.

And yet, the hulking edifice was the heralded triumph of Boston’s public health and social services – the most successful, most highly-thought of homeless shelter in New England. Part orphanage (with kids who aced their SATs), part refuge for single mothers on the run from their husbands (all of whom were found homes within a month), and part your run-of-the-mill pit stop for many of Boston’s homeless, The Junkyard was something I had heard of even before I had decided I wanted to major in public health – before I graduated from high school, even…

…let’s just say Rina and I had had quite a fight on our hands for the applications, let alone to get selected for the two internships they offered each semester. Only a combination of threats, cajoling, and 4.0 GPAs through our freshman and sophomore years had given us a fighting chance.

Now, I couldn’t repress a small shiver of excitement as we approached the main door of the building. I looked over at Rina, and saw that she, too, was nervous in her own peculiar way – she was smiling broadly, and her walk had become slightly bouncier.

I reached out for the door handle, glancing up for a moment at the huge sign we were standing under – The Junkyard, A Refuge For Those In Need. “Ok. Here we go. We’re going in to meet D – ”

“ – Daniel Jenkins, founder and head of the facility,” Rina said quickly. “I know. Let’s get in there.”

I took a deep breath and pulled.

The interior of the building was nothing like the outside, as we stepped into a small, but neatly painted and clean lobby area. A large desk stood to one side, flashing monitors stacked behind it – one of them showed our pale faces in flickering neon blue. A man was sitting in a swivel chair behind the desk, and he peered at us in a friendly manner as we approached. “Can I help you?” he said blandly.

I could tell that he was tall, even sitting down. He was probably in his mid-thirties, his face lean and craggy, with twinkling blue eyes. An earbud microphone snaked its way out of his salt-and-pepper hair. The tag clipped onto his navy shirt said “ALONZO BOOTS, SECURITY.”

“Er…” I stammered. Rina looked at me and quickly took over, sweeping up to the desk with her ever-present grace clearly apparent.

“We’re here to see Mr. Jenkins,” she said brightly, smiling at Mr. Boots. “We’re the two new interns from Tufts Medical School, we were asked to come today.”

“Alrighty,” the guard replied kindly. “One moment.” He turned to an intercom which sat on his desk and pressed a button, leaning forward to speak into it. “Two Tufts interns to see Mr. Jenkins,” he intoned clearly.

There was a moment of silence in the lobby, then a smooth, rich voice spoke back. “Which Mr. Jenkins, ‘lonzo?” the unknown man drawled, his Boston accent thick.

I grinned as I practically heard Rina’s ears prick up. “Daniel Jenkins,” I whispered to Boots, who nodded and pressed his button again.

“Mr. Daniel.”

Another man’s voice chimed in, this one lighter than the first, and with no trace of an accent. “He’s out,” this man said briskly. “I’ll be right down once I’m finished with the kids, Alonzo. Give me a few minutes.”

“Sure thing, Mike,” Boots said gruffly, clicking off the intercom once he was done speaking. He smiled up at Rina and I and gestured behind us. “Please, take a seat. Mr. Jenkins will be down shortly.”

Both of us turned around and made our way somewhat hesitantly over to a row of chairs that was on the opposite side of the lobby. As we sat down, Rina whispered to me – “How many Mr. Jenkinses are there in this place?” she asked curiously, eyeing Boots as he turned away to look at his monitors.

I shrugged. “I don’t know,” I whispered back. “I’ve only heard of the one.”

Rina made a face and crossed her legs, her foot jiggling. I leaned back uncomfortably in my chair, ready to get up at a moments notice. To be quite honest, I hadn’t expected such a – well, clean reception from a homeless shelter. I had thought I would have been shoved straight into a long room filled with rows of beds and filthy old men in ragged coats and boots.

Clearly, I had been wrong. Maybe, I mused, that was why the place had such a great reputation.

We sat there for several minutes, eyeing a white door which presumably led to the rest of the building. The silence felt oppressive after a while – Rina just sat there, irritated, and Alonzo obviously wasn’t inclined towards idle chatter.

Suddenly, a commotion could be heard from the other side of the door. I sat up straighter as footsteps thundered towards us, apparently down a staircase – several pairs of footsteps, to be precise.

“Heehee! Mikey, catch meeeeee!”

“Lizzy! You really shouldn’t do that, you’ll give me a heart attack before my time!”

“You’re so uptight, Mikey.”

“And you, behave yourself. Ow!”

“Aw, Mikey. You know you love us.”

“Of course I do, silly. Now go on back upstairs – Vicky, come on…”

“Piggyback! Piggyback!”

“Augh!”

And with that, a man a few years older than Rina or I came – well, piled was more like it – into the lobby from the door we had been so anxiously watching, three children of varying ages hanging off him as though he was their security blanket. A boy of about ten peered out at us nervously from between the young man’s legs, a pale brunette girl around eight years old clung to one of his arms, and firmly entrenched on his back, clutching the man’s windswept black hair, was a preteen girl with hair so blond it almost looked white.

Rina and I both jumped up from our seats in surprise at this sudden entrance, and the children themselves seemed so shocked at seeing us that they immediately let go of their protector, scampering back into the stairwell. The man turned to watch them go and then looked at Alonzo, who was chuckling mightily. The newcomer didn’t seem to have seen us yet.

“What?” he said cheerfully, as he pulled the sleeves of his white shirt straight and brushed off his dark blue jeans. I immediately recognized his voice as the second one we had heard on the intercom.

“Nothing,” Alonzo laughed. “You really do spoil those kids, you know.”

“And why shouldn’t I?” The new arrival cocked his head.

“No reason,” Alonzo said. He nodded towards where Rina and I were waiting on the other side of the lobby. “The interns to see you.”

The man turned around and looked at us, and I felt my breath hitch in my throat. Oh dear. Oh very dear.

The description of the internship had definitely not mentioned the perk of working with gorgeous men.

The dark-haired beauty (man, I had to tell myself, just a normal man) finished buttoning his cuff and smiled at us, a real, genuine smile which seemed to spread right into his sparkling green eyes. He held out his hand to Rina, looking surprisingly gallant. “Michael Jenkins. How are you?”

“Good!” Rina chirped, apparently not fazed in the least. “I’m Rina Baxter. Very nice to meet you.”

He shook her hand once firmly and then turned to me, his smile even wider. “And you?”

I hesitated a moment – more out of shock than anything else – before I took his hand. His palm was warm and smooth. “Demi,” I said shakily. “Er – Demeter Felina.”

“Pretty name,” he said warmly, not letting go of my hand. “Italian?”

“Yes…”

“Thought so,” he said almost teasingly, letting go of my hand (it promptly fell to my side and just hung there). “Wonderful to meet you both. I’m sorry my father couldn’t be here to meet you, but he was called away on urgent business.”

“Your father?” Rina asked curiously. “Is he Daniel?”

“That’s right. We run quite a family operation here,” Michael said with a grin. “I’ll show you around – come.”

He gestured with a hand towards the door he had come through, and ten started towards it, clearly expecting us to follow. I exchanged an excited glance with Rina and then we both started walking. I had a hard time not staring at Michael’s – well-muscled – back as he went up the stairs, taking them two at a time and then waiting for us to catch up every time he reached a landing. He talked as he did so, his voice echoing in the stairwell.

“So – welcome to the Junkyard,” he began. “I’ll just tell you a little bit about us, in case Tufts didn’t describe what we do here. Basically, our operation runs in three parts – first, a well-established orphanage, which is connected to Massachusetts Social Services. We work together with them to get any kids we take in into good foster homes, and take care of them in this building for as long as necessary until they can be adopted by a family.”

He turned and grinned at us, standing in front of a door which presumably opened onto another floor. “Second is our facility for maintaining single-mother families. We’ve dedicated a whole floor of this building to maintaining temporary lodgings for single mothers who either are too poor to support themselves or who are fleeing from abusive husbands. They are more than welcome to bring their children with them – the average amount of time most of these families end up staying here is a week to a month.”

As he was speaking, he opened the door he had stopped in front of, and Rina and I both poked our heads around the doorjamb. Before us was a very clean corridor, with several rooms leading off from it. Each door had a number and a chalkboard nailed onto it, proclaiming names such as “Martha Thomlinson”, “Jane Engels”, and so on. It almost looked like a hotel, and almost all the rooms seemed to be occupied.

Michael waited until we had looked our fill (I was almost leaning across him, and had to fight to keep a blush from spreading quickly across my face) and then closed the door, starting to climb the stairs again.

“Finally, we have a more conventional facility on the ground floor for the homeless, with a capacity of about fifty beds per night,” he said, his voice magnified by the enclosed space of the stairwell. “On the first floor is the canteen, beds and showers for the homeless; second floor, single mothers; third floor, administration; fourth floor, orphanage; and fifth floor, overflow beds just in case of an emergency.”

“I’m impressed,” Rina said, and contrary to her usual practice of flattery she actually did sound like she was. “It’s all very well organized.”

Michael inclined his head gracefully (my heart skipped a beat) and opened yet another door for us to go through – this one to the third floor, administration. “Thank you. We’ve all worked very hard to make this place as efficient and helpful as it can be.”

We shuffled onto the third floor, which looked much like any normal office space – the wide floor was divided into small cubicles separated by plants or mesh panes, an air conditioner was running (it was October, but it was still stifling inside the building), and at the far end of about five or six desks was a door labeled “D. Jenkins.” Rina and I stood uncertainly near the door as Michael closed it behind us, not sure what we were supposed to do.

I jumped when a chair suddenly scooted out from a cubicle and almost rolled over my toes, its occupant smirking up at the three of us. “Well, well – what have we got heah?” he said, the voice instantly recognizable as the one Rina and I had heard down in the lobby, its Boston accent thick.

This time I really did hear Rina’s ears perk right off her head. The man who was lounging in front of us was quite impossibly attractive – model material to be sure. His blond hair was shaggy and half-tied back in a messy ponytail, his skin was tan, and his black tie was only loosely tied around his collar, giving him a perpetually naughty look. He, too, was only a few years older than us, and maybe one or two older than Michael.

His grey eyes twinkled as he grinned up at us. “Why don’t ya introduce me, little bro?” he said, nodding at Michael. I could see that he was already sizing up Rina, and she certainly wasn’t complaining about it.

Michael chuckled, a little ruefully it sounded to me. “Rina Baxter, Demeter Felina – my older brother, Thomas Jenkins. He’s our chief accountant and procures donations for us. We’re a non-profit, so it’s very important work.”

“Very important indeed,” Thomas said as he hauled himself up from his chair and gave each of us a cheeky little bow (he bowed deeper to Rina than to me). “And please, ladies, do call me Tom.”

“My pleasure,” Rina said, smiling in her turn. It almost sounded like she was purring, and I had to force down a grin.

Michael looked at me and rolled his eyes slightly, and I grinned shyly back at him. His eyes really were very green. He turned to his brother and said, “Is dad back yet?”

“Pops? Nah,” Tom said, tearing his eyes away from Rina and leaning casually against the wall of his cubicle. “Jennifer’s been down heah looking for you, though.”

“Jennifer?” I asked curiously.

“Jennifer Dotherings,” Michael said warmly. “Our head matron for the orphanage. She’s an incredible woman – everyone I know wishes she was their mother. And the way she takes care of the kids – ”

Our conversation was suddenly interrupted by a small body which stumbled into Michael, throwing him towards me. I was close enough to smell his cologne – it was fresh, and reminded me of the scent of freshly-cut grass – before he steadied himself, and the three of us looked down to see a child clinging to Michael’s leg.

She was tiny, barely five or six years old, and skinny – she almost looked malnourished, but after hearing about what care Jennifer took with the children I concluded the girl couldn’t have been in the shelter long to still look as emaciated as she did. She peered up at us with tear-filled blue eyes from underneath her hair, a wild mix of red and brown, and let out a small sob.

“Jemima,” Michael said, obviously surprised, as he knelt down and placed his hands on the little girl’s shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

“B-Bruce is here,” she said tremulously. “H-he looks really bad, Mikey – I’m scared – ”

“Where?” Michael said firmly, his voice suddenly hard and filled with tension.

Little Jemima instantly turned and fled towards the flight of stairs we had been climbing, heading still further up. Michael looked at Rina and then me, then gestured with his head for us to follow him as he rushed after the girl. I cast a scared, confused glance at Rina – a glance that was returned in kind – and then followed.

We pounded up the stairs in single file, and emerged into yet another dormitory room where Jemima waited for us, twisting her hands within each other. At first glance, the room seemed empty, and silent but for our shallow gasps for breath.

“M – Mikey…”

A trembling voice suddenly came from the farthest bed. Little Jemima let out a quiet sob of distress and covered her ears as Michael hurried forward, his face set in concern. Rina followed him, while I put an arm around Jemima’s thin shoulders and followed more slowly, not sure what to expect.

Michael was already sitting on the bed and wiping its occupant’s face gently with a white cloth by the time Rina and I saw who it was – I let out a gasp. Lying there was a boy, maybe fifteen or sixteen years old at the most, his brown hair tousled and matted with sweat. His face was cadaverously pale. His body shook and jerked under the thin sheet that covered him, and his hands clutched with a desperate strength to Michael’s shirt as the older man leaned over him.

“Mikey,” the boy rasped. Jemima flinched and huddled closer to me. “Mikey, i-it hurts…Mikey, h-help…”

Michael glanced up for a moment, first at Rina, his eyes finally settling on my face. “Rina,” he said quietly, a note of urgency in his tone, “please take Jemima away. Call for Jennifer, she’ll come and find you.”

Rina nodded swiftly and gently pulled the young girl out of my grasp, allowing the little dear to lean on her as they made their way quickly out of the room and down the stairs we had come up. Michael jerked his head to me, and I nervously approached the other side of the bed, kneeling down so my head was about level with the boy’s.

Michael handed me a wet cloth which he had pulled from a cabinet standing next to the bed. “Hold that to his head and neck,” he said quickly. “He’ll be sweating for a while. We need to keep him cool.”

The boy thrashed suddenly, and I needed to hold his torso down with one hand while I applied the cloth to his face with the other. “What is this?” I asked numbly.

“Cocaine withdrawal,” Michael replied instantly, prizing one of the boy’s hands off of his shirt and enveloping it firmly in his own. “It’s incredibly painful. Come on, Bruce – it’s ok, Brucey. I’m here, it’s all right…”

The boy – Bruce – shuddered again, and I swallowed hard. “How long has he been addicted?” I whispered.

“At least two years – as long as I’ve been here,” Michael answered, laying another cloth on the young man’s abdomen, underneath his faded t-shirt. “Every once in a while he runs out of money to buy more of the drug and ends up here like this.” Michael shook his head sadly. “We don’t have the resources or knowledge here to really help him, and he refuses to be sent to rehab. All we can really do is take care of him until he’s well enough to leave.”

“Ah!” Bruce writhed beneath us, his face screwed up in pain, and I was startled enough to drop the cloth I was holding.

“Shh – shh, Bruce, it’s ok,” Michael whispered.

He smoothed the boy’s damp hair out of his face and, leaning forward, very gently kissed Bruce’s forehead. The young man instantly calmed down, his frenzied limbs becoming still.

I knew from that moment that I was in love.

* * * * *

For future reference, or if it was confusing: Demeter Felina=Demeter, Rina Baxter=Bombalurina, Michael Jenkins=Munkstrap, Thomas Jenkins=Rum Tum Tugger, Alonzo Boots=Alonzo, Jennifer Dotherings=Jennyanydots, Daniel Jenkins=Old Deuteronomy, Jemima=Jemima (d’oh.), ‘Lizzy’/Elizabeth=Etcetera, ‘Vicky’/Victoria=Victoria, Bruce=Tumblebrutus. I think that’s all for this chapter…comments would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!

Intro and icons

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:15:45 GMT

Greetings all,

I come bearing gifts, or peace offerings, whatever its suits you to call 'em; in any case there are thirty-six of them and they're free to a good home. Credit is appreciated but not required, though I would like you to drop me a comment to let me know if you swipe some!

My name is Xof, by the way (or Zof, occasionally, and sometimes referred to as Hoi You) and I'm a big fan. Recently saw the show live for the first time and my long-buried obsession is back in full force (yeow!). Personal LJ is completely locked, by the way, but feel free to drop me a hi, and if you'd like to be added just let me know, I don't bite. (No, really!)

Cheers all, hope to see you about the place =D

Brief hi and Request

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 16:15:25 GMT

My name is Lauren and I just stumbled across the community. i am ahem going to see Cats for the third time in three weeks on Wednesday. I am very slightly obsessed.

I was wondering does anyone have or know where I can find, good quality screencaps of the dvd version?

thanks

Cats Icons

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 22:05:05 GMT

Made some "Cats" icons for you all. Featuring original 80's Broadway cast and some of the movie cast.

Well, that's all for now. Please comment if taking. Credit is appreciated, but not required.

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 17:53:19 GMT

Skimbleshanks by =Anti-Tahni on deviant ART

Enjoy. :D not perfectly accurate but I'm no good with paint BBS~
for my train-themed oekaki: http://w6.oekakies.com/p/choochoo/p.cgi

Spotty seeks a new home

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 09:58:14 GMT

The darling catsuit "Spotty" seeks a new wearer. It is a well behaved and evenly tempered yet playful and cheeky design. It now seeks that loving caretaker that will proudly let it come out to play. It is a size large and says it will fit someone who is about 5ft6" - 5ft8". even the ones with curves will look lovely in it. Spotty is still in need of a tail and fluff, but that is on the workbench and is almost done by now.

There is an adoption fee, and those interested can contact me for a private saleprice. I promised the catsuit a good happy home. ;-)

More of "Spotty" here!
http://www.twospotz.com/temp/costume/spotty/

Calling all floridian Jellicles...

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 04:01:48 GMT

CATS comes to the Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL for eight shows during New Year's week, Jan. 2nd through Jan. 6th!! ;3

It's the purrfect way to start the new year if you're a Jellicle fan!!

Tickets are on sale now!!

http://tickets.rutheckerdhall.com/tickets/production.aspx?performanceNumber=3146

Ruth Eckerd Hall
1111 N McMullen Booth Road
Clearwater, FL 33759
(727) 791 7400
1-800-875-8682

*Cookie Dee*

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:52:18 GMT

My friend (who doesn't like CATS much) and I had a conversation about bad fanfic and keeping characters... in character. And then I went on about how Etcy shouldn't ever be all depressed around Tugger!
I originally made it a much longer comic but it just wasn't funny enough to bother. So, you get the last page with Tugger/Etcy goodness. If you don't like the pairing don't grump at me. <3

Yay!
They're really hard to draw. XD This isn't by any means a real serious drawing. Especially the imagery of the badly written fanfic, that's just a joke :D I like the side doodle though <3

I hope this is allowed!!

Fresh Meat! ^^

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:16:26 GMT

Hello!
I'm new here. Well, I think it has been six months ago I started watching this community, but I actually never posted something here. So little time, so much to do, yes also useless but amusing things, but OK. Nevermind.
Short introduction: You may call me Debby, I'm 19 years old and I live in Belgium, the Dutch-speaking part. I adore Cats! :'D That's not a big surprise, I suppose...
It all started when I heard some songs and discussed it with a friend. I bought the DVD because I was interested, but also because I know the one who's playing Jemima from other productions I'd seen (I love musicals) and I wanted to see her perform in Cats! It's strange when I think of it: most people know her because of Cats and I don't.
Yeah, I love Cats from the beginning till the end and I want to see the show live before I die. I've been dying of frustration because I didn't had a chance to see the show which was touring in The Netherlands this year: exams, money, transport... There was always something wrong. It makes me angry again... But I will see it live! No matter what! In English if possible ^^

My favorite cat? It depends. At this moment it is Skimbleshanks, but I can't really tell why. Rumpleteaser, Jemima and Rum Tum Tugger (he's just amazing ^^) are my overall favorites.

Before I go, I also have some icons to post here ^^
I made them a long time ago, but because of problems with the computer, I couldn't share them until now.
All I ask is to credit and not to hotlink =)

All 22 are over here ^^

Merry Christmas!

New here and requesting XD;

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 23:21:51 GMT

So I just joined here and I'm already requesting something!

I know this has been asked before but the links are down now so,

Could someone upload the DVD version of the music? I mean don't get me wrong I love the play versions but my favorite has to be the sound of the DVD versions. Lol I'm watching my VHS right now just to hear it, I would love it even more if it could be on my mp3 player.

Any help even just a couple of songs would be lovely and will have many thanks along the way XD.

Recordings?

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:46:11 GMT

i'm new here...HEY!

I know its a bit strange to be asking for this straight away but...
My 6th form is putting on a performance of cats and i'm lucky enough to be put in the cast. Eep! *screams out of happiness lol*, Anyways, we've been told that we need to find a cast recording for it as they cant provide all of us with one so....

Does anybody have one? Preferably the movie or original london recording, but any will do =]

I really need the help lolzz xx

Thankies in advance xoxo =]

Hello hello!

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 01:25:35 GMT

Hi everyone! ^_^; I'm new around here. My name's Tahni, and I'm 15... I've just recently gotten into Cats, as I just found out it's my high school's musical for this year. :D (As my cousin said, its "pretty ambitious" of us) I'm hoping to snag the part of Etcetera (I don't want a huge part, I've never been in anything like this, har har) but auditions aren't til next month. Hoooo.

Sorry that I don't have anything to contribute at the moment, but I'll try to change that soon. :D if anyone wants to add me (I have zero friends who are into this musical) on msn or just email me.. spikeniccals (at) hotmail (dot) com :D meow~