Feline Three For One Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Ad-Dressing of Cats

"The Ad-Dressing of Cats" is less of a finale (that role is served by the "Memory" / "Journey to the Heaviside Layer" songs) than an epilogue, both in music and lyrics. It mirrors the "Jellicle Songs" prologue as a general celebration of the feline kind, but also warns the prospective cat owner: "Before a cat will condescend / to treat you as a trusted friend / some little token of esteem / is needed, like a dish of cream". But, clearly the way to the heart of a cat is through his stomach "and so in time you'll reach your aim / and call him by his name".

This song originally featured three verses, but the second, starting, "Now dogs, pretend they like to fight" was cut in a revision, leaving an inconsistency in the lyrics between the first chorus, ending in "So first, your memory I'll jog / and say a cat is not a dog" and the immediately following interlude "With cats, some say one rule is true...".

Answer: Macavity: The Mystery Cat

Who but Macavity, the "fiend in feline shape / a monster of depravity" would be the villain of the show? Yet, unlike the lesser mischievous cats, he's not the one to be caught - "his footprints are not found / in any files at Scotland Yard" and of course "he always has an alibi / and one or two to spare / whatever time the deed took place / Macavity wasn't there!"

While Macavity's plans to abduct and impersonate Old Deuteronomy are thwarted by Mr. Mistofelees, he's still on the loose - just as the Jellicles surround him and would have a chance at capturing catkind's most wanted, the evil one shorts out power and disappears into the darkness without a trace.

Answer: The Old Gumbie Cat

The making of a Gumbie Cat can be defined in four letters: "sits". Or, as eloquently put in the song: "She sits upon the windowsill / or anything that's smooth and flat / She sits and sits and sits and sits / and that's what makes a Gumbie Cat". That however applies only during the day, because a true Gumbie Cat is nocturnal. "But when the day's hustle and bustle is done / then the Gumbie Cat's work is but hardly begun." "She things that the cockroaches need employment / to prevent them from idle and wanton destroyment."

As one of the earlier songs, this number lacks the elaborate stage effects seen in the second act, but the quick-changing of costumes and the parading, cutlery-carrying insects of the song are quite the sight to see.

Answer: Mr. Mistoffelees

A few of the lines in "Mr. Mistoffelees" could well be taken from "Macavity" or "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteater": "If you look for a knife or a fork / and you think it is merely misplaced / you have seen it one moment, and then it is gone". Of course magic is in the believing because "At least we all heard / that somebody purred / which is incontestable proof / of his singular magical powers". But then "Not long ago / this phenomenal cat / produced seven kittens / right out of a hat".

The actor playing Mr. Mistoffelees in the show has the most difficult of all the dance parts and must be fully trained in classical ballet to be able to do the intended choreography. His quite wild dance is accompanied by small fireworks set off on the stage, evoking magical effects wherever this cat directs his energy. The cat's actual (second) name is Quaxo - the Mr. Mistoffelees moniker seems to be only a stage name.

Answer: Memory

The grand aria and climax of "Cats" is of course Grizabella's "Memory", apearing twice in the show - first as a brief epilogue of act I and then in its full glory as the turning point in act II when the once shunned Grizabella ("Midnight / not a sound from the pavement / has the moon lost her memory? / She is smiling alone. / In the lamplight / the withered leaves collect at her feet") is finally accepted back into the tribe on the initiative of the kittens Jemima and Victoria, culminating in her last and grandest lines "Touch me / it's so easy to leave me / all alone with my memory / of my days in the sun. / If you touch me / you'll understand what happiness is / look, a new day / has begun."

"Memory" is the only song in the show that was not based on the "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" with the lyrics rather written by Trevor Nunn, with whom composer Andrew Lloyd Webber had collaborated on several projects. However, Nunn based the lyrics on two other poems of "Practical Cats" author T.S. Eliot, "Rhapsody on a Windy Night" and "Preludes", thus making sure the song would not feel out of place in the musical.

Answer: Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat

None but Skimbleshanks can keep a whole railway station busy. "All the guards and all the porters / and the stationmaster's daughters / would be searching high and low" until "At eleven forty-two / with the signal overdue / and the passengers all frantic to a man", he shows up, of course having done some important work. But now the train can leave: "Then he gave one flash / of his grass-green eyes / and the signal went all clear".

Of all the songs, "Skimbleshanks" is the fastest, inserting a light moment between the two darker "Growltiger's Last Stand" and "Macavity" scenes. Like all the later songs, it features extensive stage effects, in this case using various props making up the Jellicle junk yard to create a quite impressive steam locomotive as a backdrop for Skimbleshanks. If you've never seen this before, it's quite the surprise.

Answer: Bustopher Jones

No cat is, well, rounder, than the high society "Bustopher Jones in white spats". As a proper gourmand, he is "frequently seen at the gay Stage and Screen / which is famous for winkles and shrimps", and as a result, "He's a twenty-five pounder / or I am a bounder / and he's putting on weight every day".

Even for a large breed (which he is actually not portrayed as - typical large breeds such as Maine Coons rarely come in tuxedo colors), 25 pounds - roughly 12 kilograms - means quite an obese cat. The song itself is one of the less popular numbers and doesn't feature any significant effects or musical highlights - it's just as dignified as the cat himself.

Answer: Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats

The first sung segment of the musical gives all of the cats a chance to sing a solo line as they introduce themselves and the tribe. It is a celebration of felinity, evidenced in "Can you look at a king / can you sit on his throne?", "Have you been an alumnus of heaven or hell?" and "We can dive through the air / like a flying trapeze".

Anyone wishing to learn to play this song on a piano or organ is in for a treat - not only does it feature numerous tempo and mood changes, but the score modulates through eleven of the twelve possible major scales!

Answer: Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are the quintessential mischievous troublemakers. Their song is all about their antics as they more or less devastate the house - evidenced in lines such as "When a tile or two comes loose on the roof / which presently fails to be waterproof", "When after supper, one of the girls / suddenly misses her Woolworth pearls" and of course the expensive "Or down from the library comes a loud ping / from a vase which was commonly said to be Ming".

Like "The Ad-Dressing of Cats", this song lost a verse between the original 1981 production and the later years; it additionally gained a new melody. I'm personally not really happy with either version - the new melody fits the pair much better, but at the same time, the lost verse hurts the song.

Answer: Old Deuteronomy

Old Deuteronomy is not only the leader of the Jellicles but also, well, more than just old. He "buried nine wives / and more - I am tempted to say ninety-nine". He still "sits in the sun on the vicarage wall" even though he himself admits his body is slowly giving in: "My legs may be tottery, I must go slow".

This song has definitely gained over the years - while it was originally sung at a relatively even, calm pace, it has evolved into a grand crescendo celebrating the Jellicle Leader.