A new Jellicle on Broadway? - March 27, 2016

During the last few years, much about CATS has been changed in London - the role of Grizabella, in particular the role of Rum Tum Tugger, much of the choreography, many costumes, even the music. Many fans have been unhappy about these changes, but if we are lucky they will not be continued on Broadway, where CATS will return to this summer.

There might, however, be a completely different kind of change - a new Jellicle, with a new song!

A few years ago, another Jellicle poem by T. S. Eliot has been discovered: Cumberleylaude. The protagonist of this poem is a "culinary cat" with a great fondness for good food and wine, and without much interest in hunting.

I wonder how they will create his character, without letting him be too similar to Bustopher Jones. After all, he is not simply fond of eating - the food needs to be good! They could make him younger (he is supposed to start hunting, after all!), and perhaps a bit priggy. He could be a friend of Tugger's and the young toms could make fun of him, singing the song in a more ironic way. It could also be sung by the older queens, complaining about the greedy youth - but that would be odd and hypocritical, considering their admiration of Bustopher Jones.

I also wonder about the music. What style will ALW write it in? I hope it will fit in with the jazzy style of the musical, and won't be too experimental. Not that I wouldn't like something new - I'd love that in most cases -, but then, please, in the way CATS itself is experimental and quite daring. Not another hip hop number!

What about you? Do you have any ideas about the character or song? Leave a paw print, then!