What costumes were worn in cats the musical?

Answer 1

The costumes in Cats consist of various parts. The base of every costume is a unitard (one-piece dancewear made of nylon/lycra) which is custom-fit for the actor and hand painted to look like the character. These unitards are specially made with a mock turtle neck and no front seams, and they are entered through the shoulders and closed with hooks and eyes. Most costumes have "shoulder fluffies" made of shredded organza. All the costumes have a wig which matches the unitard. These wigs are made of yak hair dyed to match the colours of the unitard, and they have cat ears made of small bunches of hair that is either glued or tied in place. The wigs cover the actor's human ears and create the illusion of a real cat by changing the actor's silhouette. Another important part of the costumes is the tail. Tails are made of lengths of yarn tied to a base (which can be made of various things, like a crochet row or braided yarn). There is a loop at the top of the tail, and a thin belt (often made the same way as the tail base) is threaded through the loop and tied around the actor's waist. Most costumes also have knitted leg warmers, and many characters wear either knitted arm warmers, leather biker gloves, or evening gloves with the fingers cut off. All the actors wear dance shoes, which are sometimes painted to match the rest of the costume. The exact type and brand of shoes varies by production, but in the video production (the costumes of which were based on the ones in the then-current London production) the shoes resemble Capezio jazz shoes. Another very important aspect of the costume is the makeup. Each character has a unique makeup design. The actors apply their own makeup after being instructed by a makeup artist, and the makeup used is generally greasepaint.

Answer 2

The cast list is directly from Wikipedia, (sorry about the blue / purple and underlined -ness. it really annoys me!) and the inserted paragraphs are just me rambling. The characters are extremely important to the entire play. Seeing as there is little story to Cats, the character's specific relationships and personalities create the performance. While there are hundreds of cats throughout all of the different productions, (differing in countries, budget, and the theatre's personal opinion), these are the main cats that appear in all most of the versions: Asparagus / Gus - The theatre cat. The same actor usually plays Asparagus as a general chorus cat, and a younger version of Gus, up to the song "Gus the Theatre Cat", in which he portrays an older Gus, and Growltiger, then afterwards continues to play younger Gus, "Asparagus." Bombalurina - A saucy red female. She sings a duet with Demeter. Bustopher Jones - A fat cat, a "twenty-five pounder." Dresses in a snappy tuxedo and spats. Respected by all, as the upper class "St James' Street Cat." In most productions, the actor playing Gus also plays Bustopher, though in early productions the part was handled by the actor playing Old Deuteronomy. Demeter - A very skittish female cat. Grizabella - The former Glamour Cat who has lost her sparkle and now only wants to be accepted. Grizabella left the tribe when she was younger to see the world for herself. In doing so she faced the harshness of the outside world, as well as the equally harsh status of pariah in the cats' society. Griddlebone - A fluffy white Persian cat, and Growltiger's lover in "Growltiger's Last Stand," where she sings "The Ballad of Billy McCaw" or the mock Italian aria "In Una Tepida Notte" (depending on production) with Growltiger. Almost always played by the actress playing Jellylorum. Does not appear in productions which omit "Growltiger's Last Stand". Growltiger - A theatrical character Gus recalls playing in his youth, and who appears in Gus' memory of the production of "Growltiger's Last Stand." In some productions he is portrayed as a vicious pirate; in others he's more of a parody of a pirate. Does not appear in productions which omit "Growltiger's Last Stand." Jellylorum- A female who watches out for the kittens, along with Jennyanydots. She has a close relationship with Gus. Named after T. S. Eliot's own cat. The actress who plays Jellylorum usually also plays Griddlebone in "Growltiger's Last Stand." Jemima - A kitten who is also a Rum Tum Tugger fan and friends with Electra, Etcetera, and Victoria. Can be sometimes used interchangeably with Sillabub, though Jemima is used in most international productions - Sillabub was a name created for the American productions. However, the Japanese and Swedish casts include both Sillabub and Jemima as different characters. Jennyanydots - The old Gumbie cat. She sits all day and rules the mice and cockroaches at night, forcing them to undertake helpful or useful functions, or creative projects, to curb their naturally destructive habits. Macavity - He is the show's only real villain. The character is a literary allusion to the Sherlock Holmes character Professor Moriarty. Usually played by the same actor as Plato or Admetus. Mr. Mistoffelees - A young tom with magical powers. His signature dance move is "The Conjuring Turn," twenty-four fouettés en tournant. In the UK production, Mistoffelees has an alter-ego named Quaxo, who appears as a general chorus cat throughout the show, and is dressed slightly differently. In other productions Quaxo is a separate character. Mungojerrie - Half of a pair of notorious cat-burglars, with Rumpelteazer. Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer are most commonly remembered for their unique dance number where at the end, they both latch onto each other and do a "double windmill" across the stage. Munkustrap - The show's de facto narrator. A black and silver tom who is storyteller and protector of the Jellicle tribe. He is thought to be second in command after Old Deuteronomy. Old Deuteronomy - The lovable patriarch of the Jellicle Tribe. He is very old and dignified. The leader of the Jellicle Tribe. Rumpelteazer - Female half of a pair of notorious cat-burglars, with Mungojerrie. The Rum Tum Tugger - The ladies' tom. His temperament ranges from clownish to serious, and often sexual depending on the production; however, he is always flirtatious, and usually portrayed as a feline equivalent of Mick Jagger or Elvis Presley, and recognisable by his wild mane. Skimbleshanks - The railway cat. An active orange tabby cat, who lives on the trains and acts as an unofficial chaperone to such an extent he is considered rather indispensable to the train and station employees. Victoria - A pure white kitten gifted in dancing. The "official" Jellicle Ball begins with her solo dance. There are also several "chorus cats" who appear in many of the most popular versions of Cats: Alonzo - A black and white tom in most productions; in the US and the early European productions, he is depicted as being a black and gold tabby. Sometimes considered the third in command after Munkustrap as he also fights Macavity. Bill Bailey - Primarily from the London production, a young white and brown male. Often able to do acrobatics. interchangeable with the character of Tumblebrutus. Carbucketty - The name was one of T. S. Eliot's ideas for cat names for a "knockabout cat." Sometimes interchangeable with the character of Pouncival. Cassandra - A brown and cream Abyssinian queen, with a braided tail. Unique and somewhat mysterious. Coricopat - Male twin to Tantomile. The conventional stage action suggests that Coricopat and Tantomile are psychic cats, they sense the presence of danger before it becomes apparent to the other characters. Electra - A tabby kitten who seems to be friends with Etcetera as well as a fan of Rum Tum Tugger. Etcetera - A happy, energetic kitten who is a big Rum Tum Tugger fan. She is generally a pale tabby pattern. Exotica - A female character who first appeared in the video version, and was a role initially created specially for Femi Taylor. The character also appears in the South African and World Tour. George - A young patchy male kitten that only appeared in the London production. Ghengis or Gilbert - The leader of the crew of Siamese cats who lead to Growltiger's demise. Usually played by the actor who portrays Mungojerrie, Tumblebrutus, or Coricopat. In Japan Gilbert is a separate character. Plato - Teenage male cat; the actor usually doubles as Macavity. He does a pas de deux with Victoria during the Jellicle Ball. Pouncival - A playful tom kitten, generally interchangeable with Carbucketty. Rumpus Cat - A spiky-haired cat with glowing red eyes, as mentioned in "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles," seen as a sort of superhero figure among the Jellicles. Does not appear in productions which omit the song "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles." Usually played by Alonzo or Admetus. In some productions the actor is launched through the floor stage via a "star trap". Sillabub, the Broadway version of Jemima, although the Japanese and Swedish productions include both. Tumblebrutus - A playful young adult cat in his prime. Tumblebrutus is a brown and white tabby, characterized by a large, flame-like brown patch over his left eye. Very energetic, this young tom is featured in many dance numbers and has many featured soloes throughout the show. He is the Broadway version of Bill Bailey. Tantomile - Female twin of Coricopat. The name was created by T.S. Eliot for a "Witch's Cat". Victor - Primarily a character from the London production, a young grey male.