PRODUCTION

GUIDE

Music by:
Andrew Lloyd Webber

Based on “Old Possum’s Book of

Practical Cats” by: T.S. Eliot
Production Guide CATS 1
 PRODUCTION
GUIDE

Music by: Andrew Lloyd Webber

Based on “Old Possum’s Book of

Practical Cats” by: T.S. Eliot

[Link]

Production Guide CATS 1

 Table of

CONTENTS
4 Part I: Introduction
Welcome to Andrew Lloyd
Webber for Young Actors

Your Production Materials

Licensing Dos and Don’ts

The History of CATS

The Musical’s Authors

The Really Useful Group

and iTheatrics

2 CATS Production Guide

12 Part II: Preproduction 28 Part III: Production 368 Resources
Preproduction Overview Fully Annotated Student Vocal and Accompaniment
Vocal Book with tips for Track Lists
The Show the Director in the following Choreography and
categories: Staging Video Content
Auditions
Directing Additional Resources Available
Casting Suggestions for this Title
Staging
The Creative Team Music Copyrights and credits are
Sets, Props, Costumes, Choreography located in the back of the book.
Lights, & Sound Design Sets
Show-Specific Design Props
Suggestions Costumes
The Rehearsal Process Lights
Sound Cues

Production Guide CATS 3

 PRODUCTION
GUIDE

( Part I )

INTRODUCTION

4 CATS Production Guide

Welcome to CATS
Young Actors Edition

The Adaptation
Process
Musicals
 iTheatrics collaborated with The Really Useful
Adapted Group, who are incredibly knowledgeable about this
Just show. For CATS Young Actors Edition, iTheatrics used
the same successful adaptation process that they have
For You created and tweaked over the past two decades. We
start by adapting the show on paper, and after much
back and forth, we workshop the show with young
actors. By the way, this is the exact same process
 This is the first every West End or Broadway musical goes through.
musical in the Andrew During the workshop process, we are working to
Lloyd Webber Collection ensure each show is achievable for a cast of young
specially adapted for performers and that it remains true to the authors’
young performers. This intentions. The adaptation process also guarantees
adaptation process that the materials included with the licence for this
includes editing each show have been created based on the experiences
title to a school-friendly and challenges discovered during the workshops.
running time of By making these efforts, we know your experience
approximately one hour, producing this musical with young people will be
transposing the music achievable, sustainable, and immensely rewarding.
into keys that match the
needs of young voices,
and creating resources
designed to ensure that
the process of
putting on a musical
is achievable on
every budget and
with every The iTheatrics
experience level. Method
Over many years we have developed
an approach to presenting a musical
with young people that we call The
iTheatrics Method. This method is based
on best practices from the field in all
areas of musical theatre production and
is detailed in a textbook titled The
iTheatrics Method: The Quintessential
Guide To Creating Quality Musical
Theatre Programs. The goal of the
method is to ensure producing a musical
with young people is educationally
sound and meets the unique needs
and challenges of developing minds
and bodies.

Production Guide CATS 5

Your Production Materials
This musical is licensed with resources designed to ensure your experience
producing it with young people is achievable, sustainable, and rewarding.

 The Production Guide walks you through the entire process of presenting
Each this musical. The first section explores licensing, the history of the show, and the

Licence show’s authors. The Production Guide also includes an overview of The Really
Useful Group and iTheatrics, the creators of this adaptation. The Preproduction
Includes the section of this guide details how best to prepare for your production and explores
script analysis, the audition process, theatre design, and the rehearsal process.
Following: The final section, Production, includes the exact script your students will use, along
with helpful notes and suggestions on directing, music, choreography, sets, props,
costumes, lights, and sound cues.

 The Student Vocal Book is  The Piano/Vocal Score

made up of an introduction and the vocal includes a piano reduction of
book music for the entire show. The the music for use during
first section is titled “The Theatre” and rehearsals or in performance
encourages your students to become should you choose not to use
familiar with the history of CATS. It guides the Accompaniment Tracks. Also
students on how best to use their script, included is specific information
provides an overview of the rehearsal for the music director detailing
process, and includes a list of characters the style of the music and how
and a plot synopsis of the show. The best to approach teaching and
second section of the book is the vocal shaping the music for this
book of the show. It’s important to take production.
the time to review the “The Theatre”
section of the Student Vocal Book with
your cast. By doing so, you will provide
your students with the foundation and
shared vocabulary necessary to
successfully present this musical.
 Accompaniment
Tracks are recordings of
the show’s orchestrations
performed without vocals
and are designed to be
used once the cast is
 Vocal Tracks comfortable with their  Choreography
are recordings of the vocal parts and during & Staging Videos
show’s songs performed performances. detail the choreography
by young singers and and staging for key
are designed to be used numbers from the show.
during rehearsals.

 Additional Resources include downloadable audition sheet music,

audition forms, a sound cue sheet, and more!

Production Guide CATS 7

 Webber Foundation has become one of Britain’s
PRODUCTION
GUIDE leading charities supporting the arts and music.
In 2016, the Foundation funded a major new
national initiative that endowed the American
Theatre Wing with a $1.3 million, three-year grant
to support theatre education opportunities for
young people and public schools across the US.
Across the UK and the US Andrew’s Foundation
The Musical’s has donated over $25m to projects that focus on the

Authors enhancement of arts education and participation,

improving access and increasing diversity across
the arts, culture and heritage sector.
 Andrew Lloyd Webber He was knighted by Her Majesty The Queen in
is the composer of some of the 1992 and created a life peer in 1997. To mark his 70th
world’s best-known musicals, birthday, HarperCollins published his bestselling
including CATS, Evita, Joseph autobiography, Unmasked, in March 2018.
and the Amazing Technicolor
John Swannell

Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ

Superstar, The Phantom of the  Thomas Stearns

Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

Opera and Sunset Boulevard. His (“T.S.”) Eliot was born in
shows have been seen by over 400 million people in St. Louis, Missouri, on September
over 140 countries. 26th, 1888. He was educated at
From the age of 17, when he first met Tim Rice Harvard, at the Sorbonne in Paris,
(Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and at Merton College, Oxford.
Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita) Andrew dropped He settled in England in 1915
out of University and embarked on a career of and taught briefly at two schools
writing and producing musicals. He never looked before joining Lloyds Bank in London in their
back and wrote CATS when he was just 32 years old. foreign and colonial department. His first volume of
When Sunset Boulevard joined School of Rock – poems, Prufrock and Other Observations, was
The Musical, CATS, and The Phantom of the Opera published in 1917. The Waste Land, his most
on Broadway in February of 2017, Andrew Lloyd famous work, came out in 1922. In 1925, he left the
Webber became the only person to equal the record bank to become a director of the publishing house
of four shows running concurrently, a record first of Faber. There have been several collected editions
set in 1953 by Rodgers and Hammerstein. of his poetry and volumes of his literary and social
As a composer and producer, Andrew Lloyd criticism. T.S. Eliot also wrote a number of verse
Webber is one of an elite group of artists to have plays, the best known of which, Murder in the
achieved EGOT status by receiving an Emmy®, four Cathedral, was commissioned for the Canterbury
Grammys® (including Best Contemporary Classical Festival of 1935. Old Possum’s Book of Practical
Composition for Requiem, his setting of the Latin Cats appeared in October 1939. (Eliot had a great
Requiem mass), an Oscar, and eight Tony Awards® affection for cats, and ‘Possum’ was his alias among
(including the 2018 Special Tony for Lifetime his friends.)
Achievement in the Theatre). He won seven Four Quartets, generally regarded as his
Oliviers and a Golden Globe, and his honors include masterpiece, was first published as a single work
the Praemium Imperiale, the Richard Rodgers in 1943. T.S. Eliot became a British citizen in 1927.
Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, a BASCA He received many honors and distinctions, among
Fellowship, and the Kennedy Center Honor. them the Order of Merit and the Nobel Prize for
In addition to writing some of the best loved Literature. He was awarded posthumously the 1983
shows of all time he also owns six London theatres, Tony Award® for the book of CATS. He was also an
including the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and the Officier de la Légion d’Honneur. He died in London
London Palladium. He does not run these buildings in 1965, and there is a memorial to him in Poets’
for profit and is the only theatre owner to reinvest Corner, Westminster Abbey.
every penny of profits into his buildings.
Andrew is passionate about the importance Links to T.S. Eliot's work are located on page 370e.
of music in education, and the Andrew Lloyd

10 CATS Production Guide

 The Really
Useful Group
and
iTheatrics

 The Really Useful Group

The Really Useful Group is wholly owned by
Andrew Lloyd Webber and exists to produce,
license and promote his shows and music around
the globe. The company represents Andrew’s
works in theatre, film, television, music publishing,
recordings and all other forms of licensing.
Andrew’s shows are regularly seen in many
countries around the world and are performed
on the stages of school halls and Broadway
Theaters and everything in-between. The Really
Useful Group’s job is to ensure that whatever
the production, the audience and the performers
have the best possible time making and watching
the show.

 iTheatrics
Founded in 2006 by educator and author Timothy
Allen McDonald and headquartered in New York
City, iTheatrics is the world’s leading authority
on musical theatre for young people. Every day,
iTheatrics works to make theatre more accessible
for students everywhere and, in turn, leads
a dynamic and talented group of artists and
educators who are changing the world through
the transformative power of musical theatre.
iTheatrics develops collections of musicals for
leading musical theatre licensing agencies.
Working with esteemed partners in the United
States such as the President’s Committee on Arts
and the Humanities, New York City’s Department
of Education, the Kennedy Center, McGraw-Hill  Team iTheatrics
Education, and NBC Universal, iTheatrics develops at the 2020 Junior
and implements dynamic programs to build cost- Theater Festival in
effective and sustainable musical theatre programs Sacramento, CA.
in underserved schools. iTheatrics produces
the now bi-coastal Junior Theater Festivals, the
world’s largest festivals exclusively dedicated
to celebrating young people and student-driven
musical theatre.

Production Guide CATS 11

 PRODUCTION
GUIDE

( Part II )

PREPRODUCTION

12 CATS Production Guide

Preproduction
Overview

 Preproduction is everything that takes place prior to performing the show. These steps
include script analysis, forming a creative team, holding auditions, conducting rehearsals, and
designing and building (or procuring) costumes, sets, props, lights, and sound for your production.
As the director and producer of this show, you must lead this process. Your first task in directing this
musical is to become an expert on the show, and the best way to achieve this goal is by immersing
yourself in the show’s text.

The Show Done in an Hour

 This reading will only take you a little
over an hour to complete because you are
reading the show in real time. As you reach
a song or music cue, play the vocal tracks.
Make Script Analysis Fun Picture the show in your mind’s eye as you
read and listen to the music. Don’t worry about
 Before you hold auditions or begin the
rehearsal process, it is important that you the “hows” or the “whys”; focus instead on all of
spend some time exploring the text of the show. the endless possibilities your mind can imagine.
During this part of the preproduction process, Now, set the script aside for a day or two.
you will be conducting a detailed script analysis.
While the term “script analysis” may seem Read Again
daunting or off-putting to the creative mind,  After a day or two, listen to the music again,
the step is necessary in the creative process. following along with the vocal book. This time,
Our approach to script analysis is active, read with a director’s mindset, paying attention
collaborative, and fun—despite the obvious to production aspects. Ask yourself questions:
disconnect between the words “analysis” Which students might be a good match for
and “fun.” certain roles? Is there a color palette that you
associate with the show? What might the sets
Find a Quiet Place and costumes look like? Once again, ensure you
have the time and space to complete this second
 Arm yourself with the script, a pencil, the
vocal tracks, and a set of headphones. Now find reading without interruptions. Since you will
the best place and time to read through the be taking more detailed notes, this reading may
script. Find a quiet room with a comfy chair and take up to two hours.
good light. Ensure you will not be interrupted;
remove or disable all distractions, especially Now, You’re the Expert
those of a digital nature. Brew yourself a cup of  Once you have prepared and analyzed the
tea or pour a cup of coffee. Relax into your comfy script, you are ready to lead your team through
chair and take a moment to focus your mind with the production process. There is still more work
a few deep breaths. Once you’re relaxed, picture to do, and you will definitely want to spend more
your theatre in your imagination. It’s moments time with the script, but having completed these
before the beginning of the show, and the two readings, you are now ready for auditions
audience is seated and buzzing with excitement. and to hold your first production meeting with
Put on your headphones and turn to the first your creative team.
page of the script.

Production Guide CATS 13

 PRODUCTION
GUIDE

It’s also helpful to involve a colleague or two, like

an assistant headteacher, or a parent who does
not have a child auditioning for the show. Your
Auditions stage manager should also be on hand to organise
the audition process. By organising an audition
committee, you are taking an important step in
sharing the task of casting, and thereby creating
a more transparent process. Now, let’s move on to
the auditions.

Transparent Auditions Sing First

1  With your initial script analysis 4  Organise students who are auditioning
complete, you are ready to conduct for the show into groups of twenty
auditions. It is important to remember that the to thirty. Each group of students will audition
audition process can be quite intimidating, so together. It will take approximately an hour to
your task is to make the process as friendly audition each group, so schedule your students
and transparent as possible. Transparency and accordingly until everyone has an appointed
friendliness foster a nurturing environment, which time slot. Start the audition process by having
in turn creates teachable moments. Disappointed students sing a section of a song from the show.
students who may not have been cast in the role This selection should be the same song the
they wanted are able to gain insight into the students learned during the audition workshop.
committee’s casting decisions. Since you may have students at the audition who
did not attend the workshop, take some time to
Hold an Audition Workshop teach and review the song with everyone using

2  Several weeks before conducting

the Accompaniment Tracks. If a piano player
(accompanist) is available, you can also encourage
auditions, offer an audition workshop students to prepare sixteen bars (measures of
to all potential cast members. At this workshop, music) from any song of their choice. Ideally,
introduce the students to the show, teach them a students will sing by themselves. If a student
song or two and a bit of achievable choreography. feels uncomfortable singing alone, allow them
Your licence for this title features several to sing with a friend. Work through the students
downloadable resources, including audition one by one, encouraging the other students to
sides that you may distribute to your students. hold their applause until everyone has sung.
The tone of this workshop should be playful Using the form included in the digital resources,
and fun but still organised and structured. score each student’s singing ability and indicate
By holding an audition workshop, you are whether the student is appropriate for a principal
actively recruiting students for your program role and therefore required to attend callbacks (a
and ensuring those students will be better second round of auditions just for students who
prepared and more successful in tackling the are being considered for principal roles). By having
audition process. students audition in a group instead of privately,
you are adding to the transparency of your
Form an Audition Committee audition process. This group approach encourages
3  You will want to select an audition students to actively listen and evaluate while
committee to help cast the show. This another student is singing. Once the students have
committee should include members of your creative each completed their song, congratulate them
team (the creative team is detailed on page 19), and encourage them to applaud one another’s
especially the music director and choreographer. accomplishments.

14 CATS Production Guide

 Jennyanydots (the Gumbie Cat) is a slightly frumpy
PRODUCTION house cat who is kind, doting, and motherly, but she
GUIDE is still able to command respect. While Jennyanydots
may seem to be a bit lazy, she is able to whip the
troops into shape and dance up a storm when required.
Look for a strong actor, exciting dancer (there is a
short dance break in her song), and solid singer to
take on this fun character role. It is possible to cast
a non-dancer in this role. In this case, simply have
Jennyanydots oversee the dancing and strike simple
Casting poses as the other performers dance around her.

Suggestions Jennyanydots sings: “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle

Cats,” “The Old Gumbie Cat,” “Song of the
Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball”

The Gumbie Trio consists of Demeter, Bombalurina,

and Jellylorum. They sing with Jennyanydots during
her number “The Old Gumbie Cat.”

Demeter is a kind cat who is a bit on the shyer side.

CATS Young Actors Edition is an excellent She is most comfortable when she’s with her close
example of a true ensemble show. While there
friends, Bombalurina and Jellylorum. Together, the
are many specific characters who have their own
three make up the Gumbie Trio. While she doesn’t
moments and/or songs in which to shine, all
demand attention from others, she has no problem
characters also become part of the ensemble during
singing and telling stories to anyone who will listen.
the rest of the show. When you are casting your
Demeter leads some of the more difficult numbers
production, it is important for the actors to be able to
and challenging harmonies in the show, so look for a
embody the characteristics noted below; however, it
great singer who is also a strong dancer for this role.
is equally important for the actors to have the ability
to blend into the ensemble and not draw undue Demeter sings: “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle
attention to themselves when they are not the main Cats,” “The Old Gumbie Cat,” “Introduction
to Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer,” “Entry of
focus of the story.
Grizabella,” “Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle
The descriptions below are meant to guide your
Ball,” “Macavity: The Mystery Cat”
understanding of the characters and assist you in
casting the individual roles. The actors don’t have
Bombalurina is an incredibly social cat! She has
to completely fulfill every descriptive point for the
a big, bright personality that shines through at all
character, but they should be able to meet the
times. She sings extensively throughout the show
singing and dancing requirements. Included after
as one of the Gumbie Trio and the Macavity duet, so
each description is a list of production numbers that
cast a great singer who can also provide the life-of-
feature the character.
the-party energy that pairs nicely with Demeter’s
shyer nature.
Character Descriptions for
CATS Young Actors Edition Bombalurina: “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats,”
“The Old Gumbie Cat,” “The Rum Tum Tugger,”
Munkustrap is responsible, brave, and levelheaded “Entry of Grizabella,” “Song of the Jellicles and
and often functions as the narrator of the group. He the Jellicle Ball,” “Macavity: The Mystery Cat”
transitions easily from the leadership role, being front
and centre, to fading into the group and giving focus Jellylorum is a motherly cat who seems to take
and reverence to whoever needs it, especially to care of the other cats, both older and younger. She
Old Deuteronomy. Cast a natural, charismatic leader is close to Asparagus and does her best to make
in this role with a strong stage presence and great sure he is comfortable and respected. Like the other
singing voice, as Munkustrap is one of the characters two members of the Gumbie Trio, Demeter and
who sings the most throughout the show. Bombalurina, she has extensive solos, so cast a
Munkustrap sings: “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats,” wonderful singer and actor in this role. Jellylorum
“The Naming of Cats,” “The Old Gumbie Cat,” does not need to be the strongest dancer – the most
“Old Deuteronomy,” “Introduction to the Jellicle important aspect of this role is the singing.
Ball,” “Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball” Jellylorum sings: “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats,”
“The Old Gumbie Cat,” “Song of the Jellicles and
the Jellicle Ball,” “Gus: The Theatre Cat”

16 CATS Production Guide

 set, it must include a large playing space for
PRODUCTION big groups and dancing and levels created by
GUIDE
platforms, risers, or stair units to provide visual
variety. As CATS Young Actors Edition is such a
dance-based show, you should prioritise the large
playing space to ensure there is room for all of the
movement the story demands.

Design Elements
Show-Specific  When you are designing your set, remember
Design Suggestions to think theatrically. Where is the story taking
place? It could be an abandoned railway station, a
playground—any place in which you could imagine
cats would gather. Your actors will be humans
portraying cats, so the set should reinforce those
CATS Young Actors Edition proportions. Think of extra-large tires, tall fences,
 Once you have read the script, listened to and other oversized items strategically placed
the recordings, and familiarised yourself with throughout the stage. The more creative choices,
every aspect of this show, you are ready to the more fun for the cast and the audience. Your
start making decisions about the sets for actors can use these oversized items as props
CATS Young Actors Edition. Sets can be as detailed throughout the show or they can simply stay put
or as impressionistic as you would like. The set as set decoration. Additionally, you can place
should invite the audience into the world of interesting entrances and exits in nooks and
these characters and enhance the story. crannies to reflect the way real cats like to sneak
Communicate with your production team and around and appear suddenly. For example, if
consider all of your resources when making these you have a tall platform upstage, put a “tunnel”
decisions. One of the conditions of the licence is underneath the platform so actors can enter and
for your colleagues and/or students to take a exit through the platform. Disguise a platform as a
unique approach to the design of the show. carboard box and suddenly you have an additional
It offers an opportunity for another form of creative level and another entrance to the stage. Remember,
collaboration. This is a wonderful opportunity you can choose any setting you like for this show
to explore a physical production of the show that – an abandoned school, a shopping centre, or even
is uniquely yours and your students. Why not a city park will work, so long as you have lots of
consider a steam punk theme, or setting the staging options for your actors.
show during London’s Swinging Sixties? Just
remember to not overwhelm your production with
a set that is too large, expensive, or complicated -
boundaries are freeing.

Unit Set
 Since CATS Young Actors Edition takes place
in one location with no set changes, you should
be using a unit set. A unit set is one stationary set
used throughout an entire show. You can use the
unit set as is or bring on smaller set pieces
or décor to add for a specific scene. The
most important point to consider when
designing your unit set, and whatever
secondary pieces you use, is consistency.
If half of your design is very literal and
the other half is more creatively abstract,
the audience will be confused. Whatever
direction you decide to take with your unit

22 CATS Production Guide

 Part II: Preproduction

Introductions
3 Once the warm-up is complete,
introductions are in order. Encourage
every member of the production team to introduce
themselves to the group and share the role or
function they are playing in the production. These
introductions should involve the creative team, the
The cast, and students who are participating backstage

Rehearsal or in other non-performance roles. By having each

student speak out loud, including those serving in

Process non-performance roles, you are improving their skills

in public speaking and building their confidence.

Read the Plot Synopsis Out Loud

4 and Teach a Section of Music
Assign a few students to read the plot
synopsis out loud to ensure everyone understands
Creating a the story of the musical. Next, teach the music
1 Rehearsal Schedule for one of the group numbers, or if time is short,
teach a section of a song. Once the students are
Once auditions have been completed,
comfortable with the music, teach the students
the stage manager, director, music director, and
some choreography from the show. This will
choreographer will create a rehearsal schedule,
get them up on their feet, and excited about the
taking into account any conflicts cast members
rehearsal process. Teaching some music and
may have. Start this rehearsal schedule by
choreography should take a little over one hour. At
mapping out when and where rehearsals will
the end of this rehearsal, distribute any paperwork
take place and for how long. Ideally, more than
(like the rehearsal schedule) and be sure to end on
one room will be available to you during
a positive note by congratulating everyone on their
rehearsals. This allows you to rehearse several
hard work or heralding a student who demonstrated
different components at once. For example, the
excellent focus.
ensemble could be reviewing music with the
music director while you are blocking a scene
with the principals. It’s helpful to note that it Teach the Music First
takes approximately one hour of rehearsal for 5 During the next set of rehearsals, focus
every minute of performance. That means this on teaching the music. Start by teaching
musical, which has a running time of roughly the larger numbers first, working your way to
one hour, will require approximately sixty hours the smaller numbers, and, eventually, the solos.
of rehearsal. The Vocal Tracks included with your licence
are designed to help you in this process. Before
teaching a song, play the Vocal Track for the
The First Rehearsal students. Next, select a few students to read
2 Once you have familiarised yourself the lyrics out loud. Gently guide pronunciation
with the vocal book, led at least one of any challenging words and be sure to provide
production meeting with your creative team, and definitions for words with which your students
set your cast, you are ready to begin rehearsals. may be unfamiliar. If a piano player is available,
At the first rehearsal, introduce your creative team have them teach the melody of the song in rhythm
to the cast, the cast to one another, and, finally, and add any harmonies. Now, sing the song
everyone to the show you are about to produce. It is with the Vocal Track to reinforce what your
important that you begin each and every rehearsal students have been taught. As the students
with a warm-up to focus the minds, voices, and become more comfortable, wean them away from
bodies of your students. For the first rehearsal, the Vocal Track by having them sing with the
select a warm-up activity that serves as an ice- Accompaniment Track. Remind your students to
breaker since your students may be a bit nervous use good diction and healthy singing techniques.
and unfamiliar with each other. Don’t forget to shape the music with dynamics.
Once a song has been taught, it is ready to be
choreographed or staged.

Production Guide CATS 25

 PRODUCTION
GUIDE

( Part III )

PRODUCTION

28 CATS Production Guide

 Part III: Production

Musical NuMbers
1. Overture ...................................................................................................3

2. Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats ....................................................... 4

3. The Naming of Cats ........................................................................ 33

4. The Old Gumbie Cat ........................................................................41

5. The Rum Tum Tugger ....................................................................50

6. Entry of Grizabella ........................................................................... 57

7. Introduction to Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer ........................ 61

8. Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer. ...................................................... 62

9. Old Deuteronomy ............................................................................ 73

10. Introduction to the Jellicle Ball ..................................................84

11. Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball ............................... 85

12. Grizabella: The Glamour Cat ........................................................ 97
13. Gus: The Theatre Cat ....................................................................100
14. Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat ............................................. 107

15. Macavity: The Mystery Cat.........................................................125

16. Old Deuteronomy (Reprise) ..................................................... 134
17. Magical Mister Mistoffelees ........................................................135

18. Memory ............................................................................................. 148

19. Memory (Playoff) ...........................................................................153

20. Journey to the Heaviside Layer .............................................. 154

21. The Ad-dressing of Cats ..............................................................159
22. Bows ................................................................................................... 166

23. Playout ...............................................................................................167

2 CATS Young Actors Edition

45
 Part III: Production

Overture 1
CUE:
Take cue from Director or Stage Manager.

Allegro agitato
A B C

& 68
8 8 8

D E
12 bb
8 2 4
& 8
25

Molto rit.
b 2 2
&b
39

F Poco a poco accel. G Presto

b 2 2
& b .. ..
43

CATS Young Actors Edition 3

46
 Part III: Production

Notes

MUSIC CUE 
Track #1 – “Overture”
CUE – Take cue from Director or Stage Manager. 

DIRECTING 
Please note that these annotations will refer to the set
as a junkyard to conform with the stage directions in 
the script. While you may not replicate a professional
production's set, you can certainly still use a junkyard, 
or set the show in an entirely different place, like in a
playground or on a ship. 
LIGHTING

Before the overture begins, the house lights go to
black. If you want to leave lights on the junkyard

scenery, make sure they are at a low level with just a
slight glow.



STAGING
Don’t try to stage the overture. The overture is built 
to musically bring the audience into the world of the
show aurally, not visually. 

47
 Part III: Production

The Old Gumbie Cat 4

(MUNKUSTRAP, JELLYLORUM, DEMETER,
BOMBALURINA, JENNYANYDOTS)
CUE:
Segue from No. 3 – "The Naming of Cats"

Moderato – Colla voce

A
# 4 UŒ
MUNKUSTRAP: (nostalgically with a sense of lost times)

V 4 œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ ‰. œ
œ œ R
I have a Gum - bie cat in mind Her

# œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ . œ œ ‰ . œr œ œ œ œ
V
3

name is Jenn - y - an - y - dots Her coat is of the

# œ œ. œ œ ‰. r œ œ
Rall.

V œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ ‰. r
6

œ
tab - by kind with tig - er stripes and leo - pard spots All

B
#
A tempo

œ œ œ ‰. œ
V œ œ. œ œ
9

œ R
day she sits be - neath the stairs or

# œ œ œ œ . r œ œ
V œ œ. ‰ œ œ œ
11

œ. œ œ
on the step or on the mat She sits and sits and

CATS Young Actors Edition 41

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 Part III: Production

Notes

MUSIC CUE 
Track #4 – “The Old Gumbie Cat”
CUE – Segue from No. 3 – “The Naming of Cats” 


DIRECTING
There is another shift in intention as the audience 
is introduced to the different Cats. The character
Munkustrap often speaks directly to the audience and 
gives them important information.



STAGING
Jennyanydots, Munkustrap, and the trio of singers

should cross downstage to become the clear focal
point. The other Cats don’t need to go offstage, but

they should move to less prominent places onstage for
the first sections of this song.


STAGING 
Jennyanydots lounges somewhere onstage. She
acknowledges that the Cats are singing about her 
and really likes the attention, but she doesn’t feel she
needs to do more than smile and wave at this point. 

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 Part III: Production

N
b
& b b 13
8 ú. œ. œ œ ú. œ. Œ œ
114

Skim - ble - shanks the

b 13
V b b 8 œ. œ. œ. ú œ. œ. œ. Œ œ
Skim - ble - shanks the rail - way cat the

b œ œ .
& b b œJ ‰ ‰ Jœ ‰ Jœ œœ .
116
úú úú .. Œ. Ó 44
cat of the rail - way train

b j j 44
V b b œJ ‰ ‰ œ ‰ œ œ . ú ú. Œ. Ó
cat of the rail - way train

O
b
Molto rall.

V b b 44
4
∑
118

b œœ U
w
&bb Ó Œ ‰ œj œ ‰ œœ œœ œœ w
123

J
The cat of the rail - way train

b U
Vbb Ó Œ ‰ j œ ‰ œœ œœ œœ œœ w
w
œ J
The cat of the rail - way train

124 CATS Young Actors Edition

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 Part III: Production

DIRECTING Notes
The Cats have assembled a train out of objects from
the oversized props found in the junkyard. These
objects aren’t exact replicas of train parts, but they
should be items that are the same basic shape so they 
look like a train. For example, they could use umbrellas
for wheels, a torch for the headlight, etc. 


STAGING
The train comes to life with movement. It doesn’t need 
to actually travel around the stage, but if the wheels
can turn and there is a small pulsing to all items, it will 
give the appearance of a moving train.



STAGING
The crash stops the song, and the makeshift train 
“explodes” as the prop pieces are SAFELY flung or
carried back to their original locations, or even brought 
offstage.


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 Part III: Production

Memory 18
(GRIZABELLA, JEMIMA)
CUE:
Segue from No. 17 – "Magical Mister Mistoffelees"

MUNKUSTRAP: Now Old Deuteronomy

just before dawn through a silence you
feel you could cut with a knife announces (GRIZABELLA enters.
the cat who can now be reborn and come OLD DEUTERONOMY
back to a different Jellicle life. encourages her to sing.)
Rit.
# # 12 b b b b b 44 .. .. b b 12
Adagio
7 4 (2nd time only)

& 8 8

A
Tempo
b
& b 12
8 Ó. Œ ‰ Œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ
12 GRIZABELLA:

Mem - ory turn your face to the

b b œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ
& œ œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ
14

moon - light Let your me-mo-ry lead you op-en up en-ter

b j 10 12
& b ú. 8 œ. j
œ œ œ œ œ 8
16

œ. œ œ œ
in. If you Þnd there the mean-ing of what

b œ œ
& b 12
8 œ œ. œ. œ j œ. œ. œ. 6
j 8
12
8
18

œ œ œ ú.
happ-i-ness is, then a new life will be - gin.

148 CATS Young Actors Edition

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 Part III: Production

Notes
MUSIC CUE
Track #18 – “Memory” 
CUE – Segue from No. 17 – “Magical Mister
Mistoffelees” 


DIRECTING
Munkustrap’s information here is both for the audience 
and for the Cats onstage. This is the moment they
have been waiting for. The Cats are all looking at Old 
Deuteronomy and waiting to see what he will do.

STAGING

Grizabella slowly enters after Munkustrap’s line.
Everyone turns to look at her. Old Deuteronomy

welcomes her and gives her the stage to say
something before he speaks.


337
 PRODUCTION
GUIDE

Adapted by Marty Johnson

Production Guide Stock Text Written by Timothy Allen McDonald

Contributing Writer Laura Jo Schuster

Contributing Editors Joseph Ayala and Marianne Phelps

Layout and Design by Kevin and Dani Johnson

Production Guide Layout by Steven G. Kennedy

Music Layout by Rob Rokicki and Daniel J. Mertzlufft

Music Supervisor Lindsay Weiner Lupi

Senior Managing Editor Susan Fuller

Production Photographs by Alessandro Pinna

CATS Young Actors Edition

Materials created for The Really Useful Group by the good folks at iTheatrics.

Project & Music Supervision - The Really Useful Group LTD.

For more information on CATS and the
Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection visit [Link]

CATS Young Actors Edition

Music Copyright © The Really Useful Group Ltd. 1980
Texts Copyright © T.S. Eliot 1939; this edition of the texts © Set Copyrights Limited 1980
Text of ‘Jellicle Songs For Jellicle Cats’ copyright © 1981 Trevor Nunn/Set Copyrights Ltd.
Production Guide Stock Text & Annotations and Student Vocal Book Stock Text & Illustrations © 2021 iTheatrics.