I’m so emotional right now. I can’t believe that someone recorded this precious footage back in the early 1980s. Thank you so so much. Recently I watched the 2018 London tour in Asia, but to my dismay, Growltiger’s Last Stand was completely cropped out. Instead, they made Gus sing “and I was played Rumpus Cat”. I was like, “what???” the whole time because it didn’t make any sense to me lollllll I haven’t seen Growltiger on stage for 9 years and this video really touches deep in my heart.

@crystalparadise5937

3 ай бұрын

I was thinking the same thing. CATS inspired me so heavily but by the time I came around so much already changed about it. Im crying as im writing this happy I can see it.

Love this! Always thought the ship and set transformation was awesome. So imagine my disappointment seeing the show in London. No ship, just a cat-sized orange crate or something dragged on stage. Bummed me out! 😁

im well into my 30's now but when i was about 15 i saw a tour of cats and i was obsessed with this number. it was a big part in me going to college for musical theatre. love ittttt

OMG, I thought this footage literally didn't exist! Thank you so much for uploading this. :) This is so funny and absolutely gorgeous at the same time. They were insane cutting this out.

@jaymum23

Жыл бұрын

They could have just changed some lyrics (delete the “c” word) and directed the Siamese actors to not use a stereotypical accent to make it more culturally sensitive. The Music Man (playing at this same Winter Garden Theater!❤) did this with “Shipoopi” in the current revival- just swapped some of the overtly misogynistic lyrics out. No idea why Cats had to excise an entire beloved scene. It was always my favorite in the show.😢

@phangirlable

Жыл бұрын

@@jaymum23 They did the same with Starlight Express, removing whole songs (and even whole characters like Caboose, pretty much the best thing about the show, in all versions except Germany) and gender switching characters for more female representation and BS like this. The irony is that most die hard fans are female and very upset about the removal of some of their favorite songs (that were deemed sexist apparently) and replacing Papa steam train with a Mama.

Thats such a steep rake for the actors to perform on!

@alexoy2k

3 ай бұрын

found some photos of the cast on the boat, and it doesn't look as steep. it's probably the angle the camera was on.

I got to see this at the New York Public Library once for "research" (wink wink) and they said they only permit visitors to view their Broadway archives once. Thank you for giving me a second opportunity. ;D

Cats was my first Broadway musical in 1985. I remember being blown away how the stage opened up to the top of the ship for Growltiger. I can finally show this to others and they can get a sense of the scale. Yes, I loved this number too...but I can easily cringe at the racial depiction of Asians. Thank you 100 times over for uploading this!

@auroraspiderwoman5886

5 жыл бұрын

Great comment and glad you found this.

@disneydanny2

3 жыл бұрын

I saw it for the first time on tour about 3 years after that with the 4th North American Tour (the first North American tour to downscale the Growltiger set (yes the other 3, well actually 2 as the 2nd tour was actually the sit-down Los Angeles production, had the full Growltigerb setup with the back wall.

@butterbook

3 жыл бұрын

Have any Asians complained about it? Probably not but I imagine a few PTA moms have.

@MondoMiami

2 жыл бұрын

butterbook Several geese have complained about being portrayed as “silly” along with the call to lock them up.

@jaymum23

Жыл бұрын

They could have just changed some lyrics and accents like The Music Man and it would have been fine. They didn’t need to cut the whole scene that I and many others have loved since childhood!

Oh man seeing the ship crash down to the stage brings so much nostalgia. This was the first Broadway show I had ever seen at 6 years old, and we sat three rows behind the speakers. Hear how loud that opening music is when gus transforms into growltiger? It truly was that loud 😂😂

@auroraspiderwoman5886

5 жыл бұрын

Glad this brought back memories of your first Broadway show.

This is cut?! WTF it's my favorite Cats piece! Boo!

@jtalk0074

4 жыл бұрын

Buck McAntlerson my favourite as well!

@andrewkohler3707

4 жыл бұрын

I also really love it, even though it is, unfortunately, quite racist. :'-(

Thank you for posting this true highlight of OBC Cats! The show just isn’t complete without Growltiger.

Thank you so much! Such great footage! You don't happen to have an early version of "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer"? Or "Mr Mistoffelees"?

Thank you for uploading this! These are real treasures! :)

Thank you for sharing your treasures of video!

Thank you so much for sharing these videos these are real gems, I haven't been able to find videos like these before, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, I look forward to viewing more of your videos

It's amazing that this footage even exists, thank you so much for posting it. I think it's dead wrong for Webber to leave this number out of the revival in fact there's more than one change I don't like at all. This was just wonderful thank you again.

@auroraspiderwoman5886

7 жыл бұрын

You are very welcome--glad you liked it.

@phangirlable

7 жыл бұрын

What the hell was Webber thinking, seriously. :( It's the best part of the show.

@HistoryMuses

7 жыл бұрын

Does it have that odd faster version of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer?

@chickenofrobot567

6 жыл бұрын

It was left out due to the racist depectioin of asians

@kimlechman5856

5 жыл бұрын

I agree. To the Broadway revival’s credit, they got rid of that god awful Rapper Tugger and brought back the classic Rock one.

I'm glad that Royal Caribbean Broadway at Sea still does the original, not the revival.

Thanks so much for uploading this!!

Thanks so much for posting! Sad it was cut.

Could someone please tell me how the set changing truly worked? It looked like the ship comes from behind the Jellicle Moon, with the actors basically riding upside-down to right side up, then it engulfs the Jellicle Ball. If someone can answer, that would be great because this looks amazing.

@lindseys5478

7 жыл бұрын

The whole back part of the stage (backdrop) slides open to reveal the ocean scene and the ship comes down from yes where the Jellicle Moon is. Just like when Grizabella goes up to the Heavyside Layer, there are trap doors in the ceiling as well. I used to go backstage and basically grew up watching Cats on Broadway, so I am really familiar with the stage.

I sang this 3 years in a row in local versions I played coricopat growltiger and the last cat I played was Grizzabella

I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A VIDEO LIKE THIS FOR FOREVER!

@auroraspiderwoman5886

7 жыл бұрын

So nice to hear---glad you found us.

Wow!!! Thanks for sharing this! I've always wondered how this scene would be like!

Grew up with the 98 version excluding growltiger entirely, so its really nice to see the ORIGINAL Growltiger. If there's any more og cats footage out there I'd go nuts for it, or just. any version of cats that isn't widely available, eating up the cats content rn and deeply thankful

@crystalparadise5937

3 ай бұрын

Me too! I only ever heard it on UK version CDs. At least while we missed Growltigers last stand we were lucky enough to be before the 2000s "hip hop" inspired Rum Tum Tugger. Lol

finding recordings like this is such a treat

Why did they cut growltigers last stand out of the revival version of cats the musical . It was good . Also weren’t growltiger and griddlebone part of macavity’s league or just Griddlebone

@clivegoodman16

4 жыл бұрын

In the original poem, it was Mungojerry and Griddlebone. In one version of the song lyrics they added Growltiger, but he was not in the original poem.

@m0L3ify

4 жыл бұрын

They said they didn't include it in the 1998 movie because of the actor's age and time constraints, but I'm guessing it also has to do with what Mattbrain said: it hasn't aged well. It's one of my favorites from this musical because I love the music and I love Gus, but I totally get why it wouldn't be suitable for modern audiences.

@butterbook

3 жыл бұрын

@@m0L3ify what do "modern audiences"enjoy?

@gabriellagraham8941

3 жыл бұрын

It's mostly xenophobic towards Asians. I get why they cut it out to be honest

@kristiwilliams1051

3 жыл бұрын

I get it portrayed asians rather poorly but in all honesty, growltiger was portrayed as a conquering jerk--prob British--who got what was coming to him. I think people forget at times, the british sense of humor. They make fun of others as well as themselves. They ripped on their own culture with Monty Python so my theory is quite plausible.

Had the song appeared in the 1998 film, Growltiger would've been played by Robin Williams.

@andrewtodaro2874

5 ай бұрын

That would have been awesome 😂❤

@reneastle8447

5 ай бұрын

@@andrewtodaro2874 Indeed, he would've played an excellent Growltiger thanks to his comedic timing and his marvellous singing.

The second set has the performers from the Broadway soundtrack. The voices sound identical. Wonderful that you have these. I saw them in DC in 83 or 84, and I thought Growltiger was the the show highlight.

@yipengli1072

5 жыл бұрын

Have you got a list of performers from each cast? I am wondering if Bonnie Simmons did Griddlebone in both versions. Also I am wondering which actor played Genghis in the second clip. Does it sound like Steven Gelfer?

Whoa, this is awesome!

Interesting fact the 1st,2nd & 3rd national tour replicated this Growltiger set. when the 4th National tour launched they changed it to a stand-alone. se piece. when the Broadway production the Growltifger set was moved to one of the international productions.

@dustinbarcus4193

2 жыл бұрын

Here another fact the national tour had a backdrop curtain that read "Growltiger's Last Stand" with an illstration of Growltiger on the right side holding a flag and sword

This number wasn’t included in the 1998 film either.. which is sad because I wanted to see it realized in that form

This is just me but I absolutely love the relationship of Growltiger and Griddlebone. I know in the musical they portray her as a full of herself cat who betrays Growltiger but listen to my alternet backstory for them. He was once a young cat who wanted to be sailor and was in love at with this young blossoming white cat. They both were deeply in love with each other and because Griddlebone was willing to wait for him to come back from his trip. After being beccoming kidnapped by pirates, the young Growltiger slowely becomes more and piraty himself un to he is finally the famouse Growltiger. When he gets the chance, he visits her and for his love for her has not dimished over theses long years of pirating. The beautiful Griddlebone now a fully grown queen, while many other toms have tried to claim her love for themselves will never becuase, her the fire of her love for Growltiger has never burnt out even now as the scared, pirate, she can still see traits of the young tom that she loved all thoses years ago. Anyways that what I think of when I see theses two characters :). What do you think?

WOAHH I've always wanted to see footage of the '83 cast! Do you happen to have any more footage (like of Pekes And Pollicles or Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer)?

@austinpearce5442

6 жыл бұрын

ioweitalltoyou232 Mungojerrie with the trash puppets

@ZcatSix

2 жыл бұрын

Second this request!

The upcoming feature film will use Growltiger. Played by Ray Winstone

@yipengli1072

5 жыл бұрын

It is encouraging news to know that the film will have Growltiger. However, I wish I knew which version they will use. I accept that ALW wasn't keen on the Broadway rewrite and reinstated Billy M'Caw in the 2003 production onwards, but even Billy M'Caw has dropped out. In any case I am secretly hoping that the film will use this American text Growltiger and play it as part of Gus's flashback.

@Blastof-ob2zb

3 жыл бұрын

Well this comment didn’t age well...

Thnx for the upload!!! Do you happen to have any more 80s Cats footage?

Love all your videos! Do you possibly have the Jellicle Ball from this cast? Would adore to see it!!! 🎵 Thank you 👍

I’m really glad I found this video as I love the musical, and so a video from Cats’ early years was an amazing discovery to make 🙂 I’m not sure how I feel about how the Siamese cats were described at 8:28 and 19:58, though.

@bridgez04

2 ай бұрын

that's why this number has been cut from all modern productions. ALW used TS Eliot's 1939 poems as the lyrics so the asian portrayal was going to be out of date. I wonder how much of Eliot's work can be adapted to make this number appropriate for modern audiences again

@FreddiePetrusewicz-ym9id

2 ай бұрын

@@bridgez04 I know. I mean, they did replace the word that was used and the accents were toned down, but they could still do more

I'm really disappointed that it's not in the revival, this is one of my favorite songs. I read somewhere that it's not in the movie because the actor who played Gus was too old and ill to do the song. I think he died not long after they finished shooting.

@austinpearce5442

6 жыл бұрын

SamuraiNinjaKoriin they had another actor set to do the Growltiger scene

@sk011151

6 жыл бұрын

Actually Sir John Mills had never played Cats prior to the 1998 movie version so he didn’t know the role Growltiger. I guess he was invited to do the movie because of his fame.

@austinpearce5442

6 жыл бұрын

YL lv they were going to have someone else do Growltiger

@reneastle8447

5 жыл бұрын

@@austinpearce5442 What if Robin Williams was in Cats as Growltiger with Sarah Brightman as Griddlebone? That would've been brilliant.

There's video up of a Moscow 2005 production that has Growltiger's Last Stand in it, it's pretty similar but minus the opera duet and they keep a lot of the Siamese/Persian cats in the shadows instead of broadly lit. And I couldn't really tell you anything about how accurate the translation is into Russian, but it was a heck of a listen.

6:06 Am I wrong or does the male singer confuses one Italian line with another? He is supposed to sing 'Si poteva vedere il galeone ancorato', instead he sings 'Se in tanta poesia il gale ancora' (??!? makes no sense!). Did no one notice this?

I think they eliminated this number because they didn't want to put the ship.

Mad that they don’t have growl tiger in the revival!! Wtf??!

@LauraBwayMorris

4 жыл бұрын

Amber B well some of the instrumental of it is in there, just different lyrics (Pekes and Pollicles)

I think I like the original Broadway 1982 New York version better with Puccini’s opera on the pirate ship better

@andrewkohler3707

4 жыл бұрын

Swashbuckling feline pirates, simulated Puccini-what's not to love? Aside from the racial slurs. :-/

I miss "Billy McCaw".... But so awesome...

In what way is this segment racist against ALL asians? They're pirates for crying out loud! Are we saying there were no Asian pirates? And they kill Growltiger! That's a good thing! They're technically the heroes of the story! I'm sorry, I grew up with this beautiful music and story and in NO WAY did it shape a negative attitude in me towards asians. At all. And even if this sequence did offend me, I'd rather face it head on for what it is instead of burying it forever. Was T.S. Eliot a racist? Possibly. But great works of art transcend the limitations of their creator's perspective.

Sooo they really cut the pirate cats section in the later iterations.

I may seem insensitive for this, but the only thing I really saw as 'racist' was the word "chink" It is an offensive word to be certain. The depiction of the Siamese cats wasn't accurate, but it wasn't claiming to be. It's an over the top operatic exhibition, it's meant to be silly. Growltiger and Griddlebone were both portrayed as over the top ridiculous as well, the whole thing was a giant spectacle. Had this kind of expression of the Siamese cats been in a more serious musical or movie, then you'd have a problem. But in this context? Not in the least bit racist, other than the use of the word "chink."

@Blastof-ob2zb

3 жыл бұрын

That’s like calling the crows in dumbo not racist because it’s a cartoon and over exaggerated. A racist stereotype is a racist stereotype. Though this song is great!

@TheaterPup

3 жыл бұрын

@@Blastof-ob2zb No it's not like that. Dumbo's scene was unironically racist. This bit in Cats is supposed to be satirical of an opera.

@MondoMiami

2 жыл бұрын

I saw the Broadway production myriad times over the years. Asian tourists always made up a healthy portion of the audience, and they ALWAYS laughed along with everyone else during Growltiger. Not everyone lives his/her life looking for things that offend them.

why was growltigers last stand cut from the Cats the Musical revival in 2017 . just curious

@austinpearce5442

6 жыл бұрын

Daniel Stewart they replaced it with Rumpus Cat

@danielstewart6055

5 жыл бұрын

Wasn’t it Andrew Lloyd Webber’s idea to cut it out of the play and why did they do it

@clivegoodman16

4 жыл бұрын

I believe the word "chinks" is not politically correct.

@mst3kanita

4 жыл бұрын

I can imagine it was also cut for time as well.

@clivegoodman16

4 жыл бұрын

@@ChantelCarter-cc7cu . Though I might add that although the original poem had the word "chinks" in many versions of the lyrics this word is replaced by "Siamese".

can u post more ?

Were the actor and actress in this Stephen Hanan and Bonnie Simmons?

I don’t suppose you’ve got footage of Betty performing Memory??

How did Growltiger lose an eye and ear . Did they tell us how he feared the Siamese so much and hated everyone in sight

@MondoMiami

2 жыл бұрын

The Siamese mauled his ear (it’s in the lyrics). I’ve always assumed the eye was a casualty of an unrelated Growltiger adventure.

I like the Stephan hanan he has opera baritone

What happened to Griddlebone . I know that Growltiger died when he was forced to walk the plank . Did they mention her fate

@Blazingstoke

4 жыл бұрын

I've always assumed she was in on it. The poem about Macavity names her as one of his agents; I always figured he told her Growltiger had to go, so she arranged the attack with the Siamese cats.

@ethanlivemere1162

4 жыл бұрын

@@Blazingstoke Same here

@gemoonopra

4 жыл бұрын

Daniel Stewart she was skewered with a Siamese sword, and survived I think

@gemoonopra

4 жыл бұрын

And swam away.

Who are the performers here?

@tristanbray2184

4 жыл бұрын

1984 Tim Jerome, Claude Tessier, Terrence Mann, Michael Scott Gregory, Herman Sebek, Brian Sutherland, Bonnie Simmons, Rene Clemente 1983 Stephen Hanan, Harry Groener, Terrence Mann, Reed Jones, Tim Scott, Hector Mercado, Bonnie Simmons, Rene Clemente

sucks that this was cut bc that italian aria is so wonderful, but i can understand why. like, the whole thing with the siamese cats is so......painfully racist

@raquelhayley

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, exactly. I really hope they can rework this one day so they can still do the number... just you know, less racist lol.

@TheaterPup

3 жыл бұрын

@@raquelhayley So I take it you don't find the Italian aria bit stereotypical at all? Hmm.

Hallucinatory stagecraft

Genghis during the instrumentals: ⬅️⬆️➡️⬇️↗️↘️↙️↖️↕️↔️↪️↩️⤴️⤵️🔀🔁🔄🔃

So this is Gus telling a story about a play he was in? I can see why this was cut out, for time, and it kinda takes away from the whole junkyard mentality of the play.

@starkman78

4 жыл бұрын

@Mattbrain I think that they could fix that by changing up the lyrics a bit. It would be so nice to have this moment back in the show.

If you look past the racist accents, a racist word towards CHINESE PEOPLE being used against THAI cats, and Genghis screeching in an unholy way, you see a story about an extremely racist cat getting his comeuppance from the race he despises.

I wonder if they felt the portrayal of the siamese was racist?

@austinpearce5442

6 жыл бұрын

Gary Glaser they changed it later

@andrewkohler3707

4 жыл бұрын

It is quite racist, yes. :-( Thanks a lot for not keeping your racism out of your swashbuckling pirate cat poem, T.S. Eliot. What a twit.

Jesus loves you ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

This is probably cut from the revival due to how sensitive people are. They probably think this is "racist".

@crimsonstang

4 жыл бұрын

@Mattbrain so they couldn't just remove the word?

@raquelhayley

4 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately it is racist. It’s not just the word, it’s also the portrayal of the Siamese with a stereotypical “Chinese” accent. Personally, I think they could rework it to include the number (and I wish they would because it was my favourite part)... but dang I can certainly see why this is problematic. Listen to all the people giggling at the accents etc.

@crimsonstang

4 жыл бұрын

@@raquelhayley it isn't racist. People are just too sensitive today. I think you conflate nationality with race.

@FallenAngel7538

3 жыл бұрын

@@crimsonstang Are you of chinese descent/chinese?

@TheaterPup

3 жыл бұрын

@@raquelhayley It's not meant to be taken seriously.