By:MoonbeamDancer
"The greatest magicians have something to learn, from Mr. Mistoffelees conjuring turn."(CATS) Over the past 16 years, 14 people have played Mistoffelees, which is the most strenuous role in CATS, and Jacob Brent is the current one in the Broadway Cast.
Jacob Brent is 28 years old, and is from North Carolina. He started dancing professionally when he was 9, and has danced for 18 years. His dance teacher Duncan Noble, from North Carolina School of Arts, where Jacob graduated from, taught him how to dance. Jacob's first job dancing was for Walt Disney World in the dance troupe called "The World Dancers". His 2nd job was in Las Vegas, as part of the original cast, in 'Starlight Express' as Turnov. He then got a part in CATS.
In 1991, he joined the Broadway cast of CATS. He first joined them as Pouncival, even though he had "originally understudied for both Pouncival and Mistoffelees" (Ultimately Mr. Mistoffelees). Then in 1997, he started playing Mistoffelees. I've seen the way he works in the video. He makes it look so easy, like he's flying. What he thinks of he character is that, "He's a bit of a rascal, I think. He's a bit of a child prodigy of the tribe, and brilliant at what he does, and is a little wacky at the same time. He's not really an adult, but he's not a kitten. He has these magical powers that he doesn't quite know how to use yet, but he's learning." (U M M)
Jacob also teaches dance for a Broadway clinic called "Access Broadway" (I have a friend who went she's so lucky.) He teaches with the current Pouncival and other big names on Broadway. He was in CATS when they broke the record for longest Broadway show running. 6,138 shows since it started. He is one of the MOST sought after performers, choreographers, and teachers.
In 1998,Jacob went over to London to tape CATS,in the New London Theater. There they had past and present performers from all of the various CATS casts. Ken Page and Elaine Paige from the original Broadway cast, Jo Gibb, from the London cast, who played Old Deuteronomy, Grizabela, and Rumpleteazer, just to name a few. For some it was a CATS reunion of sorts, for Jacob it was like a refresher course:
The whole experience was kind of a dreamland, it was the intensity of the project, and really getting the show from the horse's mouth. It reminded me that you do get the feeling that CATS is in your blood. I guess it always will be(T.V. Guide.).
Jacob Brent has been playing Mistoffelees in the Broadway cast for four years(and I hope he stays there for a long time). The video version of CATS is under 2 hours long; the Broadway version is 2 hours and 40 minutes. What they chopped out was "Growltiger's Last Stand" completely(too bad I heard it's pretty good.)., and three verses of "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer". There are bloopers all over the video. Part of the fun is going back and seeing if they're there, and finding new ones.(I found a new one right at the beginning of "Jellicle Ball" when Deuteronomy is walking down the stairs, you can see Jacob walking/hiding right behind him.) For example in "The Pekes and The Pollicles", Jacob throws one of his shoes, and the girls proceed to kick it across the stage. In some scenes you can see some of the cats pull up their arm warmers, because they keep slipping down. And in some scenes you can see other cats get ready for their cues.
"Over the last 17 years, productions of CATS, have been performed in 26 countries to an audience of 50 million people, who have bought $2 billion dollars worth of tickets" (T.V. Guide)
So in the words of Rum Tum Tugger, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the magical, the mystical, Mr. Mistoffelees!" (CATS)
~*Author's Note*~ Yeah I know, I could of done more with it. HECK, I WANTED TO DO MORE WITH IT!!! But my teacher only gave us a 2 page max!! I wanted to put in a page where I had a list of the video cast that would of looked like this:(I'll use Jacob as an example.)
Jacob Brent- his cat name, how the name is pronounced, and what cast he's from.
The 2nd page I wanted to put in was a fact sheet about the Broadway Cast. EX: They use (insert number) of gallons of make-up remover since (insert date.) Stuff like that. Anyways on to the thank you's.
~thank you's.~ I'd like to thank all the people out there who helped me find all of this stuff. Thanks to Vee Gee, who had the T.V. Guide article. Thanks to Suzy-Q and Tommi who gave me the web addy for "Ultimately Mr. Mistofflees." Thanks to Munkustrapkitty who let me hound her with all my questions about Jacob Brent. Thanks to Sootaput, who made THE coolest CATS site, and helped me find these above people, who are now my friends. And thanks to T.S. Eliot who wrote "Old Possums Book of Practical Cats." Thanks to my parents who got me CATS on tape. (yay!!)
And a HUGE THANK YOU to Andrew Lloyd Webber, who made CATS what it is today.
AND A GIANT THANK YOU to the video casts of CATS,(mostly Jo Gibb and Jacob Brent.) you guys ROCK!!!
CATS, NOW AND FOREVER!!
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