Rum Tum Tugger
Encyclopedia
Rum Tum Tugger is one of the many feline characters in the poetry book Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
by T. S. Eliot
, published in 1939, and in the musical Cats
which was based on Eliot's book.
Eliot draws attention to the similarities between feline and human personality traits. Rum Tum Tugger is portrayed as the rebel cat who cannot help but be difficult. He is never satisfied with what you give him;
He is notoriously hard to please and sets himself apart from others by trying to be different. He always does the opposite of what is expected of him and by the end of the poem the reader is left with the idea that the Rum Tum Tugger is deviously self-centered and relishes in being so. The three words that are used to describe his character given to each performer who plays the role are 'Perverse, Preening, and Independent'.
In the musical The Rum Tum Tugger is a black tom cat with leopard spots on his chest and a wild mane. In some Japanese productions, he is white. He is considered the ladies' cat and the rebel of the group. He loves the limelight, while at the same time he enjoys being seen as an individual by separating himself a little from the tribe. He may be self-obsessed, but he has great respect for those who deserve it, such as Old Deuteronomy, Munkustrap, and Mr. Mistoffelees, the two appear to have some kind of love-hate relationship. The younger female kittens (Victoria
, Etcetera
, Electra
and Jemima
), and even some of the male kittens are in awe of him as well as some of the older queens, especially Bombalurina
. He flirts openly with almost every female cat in the filmed version, although Demeter
seems to dislike him very deeply. During The Awefull Battle Of The Pekes And The Pollicles, he plays the bagpipes. People believe he and Bombalurina are mates because they dance together at the Jellicle ball.
Paul Nicholas
played the role on the West End and Terrence Mann
originated the role in the Broadway version. Rum Tum Tugger is played by John Partridge
in the filmed version
. In the 25th Anniversary tour of CATS, the role of Rum Tum Tugger was performed by Gary Watson. Right now in the Worldwide tour he is played by Adam Steiner. In most productions he sings 'The Rum Tum Tugger', 'Magical Mr Mistoffelees', and, along with Munkustrap
he sings 'Old Deuteronomy'. In "Jellicle songs for Jellicle Cats, he does not have his mane; he has a different wig and does not have his belt on yet. His first appearance with his mane and proper Rum Tum Tugger wig and accessories is in his own song (which he enjoys greatly - he gets to destroy the Gumbie Cat's fun.)
Andrew Lloyd Webber
has stated that the part of the Tugger is intended to be an homage to Mick Jagger
of the Rolling Stones. This homage is apparent in the way he moves on stage in the original Gillian Lynne choreography and the costume styling.
His type of cat was said to be Maine Coon
, because of his wild mane and being portrayed as being much bigger than the other cats. According to his song, he apparently would do pretty much anything to annoy his owners. He does not appear in many of the scenes, but when he does he usually has a solo.
He and Munkustrap sing the solos to "Old Deuteronomy," leading audiences to speculate that the two are brothers, and the offspring of Old Deuteronomy.
, Terrance Mann, Dave Schoonover, John O'Hara, Matthew Taylor, Daesung
, Ian Mcclary, Rob Morton Fowler,Neil Parnham, David Hees, Paul Nicholas
, Jackson Schultz, David Hibbard, Yves Mathieu, Joe Velazquez and at this moment in the American Tour he is portrayed by Adam Steiner.
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats is a collection of whimsical poems by T. S. Eliot about feline psychology and sociology, published by Faber and Faber. It is the basis for the record-setting musical Cats....
by T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
, published in 1939, and in the musical Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
which was based on Eliot's book.
Eliot draws attention to the similarities between feline and human personality traits. Rum Tum Tugger is portrayed as the rebel cat who cannot help but be difficult. He is never satisfied with what you give him;
He is notoriously hard to please and sets himself apart from others by trying to be different. He always does the opposite of what is expected of him and by the end of the poem the reader is left with the idea that the Rum Tum Tugger is deviously self-centered and relishes in being so. The three words that are used to describe his character given to each performer who plays the role are 'Perverse, Preening, and Independent'.
In the musical The Rum Tum Tugger is a black tom cat with leopard spots on his chest and a wild mane. In some Japanese productions, he is white. He is considered the ladies' cat and the rebel of the group. He loves the limelight, while at the same time he enjoys being seen as an individual by separating himself a little from the tribe. He may be self-obsessed, but he has great respect for those who deserve it, such as Old Deuteronomy, Munkustrap, and Mr. Mistoffelees, the two appear to have some kind of love-hate relationship. The younger female kittens (Victoria
Victoria the White Cat
Victoria is the white cat from the musical Cats, and one of the show's principal characters as well as a starring dance role. She was named after T. S. Eliot's favorite queen, Queen Victoria. As this is a very demanding role, requiring extensive ballet training, the actor enacting the character of...
, Etcetera
Etcetera (cat)
Etcetera is a fictional character in Cats, the musical play based primarily on T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Primarily a dancer, she is one of the chorus line kittens in the tribe of the Jellicle cats.-Origins:...
, Electra
Electra (cat)
Electra is minor female feline character in Cats, a musical inspired by the T. S. Eliot's 1939 poetry book, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. She is a dancer in the chorus line of "kittens" in the tribe of Jellicle cats.-Origins:...
and Jemima
Jemima (cat)
Jemima is a principal character in the musical play Cats, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber using the poetry of T. S. Eliot. She is the youngest member of the tribe of Cats, the voice of innocence and wonder.-Character:...
), and even some of the male kittens are in awe of him as well as some of the older queens, especially Bombalurina
Bombalurina (cat)
Bombalurina is a fictional character in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats. She's a flirtatious red Queen with a white chest and black spots.Bombalurina plays a large role in the musical, dancing and singing several solo and duet parts...
. He flirts openly with almost every female cat in the filmed version, although Demeter
Demeter (cat)
Demeter is a main character in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats. Her name is given in "the Naming Of Cats".Demeter, as costumed in the filmed production, is black and gold with a few patches of white and red or orange, and wears gloves instead of arm warmers, giving her a more elegant touch. In other...
seems to dislike him very deeply. During The Awefull Battle Of The Pekes And The Pollicles, he plays the bagpipes. People believe he and Bombalurina are mates because they dance together at the Jellicle ball.
Paul Nicholas
Paul Nicholas
Paul Nicholas is an English actor and singer who has had considerable success on stage, screen and in the pop charts.-Biography:Nicholas was born as Paul Oscar Beuselinck in Peterborough, England...
played the role on the West End and Terrence Mann
Terrence Mann
Terrence Vaughan Mann is an American actor, director, singer, songwriter and dancer who has been prominent on the Broadway stage for the past three decades...
originated the role in the Broadway version. Rum Tum Tugger is played by John Partridge
John Partridge (performer)
John Partridge is an English actor, singer, dancer, panelist and television presenter, who is probably best known for the role of Christian Clarke in the long-running BBC television soap opera EastEnders, having joined the cast in January 2008...
in the filmed version
CATS (film)
Cats is a 1998 direct-to-video film of the long-running West End production of Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. Lloyd Webber himself personally oversaw orchestration for the film and called on Gillian Lynne, the original show's...
. In the 25th Anniversary tour of CATS, the role of Rum Tum Tugger was performed by Gary Watson. Right now in the Worldwide tour he is played by Adam Steiner. In most productions he sings 'The Rum Tum Tugger', 'Magical Mr Mistoffelees', and, along with Munkustrap
Munkustrap
Munkustrap is a Jellicle cat, named in T. S. Eliot's poem "The Naming of Cats". He is a principal character in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats.-The musical:...
he sings 'Old Deuteronomy'. In "Jellicle songs for Jellicle Cats, he does not have his mane; he has a different wig and does not have his belt on yet. His first appearance with his mane and proper Rum Tum Tugger wig and accessories is in his own song (which he enjoys greatly - he gets to destroy the Gumbie Cat's fun.)
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
has stated that the part of the Tugger is intended to be an homage to Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
of the Rolling Stones. This homage is apparent in the way he moves on stage in the original Gillian Lynne choreography and the costume styling.
His type of cat was said to be Maine Coon
Maine Coon
The Maine Coon is a breed of domestic cat with a distinctive physical appearance and valuable hunting skills. It is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America, specifically native to the state of Maine, where it is the official State Cat....
, because of his wild mane and being portrayed as being much bigger than the other cats. According to his song, he apparently would do pretty much anything to annoy his owners. He does not appear in many of the scenes, but when he does he usually has a solo.
He and Munkustrap sing the solos to "Old Deuteronomy," leading audiences to speculate that the two are brothers, and the offspring of Old Deuteronomy.
Actors who have played the part
John PartridgeJohn Partridge (performer)
John Partridge is an English actor, singer, dancer, panelist and television presenter, who is probably best known for the role of Christian Clarke in the long-running BBC television soap opera EastEnders, having joined the cast in January 2008...
, Terrance Mann, Dave Schoonover, John O'Hara, Matthew Taylor, Daesung
Daesung
Kang Daesung is a member of K-Pop group Big Bang. Daesung was born in Itaewon, South Korea and attended high school but he dropped out and focused more on Big Bang. Then in late 2008, he focused on college entrance exams. He attended Kyunghee University in Seoul...
, Ian Mcclary, Rob Morton Fowler,Neil Parnham, David Hees, Paul Nicholas
Paul Nicholas
Paul Nicholas is an English actor and singer who has had considerable success on stage, screen and in the pop charts.-Biography:Nicholas was born as Paul Oscar Beuselinck in Peterborough, England...
, Jackson Schultz, David Hibbard, Yves Mathieu, Joe Velazquez and at this moment in the American Tour he is portrayed by Adam Steiner.