Those of you faithful to the Broadway version of Cats are probably asking, "Admetus? Who's that?" And even if you've watched the video you may not know who I'm talking about.
Samson: Though if you stick around the Arms long enough you'll have it burned into your brain.
I'm just trying to share my knowledge.
Sonia: She's so considerate...
Let's keep the sarcasm to a minimum, okay? So we'll start by answering the question, who is Admetus?
Admetus: I know who I am.
Of course you do, love. But those who aren't keen observers...
Sonia: In other words, obsessed nitpickers.
...might not have noticed you before. So we shall enlighten them.
Admetus: Okay.
Admetus is a chorus Cat in the video played by Frank Thompson, the same handsome gentleman who plays the Great Rumpus Cat. Those who have seen the London show may be confused because he has the same makeup and costume of George, who until fairly recently was also the Rumpus Cat in that show. He is brown and grey and sticks to the background a lot, mainly because he is so tall I suppose.
Sonia: He could be Exotica's brother for the way he melts into the shadows.
He is hard to spot at first, but once you do you'll be glad of it because he has some of the craziest facial expressions. For all the he's slightly over six feet tall and well built, he does his best to make you think he's a cute little kitten.
Admetus: (grins) I do try.
So how do you spot the little darling? Well, after watching the video countless times I have memorized his every move and will impart this info in the form of a song by song guide.
Sonia: Didn't I say she was obsessed?
Admetus: Hmm, I have to agree.
So here we go:
Admetus: Catchy title.
Enjoy...
Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats
Admetus appears about halfway through this song, but you really have to look for him. Watch Etcetera as she swings down on the trapeze. There is a Cat behind her giving her a push, and he presumably catches her when she comes back. That is Admetus acting as her spotter.
He next appears as the Cats are gathering on the tire just before the line "Can you sing at the same time..." He is in the top row on the left end, next to Victoria. As I watch him singing during the "mystical divinity" bit, one thought that pops into my head is, hmm, good vocal technique. He opens his mouth nice and wide and forms it carefully around the words.
After the Cats run down from the tire, he stays at the back and is a little hard to keep track of until they are in that clump just before "practical cats". Then he is on the right outside toward the back. He is in the fourth group that goes up to the camera and reaches out before backing away. His is the only group to do high kicks, and he nearly gets kicked in the backside by Munkustrap who is close behind him. Possibly, Michael thought of it as pay-back for Frank kicking him in the head as we suspect he did during Pekes and Pollicles.
Admetus remains on the outside right during the transition verse and can be seen over Jennyanydot's shoulder as Munkustrap says, "Do I actually see..." On the third, "What's a Jellicle cat?" he is the cat who exchanges a glance with young Grizabella as she comes back onstage, possibly one of the best close-ups we get of him through the whole video.
The Naming of Cats
As the Cats gather for this recitation (you can hardly call it a song), Admetus stays in the back row, though initially he is second from the right. When the Cats snap their heads forward he is suddenly at the end of the row. Throughout the recitation, he maintains a calm, understated expression, so different from the goofy, silly looks we get to see later.
As a point of interest, when we see a close-up of Exotica on "more dignified" (how come she gets a better close-up than he does, huh?), the greyish brownish background that is behind her is Admetus' chest. And as they say "Munkustrap", if you look at the top of the screen, you can just see Admetus' face peeking forward above Mistoffelees' head.
Just as the Cats are about to break into small groups he is again second from the right. As he makes his way into his group he stumbles almost imperceptibly. He is at the back of the group on the right, next to Skimbleshanks. As the Cats slink off the stage while watching Victoria, he slides off to the right just behind Jemima.
Invitation to the Jellicle Ball
Admetus comes on pretty quickly from the right just in front of the car. Just before he rises from his crouch he kicks his leg out to the left. On the word "rejoice" he is the only Cat to reach up without waving his paws around. In the group that forms behind Munkustrap he is at the back facing out to the right.
The Old Gumbie Cat
Admetus disappears for pretty much the whole first half of this song, though he can be seen briefly in the background as Munkustrap nuzzles faces with Alonzo.
He doesn't reappear until the beetles' tattoo. At first he is in the back inside row of the left regiment. Then he and Plato are the pivot of the kicking line, and while the others are facing straight ahead, they have their faces turned to each other. As Jenny marches in front of the line, watch Admetus next to Plato. (They're hard to miss, the two tallest guys in the middle of the line.) Even though his face is half hidden by his beetle mask, he is still making silly faces. As the Cats swing back into formation he has switched to the back inside row of the right regiment where he stays until the end of the song when he goes off to the right.
The Rum Tum Tugger
Admetus doesn't appear in this song until the second verse. You don't see him come on, but he is suddenly on the car next to Skimble on the line "I'm always on the wrong side..." In the next shot he has vanished, then as the chorus sings, "The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat" he is there again and Skimble is pushing him back as if he were getting too frisky. Next shot he is gone, then on "He will do as he do do" he is sitting next to the tire.
He joins the dancing on the third verse, lining up on the right behind Pouncival as Tugger and Bomb do their dance. He stays on the far right during the following dance sequence, then disappears behind the swathe of girls that crowd around Tugger. When Tugger brushes the girls back, Admetus runs over to the pipe and straddles it. He slides off the pipe as Tugger sings his second abou-ou-ou. On the third he looks down as he tries to swing his hips like Tugger. During the dance free-for-all that comes next he keeps to the back of the stage.
Grizabella: the Glamour Cat
When Grizabella appears, attention shifts to her side of the stage, but we see Admetus shortly after Munkustrap pushes Mistoffelees back when he settles on the edge of the tire. There he stays, watching the singers intensely until the chorus comes in at the end. Then he comes down from the tire behind Mistoffelees. Grizabella leaves and the kittens crawl after her, and Admetus comes up beside Asparagus and pokes his head in between Asparagus' arm and body to watch her go.
Bustopher Jones: the Cat About Town
As Jenny begins singing, Asparagus hurries forward and the top of Admetus' wig is visible over Jenny's shoulder. (Nitpicky, I know) Then as the male cats come forward to greet Bustopher he is crouched at the front right of the group. They scatter backwards and as Mistoff bows to Bustopher, Admetus' ears are visible in the lower right corner of the screen. Bustopher makes a sweeping bow to all the male Cats and Admetus is at the right front of the group, sitting up on his haunches. He's onstage but not visible until Bustopher turns upstage, at which point he is over to the left. He does a little kick then scampers over to his position just behind Bustopher on the hat.
As any Admetus fan would tell you, this is one of the best times to watch him. He's right behind the solo singer and he's tall so he's well visible, and he's making cute kitten eyes most of the time. (Frank Thompson must have a kitty of his own; he's got the look down pat!) And he has the cutest grin, a premonition of the amazing jaws he shows off as the Rumpus Cat. After the shot where Mistoff is polishing his claws on his chest, Admetus is giving him a sidelong look. And after the line "which is famous for winkles and shrimps" he rubs his tummy in a hungry manner. Then on the line "cabbage, rice pudding, and mutton" he cocks his head and has the cutest expression on his face. He forgets to sing on "smartest of names" because he is too busy making cute kitten eyes.
When Bustopher leans back too far on the hat he comes forward and gives him a little push from behind, then grabs up the hat, giving Munkustrap a furtive look as he does so. He walks off in a decidedly un-catlike fashion to the left carrying the hat. We don't see him come back, but when the males are lining up to receive Bustopher he is there next to Plato, brushing at his paws. Here's an interesting one: As Bustopher is setting up his shot, Admetus leans forward to watch and Plato leans in behind him and reaches around Admetus' waist to rub his thigh. I'm sure it was intended as an affectionate catlike nuzzle, but it looks kinda strange. When Bustopher hits his imaginary ball, Admetus snaps his head around in the most catlike way. Then the lightning crashes and he reacts immediately, dropping into an alert crouch. Just before we see the wanted poster for Macavity he reaches out toward Munkustrap. Demeter hisses, "Macavity!" and he puts a protective(?) paw on Etcetera's back, then they run off the stage together.
Given that he has a costume change coming up, he doesn't reappear at the end of Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer and is not present for Old Deuteronomy.
The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles
Obviously Admetus is not in this song, but the Great Rumpus Cat is and most Admetus fans are also GRC fans. He enters on cue, but from the opposite side that Munkustrap is expecting him. It almost looks like he glances over at the group as he leaps. Frank Thompson makes a very goofy GRC. He menaces Old D until Munkustrap grabs him and drags him to the front of the stage, then they kind of look at each other like "now what?". Frank really milks this role for all it's worth, showing off his amazing jaws and snapping them at Munkustrap. On "you never saw anything" he lifts his right leg out to the side and you can see the muscles rippling in his left thigh. (mrowr!) It has been suggested that on "or hairier" he is biting his lip to keep from laughing. This is possible as it is unusual for Frank to have his mouth closed, but I think it is actually shadows passing across his face. At that time, my attention is drawn to the R on his chest moving up and down as he breathes heavily. Then come the infamous over-the-head kicks that Munkustrap seems to anticipate. We are certain that Frank must have kicked Michael in the head at least once during the taping. And according to Broadway Rumpus Cat Keith Wilson, the GRC goggles cut off all peripheral vision, so he might not even have realized it at the time. During his dance with Munk he gives the impression of being uncoordinated and somewhat clumsy. Of course, we know better. Then Tugger comes out with his bagpipes and GRC looks like he's in mid-bow, his wig flopping forward. As the cats sing, "All hail and all bow," he's looking around with the biggest, goofiest grin, obviously reveling in the attention.
At the end of the song, all the Cats scoot toward Old D and GRC is at the back of the group. He reaches out toward the old Cat and does a little playful swat. As Old D starts expounding his wisdom, Rumpus comes up on his hands and knees and his butt is right there in the camera's face. It's a nice one, too. Then the big black cat starts slinking off to the left. The thunder crashes and he takes off running. I like to imagine him running backstage, tearing off his wig, goggles, collar, and gloves and flinging them aside, yelling, "Outta my way! I gotta change!" Because he has a mere three or four minutes before his entrance in the next song. Do you suppose he gets anyone's help to peel him out of that spandex? I'd volunteer!
Song of the Jellicles
Admetus makes his reappearance when Mistoff sings, "We like to practice our airs and graces." He comes out of the oven and he makes his entrance three times as the shots change. Bad cut.
Now comes the closest thing our darling has to a solo. He says, "Jellicle cats develop slowly," with Munkustrap and Plato, and gives them a sidelong look as they come forward. These three stay together for the rest of the recitation on the left side and somewhat to the back.
You don't really see him again until "Jellicles jump like a jumping jack" when he's behind the three "jumping jacks" on the left rising up on his toes. And he is behind Cassandra on her "moonlit eyes" bit. Then at the back on the left in the group huddle.
Next and last "solo" is "If it happens to be a stormy night" with Munk and Plato again. At the end of the next line he is visible on the right of Tugger. During "we are resting and saving ourselves to be right," he can be seen near Tumble, beyond Tugger. And during the chorus he moves to the approximate center of the group, behind and to the left of Bomb.
The Jellicle Ball
Admetus remains in the general center, beyond Victoria and Bombalurina. During this section he is difficult to follow because the lighting is low and with his grey-brown costume he kind of melts into the shadows. A helpful hint for tracking him: The back of his wig has thin white stripes that sort of look like the pattern on the back of a skunk’s head.
During the shooting star part he is in the middle, next to Mistoff and in front of Tugger. When the Cats all run off to the left, he gets with Munkustrap, looks around warily, then runs with Munk over to the tire. He leaps over the steps and settles himself next to them, watching the dancers intensely. Sometimes he has one knee on the top step with the rest of his body leaning against the tire, while at other times he has both knees on the step.
When Bomb comes out and does her sexy dance he stands up and takes interest. He gives Tugger an, "Oh, it's you" look as the latter jumps down off the tire and drapes his arm around his shoulders. And then here come the macho toms, with Admetus between Tugger and Alonzo, and coming up behind Cassandra. The look on his face as he dances with her is one of complete satisfaction.
He lifts her and carries her back to the tire, sets her down, then joins Jenny on the car fender, nuzzling up behind her a little as he watches Mistoff and Tumble. He stays there until the Cats start spinning around while bent over. He's at the back of the first group that Old D stops. He stays near Skimble for the most part, and is next to him when the Cats all lean back.
He casts a glance at Plato and Victoria before moving over to the right. As Plato turns and then lowers Victoria, Admetus comes over to where Etc is doing some leg stretches and rubs his head and back along the underside of her leg and yawns. Adorable!
Now comes the kitty orgy. Admetus doesn't seem to have a partner. He crawls up as Plato is laying Victoria across Skimble's torso and sniffs at them, then strokes Skimble's leg. Etc is next to him when they all settle down, but they have their backs to each other. Perhaps they have had a lover's tiff. Actually, it almost looks as if Admetus might be trying to share Cassandra with Alonzo.
When the Cats all sit up, Admetus crawls to the left, brushing against Skimble's chest as he goes. He hisses at Grizabella, then jumps up and starts dancing with the others. He is of the number that lean back rolling their shoulders, then hold up their paws in a defensive attitude. He is behind and between Victoria and Rumpelteazer, and his is one of the butts you get to see during that part. (Such a cute one, too.) And when you can see his face, he has a characteristically goofy expression.
When the two groups do jetes at each other, I believe Admetus is in the front, farthest from the edge of the stage, coming from the left. After the jetes, he hangs at the back of the stage until the men's dance when he comes forward behind Munkustrap and Alonzo. The guy just can't keep a straight face; even when he's spinning and all those other things he's still grinning like a goofball.
As the girls come forward he goes off to the right and slips around to the back so that he can be in the macho man dance led by Tugger; he can be seen just over Tugger's shoulder on the right. When the other dancers join in for the "bad boy, dirty girl" dance, he runs to the back and is approximately behind Cassandra and Plato. He stays there till the end of the ball and since it's dark I couldn't tell ya if he's making any cute faces.
Except one spot near the end, we view the stage from the side and close to him just as he is turning to face that side; he swipes a paw and snarls in a pseudo-fierce manner. At the end of the ball he drops to his knees and spreads his arms and torso forward.
As Grizabella comes on he crawls right up to Old D. He turns and sees her and quickly jumps up on the tire. Looks at her again then goes off to the left. And we won't see him again until Act II.
Moments of Happiness
Admetus crawls out on top of the pipe and straddles it. As the music begins he slides across the stage in front of the tire. He looks up at Old D and paws the air at him. When Gus comes out he withdraws a little, though he does exchange a face sniff with Jenny as she moves away from Gus. As Gus sits, Admetus stretches forward to sniff at him. They lock eyes for a second, then Admetus draws away and huddles into what looks like a terribly uncomfortable (but exceedingly cat-like) position.
Now is, I believe, the only time in the show that he maintains a calm, benign expression as he stares into space. He seems little affected by his surroundings; I’d almost say he was meditating. As the music swells twice and the Cats all shiver, Admetus gives only a slight lift of his shoulders, as if sighing. When the Cats all stand, he does so in a single, smooth movement, and his expression seems to be one of understanding and anticipation rather than wonder.
Then Gus starts forward and he seems to snap out of it. He goes back and leaps lightly up onto the tire. As Cassandra slinks by he eyes her legs. Then Old D comes back to the tire and Admetus stretches out on his tummy, resting on his elbows with his head next to Old D’s arm.
Gus: the Theatre Cat
Admetus is easy to spot during this song since he stays next to Old D the whole time. And I just love to look at that looooong body of his stretched out full-length on the tire. If you keep watching that, as I do, you will see it move as he turns his head to Old D after the line "he has acted with Tree." Then on the line "where the gallery once gave him seven cat calls," the camera switches to the tableau on the tire. Admetus is smacking his lips and on the whole looking like a very contented kitty.
The times that you can see him beyond Gus he seems to be watching with rapt interest. His next good shot, and possibly my favourite moment in the whole show is just after the "cat out of the bag" line; the camera view switches to the group on the tire, Admetus looks up at Old D and makes a cute face, Old D smiles and pats his paw, and Admetus rubs his head against Old D’s arm. (Awww, that’s so sweet!)
When Gus starts complaining about kittens these days Admetus jerks his head back, but alas, he is directly behind Gus so we can’t see his expression. Then at the end Gus gets all sniffly and Admetus and several other Cats stiffen as they sense his unhappiness. As Gus looks over to Old D, Admetus mouths a little sympathetic miaow.
Skimbleshanks: the Railway Cat
As Old D starts singing all the kittens perk up, including Admetus whose mouth slowly drops open in his customary expression of delighted surprise. He carefully arranges himself in a sitting position on the tire as Old D comes back to it. Admetus stays there for the whole first half of the song, watching the action alertly.
We get a closer look at him when Skimble starts telling the kittens about the sleeping car. After the first "whoo whoo!" when Old D leans back against Admetus and Munkustrap, Admetus gives him kind of a funny look. And while we’re about it, look at Admetus’ legs (something that I love to do!). Sometimes he is seated with one leg curled up inside the tire and the other dangling over the outside. And in other shots he is sitting in modified Indian style with one knee to his chest. (Fastest legs in the West End?)
When Rumpelteazer sneezes he gives her a startled look. Skimble sings, "Skimble won’t let anything go wrong," and Admetus shakes his head in agreement. Then Skimble pantomimes shimmying out of his trousers and Admetus looks at him wide-eyed and points, almost forgetting to sing.
It is rather painfully obvious that as the Cats aretilting their heads from side to side to the music, Admetus is doing the opposite from Munk and Old D, but then Munk and Old D are doing the opposite from everyone else. And when Skimble catches his mouse and brings it back to Old D, Admetus grins and points as if to say, "Look what he’s doing!"
Then the key changes and Admetus swings his right leg out of the tire. He stands and reaches out to Skimble before he hurries offstage then comes back on with the right back wheel for the train. He holds it up to touch wheels with Coricopat across the canopy, then lowers and kick-starts it, bouncing in rhythm to the music. He’s not real visible during this section (though you can see his feet underneath the train). Even when we get a shot from above he’s got a stage light shining on him, blotting out his features. When the train falls apart he goes down under his wheel and pretends to wrestle with it. On the final drumbeat he is just behind Skimble and you can see his head come up as Skimble’s goes down.
Admetus goes off with his wheel and doesn’t come back. I think he might be one of Macavity’s rats, but I don’t know for sure. If he’s there, he is the one on the right. And apart from that he doesn’t reappear until Mistoffelees brings the lights back up.
Mr. Mistoffelees
It’s hard to say exactly when Admetus sneaks back on, but once the lights come on he can be seen sitting next to the steps up to the tire, in front of Jellylorum. He looks very alert, and not a little nervous about all the lightning bolts Mistoff is shooting. He draws back shyly as Mistoff begins his big dance, but gradually gets excited with the other Cats.
When time comes for the magical Cat to choose his victim, er, assistant, Admetus sits right up as if hoping to be picked. (And he might be just a trifle put out that he wasn’t.) He watches Cass carefully as she comes down and goes to the pipe. As Mistoff spreads the big, red cloth Admetus reaches out and paws at it, then sniffs at the large shape that forms under it.
When Old D is revealed Admetus is briefly visible between him and Tugger before they embrace, and he has the most perfect look of wide-eyed shock. You next see him just before Mistoff jumps into Old D’s arms, and now he has his typical open-mouthed grin. When all the Cats surround Mistoff and Old D Admetus is on the left toward the back with his head thrown back. (How he can sing like that I really don’t know.) Then he disappears for a bit (Mistoffelees’ doing?); we next see him at the back of the stage on the right behind Etcetera and Electra (how’d he get over there?) while Mistoff is doing his split jumps. He quickly gets out of the way as Mistoff runs back to the tire.
Final
We’re on the homestretch now. As Old D walks around just before Jemima sings, keep an eye on the lower right corner of the screen; Admetus becomes visible very briefly, staring at the sky. He is next seen close to Munkustrap still on the right as the latter begins his narrative. On cue he crawls toward Old D and is in the approximate center of the group.
When Grizabella appears he turns his head and hisses in indignant surprise. Then he ducks down and we don’t see him again until the end of Memory. When Victoria jumps up then turns back for approval, if you look hard you’ll see him crouched in the shadows on the left and a little behind Munkustrap.
Then it’s up, up, up, up to the Heaviside Layer. As Grizabella is presented he is between Bomba and Munkus, and he has the cutest inquisitive look on his face. He follows closely behind Munkustrap, but slips out of view as they go round the stage. Then Old D and Grizabella make their way to the tire and several Cats pass across behind them, first Munkustrap, then Bombalurina, and then Admetus. He stays kind of at the back left of the group as they crowd around the tire, which means he’s near the camera, but it’s dark and he’s darn hard to spot. Look for the skunk-like markings on the back of his head is the best I can tell you.
At the beginning of Addressing Admetus’ head is visible on the left, but we don’t get to see his face much. He is positioned at the extreme left behind Etcetera and is cut out of the group shots more often than not. But there are a couple good shots in which to check him out: On the line "and you might now and then supply," the camera is panning to the right and around the group. Watch Etcetera on the left; as she goes out of the frame Admetus becomes visible behind her. And the first time they sing, "and there’s how you address" they do a semi-close shot of Admetus, Etcetera, and Tumblebrutus. Apart from that, though, keep your eyes on the left and watch for the wide shots.
That's all, folks!