Cats: The Fascinating Story Behind the Jellicle Cats
Cats, the polarizing musical, has been a source of fascination for many, despite its share of detractors. The stage musical holds the title of the fifth longest-running show in Broadway history, while the 2019 film adaptation was considered one of the biggest box-office failures in history and one of the worst-reviewed films of all time. However, the Jellicle Cats remain an enduring source of curiosity.
The term “Jellicle Cat” originates from a T.S. Eliot poem, “The Song of the Jellicles,” published in 1939. Eliot describes the Jellicle Cats as small with cheerful faces and bright black eyes, who only come out at night and are ruled by the Jellicle Moon. The poem reads that the Jellicle Cats lay in wait for the Jellicle Moon to light up the sky and wait in anticipation of the Jellicle Ball, where they can share in a pleasant experience underneath the moon.
There is also a theory that the term “Jellicle Cat” comes from Eliot’s niece, who would call her cat “dear little cat,” which Eliot reportedly misheard as “Jellicle Cat.”
The musical Cats, which is based on Eliot’s book, follows a group of Jellicle Cats who gather in a junkyard at night and wait for the Jellicle Ball. The cats wash themselves and practice their “airs and graces” before the Jellicle Ball, where they can share in a pleasant experience underneath the moon.
The 2019 film adaptation of Cats boasts a star-studded cast, including Rebel Wilson, Jennifer Hudson, Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, and Judi Dench, among others. The movie follows the Jellicles, a tribe of street cats who make a choice once a year about which one of them will ascend to what they call the Heavenside Layer and be reborn to a new life.