What Was Old is New Again

A silent stage, its lights long dimmed. The building housing the dilapidated seats creaked and groaned in the wind. Its shutters protested their movements with the gales, resounding against the brick, the wind whipping around and through the abandoned theater. Deep in it’s bones it longed to hear and feel the laughter and lights of its youth once more.

Arania and Sparrow walked arm in arm down the empty street. The beauty of the old buildings brought smiles to their faces. They often spent time wandering through the oldest parts of the city, admiring the architecture of buildings built early in the century. Arania let go of his arm and twirled playfully around a lamp post, peeking at him from behind the curtain of her blue hair as it fell across her face. He laughed, scooping her up into his arms, smothering her face in tender loving kisses before setting her back on her feet. Her laughter rang through the streets as they walked and enjoyed each other’s company. She froze in her footsteps in front of another old building, her hand running over the brick wall.

"Sparrow, look, isn’t it beautiful?" She asked, a small amount of awe in her voice.

"Yes, quite, but it is falling apart my love, we shouldn’t tarry here and risk you being hit in the head by a brick." His eyes looked over the building in concern for her safety, following behind her on foot as she circled the building.

"I loved going to places like this when I was young. I always dreamed of performing someday. Never happened, obviously, but sometimes I still wonder. Do you think…" She smiled, her voice trailing off, and she grabbed his hand, practically carrying him back to their car.

She zoomed back to Haven, and ran inside, where she grabbed Angel and Ketana, dragging her to her bedroom, and talking to them. They were locked in the room for hours.

"OOOoooOOOOO an old theatre..." saying this in her best Shakespearean voice. "I could sing there!!" Thinking of how dramatic she could really become and maybe even take acting and singing lessons upon seeing how her two best friends winced as she mentioned her singing, "well alright then, but we'll need to hire the best decorator in town to re-do the entire interior of the old girl, bring her back to her finest dressed interior like when she first opened! Imagine! Having a theatre all our own!" Ketana thought of the starring role she would play in her first production of "THE TAMING OF THE SHE-CAT SHREW!"

Ooohhh, a beautiful old theater, they were so magical in their hey day. It would be fun to renovate one and make it sparkle like it did in its prime.

After some time had gone by, Ari led Angel and Ketana to the building she had told them about. Arania had been spending a lot of time there, supervising the work on the frame and the structure of the old theater. As they walked in, the place looked almost new. Showing them around, Ari pointed out a few little things that needed to be finished. New lighting tracts needed installed, the trim of the stage was unfinished, sitting off to one side on a sawhorse. The seats were waiting to be upholstered, but were otherwise ready to be put into place. They sat on the edge of the stage, talking about decorations and what type of shows would be put on there.

"We need to pick the seat covers before they can be put in. I was thinking old fashioned red velvet for them." Ari told them of her own ideas. "For the dressing rooms, stage left would be for the guys, stage right for the women, each set decorated accordingly, with the star's dressing rooms done more elaborately. Seeing the time of year it is, maybe for our opening night we could do Dickens's "The Christmas Carol" for our first show. What do you two think?"

"Mmmm........yes, red velvet with leather trim.......Dickens is good, and I think Romeo and Juliet after the holidays would be an excellent play for the theater......I love the romantic and the tragic."

"I think that would be a marvelous idea, but who shall be the director, the stage manager..we need a playwright, a lighting guy, a wardrobe mistress, a makeup person...music and maybe a bar at the lobby to serve wines and champagnes..Ara you still have quite a lot of work and thinking on this project before you can stage a play," looking around her, "and if this thing does get off the ground I'd still want to stage THE TAMING OF THE SHE-SHREW CAT!" Wrapping her
mink cape around her, as the theatre was chilly she looked at her two dear friends and together they put on their thinking caps and started planning.

Unfortunately, the theater was not ready in time to show "A Christmas Carol", so opening night had the stage set as a junkyard, with a full moon hanging above, the stage was set for the timeless Broadway musical, "CATS".

Two handsomely dressed Stans stood by the doors to the lobby, handing out the playbills for the evening. Inside the lobby itself a nice table with champagne and other refreshments, including sparkling juice for those who could not imbibe. Cheese and crackers stood on another table, both womanned by Xevs, dressed in lovely evening gowns.

Backstage the atmosphere was of excitement and nervousness. Kais rushed around, some in full costume, others in only the tights that made up the bottom half of their outfits. One audience member tried peeking behind the curtains, and thudded from that vision. Arania shouted out of her dressing room to the conductor of the orchestra, giving a few last minute instructions. Mus and Sparrow each swooped in for a kiss before they took their positions on the stage for the opening number. The orchestra tuned up and silence fell over the crowd.

The guests from Haven took their seats, the best ones in the house, and watched as RedemptionKai stepped out from the curtain and introduced himself. His voice stronger and more confident than anyone in the mansion had ever heard him speak before.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. I am RedemptionKai, your host and announcer for the evening. I would like to welcome you to the opening night of the Brigadoom Theater. Tonight we will be performing the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "CATS". There are refreshments in the lobby for intermission, and stay after the show to meet the cast and the owners of the theater, and tell them what you think." The spotlight swings into the audience, landing on Ketana, Angel, Disco, and Genesis. "Now, my dear friends and patrons, ON WITH THE SHOW!"

With that the lights dimmed, the spotlight dying into darkness, and the curtains opened slowly.

The stage sits silent, a junkyard at midnight, the moon glowing softly in the background. Slowly the rumbling of a car echoes, the lights flashing across the landscape of boxes and empty bottles reveals the darting form of a cat as it hides from the probing lights. As the lights die, the cats descend from their hiding places, congregating together around the center of the stage. Tonight is the night of the Jellicle Ball.

A lovely white cat moves to the center, her voice rising in invitation. Sweetly she sings to invite one and all to the ball. Next, a large gray tabby, who introduces himself as Munkustrap, explains that this is the one night that the Jellicle cats meet, to remind them and rejoice in what they are. They only await the leader, Old Deuteronomy, he will be choosing the one who will be journeying to the heavyside layer to be reborn. And with that explanation, the naming of the cats begin.

First to be named is Jennyanydots, a cat who teaches mice to knit, and beetles to tap-dance. The music turns playful as the entrance of a young tom sexily and playfully dancing across the stage interrupts the greeting of Jenny. Rum Tug Tugger is adored by the females, and loves the attention he gets, and not at all to the surprise of those who know him best, CupidKai plays this tom.

The mood is turned around completely by an old cat limping onstage. All the cats shun her, poor old Grizabella, the glamour cat. She left the junkyard long ago to make her way in the world beyond, and they refuse to accept her back.

After she slinks off sadly, a fat cat wanders to the center. This is old Bustopher Jones, the cat about town. His favorite hobbies are eating, eating, and eating.

A loud thunderous crash resonates through the theater, and the cats scatter and vanish out of sight. After a long moment of silence, two soft giggles announce the arrival of the cat burglars Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, a fun-loving, frolicking team. They mean no harm, but boy does Rumplteazer love those Woolworth pearls.

Munkustrap once more starts singing, this time he is joined by the others of the tribe, and they reverently bring on Old Deuteronomy. The tribe of cats entertain him with a show, staging the "Awful Battle Of The Pekes And The Pollicles" together with "The Marching Song Of The Pollicles Dogs". The cats dress up as the rivaling two dog factions who bark carelessly at each other until they're frightened away by the sleek, black pollicle fighter The Great Rumpus Cat.

Once more a loud crash frightens them off, but the soothing presence of their leader draws them out again. After a long close look at the old cat, Ketana and Angel recognize him as none other than dear MusiKai himself. The Jellicle ball truly begins now, joy spreading throughout the tribe.

Grizabella reappears, once again, wanting to rejoin the tribe she is shunned by. Her voice echoes out into the audience, softly at first, singing the familiar song "Memories" and those who have heard her before quickly realize just who is hiding beneath the makeup. She stretches out her hand behind her, hoping another cat will reach out and touch her. She is still not accepted and, disappointed slinks off into the night.

After the Jellicle Ball, the cats rest and contemplate "The Moments Of Happiness" before they let us meet more of the cats. Gus The Theatre Cat is an aged cat-actor who worked with the greatest actors of his day, Gus tells the Jellicles of his greatest theatrical triumphs, and yearns to perform again. Skimbleshanks The Railway Cat is woken from his slumber in the rear of the Junkyard. He's a friendly uncle to all the cats. Skimble attends the trains of the railway and makes sure everything is on time and perfect!

A third crash interrupts the celebrations, and this time the villainous Macavity appears. Two of his henchmen invade the proceedings and kidnap Old Deuteronomy. The cats hide in fear, but the two sisters Bombalurina and Demeter sings of Macavity's doings and his fearsome reputation! He's even been dubbed "The Napoleon Of Crime!"

Macavity returns disguised as Old Deuteronomy, but he is exposed by Demeter. A terrible fight with Munkustrap and the other tom’s results in Macavity short-circuiting some old cables and the cats are blinded by the explosion.

The cats have to set out to find Old Deuteronomy. They're sad and upset but then The Tugger calls on the magical Mister Mistofelees! The conjuring cat is a master of illusion and card tricks, and with a wink out into the audience, the Kai brothers sitting with their ladies know who he is. His warm smile gives him away as being played by SparrowKai. Mistofelees succeeds in reinstating the lights in the Junkyard and to bring back Old Deuteronomy. He shows off several magical tricks, including his famous conjuring turn.

At last the time has come for Old Deuteronomy to make the Jellicle Choice. He is to decide who'll be reborn and come back to a new Jellicle life. At that moment, Grizabella returns. Again she recalls her Memory of days gone bay. This time the cats accept her back, and with the white cat Victoria taking the first hesitant steps to reach out and touch her. After this, Old Deuteronomy chooses Grizabella to be the Jellicle Choice this year.

The Jellicle Ball has come to a conclusion, but first Old Deuteronomy instructs the human spectators in the "Addressing Of Cats". For all their unique qualities and differences, he says, "cats are very much like you."

And with those word, the curtain falls, and the orchestra silences. The audience rises to it’s feet, applauding loudly and long. One by one, each "cat" comes out and takes a bow. Arania glides to the center of the stage and curtsies. MusiKai and Sparrow, still in costume, each present her with a bundle of roses, all blue. Everyone bows once more, before going to change to gather for the after show party.

Arania arrived arm in arm with Sparrow and Mus, Redemption following behind them. HE was greeted excitedly by Babs, who had served as a ticket taker for the evening. Mingling, everyone enjoyed champagne and food, chatting happily about the show and what hey wanted to see in the future. Angel and Ketana were complimented on their gowns and Arania joined them at the bar while the boys all went to talk.

"Well, what did you two think, did I choose well?" She took a glass from the bartender while awaiting opinions