Etcetera

Etcetera is a minor chorus character in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats. She appears in the 1998 Video production, the London production, but few other productions worldwide.

Her name does not appear in "The Naming of Cats", but is likely a form of word-play on her being another kitten like Electra.

Personality
Etcetera is one of the youngest members of the tribe. She is hyperactive, very excitable, a strong dancer and often an acrobat, due to her often being the cat who swings on the trapeze at the beginning of the show. She is the biggest fan of Rum Tum Tugger, squealing with excitement at the end of his song, and swooning over him throughout the show.

Role
Her role is minor and frequently cut from smaller productions. She is most known for her squeal during Rum Tum Tugger's song. In the film, she swung on the trapeze during "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats". Initially, she was an un-named ensemble kitten in the original London production, but was given the name "Etcetera" by early 1982.

Etcetera was also originally in the Broadway production, with her performer doubling as Rumpleteazer when the song "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" was re-imagined as a puppet show performed by Mistoffelees for Bustopher Jones. The characters of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer didn't exist in their own right, but were played by Etcetera and Coricopat. However, this dramatic device was dropped around mid-1987, and Etcetera was re-named Rumpleteazer (and Carbucketty became Mungojerrie).

This resulted in Broadway-style Rumpleteazer being much paler than the London design, looking much more like Etcetera, and Etcetera not appearing in Broadway-style productions.

Etcetera appears as a regular on-stage Swing in Australian and Asian productions.

Appearance
Etcetera is a dilute tabby - a pale cat with ginger and grey stripes. She is usually portrayed as a very young kitten. The cat that she looks most similar to is Rumpleteaser, due to their combined history from the Broadway production. Occasionally in early productions in Europe, the name Etcetera was used with a costume similar to Electra.

Fandom
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