User blog comment:Amaranthinegrew/Movie Theories/@comment-3182821-20190328215235

I think when it comes to characters, I'm approaching it from the perspective of these being all new ensemble characters, with re-used names. Other than those named in poems, there's nothing fixed about any of the characters! As Zizi has said, her Tantomile is a cheeky, flirty kitten - sounds more like Etcetera than the mystic, reserved beautiful Tantomile. As we've seen with the whole Carbucketty/Pouncival/George situation, and Victor and Bill Bailey for chorus Deut and Tugger, the production team (Andrew Lloyd Webber) really doesn't care what names are used where or minor roles. I don't expect any continuity between stage and screen aside the featured characters named in the poems (excluding "Naming of Cats!).

I am really intrigued about the choreography. I don't like what Andy Blankenbuehler did for the Broadway revival because it's so patchy... it's six counts of Gillian Lynne then two counts of something random that breaks the flow. I don't think he captures the felinity of it - do we know if he even likes cats as pets? His work doesn't show any understanding of how they move, where Gillian Lynne captured it perfectly. Still, I'd rather see Blankenbuehler take on the project from scratch, throw out everything and start again, make it his own work entirely. Let's see what he can do, rather than tweaking and messing about with what was already a cohesive whole. Because Gillain Lynne's choreography was SO good, there was no chance Andy Blankenbuehler would have been able to improve on it here and there... but maybe if he gives us a complete alternative, it'll be different and inspired instead of a weaker take on the original.

I'm so interested in the CGI and how Tom Hooper will work with it. On Les Miserables he made such a big thing about the cast singing live - and the casting for Cats insisted on dancers who are strong singers. But... if their faces are going to be CGI, why on earth did they need the ensemble to be able to sing? Surely as long as the dancers could mouth along with a bit of confidence, that was all that's needed? At no point at we going to match what we're really hearing with the faces on screen, not like we did in Les Mis, because they won't be real faces! Why didn't they just cast the strongest dancers and dub the ensemble? Principals are different, I can see the need in making their vocal performances genuine... but why insist on the ensemble roles having a talent that isn't needed for this film?