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's 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 in the original London production she was an un-named ensemble kitten.

Etcetera's name originated in the Broadway production 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 a few years later this dramatic device was dropped, 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 an on-stage regular character in Australian and Asian productions. She however, appeared as a Swing in Australian-based productions with named Swings.

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. This is due to her 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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