Growltiger's Last Stand

Growltiger's Last Stand is a dream sequence in the musical "Cats", in which Gus the Theatre Cat reminisces about one of his favourite roles, playing the fearsome pirate, Growltiger.

In addition to Gus changing into Growltiger onstage, the number also features Jellylorum as Griddlebone, the Raffish Crew, and the Siamese.

Due to filming time constraints, the whole sequence was cut from the 1998 movie.

Context
The sequence starts as Gus transforms into Growltiger centre-stage (by removing his large blanket coat to reveal the pirate costume underneath, and adding an eye patch). The members of the Raffish Crew sing about Growltiger, while he shows off and impresses the audience. The musical mood changes to a lush Puccini-esque romantic melody as Griddlebone arrives, and is brought onstage by the crew. The lovers sing their duet, but as the applause dies down the Siamese attack. In the chaos Griddlebone escapes, Growltiger fights for his life, but a duel with Ghengis is never going to save his life when surrounded by Siamese. Soon Growltiger is disarmed and forced to jump to his death. The Siamese sing of their victory, and as the last notes echo, Gus re-appears in the present. He takes a final bow to Ghengis, and sings a short reprise of "These modern productions are all very well/ But there's nothing to equal from what, I hear tell,/That moment of mystery as I made history...." The original concept for the Lover's Duet was for Growltiger and Griddlebone to perform a Puccini-style aria "In Una Tepida Notte", however when Susan Jane Tanner was cast as Jellylorum/Griddlebone, the decision was made to simplify the vocal part and make the duet a drinking song "Billy Macaw," offering as much comedic potential without the demands of a legitimate soprano part. When the show transferred to Broadway, Andrew Lloyd Webber took the opportunity to revert to the original plan and include the Aria.

Besides the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical setting in Cats, the English composer Humphrey Searle composed a musical setting of "Growltiger's Last Stand" as the second of his Two Practical Cats for speaker, flute, cello and guitar.

Revised Version
"Growltiger's Last Stand" was heavily re-worked for the 2014 Palladium production, the opening section completely re-written as a smoky jazz number mostly sung by Growltiger in the first person. It has many lyric alterations and re-writes. Growltiger no longer has a pirate cutlass, but rather a Cosh as a weapon. The Raffish Crew are busy raising a sail from the side of the set, which covers the upper stage, and they wheel on a barrel-shaped couch.

The slow Jazz sound is dramatically contrasted by the arrival of Griddlebone, with the unchanged Puccini-esque romantic melody. There are some minor lyric changes in Griddlebone's introduction, "The tender moon was shining bright" is replaced by "A lover's moon...", and Griddlebone sings her own introduction in first person in the same manner as Growltiger did.

The Lover's duet was cut altogether in the first Palladium run, as Growltiger and Griddlebone seemed about to settle down together, the Siamese attacked. However for the later Palladium run, a new version of the Aria was introduced. Whereas the original version of "In Una Tepida Notte" is clearly a Puccini pastiche, and staged as a very over-the-top operatic performance of two big stars trying to out-shine each other, the new version sounds like a Venetian ballad, and is played straight without any comedy.

The Siamese attack also has new music, rather than having an eastern pentatonic influence the new composition is a strident atonal and arythmic piece. Growltiger no longer duels for his life, a pirate who dies without a duel?!

Lyrics
Growltiger was a bravo cat who travelled on a barge In fact he was the roughest cat that ever roamed at large From Gravesend up to Oxford he pursued his evil aims Rejoicing in his title of the "Terror of the Thames"

His manners and appearance did not calculate to please His coat was torn and seedy, it was baggy at the knees One ear was somewhat missing, no need to tell you why And he scowled upon a hostile world from one forbidding eye

The cottagers of Rotherhithe knew something of his fame At Hammersmith and Putney, people shuddered at his name They would fortify the hen house, lock up the silly goose When the rumor ran along the shore: Growltiger's on the loose!

Woe to the weak canary that fluttered from its cage Woe to the pampered Pekinese, that faced Growltiger's rage Woe the bristly Bandicoot that lurks on foreign ships And woe to any cat with whom Growltiger came to grips

But most to cats of foreign race his hatred had been vowed To cats of foreign name and race, no quarter was allowed The Persian and the Siamese regarded him with fear Because it was a Siamese had mauled his missing ear

Now on a peaceful summer night all nature seemed at play The tender moon was shining bright, the barge at Molesey lay All in the balmy moonlight it lay rocking on the tide And Growltiger was disposed to show his sentimental side

In the forepeak of the vessel, Growltiger stood alone Concentrating his attention on the lady Griddlebone And his raffish crew were sleeping in their barrels and their bunks As the Siamese came creeping in their sampans and their junks

Growltiger had no eye or ear for aught but Griddlebone And the lady seemed enraptured by my manly baritone Disposed to relaxation and awaiting no surprise But the moonlight shone reflected from a thousand bright blue eyes

And closer still and closer the sampans circled 'round And yet from all the enemy there was not heard a sound The foe was armed with toasting forks and cruel carving knives And the lovers sang their last duet in danger of their lives

(Duet)

Then Genghis gave the signal to his fierce Mongolian horde With a frightful burst of fireworks, the siamese swarmed aboard Abandoning their sampans, their pullaways, and junks They battened down the hatches on the crew within their bunks

Then Griddlebone she gave a screech for she was badly skeered I am sorry to admit it, but she quickly disappeared She probably escaped with ease I'm sure she was not drowned But a serried ring of flashing steel Growltiger did surround

The ruthless foe pressed forward in stubborn rank on rank Growltiger to his vast surprise was forced to walk the plank He who a hundred victims had driven to that drop At the end of all his crimes was forced to go kerflip, kerflop

Oh there was joy in Wapping when the news flew through the land At Maidenhead and Henley there was dancing on the Strand Rats were roasted whole in Brentford and Victoria Dock And a day of celebration was commanded in Bangkok!

(Coda - Gus the Theatre Cat)

These modern productions are all very well But there's nothing to equal from what I hear tell That moment of mystery when I made history...