Mistoffelees

"Oh! Well, I never! Was there ever a cat so clever as Magical Mr Mistoffelees?"

- "Magical Mister Mistoffelees"

Mr. Mistoffelees is a principal dancer in the musical Cats. He is a magician whose magical feats often astound the other cats and leave them in amazement. He is the subject of the song "Magical Mister Mistoffelees".

His name is derived from Mephistopheles, a demon from German folklore.

Personality
"Competitive, Neat, Electric"

- Three Words

In the song "Magical Mister Mistoffelees", he is described as being a rather mysterious, clever and cunning conjuring cat, often found being mischievous or performing amusing antics.

In some productions of Cats, he is portrayed as a young tom, still exploring his magical powers and not yet confident in himself.

Jacob Brent, who played him in the Cats filmed recording, described him as such -

"'He's a bit of a rascal...A child prodigy of the tribe, brilliant in what he does but a little wacky at the same time. He's not an adult yet, but he's not a kitten, so he's at that in between stage...He has these magical powers, he doesn't quite know how to use them yet. But, he's learning.'"

Role
"Mr. Mistoffelees is the magician - impish, with an expansive personality. Must be a phenomenal and exciting principal dancer with outstanding classical technique, who can execute multiple turns in à la seconde effortlessly. Gymnastic skills and tricks a plus. Good high baritone vocals. Playing age 20 - 32. Ideally under 5' 8"."

- Casting Calls Mistoffelees is a principal role and maintains most of the same attributes as Eliot's original character, but is much flashier.

He has his own song and an extended dance solo in the second act. In most productions he sings the Invitation to the Jellicle Ball, and is also featured during the Rum Tum Tugger and Old Deuteronomy numbers. In the original London Cast, Mistoffelees also sang The Old Gumbie Cat, and in the original Broadway production, he sang Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer.

Mistoffelees' most recognisable piece of choreography is twenty-four consecutive fouettés or pirouettes à la seconde (also known as Conjuring Turns), and dancers cast in the role generally have extensive ballet and gymnastic experience. Because of the fact that the technical dance skill required for the role may trump the performer's vocal abilities, the show permits multiple vocal tracks for the character, allowing some actors/dancers who play him to sing quite a bit, while others do no singing at all.

Quaxo
In some productions Quaxo is an entirely separate character, unrelated to Mistoffelees. In UK-based productions and some others, he is identified as "Quaxo, also called Mistoffelees", where his identity as "The Magical Mister Mistoffelees" remains a secret until his song. "Quaxo" is the name that Mistoffelees goes by while "incognito", prior to his number. In the original production, a prominent feature of Wayne Sleep's role, besides Mistoffelees' solo, was his tap-dance solo in "Gumbie Cat". In some early productions, including those based on the Vienna Production, the name became attached to the tap-dancing beetle, regardless of whether it was played by Mistoffelees. Quaxo has also occasionally been an ensemble character in his own right, or the name used for a Swing Character.

Click here for article about ensemble character Quaxo.

Appearance
Mistoffelees is a black and white tuxedo cat. Though the original poem and his song describe him as black "from the ears to the tip of his tail" he is portrayed as black and white due to the technical limitations of stage lighting. His tuxedo markings suggest a classic stage costume for a magician or conjurer performing tricks.

His ensemble costume is not a solid black, but a grey base that is heavily "scribbled" over to give the impression of being black. He typically has a fluffy, white bib with the suggestion of a bow tie/collar. For his featured number, he changes into a black velvet outfit covered in crystals with a jacket wired with flashing lights.



Song
The song "Magical Mr. Mistoffelees" is performed by Rum Tum Tugger in an attempt to convince the Jellicles of Mistoffelees' magical abilities as a viable option for returning Old Deuteronomy. By the end of the song, the tribe is convinced of his powers, and he conjures up Old Deuteronomy to bring him back from Macavity's clutches.

Fandom
For fandom headcanons and theories, CLICK HERE.