12:56pm | Back in the day and back in New Jersey, I was fortunate to have had two high school English teachers who had a profound appreciation of Thomas Stearns Eliot, unarguably one of the greatest American poets. Mrs. Lefkowitz brought out the pathos of J. Alfred Prufrock’s miserable existence, and Mr. Weiss appealed to and grew my appreciation of chilly dark menace through “The Hollow Men” (“This is the way the world ends. This is the way the world ends. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but a whimper”).

And it was my mother, another high school English teacher, who presented me with Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats when I would come home spouting lines like “He laughed like an irresponsible foetus” (from “Mr. Appolinax,” and I all too briefly lived with a cat by that name). Although born, raised and schooled in the United States, Eliot wrote with the inflection, spelling and phlegmatic tone of the English writers of the time. His poems were heavily symbolic and were set with mythology, spirituality, odd and often gloomy landscapes, and frustrated dealings with human beings, but there was always a chuckle up his sleeve or a barmy British-inspired playfulness. It’s no surprise, then, that he published a children’s book. Equally notable is that another heavy—a political one, although not as well known at the time—published his first kids’ book around that time: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street by Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, published two years before in 1937.

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats was published in 1939. It consisted of 14 poems; “Cat Morgan Introduces Himself,” a verse about a pirate cat, was added in a later edition. The delightful poem-stories are delivered with many a wink and very few exclamation points. They display Eliot’s intimacy with Felis catus on a level that even the most cat loving poets never reached. “The Naming of Cats” gives a serious discourse of the cat’s given name and nickname, but reminds readers that among Puss’s many secrets is a name that only he or she knows, and sits and contemplates when you think it’s only a meatloafing nap in progress. “The Old Gumbie Cat” with the delightful descriptive name Jennyanydots sits and sits and sits and sits but at night has herself a secret life that would surprise her human hosts. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer in their eponymous tale take part in mischief and horseplay, the type of which any cat you know gets into, just for the sake of their own pleasure and the irritation of human beings. And then, of course, there’s Mr. Mistoffelees, who is there when he’s not and isn’t when he is—Andrew Lloyd Webber had a ball cooking up a special act for him.

The original production of Cats, the hugely successful musical based on Old Possum, opened at the New London Theatre in the West End in 1981 and on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1982—it’s the longest-running musical on Broadway. Eliot died in 1965 of a lung ailment at 76 years old. He likely would have been both amused and bemused at the monetary success that the least scholarly of his works brought him. Indeed, his cats are far better remembered by theatergoers than he himself was. John Xiros Cooper in The Cambridge Introduction to T.S. Eliot said that Old Possum’s huge success over Eliot’s more scholarly works could be attributed to one thing aside from literary merit: mass appeal.

“His other works are widely read no doubt, but mainly by generally well-educated readers with an interest in culture,” Cooper wrote. “Cats speaks to everyone, whether they are great lovers of cats or not.”

Musical Theater West opens Cats on Feb. 11 (see below), coincidentally in the play’s 30th anniversary year. Enjoy the Jellicle Ball, if you go, but first, curl up on the sofa and read the book. It’s more than a companion piece.

Virtual Pets

Meet some of the cats from the Jellicle Ball, all available to “practise a caper or two in the hall” at your house. These friends are all available at ACS, 7000 East Spring St. in Long Beach. During the Thurs. Feb. 17 performance of CATS, 10 percent of single- ticket sales will go toward the care of these cats.

A Jellicle
“Jellicle Cats are black and white, Jellicle cats are rather small.” Friskie, around 4 years old, isn’t at all small, but she’s just as cheerful and bright-eyed as her literary counterparts. Ask for ID#A423069.

Jennyanydots’ “understudy”
“I have a Gumbie Cat in mind, her name is Jennyanydots. Her coat is of the tabby kind, with tiger stripes and leopard spots.” This 8-year-old tabby’s name is actually Avalon, but by any name, she’s still a Gumbie Cat and will sit and sit and sit all day with you, while she’s not teaching manners to the mice. Ask for ID#A425791.

Mungojerrie? or Rumpleteazer?
This sweet 4-year old girl is a far cry from her calico cousins’ “extensive reputation” of havoc, but in the same manner as the “very notorious couple,” she’ll pry open the door to your heart and make herself at home before you even know she’s done it. Ask for ID#A425718.

Mr. Mistoffelees more clever than I? That’s a laugh!
“He holds all the patent monopolies for performing surprising illusions and creating eccentric confusions.” He’s 2 years old, his name’s Petee and he’ll let you know it, too. Ask for ID#A425846.

Pet Projects

Cats partners with ACS and FOLBA in the interest of Cats—and Dogs, Rabbits, Miniature Horses… Feb. 11–27, Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Long Beach

Musical Theatre West (MTW) is proud to announce its continued partnership with Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) for its upcoming production of CATS, based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.. Patrons attending performances will be able to meet and greet ambassadors from Long Beach Animal Care Services and purr-fectly adorable cats who are looking for a new home.  Long Beach Animal Care Services provides food, water and hospitality for more than 11,500 animals. Funding comes partly through licenses and fees, but is also reliant on donations from individuals and businesses. Furthermore, MTW is honoring Friends of Long Beach Animals (FOLBA) by pledging 10 percent of all single ticket sales for the 8 p.m. performance on Thursday, Feb. 17. If you love cats, CATS and FOLBA, please contact the Musical Theatre West box office and purchase a ticket for the 17. Carpenter Performing Arts Center is located at 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach. Separate litter boxes for men and women. Click here for tickets and price and seating info.

Valentine’s Day Yappy Hour & Card Contest for Abused & Abandoned Shelter Pets, Sat., Feb. 12, Animal Care Services

Call someone sweetheart and maybe take them home with you. Haute Dogs and Justin Rudd! are sponsoring the second annual handmade Valentine’s card contest for Long Beach-area students (K–12) to create loveable Valentine’s cards for the 200+ dogs and cats housed at the Long Beach Animal Care Services shelter. Classrooms, scout groups, church youth groups, and other organizations are encouraged to create cards for the animals. Cards from adults are encouraged, too, but will not be judged in the contest. Cards should be mailed or hand-delivered to Long Beach Animal Care Services, 7700 E. Spring St. Long Beach, CA 90808, on or before 2:30 p.m. Feb. 12. Place your name, grade level, teacher’s or group leader’s name and school or other organization name on the back of the card. The winning card’s creator will receive a pizza party for friends, classroom or group (up to 30 people). Folded cards should not exceed 5 inches by 7 inches and should not include any particular animal’s name. Direct any questions to Justin@JustinRudd.com. Click here for more information.

“Dining for Dollars” AMRT Benefit, Weds. March2, Belmont Shore Super Mex

From 11:00am-9:00pm, Super Mex will donate 20 percent of your check for its great Mexican food to benefit Animal Match Rescue Team. To be part of this heartfelt program, print out the flyer and show it to your server when you go. Super Mex Belmont Shore is located at 4711 E. Second St.

Something to Crow About

Ah, the irony. This didn’t happen in Long Beach, but the February 8 edition of the Press-Telegram covered this story, and that’s close enough—we just had to share it with you. The comments on the page were a combination of schadenfreude and a shared sense of karmic justice. We tried to comment, too, but our security software collided with Facebook’s log-in on the P-T. Someday, we’ll find it—the Facebook connection—but meanwhile, we’ll express ourselves at home: “Can that rooster be rescued and given a tickertape parade?” “Well, it’s starting, and we wonder what the bears and ducks have in store during hunting season.” “Of course, the poor man had a family, and”—have at it.

Disclosure: Musical Theatre West is an advertiser of the Long Beach Post.