When Grumpy Cat was Immortalized at Madame Tussauds and Broadway

The immortal icon Grumpy Cat remains a forever-favorite for cat lovers everywhere. Here’s a look at her visits to Madame Tussauds and Broadway.

Amazingly, Madame Tussauds started making models of celebrities in the late 18th century based on wax sculpting. From the time of their oldest “Sleeping Beauty” figure in 1765, it took 250 years to arrive at the first-ever Cat to be immortalized in the attraction’s history.

However, the late Grumpy Cat was not amused.

“This is truly an honor,” said a distinctly unimpressed Grumpy Cat. “I hate it.”

Tabatha Bundesen with Tartar Sauce, Image via YouTube, The Straights Times

According to CNET: 

“The finicky feline patiently sat, stood and stared as sculptors snapped photos and measured the cat.” 

Grumpy Cat/ Instagram

At the time, Tabatha Bundesen, the iconic cat’s human, said, “She was thrilled, as you can see, she’s still thrilled,” when asked how the kitty reacted to seeing her figure for the first time. It’s classic Grumpy Cat.

Image via Twitter

Grumpy Cat Meets Her Likeness and Former Presidents

Grumpy Cat, whose name was Tardar Sauce, rose to internet fame and world domination after appearing on a Reddit threat in 2012. Today, she still has millions of fans, appearing in an untold number of memes.

Unlike earlier was figures, Grumpy Cat’s figure has animatronic features with five different movements. As you can see in the videos below, the figure could never approach the real Grumpy Cat, but an honor nonetheless.

Related: Taylor Swift Proudly Comes Out as an Official ‘Cat Lady’

At the unveiling in San Francisco, the real Tardar Sauce was on hand to meet her replica. Later, the figure traveled to the five other Tussauds in the United States.

Then, Grumpy Cat appeared on the shoulder of President Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Onassis. Next, the world’s grumpiest cat then posed with other former presidents, like President Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt, Honest Abe, and George Washington, among others.

Along with leaving behind a legacy of memes, Grumpy Cat will always be the first cat immortalized at Madame Tussauds. She truly had a legendary life. But did you know that she appeared on Broadway too? 

#GrumpyTakesBroadway pic.twitter.com/R8bb4FMjkh

— Grumpy Cat (@RealGrumpyCat) October 1, 2016

Grumpy Cat Hated Her Broadway Debut

In 2016, Budnesen escorted Grumpy Cat to her Broadway debut in the musical Cats, the second longest-running Broadway show of all time. Then, she became the first genuine feline ever to appear in the musical. Cast member Quentin Earl Darrington presented the cat with a certificate, making her an honorary “Jellicle Cat.”

“If I’m really being honest, I’d prefer to play the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera,” Grumpy Cat said in a statement.

Image via YouTube/Grumpy Cat

As you can see in the video below, everyone went crazy when the cat appeared on stage and the actors bowed. Nevertheless, Tardar Sauce “failed to bond with any” of the cast, joked Metro.

You can follow the immortal and iconic Grumpy Cat on Instagram and Facebook. We’ll be fans furever.

Video by Grumpy Cat:

Related: A Few of Our Favorite Grumpy Cats and Kittens

The Future and Glamour Cat

In 2019, Madame Tussaud’s added another feline, Grizabella the Glamour CatGrizabella the Glamour Cat, from the musical Cats. She’s somewhere between a wax figure and an android, able to move and change facial expressions with hints that she’s not real if you observe carefully.

According to Lead Creative Producer Kael Elliot, this Cat is the future of Tussaud’s.

“We have figures that can blink, figures that can change facial coloring, depending on what you do with them. So, absolutely, technology is what the brand will be in the future,” Elliot told Gizmodo.

Screenshot via YouTube/Gizmodo

This time, the Cat moves, smiles, and contorts and is made of mostly fiberglass. Thanks to digital projection mapping and 8K camera technology, the matte silver face looks and moves in an incredibly life-like way.

Rather than taking clay molds, the actress came to the studio and was in full makeup as they filmed each part of her face. 

“She looks so real that I watched several guests ask museum staff if Grizabella was another one of the actors who roam throughout Madame Tussauds. Some people seemed unconvinced that she was just a figure,” said journalist Adam Clark Estes, who went on to say she was “the most convincing fake-real human I’ve ever seen.”

Video by Gizmodo below:

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