The Wrong Cat Died

"Especially going through the rehearsal process as well. Every single little moment has a meaning, which was crazy to me. A lot of the time the audience wouldn't even see that. But in order for us to be able to tell an authentic story in a way of being cats, we had to know all these little things." This episode features Lucy Rice who was Bombalurina on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's Oasis of the Se...

"I learned the show in six days. I remember telling the sound guy at Westchester the day I went on. I said don't turn my microphone on because I don’t know all the words yet." This episode features Joey Abramowicz who was Tumblebrutus on the US National Tour 5 and in 9 other regional productions of CATS. Hear Joey talk about his time in the various different productions, how he worked to help cast...

"It was the first Broadway show I ever went to and it is probably responsible for my personality." This episode features the amazingly talented writer, comedian, actress, and CATS fan Julie Klausner. Hear Julie discuss her fandom of the musical, it's influence on the rest of pop culture, and her CATS party trick. Plus, Julie and Mike have a detailed conversation on what it means to ascend to the H...

"Princely Plato. He’s the price and kind to everyone. Flirtatious and fun but a teenager. And then you get to do a little quick change and jump into Macavity which is the super villain." This episode features Aiden Pressel who was Plato/Macavity on the 6th US National Tour of CATS. Hear Aiden discuss doing the tour promotional video before even being cast, the backstory behind the Plato/Victoria l...

"I literally couldn't remember Macavity's name because their names are all so ridiculously complicated. I really think that that was the seed of the idea. It truly came from a - what the f*** is that one cat with the spooky song." This episode features Jaime Lyn Beatty and Jon Matteson who created the viral YouTube video Spadattimy: The Reliable Cat and are big CATS fans. Hear Jamie and Jon discus...

"It was just a brown and gray generic cat. They made my shoes still in Spike colors but they made them look like the shoes like Alonzo would wear or Pouncival would wear so that when I was on stage I could look down at my feet and not get confused about which cat I was playing that day at that show." This episode features Tucker Ty Davis who played the infamous Spike as a swing on the US National...

"You know when people say they can taste colors… I kind of get that with CATS in a weird way." This episode features fellow Broadway Podcast Network podcast host Chris Adams who hosts a show called Out For Blood about the infamous Carrie musical. Hear Chris share the similarities between Carrie and CATS, how the 80s musicals all influenced each other, and a few other fun CATS crossovers with Carri...

LIVE from BroadwayCon 2023 in New York City! Mike was joined by an amazing panel of Jonalyn Saxer (Swing in 2016 Broadway Revival and episode 29), Hank Santos (Rum Tum Tugger in US National Tour 6 and episode 126), and Will and Rachael (meme-making founders of The Theater Lovers and episode 125) to have the greatest CATS debate in Jellicle history. We split into two teams and discussed all of the...

"Me and Misto are homies. We have a little handshake that’s like a finger flip. Very nineties kind of surfer moment." This episode features Hank Santos who was the Rum Tum Tugger on the 6th US National Tour of CATS. Hear Hank discuss Tuggers relationships with the other cats, his life on tour, and his belief in the Tugger-Teazer relationship possibilities. Plus, Hank shares a fun story about how h...

"I like to ask the question in theater, is this a good character or a good song? Don't confuse a good song with a good man." This episode features The Theater Lovers Will and Rachael who are two of the funniest theater content creators in the game today. Hear Will and Rachael discuss how they got into theater meme making, some of the fun hidden gems in their content, how they approach content on d...

"Where was the little white pussycat, grand darling? Come here. And it was like the parting of the seas and I was like, oh my gosh." This episode features Jean Michelle Sayeg who played Victoria on the US National Tour 5 of CATS. Hear Jean Michelle discuss watching the 1998 movie the night before auditions, what it was like transitioning from ballet to musical theater, and some of her theories on...

"I did a lot of character study with Tumblebrutus and I chose that he was abandoned and his way of surviving the trauma of losing his family was to just really lash out." This episode features Andrew Wilson who was Tumblebrutus in the 2016 Broadway Revival of CATS and is currently Richard Parker in Life of Pi on Broadway. Hear Andrew discuss doing the show four different times, how the choreograph...

"The Friends are very Jellicle. I find them as a community to be very Jellicle." This episode features Carolyn Bacon who was a swing on the 6th US National Tour of CATS and is currently Rachel Green in Friends! The Musical Parody. Hear Carolyn discuss singing multiple tracks in the booth, her experience working with Chrissie Cartwright, and why Gus is her Jellicle choice. Plus, Carolyn and Mike co...

"There is so much of The Wizard of Friendship that is really based off our friendship and our history, like who we are as people." This episode features musical comedy trio Lewberger (Hughie Stone Fish, Keith Habersberger and Alex Lewis) who recently finished their hilarious sold-out off-Broadway show The Wizard of Friendship which featured special guests Wayne Brady, Alex Brightman, and Dashaun W...

"My introduction to CATS was when I took piano as a kid and Memory was the first song I ever learned to play on the piano." This episode features Jessica Hendy who performed as Grizabella on the US National Tour 4, the Original Broadway Production, and the 2016 Broadway Revival of CATS and is currently performing her one woman show Walking With Bubbles. Hear Jessica discuss her experience performi...

"I distinctly remember every time I had to stay home from school sick my mom would put on the VHS of CATS." This episode features Maggie McCown who performed as Bombalurina in the City Springs Theatre Company regional production of CATS in Atlanta. Hear Maggie discuss how she learned about the show from the legendary Jacob Brent, some of the relationships her cast has created for the cats, and how...

"There is a beat in the song where she isn't singing and she just mouths to me - Oh My God" This BONUS episode features Nick Rizzo who went to the MetLife Taylor Swift Eras Tour dressed as Bombalurina. Hear Nick tell the story of how he was able to get Taylor's attention on stage, the crowd reaction to his outfit, and what it was like traveling to the concert through downtown Brooklyn. Plus, hear...

"CATS has been in my blood since I was three years old." This episode features Leslie Blake Walker who performed as Sillabub as a ten year old in the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre regional production of CATS and is currently in the ensemble in Funny Girl on Broadway. Hear Leslie discuss her experience being cast as a ten year old in a show full of adults, her thoughts on the different choreography, an...

"One pet peeve I have is when I see a movie say which character falls in which zodiac sign and every sign is represented. Highly unlikely." This episode features Yoanna Nikolova who writes horoscopes for Playbill. It's been a goal of mine to discuss the CATS astrology and zodiac signs ever since I found them on the head cannon page of the CATS wikipedia fan website. Yoanna takes us through every s...

"She asked who we thought should go to heaven and I immediately put my hand up and said I think it should be the Rum Tum Tugger." This episode features Ed Kingsley Wade who played the Rum Tum Tugger on the most recent UK/International Tour of CATS. Hear Ed discuss how we was put into the South Korea production in two days, how he helped influence a change to help with inclusivity, and his passiona...

"I remember one night this lady at the end of Memory yelled out - SING IT AGIN!" This episode features McCree O'Kelley who played the magical Mr. Mistoffelees to kick off the US National Tour 5 of CATS. Hear McCree discuss how he knew he wanted to be a dancer after seeing Mistoffelees perform in CATS on Broadway during his 6th grade trip, share some wild stories about doing previews in Atlantic Ci...

"You become a cat when you get your costume on." This episode features Ella Kemp who played Rumpleteazer on the most recent UK/International Tour of CATS. Hear Ella discuss her introduction to CATS, her Rumpleteazer theories, and why she thinks Grizabella is the correct Jellicle choice. Plus, Ella and Mike discuss which cat would be best competing in Eurovision. Check out Ella on Instagram: @ellaa...

"It's probably the hardest thing I'll do in my life. I loved it." This episode features Haley Fish who was Rumpleteazer in the 2016 Broadway Revival of CATS. Hear Haley discuss doing a middle school production of CATS in Kentucky growing up, making her Broadway debut in CATS, and why Gus is her Jellicle choice. Plus, Haley talks about what to expect when you come to see her in the new Broadway sho...

"If you are a beginning collector and you want to collect for CATS, you're going to get a pair of shoes." This episode features CATS memorabilia collector and superfan Christine Bogle. Hear Christine talk about being how she first became a fan of CATS, her experience seeing the show the very first time as a kid, and all about her expansive memorabilia collection. Plus, Christine gives explanation...

"Because of all of the relationships offstage with the cast members, it really does change the show a lot." This episode features Adam Steiner and Cara Cooley who played the Rum Tum Tugger and Bombalurina on the US National Tour 5 of CATS. Hear Adam and Cara share how they started dating during the show, how their 8 days off in Vegas really solidified their relationship, and all of the moments whe...