The Wrong Cat Died

"Anyone who works on CATS, within a few weeks of working on it you become indoctrinated in it." This episode features Dori Berinstein & Sammi Cannold who produced the documentary The Show Must Go On which chronicles the 2020 South Korea production of Cats and Phantom of the Opera. Dori and Sammi share how the idea for the documentary came about, how Sammi's love for the show grew during filming, D...

"I think Tumblebrutus has the 'I just can't wait to be king' complex." This episode features Sean McManus who played Tumblebrutus on the 6th US CATS National Tour and is currently in the ensemble of Beetlejuice. Hear Sean share how the 2016 Broadway revival was his first experience with CATS, his defense for Grizabella as the Jellicle choice, and how he started doing his incredible impressions on...

"My partner describes it as a Ted Talk from hell." This episode features Linus Karp who is a comedian who has a hit show called "How To Live A Jellicle Life, Life Lessons From the 2019 Hit Movie CATS" based on his experience seeing the 2019 movie. Hear Linus share how he created his show after seeing the movie, how he compares Cats as Eurovision, and his defense for Grizabella. Plus, be sure to ch...

"It's shocking how much of the show's ethos matches my personality." This episode features Alexandra Bowman, a satirist and superfan of CATS who loved the 2019 movie! Hear Alexandra discuss how her initiation to CATS was the 2019 movie, how she has written multiple parody articles about the movie and musical, about her CATS cosplay, and her defense for Munkustrap as her Jellicle choice. Plus, Alex...

LIVE from BroadwayCon 2022 in New York City, hear our CATS debate with Zach Bravo (US National Tour 6 Rum Tum Tugger), Zach Raffio (Founder of The Broadway Beat), Jesse McAnally (Musicals With Cheese co-host), and Andrew DeWolf (Musicals With Cheese co-host). Each panelist pulled a random cat out of a hat and made the case why they deserved to ascend to the Heaviside Layer over Grizabella. Tell us...

"Kim Kardashian is Grizabella in her prime." This episode features Christopher Salvaggio, who played Skimbleshanks on the current 6th US CATS National Tour. Hear Chris discuss how he views the entirety of Skimble's life, how he get involved in Tik Tok during the pandemic, why he thinks Skimble was the Jellicle choice before Grizz showed up, and his defense for Gus as his Jellicle choice. Plus, sin...

"The CATS giveth and the CATS taketh away because the cats have battered me around so much my brain explodes with CATS." This episode features Sean Chandler who is the host of Broadway Podcast Network's show Your Program is Your Ticket. Hear Sean discuss he saw CATS initially as part of a high school trip, how CATS has been a rollercoaster in his own life, and XXX. Plus, Sean shares how CATS helpe...

"Chrissie said, 'don't ad-lib.' You cannot compete with T. S. Eliot." This episode features Zach Bravo who played Rum Tum Tugger on the current 6th US CATS National Tour. Hear Zach discuss how he knew that he was going to be a Tugger from a young age, how he pulled from Metallica for his rock influence, and how he created "Tugger Talk" for Tik Tok. Plus, since Zach is a huge Star Wars fan, Zach an...

"I believe Victoria was reborn from the Heaviside Layer which is why Old Deuteronomy is so fascinated with her." This episode features Hyla Perillo who is Victoria on the current 6th US CATS National Tour. Hear Hyla discuss her Victoria headcons, her interpretation of Victoria representing the Jellicle Moon, and her theory on Victoria being last year's Jellicle choice. . Plus, Hyla and Mike pick t...

"Everything Gillian Lynne did was on a piano or flute and everything Andy Blankenbuehler did was on a drumbeat." This episode features Caitlin Bond who was Victoria on the 6th US CATS National Tour before the pandemic. Hear Caitlin discuss her ballet dance background, her emotional experience in the final show before the pandemic, how shocked she was learning the story of CATS during rehearsals, a...

"They name the food in Ohio. We were joking that we wanted a Rum Tum Tuna Casserole." This episode features Jamie Grayson who is better known as TheBabyGuyNYC but also played Skimbleshanks in 5 regional productions and designed makeup for 2 more productions. Jamie might know more stories about CATS than anyone else in the world and shares some of his craziest examples. Plus, Jamie reveals a major...

"The joy that I felt when I found out that I was going to be a part of Green Eyes. It was it all had come full circle. It was like, now I could be the person scaring people." This episode features Anne Brummel who played Grizabella on the US National Tour 5. Hear Anne discuss being traumatized seeing the show as a kid, how CATS compare to Wicked characters, and her passionate defense of Grizabella...

"Skimbleshanks is in 13 and that's really kind of fun for me as a musician." This episode features Scott Miller who is the author of a CATS parody book called Theatre Cats. Hear about Scott's first time experiencing the US National Tour 3 of CATS in Boston, the writing process of crafting a parody book, his experience watching the new movie, and his first experience thinking about the Jellicle dec...

"I just remember they were really hanging their hat on Elaine Paige. Commercials on channel four in Tecumseh, Oklahoma and I was like... great whoever she is." This episode features Ben Rimalower & Daniel Nolen who are fellow podcasters on the Broadway Podcast Network and the hosts of a new event called Cast Offs being hosted at Club Cumming in New York City. Hear about Ben's experience falling as...

"When I joined the show that was fifteen years in it was still playing to pack houses every single week." This episode features Damien Delaney who played Bill Bailey on the original West End Production. Hear Damien talk about getting to do the show with some of the original cast, learning the show with incredible Chrissie Cartwright, and why he believes Gus is his Jellicle choice. Check out Damien...

"My first word is cocksure which is a British slang term for not just being cocky but cocky to your own detriment." This episode features Tony d'Alelio who was Mungojerrie on the 6th US CATS National Tour before the pandemic. Hear Tony discuss how he grew up only watching the first act of the musical, his interpretation of the nuances of the show, and his deep defense for Gus as his Jellicle choic...

"And if there's any lens point at which to look at CATS through, it's through the eyes of a cult." This episode features DJ John Michael who you likely know as the Live DJ during your Peloton workouts but who also performed as a hybrid Munkustrap/Rum Tum Tugger cat in the Staten Island Academy of PerformIng Arts production of CATS. Hear DJ John Michael discuss how he collected international cast r...

"If you are just watching the show you probably wouldn't even notice the twins. But if someone knows this show well or if someone happens to catch us and then follow us, they're in for a treat." This episode features Laura Kaufman who was Tantomile on the 6th US CATS National Tour before the pandemic. Hear Laura discuss seeing the show as a teenager, performing in front of friends and family outdo...

"CATS is a lot of damp leotards." This episode features Benjamin Colley who was a swing on the 2020 Asian Tour in South Korea cover Rum Tum Tugger, Munkustrap, Old Deuteronomy, Gus, Bustopher Jones, and Growltiger. Hear Benjamin discuss what it was like being part of one of the only musicals running during the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic, how the cast became really close living in their bub...

"I had never seen a stage production before booking the show." This episode features Tanner Ray Wilson who was a swing and a dance captain in the 2016 Broadway revival. Hear Tanner discuss break down Carbuckety's backstory, his theory on how Jennyanydots and Pouncival are actually a couple, and his reasoning for why Cassandra should have been the Jellicle choice. Plus, Tanner gives a ton of differ...

"They asked us what we knew about cats and why we were so excited to be there I got a little bit of attitude because I thought they were cats from space." This episode features Lynn Craig who was a swing on the 5th US CATS National Tour . Hear Lynn discuss her introduction to CATS knowing very little at her first rehearsal, her experience doing CATS in a round theatre, and how her show differed fr...

If the 2019 Bombalurina can re-release her own music, why can't I? As part of the “BROADWAY REBORN, WITH LOVE NOW AND FOREVER, A Celebratory Welcome Back!” event that was recorded live on August 21, 2021, we recorded and released a parody of Memory. Hear it today and watch the music video on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pnXTDssGNY Performed by Melanie Goerlitz Lyrics by Mike Abrams...

"I poke out as as Alonzo singing 'Were you blind when you're born?' full tilt at my father two feet away I will never forget for the rest of my life he noticed me and jumped probably two feet out of his seat." This episode features Jacob Smith who you probably know from his time on Broadway in Frozen but performed as Macavity early in his theater journey at the Waterloo Community Playhouse in Iowa...

"Alonzo is the Rob Kardashian of CATS." This episode features Joshua Burrage who was a swing in the 2016 Broadway revival and an emergency cover on the US National Tour 6. Hear Joshua discuss how CATS was his first time performing as a swing, give a deep character breakdown of his various cats, and how both he and his brother got to perform in the show on tour. Plus, be sure to dig through Joshua'...

"Gillian Lynn would change the choreography which she could do because it's hers." This episode features Heidi Stallings who played Grizabella on Broadway in 1991 after initially being a cover. Hear Heidi talk about how she learned the show from a cassette tape, how she developed her character using inspiration from other performances, and her defense on why Grizabella is her Jellicle choice. Pro...