Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Jets.

Cats to Jellicle Ball because, I mean, it is...

It is going in the exact right direction.

It's meeting the moment where it really needed to be.

as to how you know that can be interpreted too um i've had you know going you know concepts in my head you know you know going around back and forth in my head at different ideas for classic shows and stuff too that i've had already like for shows like west side and for chorus line and for footloose and you know i'd be very curious you know if i ever had the opportunity would i I would love to tackle those pieces of material with great reverence, but knowing how to shift things around, respectively so.

Was there anything different, although it's still relatively traditional, was there anything different about the 2016 revival compared to other productions that influenced the production or influenced your interpretation of Mungo Jerry or anything like that?

Oh, for Cats, the Jellicle Ball?

Yeah.

At Musical Fair, which we'll talk about a lot more after we've seen it, but very exciting.

But in honor of Curtain Up, a very special treat for Theatre Talk BTPM listeners, we have with us a Buffalo-born Broadway star, star of Cats, Jellicle Ball.

Welcome, Dudney Joseph Jr.

Thank you for having me.

Broadway stars.

During the pandemic, we spoke to Andre.

He was brilliant, but he was also in Cats, Jellicle Ball.

And

Exactly.

For those of you who don't know, Ken Ard was just recently in Cats, Jellicle Ball.

But he's also in the original Cats.

from my personal connection to Ken is we both I did Smokey Joe's Cafe he did the original and I did some of his songs in Smokey Joe's so I've always idolized him and looked up to him and the fact that he said yes he was so on board and it's just the cherry on a wonderful cake so That is amazing.

It's also important for the new crop to see Ken, to be in his orbit and to hear his story.