This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Ariana Grande, Hi, I'm Cynthia ARIBO, and you're listening to the Broadway Podcast Network. Visit vpn.fm, to discover more.

[0:13] Speaker 2: There's a cat over here. There's a cat over there. I'm the wrong one died. I'm the wrong one died. I welcome to the

[0:27] Mike Abrams: Ron cat died, the podcast breakdown, the catastrophe. I'm your host, Mike Abrams, and say we have another amazing guest. She performed as Victoria on the fifth US national tour. So welcome Jean Michel saig, and thank you for joining me. Hi.

[0:40] Speaker 1: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. I'm excited

[0:44] Mike Abrams: the fifth tour, because I know I've talked to a bunch of people, and it was many years, but I think you were in the towards the beginning of the fifth tour, so I've now heard some of the chaos that you all dealt with in the beginning of the fifth tour. But before we get to the fifth we'll get to your you know your your experience in production and some of the craziness, but I always we gotta start at the beginning with your cat's history. So when did you first see the show? When did you first learn about the show? Like, what was your introduction to cats?

[1:13] Speaker 1: Okay, well, I'm like maybe a lot of others. I did not see the show until about 200 shows after I performed it.

[1:23] Mike Abrams: You never watched it. I i

[1:26] Speaker 1: Okay, I saw the video. Okay, just the night before I auditioned. Wow, yeah. So when I was little and it came to LA, my parents saw it, and I we saw, how was the show, and whatever. And my mom was like, well, there was people dressed as cats, and they crawled around and danced and sang, and it was kind of confusing and kind of that kind of a thing. So that's that was always my impression of the show, and I never saw it, and I had the opportunity after dancing professionally in a ballet company, we were on a break, and I came home and my mom was like, there's an audition for cats. I think you should go. And I said, but did you like that show? And she said, You should audition show. And I was thinking, Well, I was in a valley company. I was really on that path and and I said, Well, do you have to stay in the show? And she said, Well, probably so then my brother, who is now lighting designer, was like, You need to watch the show. He brings the VHS into the room. We put it on. We watch it, the whole thing. And I was like, well, if I'm going to be in this show, then I want to be the white cat, because she, she does all the dancing. I mean, besides, like many of them, everyone there's dancing all over the place that I just sort of fell in love with her. And so that night, late at night, I tore through my dance clothes and decided, ironically, to wear all black, and went to the audition the next day. So that was sort of like my introduction to even make it to the audition.

[3:27] Mike Abrams: I love, I love the fact that your parents saw and they were like, yeah, it was okay. Like they were just like, they weren't, they weren't a pro or con against it. They just, it was something they saw that rolled through town, and they're like, you're, you're good. We'll, we'll take you to other stuff later.

[3:45] Speaker 1: Yeah, I think they, they sort of appreciated different kinds of shows with, like, you know, story lines, historical, you know, what, whatever. Great musical. This is a great musical. However, now that I've done it a million times. They're huge fans of the show, you know? I mean, we brought so much depth and understanding, um, to their lives with this. Sounds so,

[4:10] Mike Abrams: yeah, so, so you did see the VHS, so you got to watch that right before, like, day before, night before, like, hours before, late, yeah,

[4:21] Mike Abrams: so you, so you had at least that I knew I would be dancing, yes, and then you go to this audition, yeah, from ballet to which is a good progression, because it's a Victoria that is a very ballet kind of dance, and you like, get the role, yeah? I

[4:39] Speaker 1: mean, we had two days of auditions, um, you know, right away they sort of, you know, taught us one of the one of the sections to sort of clear through, and then we went on to the ball. And I was just, I feel like we just danced our faces off. And. And, I mean, we were exhausted, but I was just something in me. Wanted it so bad, but I was also really nervous that they were gonna call me back and have me come and sing. And, you know, coming from the ballet world, I wasn't that, you know, we I wasn't I, you know, I had dabbled in musical theater as a young girl, but I was a little bit freaking out. So I got called out, called back, called back, and then, you know, the last of the day, maybe there was like 12 of us. Everyone got their vocal books out, warming up their voices. I was like, Oh my gosh. What is happening everyone? Hey, you're doing all this stuff, and I was breaking out, and I I just went to my car, and I just sat there over and over and just saying happy birthday, saying happy birthday, and got it ready to go, got it ready to go, and then came back in, and I was, of course, last after everyone. And they said, Hey, Jean, Michelle, you know, what are you going to sing for us today? And I said, Happy Birthday. And he said, Great. Why don't you go over to Kristen at the piano and she can work that out with you. Kristen Blodgett, who I had no idea, who that was at the time, and who couldn't have been lovelier to me. She said, you know, great, you're gonna sing happy birthday. And I said, Yes. And she said, a real key. Would you like that in? And I was like, and she was like, and I was like, that's perfect. So we did it. It went well. And they said, Great, can you come back tomorrow? So I said, okay, and then I came back the next day, and they taught me the Victoria solo and and that was it. And I think about a month later, I got my call that I got the job

[7:00] Mike Abrams: I that is, it's so fascinating because the audition, like, if someone who doesn't do this for a living, or ever has done it, didn't even, you know, do any like musical theater growing up, so I was never auditioning or casting for any of this stuff. It's kind of fascinating to hear, like the Honestly, how difficult and nerve wracking Those situations are, but I kind of like, I'm thinking about now that you get you get this so you get this job now, and I'm going back to like, your parents are just like, oh yeah, there are just some people as cats dancing when and you've only seen one night of VHS to prep. What was the like? What was your reaction the first time you heard the story they told you? Like, was it a holy hell, there's so much going on here. I did not realize there's a depth there. Or did you kind of like, Oh, I saw some of that from the movie. Like, when they walked through the story,

[7:53] Speaker 1: no, I think when I watched the movie, I was quickly seeing, like, what, maybe, what was going to be happening the next day, just sort of like what the gist was. I wasn't sitting back just sort of relaxing into the story, but, um, it was a lot of information to see a lot so it's I had to just, you know, take it piece by piece. When they started telling us about the story, I don't think it was anything they told us was overwhelming, because it was like, what? It's so unusual. It's not just a regular story. So you're trying to wrap your head around any piece of material they're giving you about this group of cats, and then, um, which is helpful. It just gets deeper and deeper as you go when you're learning it. So, you know, it's A a long process of learning the story. I think,

[8:55] Mike Abrams: yeah, I just, I find that whole part fascinating, because it's someone who, like saw it and then didn't think about it, and then now knows way too much about it, but like, I'm imagining the, like a circle, like a pow wow, almost of all of you in rehearsals just being told this, like in depth story of cats that, besides the super fans, like 95% of people that go see The show one time, are not going to pick up most of it. And so it's always such a fascinating piece of like, you're going into this, it's going to be your future now, for the foreseeable future, you know, you're going to contract to then basically take that all in on top of the I've got to learn the Victoria solo, and I got to learn the ball, and I got to learn all the dancing and the singing and all the other stuff. But it's such an interesting piece because the story is so loose that, like, that's the part that's always fascinated me, of this process of like, I want to, I want to be a fly on the wall in one of those rooms one time when they go through the whole story, oh my

[9:54] Speaker 1: gosh, yeah. And I feel like, I'm sure, I am sure I was probably the only one that. Have never seen it before. You know, it seems like, you know, sometimes before you go to an audition, you've either seen this show or you've, like, you know, really prepared. And this was sort of very last minute for me, but I felt like, you know, everyone probably was a little bit ahead of the game. Maybe a lot of people came from New York and, you know, so I was just like, why? What is, what is all this? And I wanted to be like, Mom, you did not tell me that this was the story of the show.

[10:33] Mike Abrams: Yeah, did I mean, but did your parents pick that up? Um, well,

[10:38] Speaker 1: we could go back and ask. But I think at the time, maybe, maybe, like in the moment, while they were there, there were things that, you know, they picked up, but I think generally, I think they probably not, probably a lot of like dance when singing of cats, but why it was happening, and why someone went away. And, yeah, why are we hearing all these stories, you know?

[11:03] Mike Abrams: Yeah, well, I mean, and it's really interesting too, because, like, if you take just Victoria's arc, it's like a coming of age story. It's like, did they recognize that? And then to then come watch you do that on stage later. Yeah, I don't know. Interesting. Very interesting. Okay, let's, let's fast forward a little bit. You're now doing the show. Your your tour seemed like a little crazy with some of the stuff I heard about Atlantic City and some of the stops I didn't go to Atlantic. Atlantic City, okay, so you missed the that was, it seemed like a very crazy stop. We

[11:38] Speaker 1: started in Biloxi. Must be okay, fino or Emmons, I believe, okay, and we did our shortened version of the show.

[11:46] Mike Abrams: Okay, so what's, what's the shortened version? Who's cut? Well,

[11:50] Speaker 1: we didn't have, I think it was probably similar. It was at the Atlantic City that they did the shortened version. That was,

[11:56] Mike Abrams: like, they're almost previews, essentially, is what they kind of called it, yeah, okay, so

[12:01] Speaker 1: I think they probably just did the same kind of thing with us. Also, when we were rehearsing in New York, there was only half of us, because the other half was they were on tour, still on the tour, okay? And we were the new group coming in to meet them, okay? This was a very interesting dynamic, because first we go to New York and we're rehearsing, and we're meeting each other for the first time and crawling around on the floor with people we don't know, going like, Can I Can I lick your or whatever? And then then we all became so comfortable with each other. Three weeks later or so, we go and we meet the new or the group. They know their stories. We've been on tour, they've and they're comfortable with what their stories are and their relationships. And then here we come, and we just, we had to blend. And I remember that first rehearsal so well, and it was crazy, but it was exciting, and it brought our level where we thought we were up so high. One of our last rehearsals in New York, Jillian Lynn actually came and watched a rehearsal of what we had ready to go. And that was like, beyond thrilling, beyond thrilling, which that performance for her rose our level exponentially. I mean, we were, we were in a tiny studio and sweating on her, growling on her, and all of this stuff, and, you know, shape her notes and stuff. She just brought us. Me depth. She actually called me out personally, and it's terrifying. Wait, where's the little white pussy cat? Grand Island? Come here. And it was like the parting of the seas. And I was like, Oh my God, come here. Come here. And she proceeded to do the whole white cat solo and explain the entire thing and the coming of age and how, you know, really, you're becoming a woman, and you're healing your body for the first time, and how to do that, and to then growl at the end, when we touch the ground and go, Okay, now you do it.

[14:27] Mike Abrams: It was just like, amazing. What an experience. Yeah,

[14:31] Speaker 1: amazing. So we thought we felt really good after that. And then we met our the other half of our cast, and, gosh, it was crazy. And they made us so much better. You know, they really, they were such good cats, which was so impressive. Had

[14:48] Mike Abrams: a year of doing it right there. Yeah, the mannerisms. So tell me a little bit about the Tour. Tour seems crazy like, what? What do you remember? Funny stories like, kind of chaotic moments of being. Being out doing not just like on tour, I'm assuming tour is pretty crazy in general, but doing chats on tour, like, it's an interesting vibe at the theater because it's such a different show than a lot of the stuff that's rolling through towns like, especially across America.

[15:12] Speaker 1: Mm hmm. I mean, tour lives. It was my first time on tour, and I probably a lot of ours. We were young, and, oh my gosh, so excited. And, um, I, I mean, it was thrilling, because, you know, you were signing autographs for the first time, and people are dripped like you, when you know people would give you gifts. And I just, I actually opened my cats box today, just to, like, look at memorabilia and stuff. And I have letters from families that were like, thank you so much for, like, paying attention to our 14 year old son in the audience. Or, you know, this little girl came backstage and gave me her teddy bear. And, you know, like, all these wonderful things dance like that. Were wonderful, crazy. You're working really hard. I mean, I that was the best workout of my life, two and a half hours, I think, besides when Mongo Jerry and Rumpel teaser are going on, we are dancing. I my track was dancing, and there was such little time to rest. And when you even when you're not moving, you are totally on as a animal. So it was

[16:29] Mike Abrams: crawling, and yeah, oh

[16:31] Speaker 1: yeah, yeah. I mean, I and I was a kitten, so I was on the ground the whole time. Some of the bigger adult cats face, they stood a lot more. But I did something crazy that happened on stage. I can't remember what city it was. Maybe he would really remember, but right at the end of the ball, you're so tired, you've been working, working, working, and there's this little part at the end, this little paddle turn with your elbows out, called whirly gigs, I believe. And you're going, I'm going to sweat before the end, I am next to Tugger, and he goes, Oh, and I broke his nose. Wow, yeah, our beautiful, beautiful Stan, Stanley, Rum Tum, Tugger. And he, I mean, he was, he had to have surgery. He was on the show. I just, oh, wow, yeah. So things happen all the time on stage, and you're, you just, you're going with it, and you're just making it part of the show. And, you know, the audience doesn't know. I mean, God forbid you ever a great character. You know, was really, I think, the best learning experience of acting for me. I mean, as a dancer, we're always acting. As singers, you're acting, but this was, like, a totally different level of acting, and, you know, becoming an animal and staying in character, you know,

[17:55] Mike Abrams: yeah, I mean, it's, it's live theater, so there's always stuff that's gonna happen, like, that's what makes it so unique, is everything's, you know, every show is different. It's the tour in life is crazy. You know, it's like, it's and in the show is, you know, the you mentioned, it's like, the best workout, but it is the that was one of the things I walked away with the first time I saw it was like, I didn't, I couldn't tell you the plot. I couldn't tell you anything I watched was like, that looked so physically demanding that I was like, impressed of the athleticism that it took to be able to do that, because it is just constantly on stage. And, yeah, I think it's just one little general teaser, and I think that's it. I mean, there's like, gosh, maybe slow down a few times during memory. Or, like, you know, there are moments where you, if you're lucky, maybe you're sitting on a tire the back instead of being on the ground, but it's still, you're still on there, and you're still, yeah, in in cat basically, for

[18:49] Speaker 1: sure, you're you're engaged in the story and what's happening, or hanging on something you know, you know your position could be something where you have To be holding on to a bar hanging upside down, you know, or whatever,

[19:03] Mike Abrams: we're gonna take a quick break, and then we'll be back for more of the wrong cat died. So I want to pivot a little bit, because you mentioned about the stories and how you know, when you joined the cast, you had, like, they all had their stories. How much were you told, like when you became Victoria, you know, you're doing your New York rehearsal, what did they tell you? Was her story? I mean, the coming of age, and Jillian's telling you that in the dance. But how much? How much to give you that? And then how much do you have to fill in the blank

[19:36] Speaker 1: on I think what I really remember is them giving a little bit of a story. I feel like I remember that I was like a, sort of like a pampered house kitten, and, you know, well taken care of. And that was sort of like wherever I that was where I came from. I. Um, and, you know, I, you know, have, I'm a kitten, so I'm friends with all these like Rumpel teaser me still. Yeah, I had a really good friendship, at least for me, with me still, and Rumpel teaser and syllabi with a little kitten, and I feel like they let us fill in the blanks a lot, a lot. You know, as far as the choreography kind of gives you the storyline, as certain things that you have to be a part of, and then you really, really have some free range, as long as I'm not doing anything as Victoria that she definitely wouldn't do

[20:44] Mike Abrams: totally. And I think it's a little easier, because there's not the dialog. So it's not like you can go make a bunch of changes to like what they would say, and you're staged in dancing with whoever you're dancing with, and staged with who you're staged with. So you know, there's like you do, who lifts you in your production? Is it Alonzo? Friends? Yeah. And so that that changes, because that's Alonzo in some situations, too. So it's like, that is where you get some of these, like, interesting, this dynamic versus that. So the cast that comes back, how much did they try to bring into that story that they were like, oh, no, hold on new Victoria here, you gotta play this, or you gotta play that.

[21:25] Speaker 1: Um, I sense there. There may have been, like a little bit, but I think, like a lot of our discussions with each other, were never really done as people. They were kind of done as Cat and, um, it feels like most of the time we were cats, even though, you know, if you really break down the day, you were probably a person longer. But it felt like we spent all of our time as cats, whether it was like in rehearsal or whatever. So anything we kind of had to discuss, kind of felt like we were doing it between our characters, as weird as that sounds, so maybe they would try to do their old track with you that they did with someone else. And it would that didn't really so you would kind of just over time, we kind of just made our own story, which I think is what happens with every cast,

[22:23] Mike Abrams: and that's why there's no clear answer. Is because there's so many casts, you know, there's different productions, and then different years, and different everything, and there are so many variations and slight tweaks to choreography and staging, and this stage isn't big enough. So these two are together now, and they weren't normally and and so everyone fills in. Let me give you a couple that I want to know if you either talk ever talked about or are things that you want. So is grizzabel, your mom.

[22:51] Speaker 1: I don't think so. I've heard that. I don't I don't know if I remember hearing that when I was touring. And maybe if I heard it, I was kind of like, No, she's not my mom, but I do feel a very strong pull to her. For whatever reason I'm very connected to her. I'm always very interested in her and why everyone's so mean to her. I feel like I was very observant uh, when she would come on the stage, and it would be like, hurry, hurry, hurry, it's Chris Bella, or don't look, you know. Or someone would protect the little kittens. And I would be like, Why? What's going on? Why do we you know? And so I felt like I was very questionable about that, because I say, like my character really saw the good in the characters, especially her. And I wanted, you know, I want to see the good in people, yeah, yeah.

[23:54] Mike Abrams: I had one person say that they thought Victoria was last year's Jellicle choice, and that that this year is the being reborn into this, like in being reborn into Victoria. So do you think that that's like? Did you ever think

[24:05] Speaker 1: about that? Um, sorry, see, so essentially that

[24:10] Mike Abrams: so grizzabel goes to she's the choice. Whoever was Victoria was last year, and this is now the next, their next life. And that's why you're younger and having your come of age story, because you're just, you've just been reborn. Basically, I was, I was Chris Alan, potentially. I mean, that's or, well, it depends on how you look at it. Every choice, every year, like, is there? Yeah, that is the fans and everyone's have thought a lot about this. That's why this podcast exists. I feel

[24:42] Speaker 1: like all of that. I mean, maybe it happened before, but when we started becoming aware that these fans were doing this, it was mind blowing and crazy if they ever mentioned you. So I don't know if I think that's I don't think I think that's. True. I think always, everything's a possibility with the show. So I could see, you know, if she's, she was pretty ratty at the end, um, for her to come back. Look at this beautiful, white, pristine, pure, that. I mean, I could see that. I could see that could hop on board with that. Okay,

[25:18] Mike Abrams: if you were talking to someone who's gonna go play Victoria tomorrow. What advice would you give them? Hmm,

[25:28] Speaker 1: oh well, gosh, have fun. I mean, don't fall off your leg in the spotlight. Okay, you know, I I think to really, I feel like it's a she has her own arc in the story, as far as her coming of age. And I feel like that's really important to depict in, in who she is at the beginning, and because she not only does she change so much in the middle and then at the end, she also really changes the story of the show what happened. So you know when she accepts Bella at the end. So I would just say to really just get into deciding your who your character is, and just remember going, going through every move and like how I how I really felt, and, you know, just to really embrace the choreography and make it Your own and just enjoy, enjoy telling the story.

[26:43] Mike Abrams: Yeah, is there if you got to go back and do it, or if you got to, like, add to the story? What was like? What's one Victoria plot line you you wish was like, more brought into it?

[27:01] Mike Abrams: Like a real plot line, or a it could be either or. I think Victoria actually has one of the few. Like most the cats don't really have what I would call a plot line, unless you're Isabella, like a lot of them have a they pop in and they tell their own little story, and then they pop out and, like everything else we're making up, or we're assuming, but Victoria has, like, a full coming of age story, like there's a little bit of a plot, and that's why, in the like, 2019 movie, I think they made her the narrator, essentially, I was like, everything's gonna come through her eyes, because you can kind of follow that story, true. So I'm curious, like, if you it can be something that that is out of left field, that's kind of made up, that you wish was part of Victoria story, or it could be something where it's like, here's something we kind of didn't ever spoke but we always assumed,

[27:46] Speaker 1: oh, you know, they don't really know, um, it's

[27:51] Mike Abrams: been a year since you did this show. So it's always fun to, kind of like, press everybody on these things.

[27:55] Speaker 1: Absolutely, I don't know. I think it'd be fun just to see, like, a sassier side come out of her, you know, and maybe that's just because that's me, and there's this side of me that is that way, but that would be fun, because I feel like she always kind of idolized, and when I did, I feel like she always idolized, Like bomb and meter, and that she kind of, like, craved to be part of that group that was older, and I don't know to, like, have some sort of situation there with them. I

[28:33] Mike Abrams: like it. Do you I think Victoria should join the cavity song in the dance? Well,

[28:37] Speaker 1: she does what she does. We do the background? Yeah,

[28:41] Mike Abrams: no, I'm talking like the trio instead of, oh my gosh.

[28:45] Speaker 1: I would love that. I mean, I definitely fantasized about singing my cavity, our our Demeter. Kate Varner was oh, she was so fabulous, but um, and same with her about bomb ballerina, but I would just do that background dancing, and just felt my face off like I was preparing to go in for Demeter if it needed to happen, you know. So I think it would be fun if Victoria had, yeah, some sort of play. She's come of age. She's ready to be there. I want to see what my cavity is all about. You know, I want to see a little danger. Yeah,

[29:23] Mike Abrams: I that's part of cats too, I guess, because, like, that's, that's your story ends before we can get you there as Victoria, yeah, let's do some rapid fire on the show. So if you could go on for any cat one one night, forget if it's male female vocal range, any just, if you could just do one track for the day, who would you want

[29:44] Speaker 1: to do? Okay, so that's really hard, even though I kind of just one you can I'll do like a mini of each Okay, um, because honestly, after you're a part of the show, I think we could all appreciate every single person and what they do. Um. I think, like I said, I think I've always wanted to be Demeter. One time, art Demeter night between shows, we switched we she always wanted to be Victoria, and so we switched costumes and did our makeup just to take a picture. And, yeah, and so at least we have that. So, you know, I think I've always wanted to be Demeter and she I just feel like it would be really fun to act bad and to sing it and everything. However, I just want to sing, touch me at the end. I mean, I just want to feel that belt. It was so bad. And so I think it'd be amazing to be Grizz for that. I love the fact that in my role, I got to dance so much so that would be hard to give up to be Grizz, but to just pool, oh my gosh, it's

[30:53] Mike Abrams: also kind of the opposite, because you're only on stage for like 15 minutes, like you're on stage the whole time, and Grizz is on stage for a few, few dances and then sing, yeah.

[31:02] Speaker 1: And I actually roomed with our Grizz diraccioli, who's just ridiculously amazing. And she would be, she was just so funny because we were just sweating and dripping. And she would be backstage, knitting, oh, hi guys. And then she'd come on and be like, saying, like, the most glorious voice ever. And we would just be crying every night, like it just was amazing. So yeah,

[31:30] Mike Abrams: it's I the first time. I was like, Wait, they're really only on stage for 15 minutes. I'm like, oh, but they have a talent to do that. You know, it's and it's the opposite, because most of art would could never do Victoria. And it's like that's why everybody has their their role. So it's so special, filled with with incredible talent in so many different ways.

[31:50] Speaker 1: And we are, we all learn from each other so much on the show, like Dee would give me voice lessons, and I would give her ballet lessons, actually. And same with a conductor just got Ferguson. He would take ballet lessons from me, and he would give me vocal lessons. And everyone did that with each other on tour. It was so cool. It was amazing. Everyone was so good. You know, people were learning how to tap, people were learning how to tumble. Oh my gosh. We all went to a tumbling gym, I think it was in Detroit, and all of us, by the end of it, were doing standing back text, wow. Like, yeah, our Macavity COVID and taught us all like we all were doing back layouts. Like, I don't even know how it happened. It was magic. We learned a lot from each other, yeah,

[32:43] Mike Abrams: who are your favorite and least favorite characters in the show? Okay? Um,

[32:56] Mike Abrams: I ask it as a person, but it seems to blur More times than not when I asked because you, because you basically embodied your character for so long that it's like you kind of embraced that. But I am curious as you, as a person.

[33:09] Speaker 1: Oh, gosh, I, you know, I don't know why I wasn't thinking of this before, when I was thinking about it, like, who is my favorite cat, but right when you just said it, I thought, misto. Okay, you know, it's funny though, because I don't think I would have said that before. But um,

[33:31] Mike Abrams: another great dance number,

[33:32] Speaker 1: you know, yeah, and I feel it's always been really good friends all the mistos. But, um, I love that part when I just get to watch them work it and and do their magic, and the audience is just so amazed and having the best time. So I I love that part of the show.

[33:53] Mike Abrams: It is a crowd pleasing moment almost every time. Yeah, what about Lee's favorite? I'm not gonna let you off the hook. There's gotta be somebody just the worst question ever. I know there's definitely one that bugs you. There's always one. Well,

[34:05] Speaker 1: I don't think, I don't know if there's anyone that bugs me.

[34:11] Mike Abrams: I treat this as like a family member question, like, you know, you got this, they're still family. You still love them. But there's that one that's like, ah, the this. This one.

[34:19] Speaker 1: Okay, um, I think even though I liked doing this number, I think Jenny, any dogs, okay, but I love that. I that I also loved it. Loved doing the tap dance. I, you know, she was fabulous. It was, I feel like, if you're talking about, like, Thanksgiving dinner, it's kind of a lot. It's like, big, it's, it's a lot, like, there's a lot of noise, it's a lot, it's a lot of energy. It's a lot of performing, um, but I, but it's hard because I, I like Jenny,

[34:53] Mike Abrams: yeah, it's a good it's a good answer. I, I've only had one or two people refuse to answer it, and I'm all. Yeah, there's definitely one. There's definitely one. It's got to be one. I mean, it's usually Buster. Buster is a very common answer. Okay, I could see that, yeah. Or my answer has always been Peter, but I don't think Peter was on your tour. It's just Buster and Gus is dancing cat in the beginning. Yeah. So again, there's one. Okay, we can move on. What's your favorite song from the show? I

[35:23] Speaker 1: well, I mean, I think I'm gonna have to say memory because, I mean, I don't want to have to be so like, memory is my favorite song. But I just remember sitting like, after the whole show, you know, you have worked hard. You have put your whole body, your whole notion, everything into it. Then when Chris would come out and sing that I literally was brought to tears like almost every time, just chills on all of us were just brought together for that moment. And it was beautiful. It was totally sensational. So I feel that's why, because she made it that way for me. Yeah,

[36:05] Mike Abrams: this isn't good for my last question. I know it's okay. My last few have not been votes for Grizz, so I'm like, I it's gonna, it's gonna normalize back to the positive. Which cat do you think would be the best living on tour? Like, who would be living their best life on a tour bus, if you just take the character?

[36:28] Mike Abrams: yeah. Which cat would be like, thriving in a tour environment? I have thoughts on this, so don't worry. If you can, I can give you my answers after

[36:39] Speaker 1: Well, I guess it depends on what kind of a tour cat you're talking about. You know, like living their best life, or just by doing the work or what?

[36:50] Mike Abrams: Yeah, you can answer. It's funny you asked that, because my two answers to this answer that question exactly polar opposites. Depend it's like depending on which way you interpret it. One answers this and one answers that,

[37:05] Speaker 1: gosh, um, well, this is sort of, this is sort of not a real not not a real cat, but I would have to say, living their best life on tour would have to go to our wing cat that we named spike, so it's kind of

[37:22] Mike Abrams: okay

[37:24] Speaker 1: path here. Spike was our friend, Tucker tight Davis. He played many, many cats, but sometimes he would come on for the generic cat. And this cat was wild. This cat was wild like he would come up and lick your face, lick your whole face during a part where you couldn't move, and you would have like, you would have to take it, and he would just, he would cause all kinds of shenanigans and have fun and dance and thing, and just lived his best life. So I think for a very interesting and fun tour, Spike would be a good option for life. So

[38:01] Mike Abrams: spike is, is a, just a dancing ensemble number in the beginning, right? But is it is

[38:10] Speaker 1: generic brown unitard. I don't think I've ever heard about spike before. I think we met up his name. I don't think it was official. I think he made up the name. I love

[38:20] Mike Abrams: it, because I think that's the ad that is it also, yeah, so is that also, like, is that it's a swing? It's not like, it's the bus Gus track that's dancing in the beginning? No,

[38:32] Speaker 1: I don't think it was because he went on for specific roles. He did misto, he did pounciful, okay, for whatever reason he would go on as spike. Can't remember, like, when this all happened, but we knew we were like, watch out. Spikes on

[38:49] Speaker 1: it would change your pattern, it would change your track, because you would either want to avoid it happening to you. I

[38:56] Mike Abrams: have so many questions because I'm like, Where does spike fit in? Like, it's, I've there's the dancing ensemble in the beginning, and there's definitely, like, they add people to that. But it's usually like, in most of my knowledge is the Andy boy can be or more recent one. And so it's like, There's Baby grace, which is essentially, they sometimes make the Grizabella go out and just do the opening number dance. And it's like, lightly changed, but, you know, makeup and costume, and then the bus gush track goes and does some of this, but there's an entire separate, just generic UNITAR, like, not one of those characters that would go out as a swing to fill in, basically, when maybe you needed somebody was out and they just weren't going to be that character the whole time.

[39:42] Speaker 1: I guess I don't know I love that. Yeah, I'm gonna have to, I'll send you a whole, a whole thing about it. Oh, I'll talk to him about it.

[39:51] Mike Abrams: That is, maybe I need to talk to spike. Maybe you do. I'll find out what the whole spike situation is. Yeah, you have to put me in touch with. He was, he was crazy on stage for now. Yeah, well, I love the like, freedom, because it's not like a your alanzo today, or you're this particular person, because they've renamed, they've named some of those in the beginning and then, but almost all of them are another cat that's going to come later, right? And they're just dancing in the beginning, and they have a different name for that particular cat, but they're just, like, loosely changed, because I think Macavity has one, and, like, there's a couple, but I love the fact that there was just a separate swing. And I was like, Nope, I'm gonna come in and just cause chaos.

[40:30] Speaker 1: Oh yeah, he would stir things up. And it was good. It was good for the show, really, I mean, because although, really, every night, the show is changing, and that's what I love the show, is that it's not a show that you're doing. Oh, eight shows. Awakes the same show every day or whatever. It is literally different every night, even if the audience thinks it looks exactly the same every night, it is different. And that's what kept us so entertained as performers and just obsessed. And

[40:58] Mike Abrams: that honestly is what makes this show so like, continue 120 plus episodes in is because I've talked to 25 productions and all those different characters. I've never once heard about a spike, or even the idea of a spike. Bring it to you. It's so fun to hear all these different like nuances to the show that's been running for so long, because there's all the like, there's so much stuff not documented about this show. There's so there's a lot of theories and thoughts and way too much fan fiction that I ever thought I'd need to read. But there's all these other little strange and fun little quirks that don't change the show every day, but do change the show every day, and that's what makes it fun. Yeah, oh my gosh. Okay. Million dollar question. I've already got length that I don't think it should be orzabella Sounds like you're leaning that way, but let's I want to hear your defense if you're going to defend her, or, if not, who you would pick.

[41:52] Speaker 1: I mean, I'm sure you've heard a lot of well, similar answers and a lot of different ones too. But, I mean, I think Victoria trusts the decision. You know, I think she's she she sees the good. She wants. You know what dude wants, and she supports it. You know, she supports it. I think she wants it should be Grizz. It's not gonna be growth, then it can be good. Yeah. I mean, he's Yeah, he's ready. It's okay. But I think, you know, maybe Gus was expecting it, and maybe, I don't know, maybe just see someone else go, just

[42:39] Mike Abrams: that okay? I don't know that could be. I think he was ready and it was his. And then she comes back. And my beef with that currently is that I think she needs to spend a year with the family and go next year, and so that alone is like that gives you a redemption, that gives you your arc, that gives your acceptance, you get the exact same story, but minus the like showy ending, which you might which you still probably need for, you know, for theater, but from a pure family. If I'm looking at this not like a musical theater number, and just more of like the family is making this call, I want her to go next year. I want her to spend a year go some birthday parties, hang out and some dinners.

[43:23] Speaker 1: I think that is a perfectly good answer as well, because everyone's on board with her right now, so it's a good time for her to feel that love that she has been missing for a really long time. And, you know, like reconnect her friendships and all that, and have that moment I slip both ways. It's very, very difficult.

[43:49] Mike Abrams: Well, I have argued this so much at this point that I'm like, I've got the numbers down to less. She's less than half the votes. And so that's really what I'm happy about is that I'm getting I've gotten it to the point where now she's less than half. And I think that's a win. It's a win in my book. Yeah, this is super fun. Thank you so much for coming on. How can people stay in touch with you or keep up with anything you're

[44:16] Speaker 1: doing? Oh, not you. Kim, find me at JM, sayag, s, a, y, E, G, on Instagram, and, yeah,

[44:25] Mike Abrams: this was so fun. I anytime I learned something new, which happens still most the episodes, but like, I'm not I'm gonna be thinking about spike the rest of the day. It's not good. I'm gonna just be sitting here going, like, all right, what could spike be doing? Like, what spikes? What else is? What else? What else do I need to learn about spike? I need to talk to spike is really what comes down to you. Sounds good so well. Thank you so much for being here. This was so fun. Thank

[44:50] Speaker 1: you for having me. Oh my gosh, such a fun way to go through memory alone again, of all these people and caps that we love,

[44:58] Mike Abrams: I know. Keep the memory alive. That's the exactly well, thank you, and thanks everyone else for listening to this episode of the rocket die of the podcast, breakdown the cast atrophy to follow along. You can subscribe on Apple podcast, Spotify, Stitcher or new assistant podcast. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and tick tock at the wrong cat died. Or check our website, the wrong cat died.com. You