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[0:15] Mike Abrams: Welcome to The Wrong Cat Died, the podcast breakdown of The Cat Sash V. I'm your host, Mike Abrams, and today we have another amazing guest. You might have seen her last year when she performed in The Music Man in the Winter Garden Theater, or you will soon see her in the Ensemble of SPAMALOT, which is going to be at the St. James Theater. But before that, she was Victoria in a Swing in the 2016 Broadway Revival of Cats. So welcome, Maria Briggs, and thank you for joining me.

[0:37] Maria Briggs: Thanks for having me. Excited to have you on. I know we've chatted for a while, and have never been able to connect on time.

[0:44] Mike Abrams: At least a year. And here we are. Yeah, I had the notes written and we're ready to go. It was like during The Music Man, I think.

[0:51] Maria Briggs: Oh my gosh. And of course, like when COVID was at its peak, and so I was super busy over there. And yeah.

[1:02] Mike Abrams: Well, and here we are. We're now, we've made it. We're recording and we get to hear your amazing story. And so let's start at the beginning. I always love hearing, when was the first time you were introduced to Cats? Was it the 1998 movie or was it seeing it?

[1:11] Maria Briggs: That's a great question. Because actually my last year, or last semester, I should say, at AMDA, I saw that there was the Cats tour going out, or that they were having auditions for it. And I had seen snippets of Cats on PBS pop up here and there, but I had never seen it. And I was in calls for the audition, and I was getting callbacks and callbacks. And it's actually kind of funny because I was in for Rumpelteaser and Cover Victoria for that time. And I got to final callbacks and I was like, I should maybe watch this, because I don't know what I'm auditioning for. And I will say, I kind of got to Mongo Rump, and then I don't even think I finished it then. I will say I was in school at the time, so I was like, okay, got the gist, I got to go to bed.

And I did end up booking it. And I told one of my teachers at school, and I was so happy and elated. And he had done the other version on Broadway. And he was like, don't do it. It'll be your first job and your last job. I was like, what? He's like, it's going to be a bus and truck tour. You don't want to sleep. Wake up that day and go to Cats. So I ended up not even doing the tour. I ended up getting Radio City instead. So this was the next time it came into my life. And I was so sad because I was actually out of town doing another show when they had the original auditions. And so I was the first group to go and audition. Or I guess I was like the first replacement or vacation swing once the Broadway opened. So that's a lot. There's a lot there.

[3:10] Mike Abrams: A lot there. You booked the fifth tour, I think it would have been.

[3:15] Maria Briggs: I think so.

[3:16] Mike Abrams: Julia Lynn Choreography towards the end of its time, too, because it ran for like 10, 15 years. It was the non-equity tour. And you had a teacher talk you out of it.

[3:28] Maria Briggs: I did.

[3:30] Mike Abrams: Wow. Did you make the teacher come in 2016 where you're like, OK, well, it was actually kind of great because he did get to come because they had like this show for alumni to come and see it. So he was there during that time.

[3:42] Maria Briggs: So the teacher did it. They did.

[3:44] Mike Abrams: He did it. Yeah, he did. I believe he did it on Broadway and I believe he was a misto.

[3:51] Maria Briggs: OK.

[3:51] Mike Abrams: I need to double check, but I don't know if I should reveal his name.

[3:55] Maria Briggs: Yeah, let's not reveal his name as he has talked you out of joining the cast, which means he either loved it or knew, hey, this is it is like the tour is a challenge.

[4:07] Mike Abrams: Like that is a yes, a very difficult schedule. And it's a very challenging show to do. And so, yeah, as I've heard more, I'm like, God, this sounds it's a lot. And that's why we have a union to make it safer and better.

[4:25] Maria Briggs: Yeah, I should add, there was I completely like my very, very first experience with cats. I was taking a masterclass from someone who had done it on Broadway as well. And we actually learned the naming of cats. And I was like, what is this? I love this. I get to be a cat. And I didn't even realize how much I love cats, but I was living my life. And that's all I knew of cats.

[4:49] Mike Abrams: OK, when was that? How old were you then?

[4:52] Maria Briggs: Like, oh, I think maybe just getting into high school.

[4:57] Mike Abrams: OK.

[4:57] Maria Briggs: Because I didn't really know about musical theater either until high school.

[5:02] Mike Abrams: Wow.

[5:04] Maria Briggs: You weren't like the obsessed as a five and six year old watching the VHS and burning through it.

[5:10] Maria Briggs: No, not at all. I grew up dancing my whole life.

[5:14] Mike Abrams: And see, I was more obsessed with singing in the rain. That was like the one I kept watching over and over and over again. And then and I actually worked with Michael Gruber, who was MonkaStrap.

[5:26] Maria Briggs: Yeah.

[5:26] Mike Abrams: That version.

[5:27] Maria Briggs: Wow.

[5:28] Mike Abrams: And I got to do singing in the rain with him, actually.

[5:30] Maria Briggs: Wow.

[5:31] Mike Abrams: He was Don Lockwood. So it's kind of neat.

[5:34] Maria Briggs: OK. OK, so you book it in college and say no. And then you go do all kinds of other stuff. And then you come back and you are now auditioning. So I want to hear a little bit, because that's a piece I wouldn't have thought about. You now are auditioning for Andy's version.

[5:45] Maria Briggs: Yes.

[5:53] Mike Abrams: How did the auditions differ? Like, did you do different choreography, different dance in the audition? Because it's too I mean, it's similar. There's like a lot of he didn't stray completely from Gillian Lynn's choreography, but he did put his own spin on it. So did you know it was that something you noticed when you went to the audition for the Broadway show?

[6:13] Maria Briggs: Yeah. So it's actually interesting because they used the same section to audition with, like that one section of the ball. So I kind of like knew the beginning, but then all of a sudden it changed. And I was like, oh, oh, OK, so we're doing a mix of it all. And then for my Broadway audition, so it was actually coed. And so we all did that. Then they split us up into, like, who they think would be Victoria, who they think would be Misto. And then we did the victorious or we didn't even do the full Victoria solo. I don't think I think we literally just did a develop and it was like, can you do it? Go into the splits. Done. And actually from there. I didn't hear or like, no, I think I went back within like two weeks or something to sing and it was just my own song and then addressing of cats. And then maybe I did so above. I'm not quite sure. And then a month went by and I was like, I guess I didn't get it.

[7:17] Mike Abrams: Yeah. Hey, and I was in it for another audition. I was in final callbacks for another show. And I'd seen that my agent called and I was like, oh, in between dancing and singing, do I want to get this right now or do I want to stay focused? But I had enough time and I was like, OK, let me check my phone. So I got another room and he was like, this audition is not going to work out and this show isn't going to work out because you're going to make your Broadway debut.

[7:46] Maria Briggs: So you're in the middle of an audition.

[7:48] Mike Abrams: I was in the middle of an audition.

[7:49] Maria Briggs: I was like, OK, great. This is amazing. I'm going to go sing now.

[7:54] Mike Abrams: Yeah. You didn't walk out. You still finished the audition.

[7:57] Maria Briggs: I finished the audition.

[7:58] Mike Abrams: OK. And I guess the one difference with when I was auditioning for the tour, I was in like showcase at the time for school. And so I was in these final callbacks and I got the Mongo Rump song. And oh my God, that time signature. And I was like, I don't know how to count this. Like, how do you do five? I don't know. And so at AMDA, we actually have what we call tapings and you can go in and you can work with an accompanist. And so I stayed outside the door all day with this accompanist. And I was like, help me count this. Help me count this. And all night, spent all night. And I was like, I got the song. So I was doing my audition and I did the whole beginning of the section. Then we were going into the five, four section.

And I was like, here we go. And I started singing it. And they were like, wait, you know this part? And I was like, yeah, gave me the music. And they're like, great. Let's give it a try. I think maybe that's how I got it. Knew that part, maybe. I don't know.

[9:01] Maria Briggs: So you'd learned it for this. This is the second audition.

[9:04] Mike Abrams: That was for the tour.

[9:07] Maria Briggs: For the tour.

[9:08] Mike Abrams: Okay.

[9:08] Maria Briggs: So that was the non you learned it. And then when you come in as again later, you're like, of course, I got this. I had already booked it once.

[9:15] Maria Briggs: Well, sorry. So the tour was saying they were like, wait, you know, this section, I guess they normally cut after that first part. Um, but yeah. And then when I was auditioning for Broadway, I actually didn't have to do it, which in the Broadway version, they changed the time signature in.

[9:34] Mike Abrams: Okay.

[9:35] Maria Briggs: Yeah.

[9:36] Mike Abrams: Okay. To make it a little easier. So then you you're going to make your Broadway debut. I want to go before we get to that first show. I love hearing how cats is explained to you because at this point, you're not the super fan who watched the VHS through you didn't even made it to act to the first time you watched it.

[9:56] Maria Briggs: Exactly.

[9:57] Mike Abrams: So what was that? Like first moment? Like where you're like, all right, let's let's I'm hearing the story I'm following through. And I think this is as a was this Victoria's a swing at this point.

[10:08] Maria Briggs: This is a swing swing.

[10:09] Mike Abrams: So you're having to learn six different cats stories and dances and songs and staging and everything else. Tell me the tell me about that experience.

[10:20] Maria Briggs: Well, it actually was the best because so we my first rehearsal, it was just myself. And it was at Ripley Greer. It's like in the 50s. I can't remember what street it was. But I was like, I didn't even know there was a Ripley Greer there, which is like a studio that a lot of people audition at. And I go up the stairs. And who do I see player camp who is like the master of cats. So honestly, I had the best way to be introduced to this show because she's so obsessed with it and loves it. And that was it was absolutely perfect. And I think actually, when I started, I didn't start with six cats, I think it might have even been three or something. And my first cat was Tantamile because how do we say I guess Tantamile kind of does the most consistently in the show.

[11:16] Maria Briggs: So it's like from a dancing perspective, from a dancing perspective. And again, especially being with a partner where it's like, OK, we can get this solid. And also the person who played that track also covered Victoria. So it's like, OK, we have someone who can like if I learn this cat, then we make her more available for something else. And so, yeah. So you walk in, it was a solo rehearsal, but you see Claire, who's going to just give you the full rundown, the full rundown of cats.

[11:44] Maria Briggs: Yeah. And I think that's how it started, where she was like, oh, my gosh, well, I love this show so much. You're absolutely perfect for it. You fit these cats perfectly. I definitely see you as Tantamile and all these cats. I can only imagine having Claire was one of the most entertaining episodes I have ever recorded for this podcast by a mile. She is so much fun and she is passionate about cats.

[12:14] Maria Briggs: I got to final callbacks and I was like, I should maybe watch this cause I don't know what I'm auditioning for. I got to Mungo and Rump and then I don't even think I finished it.

[12:44] Maria Briggs: I was like, oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm doing this. And then I got to the final callback and I was like, okay, I need to watch the show. So I watched it and I was like, okay, this is a lot.

[12:54] Maria Briggs: I was so nervous. I was like, I don't know if I can do this. But then I got the call that I booked it and I was like, oh my gosh, this is happening.

[13:04] Maria Briggs: I remember my first day of rehearsal. I was so excited and nervous. I was like, this is my Broadway debut.

[13:14] Maria Briggs: I was in the ensemble and I was also covering Tantomile, which was such a cool experience.

[13:24] Maria Briggs: I remember the first time I put on the makeup and the costume. I was like, wow, this is really happening.

[13:34] Maria Briggs: I loved being a part of the ensemble. It was such a great group of people and we all supported each other.

[13:44] Maria Briggs: I think my favorite part was getting to perform at the Winter Garden Theatre, knowing the history of CATS and everything that had happened there.

[13:54] Maria Briggs: It was surreal to be on that stage, especially when I got to perform The Music Man.

[14:04] Maria Briggs: I had a lot of fun being a part of the show and getting to know everyone.

[14:14] Maria Briggs: I also booked two tours of CATS but didn't take them, which was a tough decision.

[14:24] Maria Briggs: I was just starting out and I wasn't sure if I wanted to be away from home for that long.

[14:34] Maria Briggs: But I knew I wanted to make my Broadway debut and I was so grateful for the opportunity.

[14:44] Maria Briggs: Now, I'm in the ensemble of SPAMALOT, which is such a fun show.

[14:54] Maria Briggs: I can't wait for everyone to see it. The energy in the room is incredible.

[15:04] Maria Briggs: It's a different kind of experience, but I love it just as much.

[15:14] Maria Briggs: The cast is amazing, and we have such a great time together.

[15:24] Maria Briggs: I think audiences are going to love the humor and the music.

[15:34] Maria Briggs: It's such a classic, and I feel lucky to be a part of it.

[15:44] Maria Briggs: I hope everyone comes to see it and has as much fun watching it as we do performing it.

[15:54] Maria Briggs: The choreography is fantastic, and the songs are so catchy.

[16:04] Maria Briggs: I think people will leave the theatre with smiles on their faces.

[16:14] Maria Briggs: It's a great escape from reality, and we all need that sometimes.

[16:24] Maria Briggs: I can't wait to see how audiences react to it.

[16:34] Maria Briggs: It's going to be a blast, and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.

[16:44] Maria Briggs: I'm really excited for this next chapter in my career.

[16:54] Maria Briggs: I feel like I'm growing as a performer every day.

[17:04] Maria Briggs: Being in SPAMALOT is such a unique experience.

[17:14] Maria Briggs: I love the energy of the show and the way it connects with the audience.

[17:24] Maria Briggs: It's a different vibe from CATS, but just as rewarding.

[17:34] Maria Briggs: I think it's important to embrace every opportunity that comes your way.

[17:44] Maria Briggs: Each show teaches you something new and helps you grow.

[17:54] Maria Briggs: I'm grateful for all the experiences I've had so far.

[18:04] Maria Briggs: I can't wait to see what the future holds for me.

[18:14] Maria Briggs: I hope to continue working in theatre and exploring new roles.

[18:24] Maria Briggs: It's such a passion of mine, and I can't imagine doing anything else.

[18:34] Maria Briggs: Thank you for having me on the podcast. It's been a pleasure sharing my journey.

[18:44] Maria Briggs: I hope everyone tunes in to see SPAMALOT and enjoys the show.

[18:54] Maria Briggs: It's going to be a fantastic experience for everyone involved.

[19:04] Maria Briggs: I look forward to seeing you all at the theatre!

[19:14] Maria Briggs: Thank you again for this opportunity to chat.

[19:24] Maria Briggs: I appreciate it so much.

[19:34] Maria Briggs: Let's keep the conversation going about theatre and the magic it brings.

[19:44] Maria Briggs: I'm excited to see where my journey takes me next.

[19:54] Maria Briggs: And I hope to inspire others along the way.

[20:04] Maria Briggs: Theatre is such a powerful medium, and I'm grateful to be a part of it.

[20:14] Maria Briggs: Thank you for listening, everyone!

[20:24] Maria Briggs: I hope to see you at SPAMALOT soon!

[20:34] Maria Briggs: It's going to be a wild ride!

[20:44] Maria Briggs: Let's keep celebrating the arts together.

[20:54] Maria Briggs: Thank you for your support!

[21:04] Maria Briggs: I can't wait to share this experience with all of you.

[21:14] Maria Briggs: It's going to be a memorable journey.

[21:24] Maria Briggs: And I'm so glad to have you all along for the ride.

[21:34] Maria Briggs: Let's make some magic happen at the theatre!

[21:44] Maria Briggs: Thank you again for having me!

[21:54] Maria Briggs: I appreciate the opportunity to share my story.

[22:04] Maria Briggs: Let's keep the love for theatre alive!

[22:14] Maria Briggs: I can't wait to see you all at the show!

[22:24] Maria Briggs: It's going to be an unforgettable experience.

[22:34] Maria Briggs: Thank you for being a part of this journey with me.

[22:44] Maria Briggs: Let's keep the conversation going about the magic of theatre.

[22:54] Maria Briggs: I'm excited for what the future holds!

[23:04] Maria Briggs: Thank you for listening, and see you at SPAMALOT!

[23:14] Maria Briggs: It's going to be a blast!

[23:24] Maria Briggs: Let's keep celebrating the arts together!

[23:34] Maria Briggs: Thank you for your support!

[23:44] Maria Briggs: I can't wait to share this experience with all of you.

[23:54] Maria Briggs: It's going to be a memorable journey.

[24:04] Maria Briggs: Thank you again for having me!

[24:29] Mike Abrams: So we can and I have not thought about this ahead of time I'm gonna pull I'm gonna pull it up live and I have seen The Music Man. I saw it last week, I believe, here in New York, and then it was the one show I think my sister performed it as a kid growing up. So I was like, I was like, oh, I know a lot of these songs. Why do I know a lot of these songs? It was because of that. So we're gonna go through because that's that is it's Claire's party trick. She told me she just would tell everybody, okay, yeah, I love combining shows. I think it's really fun to think about the personalities. But I want to, before we get there, I want to hear a little bit about the very first time this Broadway debut, very first time on stage.

[25:11] Maria Briggs: I will never forget it. So it was with Tantomile and it was with my swing buddy Tanner. We had been rehearsing as the twins for a while and that's also why we actually did a swing out for my debut. So we knew it was happening. We could prepare for it. I could invite friends to come that day and I just remember being backstage and like it's gonna happen. It's gonna happen. And the twins enter in like a crouched position on their toes and we enter from stage left and we run on and then we roll and I was like, and then they pop their heads up and I was like, I'm on Broadway. I'm on Broadway. But then of course I had to like completely zone out then, right? Yeah, 'cause it was like, okay, I got I have a job to do now.

And I do remember someone in the cast telling me like, take a moment during the show to like really settle in and just look out and see where you are. And I just remember during bows looking out and being like, oh my god, I'm here. I'm on Broadway. But I just think it's so funny that my first Broadway entrance was rolling on stage. Yes, rolling in with full paw probably.

[26:40] Maria Briggs: And I always thought too like auditioning when I first started auditioning I was like gosh that girl's been on Broadway. Look at those heels that she's wearing. Oh, I can't wait to like have my first pair of Broadway heels. And nope, it's a good old jazz shoe. Yeah, painted with fur. Yeah, and I wear them so proudly.

[27:00] Mike Abrams: That is amazing. And then tell me a little bit about you. So then you go full-time on for Victoria, right?

[27:07] Maria Briggs: Right, so I swung for a long time and then there was a period between our original Victoria and then our replacement Victoria and so I got to take over the role for a bit and so I guess I could technically say I was the second replacement Victoria. And then once the new replacement came in, then I went back to swinging. But I, okay, I don't know if you know this and I don't know if it's ever been done before. So, do you know what split tracks are?

[27:39] Mike Abrams: Mm-hmm.

[27:40] Maria Briggs: So I did a split track of Rumpleteazer and Victoria. Yeah, so because to me I feel like those are two of the heaviest dancing tracks for the female cats and oh my gosh, we were down so many people at this time and we just didn't have any other covers for Victoria and Rumpleteazer. And so I definitely had to do Victoria. And then Francesca Grinnell, she was supposed to go on for Rumpleteazer, but she had no voice. She felt completely fine, but could not speak. And I was in my dressing room painting my face and my stage manager comes into the room and he's like, oh, sorry and downstairs Fran is trying to run the vocals with the music director. My stage manager comes in, he's like, okay, I think we're doing a Singing in the Rain moment. And I was like, what do you mean? He's like, I think Fran is gonna do Rumpleteazer and you're gonna sing it offstage. I was like, what? How is this gonna work?

[28:53] Maria Briggs: And so, 'cause that especially with that number is like you'd both look at each other you take a few is off of each other. So he then gets a call basically saying like she can't sing. So then my stage manager says, what's that split track you had in mind? I was like, okay, so this is how I got my assistant dance captain credit. It was for one day. I did, so basically I started as Victoria, Francesca was dressed as Rumpleteazer. We did the whole opening and everything. Then when there's the first scare, we exited and then I kept the white face of Victoria, put on the Rumpleteazer wig, put on the Rumpleteazer unitard over my white unitard and then put like the chaps for the feature. So I had basically three unitards on at this point and did the number.

And then when they go up to the top of the boot and it goes into slow motion, I exited, Francesca came on, I ran around upstage, stripped off the Rumpleteazer and then made it just in time as Victoria to run offstage, dive to go like greet old Deuteronomy. And it was one of the craziest experiences ever. So this is just one performance. It ended up being for two performances.

[30:22] Maria Briggs: Okay. Yeah, so I'm trying to follow this way. You see, you basically did Victoria until the way, right?

[30:34] Mike Abrams: Yeah, it's a duet of Mungo Jerry and Rumpleteazer and then you're in full me, I guess that's similar enough, right? Like it's not so far off if you put on the seat, you put the collar on and everything.

[30:40] Maria Briggs: Exactly. Yeah, and you went and did the cartwheels and all, saying back and forth and then the minute you exited, you went right back to the white cat. And then so there were someone else was still doing all the other, like the ball was danced as Rumpleteazer with somebody else, correct?

[31:00] Maria Briggs: So Francesca was basically the body of Rumpleteazer for the whole show except for the feature and then Rumpleteazer sings like first nibble shanks and but I just did that as yeah.

[31:14] Mike Abrams: Wow, crazy.

[31:15] Maria Briggs: And the nuts part about this is that so we had two shows Saturday, two shows Sunday. So I did that, what did we call it? I think we called it like Rumple Toria, full Toria, did that for the matinee and then one girl was able to come back and I think I did like Victoria that night and then the next day I had to do the Rumple Toria split for the matinee and then another girl came back and then I did like Rumpleteazer that night. So it's just, so you did Victoria, Rumple or Rumple Toria like in the four shows you did each character once and then both of them.

[31:54] Maria Briggs: Yes, which of course I was probably like Tantomile for the rest of that week.

[32:00] Mike Abrams: That is the part of, I mean swinging in general as I'm just, I don't, I can't even fathom that. Cats has the part of, for me when I first, I didn't know much about swings. I didn't know, like I knew nothing about musical theater besides as a spectator. And so when I learned about it, I was like, how do you do Bombalurina and Demeter back-to-back nights where you're doing the same thing almost but you have opposite lines and, I mean, you know, side-by-side.

[32:23] Maria Briggs: Exactly. I was like I would have you got kicked somebody like I'd be in the wrong or the two, you know, like if there's a skill that is so hard to fathom. I will say though, I loved swinging Cats so much because no matter who I was on for, you got a feature which is really neat because sometimes there's a swing because you cover the ensemble. So sometimes this ensemble isn't as featured as what is and so it was like, oh, okay, I'm the ballet cat tonight. Oh now I'm the tapping cat. Oh now I'm belting like it was so cool to get to use all of my skills in so many different ways.

[32:59] Maria Briggs: And actually, so this reason, so after the Broadway production closed, the tour was going out and they actually offered me Victoria and I was like, oh, you know, I'd rather swing and they were like, what? Yeah, I kind of like doing different things every night. And so, but then I ended up booking Anastasia that day. Anyways, you just, you're just not meant for this tour. You're gonna, they're gonna be tourists 'cause that was tour six pre-COVID. It's still called tour six. You're gonna be on tour seven. You're gonna book it and they're gonna be like, now I'm good. Like this is just gonna be your future tour.

[33:46] Maria Briggs: That is really, I can only share it on Broadway, I guess.

[33:51] Mike Abrams: Okay, I wanted to, let's have some fun and do some Music Man. So you're in the Winter Garden, which I think is awesome, super cool, right? So did that piece like, because that is, I still make a joke every time I walk by the Winter Garden, I take a picture of whatever the marquee is covered up and write Cats on it. I've done it. I've posted on social media. I've done it probably 15 times at this point. Did you like think about that at all? Like now that you are the Cats fan and you're getting to perform on the Winter Garden stage?

[34:26] Maria Briggs: Of course, I got to know like, well, first of all, so many legends like got to perform there, but Cats, Cats was there. And it was cool too because even some of the stagehands had done that run. So I need to get to talk to them and but I remember, so if you're, how do you say it? It's stage right house left. Okay, if you're going from backstage to the audience, there's kind of like a separate staircase that leads you there. I remember the first time taking it. I was like, oh my god, this is how the Cats prepared for Green Eyes. This is how they got out.

[35:10] Mike Abrams: I thought you were gonna say this is the Heaviside Lair, like this is the nook in the—

[35:14] Maria Briggs: I wish I got to go up there. But yeah, no, just this staircase is how you get from backstage to the audience and I was like, oh, this is how they did Green Eyes.

[35:27] Mike Abrams: I love it. All right, so I love doing this exact, I guess we'll call it the Claire camp game here, which is just let's figure out who which performer, which actors, which cats. So I have to think through because I have, you know, again, Music Man is not my forte. So let's, you're gonna have to lean in here. But let's start with, I'm gonna just go in order of what I see on a Wikipedia page. So what is gonna be Harold Hill?

[35:51] Maria Briggs: Oh, Harold Hill is definitely Munkustrap.

[35:57] Mike Abrams: Munkustrap?

[35:58] Maria Briggs: Oh, yeah, even as the kind of con man-ish version of it, like he's definitely the—

[36:04] Mike Abrams: Okay, I don't know if I need to break this up now, but this I had some questions for you actually, okay with Cats 'cause what if they thought, the leaders, so like Old Deuteronomy, Munkustrap, are on in on this, they get it. What if they know that the Heaviside Lair, what if it's not as good as what they are telling everybody?

[36:43] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[37:13] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[37:43] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[38:07] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[38:27] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[38:53] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[39:17] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[39:37] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[40:01] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[40:25] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[40:51] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[41:15] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[41:45] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[42:15] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[42:45] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[43:15] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[43:45] Maria Briggs: Victoria on 2016 Broadway Revival & Ensemble in SPAMALOT.

[44:08] Mike Abrams: Let's talk a little bit about SPAMALOT. I am very excited for this production.

[44:12] Maria Briggs: Me too.

[44:13] Mike Abrams: And I'm excited to hear that you're in it. So tell us, I know we're recording this before you fully are in previews or everything else, even though we're releasing the episode around then. So tell us what you're excited about, what can people expect? Tell us about the show.

[44:26] Maria Briggs: Yeah, so the crazy part about this is that we actually started at the Kennedy Center in DC. And that's all we were going to do. It was like one week of performances. But oh my gosh, this cast is phenomenal. Honestly, one of the best casts I have ever worked with. And I'm so excited that we get to do it together again.

[44:48] Maria Briggs: Because we're on Broadway! We're going to Broadway! How crazy that that one week run at DC was sold out. And gosh, and the way that the audience ate that up, you have to come and see it because the best part about it is that you will, it is so laugh out loud funny. And that was like the first thing my boyfriend said to me. He was like, I haven't laughed out loud that long, or like the longest time. It was so fantastic.

[45:15] Maria Briggs: So if you need a good laugh, that's the one.

[45:18] Mike Abrams: I can't wait. We'll put a link in the description for everyone that can buy tickets and go see it. And it's at the St. James.

[45:26] Maria Briggs: St. James Theatre.

[45:28] Mike Abrams: Yeah, that's so exciting. So fun. And you know, maybe we'll have you back to do Which Cat is Which Character.

[45:33] Maria Briggs: Oh, yes, for Spamalot.

[45:34] Mike Abrams: For Spamalot. But I have not had a chance to see it. So that'll be, I can't wait. There's a lot of buzz about the production. So by the time this comes out, there'll be some previews already out and people will get to see it. And so if you're in New York, go get your tickets.

[45:51] Mike Abrams: All right. So let's pivot real quick to a couple of the rapid fire. If you could go on for one track, one night, cats, doesn't matter, male, female, just if you could go on and be one cat, who would you want to go at this?

[46:03] Maria Briggs: Oh, Bombalurina. Or Demeter.

[46:07] Maria Briggs: Either one. Either one. Just sing Macavity. Have a blast.

[46:12] Mike Abrams: Favorite and least favorite cat. Like if you were going to be friends with them, which characters would bug you and which characters would you love hanging out with?

[46:20] Maria Briggs: Oh my gosh, I love Victoria. I love Skimbleshanks. Oh, Skimbleshanks actually would be another cat I would love to go on for. Macavity, I have a love hate with him because obviously I love that song so much. But like, it's him. Macavity gets a little like, okay, chill, calm down. And also a little bit, sometimes a tumble Brutus too, where it's like, do you really have to do that everywhere you go?

[46:44] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[46:45] Maria Briggs: You have to tumble everywhere.

[46:47] Mike Abrams: Love it. Love it. Favorite song from the show?

[46:50] Maria Briggs: Oh, favorite song. Oh, I think the opening. I know we were talking about Macavity, but I think the opening.

[46:56] Mike Abrams: So, um, we, you were in the winter garden and you kind of have that like kind of weirdness of the winter garden. So when, um, which cat do you think would be the best at like running the winter garden? Like who would be the best to run the stage?

[47:11] Maria Briggs: To run it all?

[47:12] Mike Abrams: Like if they're behind the scenes running the show, like which character is going to be able to do that best?

[47:16] Maria Briggs: I think Skimbleshanks would definitely be like the stage manager. I think Gus would probably be like on the creative team.

[47:26] Mike Abrams: Okay. Oh, he's got years worth of experience. He does it all. Um, okay. Now we'll get to, I will answer your questions after, but before we do that, I've argued at length. I don't think it should be Grizabella.

[47:39] Maria Briggs: Okay. So if you, Maria, you are making the choice tonight, you can pick anybody for any reason. And why, who are you picking and what's your ration?

[47:48] Maria Briggs: I, Oh man, I think I have to stick with Grizabella just because of the structure of the show.

[48:00] Mike Abrams: Okay.

[48:01] Maria Briggs: Just because she sings memory and oh my God, how heartbreaking would that be if she wasn't picked after singing that?

[48:09] Maria Briggs: So let me now answer your question.

[48:11] Mike Abrams: Okay.

[48:12] Maria Briggs: Which will come to why I don't think she should be picked.

[48:14] Mike Abrams: Okay.

[48:15] Maria Briggs: And so a big reason I don't think she should be picked is I think that the redemption, the structure of the story and the redemption and the arc all makes sense to me. No doubt. But why murder her right after that? Like make her next year's choice.

[48:34] Maria Briggs: So to your first question, yes. Sing memory.

[48:37] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[48:38] Maria Briggs: Be touched and be accepted back by your family and spend the year with them. Go to some birthday parties, have some Thanksgiving, have a, or I guess they're British. So, you know, have a, have, have a meal or two, you know, like spend time. This family that banished you is finally welcomed you back.

[48:58] Mike Abrams: And it's like the only argument against that is that she's not gonna live for another year, but I'm like, yes, I want her to spend the year with her family. But isn't what, or at least what they've been told, isn't the Heaviside Layer like the best thing? I mean, we don't know. We started with that question. We're not sure.

[49:20] Maria Briggs: But you're believing it. It's very cultish. You are believing in the cult and your leader.

[49:24] Mike Abrams: You know, I listen to those podcasts. I listen to...

[49:29] Maria Briggs: Yeah, this is literally just one of them. I'm just in a very narrow lane of a cult podcast here.

[49:35] Mike Abrams: Do you think it's because the cats have like now they finally learned the lesson of accepting and forgiving? So they're like maybe the leaders, maybe Old Deuteronomy is like, okay, they finally learned this lesson, so now we can get rid of Grizabella.

[49:54] Maria Briggs: But I think you can learn the lesson and still she can be next year's choice.

[49:58] Mike Abrams: But maybe they got another lesson for next year.

[50:01] Maria Briggs: That's true. I think that goes to the very important question is, does the criteria change every year? How does he make the decision every year? We have one opportunity to look at, like we only get this example of the ball.

[50:13] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[50:14] Maria Briggs: Like is there always like... And that was my other kind of Grizabella post argument is if you have to do this redemption story, like is there another banished cat that's coming back next year like that we don't know about?

[50:25] Mike Abrams: No. Oh, we can't. Well, oh my god. Could you imagine if like Macavity was next year's choice?

[50:34] Maria Briggs: Once Gus goes, I think Gus still has like two years, maybe.

[50:39] Mike Abrams: Wow.

[50:41] Maria Briggs: But I will say, I actually... So I should admit finally, I watched...

[50:46] Mike Abrams: The VHS?

[50:50] Maria Briggs: I didn't watch the VHS. I watched it on YouTube.

[50:57] Maria Briggs: Yeah, but I watched that production from beginning to end last night because I needed a refresh for today. And that Gus did not have two years left.

[51:00] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[51:02] Maria Briggs: That Gus was a John Mills, I believe. Very, very...

[51:06] Maria Briggs: John Mills, I believe, very famous actor and blind, I read. So that's why he didn't dance or anything. They like had it. That's why he, when he walked out with Jelly, it's 'cause he was, I think, fully blind when they recorded that, at least that's something that I had read somewhere.

[51:25] Mike Abrams: So, I don't think that Gus had two years left. I don't think he lived that much longer after that.

[51:30] Maria Briggs: Oh my gosh, I'll have to ask Michael Gerber.

[51:33] Mike Abrams: Yeah, you're not...

[51:38] Maria Briggs: So, okay, so you're sticking with Grizabella?

[51:42] Mike Abrams: I think I do. I mean, my goal is to just change people's minds here, so I'll keep your vote as Grizabella 'cause I know you've done this.

[51:46] Maria Briggs: I will say the original joke of this podcast was Leona Lewis. I thought I watched the X Factor, so I wanted Tugger and Mistoffelees to go together as like a One Direction.

[51:56] Mike Abrams: Oh, okay.

[51:56] Maria Briggs: That was my, like, that's my Harry Styles and whoever that they, you know, pieced together in X Factor.

[52:02] Mike Abrams: Yep.

[52:03] Maria Briggs: But I also think there's a version of like, it is kind of Chorus Line-ish. It is kind of an opportunity where why can't we do a let the audience vote or a different every night version, which I know has been done in Chorus Line. It has been done.

[52:19] Mike Abrams: It's not set to be done that way.

[52:19] Maria Briggs: Yes, but it has been done.

[52:25] Mike Abrams: Oh my gosh. Well, that would change a lot, wouldn't it?

[52:27] Maria Briggs: I think that would be kind of fun. It'd keep people on their toes.

[52:33] Mike Abrams: I keep saying this now.

[52:35] Maria Briggs: Yeah, toes. Exactly. I keep saying this now because I'm trying slowly to convince somebody to do it. That's why I keep saying it every episode, be like if enough people hear this...

[52:42] Mike Abrams: Maybe...

[52:42] Maria Briggs: Aren't they doing a new version of Cats?

[52:44] Mike Abrams: They're doing Ballroom Ball. Yes, next year at the PAC, which is a brand-new theater by the World Trade Center.

[52:52] Maria Briggs: But it's a very different interpretation. Like it's not...

[52:58] Mike Abrams: Right, it's not Cats. Like it's a... It's Cats in a sense, but it's gonna be very different. So I'm very excited. So that could be an option.

[53:03] Maria Briggs: I'm not even sure. Like, I don't know. It seems like it's straying a lot. I don't think it's the same story.

[53:08] Mike Abrams: So I'm not even sure that there's gonna be a Jellicle choice type of thing. Maybe there's no Grizabella.

[53:12] Maria Briggs: I'm very curious. They did a reading last year and...

[53:16] Mike Abrams: It is though.

[53:18] Maria Briggs: I think it's the last thing on their season, and so it'll be next year, and I can't wait. I've already talked to the team. I'm so excited to like see it, and like they, I think they just opened when we record this. They opened like last week.

[53:29] Mike Abrams: Oh my gosh, I can't wait.

[53:33] Maria Briggs: Yeah, so that is... There's versions.

[53:33] Mike Abrams: I know, but I'm like, this is... I need this regionally. I need this in like some theater where they're gonna put it up for like six weeks.

[53:38] Maria Briggs: Yeah, and that's where we can do it.

[53:45] Mike Abrams: That's where I want to... Like I think with the Jellicle choice, the technical element behind that is that they would, especially looking from like a dance captain point of view, is that everyone would definitely have to know and practice the exit for Grizabella depending on how they do it if they like... Because we flew her out.

[54:05] Maria Briggs: Yeah, so everyone... And I don't know if you would then have to change the harness for every person that was being selected.

[54:12] Mike Abrams: So I will say the technical element of that could be tricky.

[54:18] Maria Briggs: It's solvable.

[54:18] Mike Abrams: It's solvable. You could also just have her walk out.

[54:23] Maria Briggs: Yes, just walk. Just walk upstairs.

[54:28] Mike Abrams: I don't think you change... To me, you don't change anything else in the show except for when she finishes "Memory" and you do the receiving line. You maybe add that moment there where either Old Deuteronomy picks or the audience picks or some version, and then that person goes.

[54:43] Maria Briggs: I like it.

[54:43] Mike Abrams: Especially if you did a tour or a regional production because then it's like whose family showed up to allow it. You know, like my whole dance class from growing up is all here.

[54:53] Maria Briggs: Like, we're gonna send a Tantomile tonight who's never else in the, you know, never in the running any other time.

[54:58] Mike Abrams: Well, so then do you think Tantomile and Coricopat go together? Do you think they can go separately?

[55:01] Maria Briggs: I think that would be hard for the two of them to go separately.

[55:06] Mike Abrams: But I don't know. There's not a lot of rules.

[55:12] Maria Briggs: Yeah, we're just sending somebody back.

[55:15] Mike Abrams: We're like, we're currently sending somebody who was banished from our tribe.

[55:19] Maria Briggs: No, I mean back. Like we can't send two up together.

[55:25] Mike Abrams: So, how do you think the audience votes? Is it like by ballot or just like raise of hands?

[55:30] Maria Briggs: I mean, we're in 2023. Like, phone in our pocket, like it wouldn't be that hard to set this up.

[55:35] Mike Abrams: You know, there's an expense if you want to do it, but like there's... Don't they do that on The Masked Singer?

[55:40] Maria Briggs: Something, a bunch of shows.

[55:43] Mike Abrams: Yeah, they have a little button at the seat.

[55:46] Maria Briggs: So I'm not sure that that's quite ready, but you could do something like that, or you could just do by applause, or you could really just let Old Deuteronomy pick differently every night.

[55:52] Mike Abrams: That's true.

[55:55] Maria Briggs: Yeah, and have that one performer or one person make the call, or we could really do it with a Tugger style, which is like point out one audience member and have them select.

[56:00] Mike Abrams: Oh, wow.

[56:06] Maria Briggs: I'll put them on the spot.

[56:13] Mike Abrams: How do you think people would pick Grizabella?

[56:17] Maria Briggs: I think Grizabella would get a lot of votes.

[56:21] Mike Abrams: Okay, I do think... I mean, I can tell you as of recording this today...

[56:25] Maria Briggs: Why do you think that's just because people are already swayed to go that way just because it's set, or if you have the option, do you think people are like, well, I've seen Griz go, I want to see somebody else?

[56:31] Mike Abrams: I think it depends on how deep the fandom is, I think.

[56:35] Maria Briggs: Okay.

[56:37] Mike Abrams: When you start talking to like the superfans, they have an opinion, and it's either a Grizabella opinion or it's usually a Gus opinion, but like they have a...

[56:42] Maria Briggs: No, this is the choice.

[56:42] Mike Abrams: I think if you just have someone who's never seen it, right, then there might be a, I really like that number or I really enjoyed that piece. Like when I walked out of the theater, the only thing I really remembered was "Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer."

[56:58] Maria Briggs: Oh, nice.

[56:58] Mike Abrams: I was like, that was stuck in my head for like a week after the first...

[57:02] Maria Briggs: Sad for a kid.

[57:03] Mike Abrams: Go or like younger cats to go. It depends on what it is.

[57:08] Maria Briggs: Yeah.

[57:08] Mike Abrams: It could be... They could be reborn right back and be very similar to what they were before because they were any kitten.

[57:15] Maria Briggs: There's no rules.

[57:15] Mike Abrams: No, and I'm slowly trying to influence and change.

[57:21] Maria Briggs: I think, you know, you added a Grizabella vote. I had a good little run here of Gus's.

[57:26] Mike Abrams: Yeah, I did a Grizabella vote back. So she has less than half the votes of every guest I've had on. I asked every single person, and she is less than half.

[57:30] Maria Briggs: Interesting.

[57:35] Mike Abrams: So who is like the one that surprised you the most?

[57:41] Maria Briggs: There's been some funny answers. I think there's every once in a while someone just defends their cat, which is always fun.

[57:49] Mike Abrams: Yeah, which I get.

[57:49] Maria Briggs: It's easier.

[57:53] Mike Abrams: Yeah, it's a little...

[57:53] Maria Briggs: Yeah, you have...

[57:53] Mike Abrams: There's a few of like, who's the biggest... It goes back to criteria. Who's the biggest strain on society, right? That could be best for Jones. That was one answer, which made me really laugh.

[58:03] Maria Briggs: There has been a lot of Old Deuteronomy. Is it his turn? Like why has he not been picked yet?

[58:09] Mike Abrams: And then what?

[58:10] Maria Briggs: Monk.

[58:12] Mike Abrams: Right, so there's a lot of different answers. I think right now I have...

[58:17] Maria Briggs: Do you think he has to hand off his, like, you are now the leader before he goes to that?

[58:21] Mike Abrams: Oh, it's not happened. But think of how Tugger's gonna take that.

[58:27] Maria Briggs: Yeah, so I have 19 different answers from most of the ones that are like one or two are kind of jokes, you know, it's like somebody...

[58:36] Mike Abrams: Yeah, there's like trying to be comical about it, but it is almost half Grizabella and then a 40-something percent Gus and then one or two are here for the rest.

[58:46] Maria Briggs: Wow.

[58:48] Mike Abrams: Gus and Griz, yeah, but I'm not sure anybody thought about it though. And so it's asking the question.

[58:53] Maria Briggs: Yeah, but if we can send like Tantomile and Coricopat together, why not Gus and Griz together?

[59:00] Mike Abrams: That, so that's like why?

[59:03] Maria Briggs: Yeah, I said that I would be fine with...

[59:07] Mike Abrams: Let's give it... Let's have a couple choices. That goes back to the One Direction version, which is like...

[59:12] Maria Briggs: Right, right.

[59:14] Mike Abrams: We don't need solo acts. We're gonna create some groups because that X Factor has done that a lot.

[59:17] Maria Briggs: Very successfully.

[59:17] Mike Abrams: And that was literally the genesis of this whole thing because that was my first introduction was Leona, and I thought X Factor.

[59:25] Maria Briggs: Yeah, I, you know, I thought X Factor. That's my aunt.

[59:33] Mike Abrams: That's gonna be my answer. Actually, it's in both together, just be one person.

[59:37] Maria Briggs: Both together.

[59:37] Mike Abrams: Yeah, just sacrifice them all. We should change the rules.

[59:44] Maria Briggs: Just send them. Send like five or six of them together.

[59:49] Mike Abrams: Let's just send them on, and maybe it's like two this year.

[59:52] Maria Briggs: Maybe we get four the next year.

[59:53] Mike Abrams: Maybe it's just one one year.

[59:56] Maria Briggs: I...

[59:56] Mike Abrams: You've got an argument.

[59:56] Maria Briggs: Why just one?

[59:56] Mike Abrams: Yeah, just one.

[59:56] Maria Briggs: So...

[59:56] Mike Abrams: This has been super fun. How can I stay in touch with you, find you on social media?

[1:00:00] Maria Briggs: I am on Instagram at Maria R. Briggs.

[1:00:05] Mike Abrams: All right, we will link that and give a follow. And this was so much fun. Thank you for coming on and chatting through, and gosh, it makes my heart so happy because again, like Cats kind of left for a second because I was so busy with other shows, so it's so nice to revisit again, and I thought just to remember how much I love it.

[1:00:26] Maria Briggs: That's awesome.

[1:00:26] Mike Abrams: I love being able to let you live these memories again, and I'm sure...

[1:00:32] Maria Briggs: Yes, exactly. I'm sure Claire's very proud of you.

[1:00:35] Mike Abrams: From that day with her.

[1:00:39] Maria Briggs: She now gets to listen to this and know that she's influenced.

[1:00:45] Mike Abrams: Absolutely. Awesome. Well, thank you, and thanks everyone for listening to this episode of The Wrong Cat Died, the podcast breakdown of the Cats. Be sure to follow. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. I don't get that. Or check our website.