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.

[0:28] Mike Abrams: to the Ron cat died, the podcast breakdown of the cat's atrophy. I'm your host. Mike Abrams, and today we have another amazing guest. She was rumble teaser during the 2022 2023 Asia Tour, which was in Korea and Taiwan. And I'm very excited to have her here. So welcome. Katie Hutton, thank you for joining

[0:43] Speaker 2: me. Hello. Thank you for having me. I'm very excited. I know we've

[0:47] Mike Abrams: talked about this and doing this for a while, so I am finally. I know you've been in a bunch of other shows, and you've been doing a bunch of stuff and moving and a lot of like life going on. So I'm glad we finally found time to sit down and and chat through. Because I your tour was kind of like one of ones that, you know, there's a US tour, there was the international tour, and then there was your tour that kind of all kind of came back. And I've always been fascinated by tours in Korea and Taiwan and Asia, because there's such a passion for the show there, and it's such an interesting like, they love it, and they always have amazing crowds, and this like really great marketing and all kinds of fun stuff. So we'll get to that. But I gotta always start. You gotta start at the beginning. So I love to hear your cat's history as a dancer, as, uh, in ballet. Did you watch the 1998 movie growing up? Or what was your first introduction to the show?

[1:37] Speaker 2: Of course, I did. Every everyone has, um, my mum actually watched the show a long time ago, when she was about 10 years old. And my parents aren't stagey at all, but it's her favorite show because it's the first one that she saw. So that was my first introduction to cats. And then I saw the show myself when I was 11. It was one of the first shows that I saw as well, and my dance teacher took me to see it, which was really special. And then a couple of years later, I was a bit brave and asked her if I could have the Jellicle Ball as my modern solo. Obviously, you can't have an eight minute modern solo. She was like, No, you're not old enough. And I was crushed. I was heartbroken. And then the year after, she made me work for it a little bit, and then she she gave it to me like a cut version of the ball. So I used to my modern was my favorite dance, and I used to do really well in there every year. And I just loved it. It was my favorite and then I went to college. I went to bird college for three years to train, and that cats always remained one of my top shows to do when I graduated, and during my training, we went into lockdown, obviously, the whole world. And I took class with a lot of ex cats at the time, quite a few, and learned parts of the ball and the audition routine, ready for when I graduated, I had an audition for the international tour, which went on at the same time, which a couple of my friends ended up doing. I went to college with Maya, who was the white cat on that tour, and I also auditioned for the cruise, but neither of them went my way, but they weren't for Rumpel teaser. So then when the audition came through for the Asia tour for Rumpel, it just felt meant to be because she's my favorite. She's always been my favorite. So, yeah,

[3:25] Mike Abrams: okay, I've got a couple follow up questions. So let's start with seeing it as an 11 year old. Was this a West End the tour? Like, where was this first viewing?

[3:35] Speaker 2: It was the UK tour. UK tour, okay, yeah, I think 2014 and it was at Nottingham theater royal, which I am, I live in the countryside, so that's our closest theater, and it's still about an hour away. So other than pantomimes, it was the first thing that I'd seen. And yeah, introduced me to the idea of this, like crazy thing actually being a career. And yeah, I don't remember much about it. I actually really thought Grizabella went up in a spaceship, so it was completely lost on me, and my mum didn't have an answer for it, either. So that's what I sort of lived with for the next few years, until I I learned about the show properly. But yeah, it was just, it's fascinating, such a cool show to watch

[4:18] Mike Abrams: that's that young is it makes sense too, because it's a hard show to understand a doll. And so it's, it makes sense. Okay, so you see it at 11, and then how old are you when you're asking to do the ball as your like, as your dance, like your solo? I

[4:33] Speaker 2: first asked for it when I was 14, which is like intermediate level at home, at competitions, and I think it was my teacher's plan, because she knew I loved the show, but she gave it to me in my first year of senior, which was when I was 15, and then I actually ended up using it for a lot of my recalls, for my college auditions. So it's been a part of me for a really a long time. It's so nice to look back on so

[4:58] Mike Abrams: you have, yeah, so. The the ball, or at least a section of the ball, isn't it, like 13 minutes, right? It's like, really long, but a section of the ball has been your go to dance solo audition for most of your life,

[5:12] Speaker 2: yeah, like a two minute version. But I, you know, I watched it when I when I got the show, and I, I showed it to my teacher as, like, the hint to tell us what I was doing, and it just has made it so much more special. And our dances are something that are passed on like to the next generation. So all the younger girls that dance now, they have my character and my ballet music, and nobody's got the modern yet, because I think they're a bit scared to give it. And then obviously the younger girl be like, I'm gonna be in cats now. Because it just like, yeah, it's one of those pieces of music where, once you've done it, it just becomes an aim, a goal in life. So I hope that she passes it on soon, and yeah, and that it happens to somebody else, because I think it's such a dream as show. I

[5:58] Mike Abrams: love that. So it's like, this has been so there's like, people who I talk to, who they fall into it because they're just dancers, singers or musical theater people. And this is a one of hundreds of auditions they're probably doing, and this is the show that they book. And then there's your scenario, which is, this was like childhood, first show did this throughout all of your life than dancing, leading up through university, through everything, and then you book it. So this has got to be like, when you were auditioning, is that audition harder for, like, for the Asia tour that you booked? Was that harder or easier? Because you obviously know parts of it, it's like a show that you love, but also the pressure of, I want this is, like, this is like, my dream show, like, does that when you're doing this, like, I'm not in this space. I don't like, I don't go to any auditions. I don't perform. So I'm just kind of thinking, like, is that an easier situation or a more challenging situation?

[6:54] Speaker 2: I actually had the I have the weirdest audition story from from my Catholic experience is so different to any of my other auditions, but generally, to answer your question, like as a performer, generally, I think it makes it harder, because immediately your heart is set on the job, is planning your life as the cat and seeing your face in the makeup for the for the next however long until you know if you have got it or not. But yeah, my audition story was, was quite wild. So, yeah, not the

[7:23] Speaker 3: most positive audition processes. Well, let's hear it. Let's hear it. So I

[7:26] Speaker 2: first auditioned for the show for the international tour in March of my third year at college. It was one of, like, my first auditions at college, and obviously already had so much pressure on it, because it was cats, but it was for the role of Demeter, which I'm a little I'm a little young for. I would love to go back to the show and cover her, but I think at the time, obviously I was like, I went to the audition, and, yeah, it went well, and I got to meet Chrissy for the first time, and her lovely daughter, Emily Langham, took our call, which was amazing. And it was just like a dream come true with an hour. And obviously you learn the ball is the first round for most auditions. So it was an amazing process. And I was so happy that I did it and I started my catch journey. And I had very much said to my agent from from even the letter that I wrote to him asking for representation, it has cats in it. I was like, I need someone to get me into cats, Mary Poppins, corasign and Legally Blonde, that's it. And then I'm all right. So yeah, and it was fabulous to go and obviously learn the ball properly from those two amazing women. And then I had an audition for the for the ship for Jemima, which was a bit closer to Jemima gorgeous, like, what a beautiful character. So that was exciting, but I that was self tapes, and they're quite hard songs to get across on a self tape. They're very, very high, very soprano. So that was my second run in with the show. And then I my self tape was for Asia tour as well. I had a tape to that, rather than it be an audition. It was very random. It was very, very quick, and I actually was supposed to do another job. Unfortunately, cats came through. My yes came through at the same time. So I chose cats, of course, but yeah, it was quite it was a hectic week. That week. It went sort of from nothing to everything in one week. And it was so strange, I had to self tape the whole song, because I didn't obviously have a Mungo with me, so I had to sing the Mungo bits into which was so silly and so fun. And my parents, like I recorded it at home, and they were laughing at me because it was just so funny. I'm Northern, so to be putting on a Cockney accent and singing these two parts of such a speedy song, it was, I imagine it was much funnier for them to listen to than it was for me to do. But myself and my dad watched a few videos before we recorded it, and the video that we watched the most is actually of he then became my mango, Jerry, Billy, Mahoney and his partner before, Neve, who did the film, and I really had modeled it off of I. Accidentally, I guess Billy the Mungo lines I was singing. So then to see the cast announcement and it be his face was just crazy. It was meant to be. That's

[10:08] Mike Abrams: so funny. So you were doing both, I'm like, imagining you. I mean, you're obviously not doing the dance parts on the self tape. Probably right.

[10:15] Speaker 2: Or are you, if you've if once you meet me in real life, one day, you will realize I absolutely did the dance class.

[10:22] Mike Abrams: So I just envisioning, like, are you doing the the cart wheels, like, by yourself? Just one, just one half

[10:29] Speaker 2: of it. It was just a minute and a half long, which actually made it harder, because the first minute, obviously, you're familiar with the duet. It's is very Mungo heavy, yeah, which was, it was, it was so fun, and they wanted it back very quickly. So I just sort of took this afternoon to do that, and then the next day, took the afternoon again to do, like, the ensemble stuff. And I remember we got to rehearsals, and the very few of us that were new to the cast, like new to cats, completely, we were talking about our self tapes, and we said, like, oh gosh, if some of those, like, alto harmony lines at the end of the show, wherever leaked. Oh, they're just so funny because you don't know what you're recording, because you've not done the show before. You're just sent this sheet music, and you're like, Okay, here we go. Yeah,

[11:13] Mike Abrams: you're like, not prepared for it. And also have been preparing your whole life exactly. So it's kind of this weird middle, and you're doing it

[11:21] Speaker 2: quickly, but just not, yeah, I

[11:25] Mike Abrams: It's, it is a fascinating like, I do think, like, obviously, the pandemic changed, like, the way a lot of a lot of industries work and function, and I like your industry's shift of that is fascinating to me. Of you go from going always in with, like a call, like a big, open call with lots of people to this, like being in a room by yourself and doing this in isolation on a video to then send to somebody has got to be a very different process than what you did in person. I've

[11:56] Speaker 2: just finished the Addams Family here in London, and that is the first job that I've ever got from an in person call, and I'm at the start of my career. But that was a huge moment for me, because it made me really think about the fact that so much of our lives because of lockdown, was so reliant on self tape. And I'm so I'm so grateful for everything and the extra training that I actually got out of that time. But I'm so glad that my my journey, took that course, but it's definitely shifted the way things were definitely in my first year of graduation, like, between graduating and going to cats, a lot of taping, a lot of online things, yeah,

[12:35] Mike Abrams: I mean, it's allowed some stuff, like, like, this is easier now we're, I live in New York, you live in London. We can do this, and the technology is now built to make it a lot easier. So there's been some, some interesting switch in terms of this. I want to, I want to now fast forward to exactly the part you mentioned, which is you, you're the you get there with a bunch of other people who had not done cats before, but also people who have walk me through. I'm always fascinated by what you're told. So this is obviously going like, this is a small regional production where it's going on for like six or eight weeks. This is a tour that's gonna go on for over a year. So you're given backstory, and probably your felinity school, and all of the different pieces that come with this. So what do you remember, especially of that process, but especially the here's what I was specifically told that I need to play for MongoDB teaser, like, this is their personality, this is their story. So

[13:33] Speaker 2: we got to rehearsals, and the first two days, we were very lucky. They'd flown I think there were six of us that were new to the cast. Definitely, it wasn't a lot. It was a very small portion of our cast was was new. So they flew us out two days before everybody else, and we learned the opening and the ball. And we got to do a lot of like cat school with our lovely resident director, maxan, and also our lovely Tommy, who was putting on the show for Chrissy, because she came towards the end of our process. But, yeah, that was so helpful, because we had two days before that others came in, which sort of helped to get past. It was a very safe space, because we were all new. And then the difference between, like, watching us, because obviously the first thing you do is like, it's literally day one hour one on the floor, crawl around like a cat, probably before you even know who your character is really. That that's the basics to build upon. And then when everyone else gets in the room, it helps the characterization. Chrissy gives you your three words, which I'm sure you've heard about, and they're like this blessing to you that really helped with the characterization. But the difference in the like six of us newbies, and then, versus three days later, when everyone else got in the room, and you're looking at these people. And I so distinctly remember looking at our Jemima Gabby, who had also been a white cat. And I was like, this girl is amazing, like she is a cat. I just looked at her sat there, and I thought, Oh my god. You've got work to do. Like, it was so inspiring as well to have those people that have done it so many times, and yeah, and they were so helpful. I mean, my gorgeous Billy, my Mungo, had done the show, I think, six times before this one, and he was so helpful. And he was just the best as well at inspiring me to create my own version of brunt. Because, you know, it's hard. I mean, I am besotted with Bonnie Langford, the fact that she was the first, the first girl to do this, and I love everything that she's done since. So it's hard to then separate and be like, No, like Katie, you are the Bonnie now. You get to make those choices that she did once upon a time. And that's it's hard. And at 21 the imposter syndrome for the first couple of weeks or months was really real because, yeah, I thought that she was my dream role. I thought she was going to take me a longer time to get to than she did. And obviously I was so lucky for that, but it was hard to separate scared like just graduated Katie from the fact that I actually had the ability to, like, make my choices and make her my own. And that was really celebrated, especially by, I'm very close with Matt, because that who was our resident, and he, he was an absolute joy with, with helping me with that. He was amazing. And, yeah, my rumple is she obviously, she's naughty, she's effervescent, she's impressionable, because they're my three words. But I really, I think she ended up very, very impressionable just by the wonderful people that surrounded me and people that I've looked up to for a long time. And also, I think she's maybe a bit less tomboy and, like, more girly than other people's rumbles, because that's who I am, and I think you can, you could really look at our cast, which is what I think makes cats so special. If you could look at our cast and point out any single one of us and know exactly who our cat was, because we just were them. Like it. I mean, my best friend from tour, Taran, who we just had the best bond, she was Cassandra. And, my gosh, like, she's Cassandra. Like, obviously cast box do Vogue on our tour, because she just is her. She's, it's, it's crazy to look around the room and see these, these caricatures. And I think the casting team of cats and Christie herself is just fantastic at knowing who's going to be able to bring themselves to that role and and just make something that's so wild when you talk about it, so real. Yeah,

[17:21] Mike Abrams: it's, it's interesting, because it's always the do they cast so perfectly, because they know that you are like your own personality is embodying it, embodying that cat, or is it as you're you're all professional actors and performers that are paid to do this, and you just are so good at it, and you do it so many times that you start to become part of that character. So I've always wondered which comes first. There's probably a little bit of both. In reality, I

[17:50] Speaker 2: think for a show like cats, everybody, lots of people would love to do it. They have, like the such a gorgeous pool of people to choose from to be able to do that show, because it's so iconic. So I think, I think in my case, it definitely starts with there's no wonder that Demeter didn't come first and Jemima didn't come first in my catch journey. Because everything that I am as a person, I'm so rump like I remember our our first day off that we had as a cast. There were six of us, and we went to explore this, like art village in Seoul. And I just, I've grown up with, with parents. It might sound awful, like we might have to, might have to edit, but they, they, um, you know, if you go to a restaurant and there's like a tiny spoon with a logo on it, it's straight in the hand back, that's my mum. All over, it always has been, maybe awful, but that, that's her. And then we went to this art shop, arts and crafts shop, and they had this leopard print ribbon. And I didn't think anything of it. I just, like, cut a bit off and put it in my hair. And we got outside of this shop, and one of the boys in my class goes, Katie, where did that ribbon come from? And I was like, Oh, I just loved it. I just loved it. And from that day, we just had this, oh my gosh. Katie's a thief. She is rumble teaser, like you've taken, taken it too far, like you've in the character. And I used to wear this ribbon to rehearsals to, like, just let a little bit of noise remind yourself. And it was just something to laugh about them for the next part of the contract, because obviously so early, we were all getting to know each other. And, yeah,

[19:22] Mike Abrams: that's so fun. Yeah, I think that's a cool part of the show. Is there is the, you know, they have to find some of that personality, but there's also the ability to to take on some of those and you start to, you know, you do this eight times a week and more, and you're really kind of embracing

[19:39] Speaker 2: the character. If you're lucky enough to get to do it with I actually did it with all of my gorgeous Mungo covers. I obviously did it most with Billy. Got to do it with my dance captain, who was our first cover, and I got to do it with my really good friend who was our second cover. And I think then that changes her as well, because all of a sudden, sometimes, if you're on with somebody who hasn't done it as often, she becomes. The leader a little bit, whereas, like, I think in our dynamic, Mungo was more the leader, but he'd sort of shove her first, caught first, but I think, yeah, and it definitely changed as we were on tour for a long time, and we had a lot of eight show weeks, but we also had a lot of five show weekends and then days off in between, and that gave us time to really like what I really appreciated about the creative team that we had with us on the tour, our dance captain and our resident who were with us, they weren't afraid to give us notes. And I love that. I love that as the show went along, they cared so much to keep it at its absolute best and individually, like I had quite a battle for some time, a couple of months, when we finished our soul season over whether I wanted to make her a little bit more tomboy and, like, challenge myself to do that, because that's not as natural for me, and I think that helps me find different things within her. So yeah, it's always such a journey, and I'd love to do it again and see what she's like when I'm a little bit older, because I always that's when I would do it. So yeah, I think that would

[21:01] Mike Abrams: be really interesting. We're gonna take a quick break, and then we back for more of the wrong cat died. I want to transition to some of the relationships. So there's obviously the relationship with Mungo Jerry and you mentioned Billy, but I was introduced to you by Harry Francis, who also played Mungo Jerry, but also played Mr. Police a couple times. So what are other relationships that you as rumple teaser notice with the other cats that either were told to you? Hey, I've got to play this like these. I mean, Mongo is the obvious one, or that you just kind of picked up along the way because of either friendships or staging or storylines. But what were some of those that you remember I've

[21:39] Speaker 2: got, I think three that are like, really important for me to talk about. My first one. I have to mention her first because if she listens, she will need me to up. So my tarian, who played our Cassandra, was my, my best friend on tour, and I still she's Australian, and I still speak to her every single day. She Yeah, someone the universe really put her in my life for a reason, she's amazing, but that made Rumpel teaser and Cassandra. I can't imagine a friend on every on every version of cats, because their cats don't naturally come together. But me, yeah, Rumple and Cassandra definitely had a bond on our version, and she got on for bomb ballerina. A few, quite a lot, actually, at the end of our run in Taipei, which then meant rumble and Bob had to got a little bit bit of a bond as well. And that definitely made her nausea being friends with bomb and CAS used to like to tell her off, really. And then, yeah, if she was being extra naughty, Cass would definitely have something to say about it. So that was a nice relationship, and that definitely came from mine and Terence relationship. And then something that did the opposite to that was I wasn't that close with our Jenny, any dots at the start of tour. And then Rumple and Mungo, the kittens are sort of encouraged to go towards your journeys, your skim balls to especially when Grizz comes in to, like, hide with them and to have them look after them. So I spent a lot of time with my auntie Maddie, who was our journey any dots on stage, which then gave us this beautiful bond off stage too. So that was really nice, now that I've mentioned him. He wasn't one of my three, but skimble Shanks as well. Gavin was my teacher, actually at college and within my training. So we, we already had a special bond, but they're like, sort of teacher student dynamic, and then the skimble shanks and rumple dynamic was so much fun. And I love, I love working with Gavin. He, yeah, he's amazing. There's nobody who's more in their character on stage than Gavin is. And yeah, felt really privileged to work with him after learning a lot from him, and then learning just so much more from him on the job. And then, obviously, so you mentioned Harry. I also had a really good bond with my mists on tour too, who started with Xavier, and then I'll cover key, and he got on quite a lot, and I was really close with them both. So I sort of had this thing in my head, especially during my time and my friendship as well with Harry. That rumple definitely had the thing for misto. I that was she loved that Mr. Solo. And also, because my my gorgeous friends that were doing it in daily in the show, it was just so much fun to watch them. And I also it's a part of the show where, thank goodness we're not doing too much, and nobody's watching manga and rump, because I just, you know, you watch that and you're like, it's amazing. The first time we saw our Mr. Do it in rehearsals, I just remember being just completely blown away, because you're like, eight times a week. And I'm sure people watch the cartwheels and the duet and think that. But for me, that was the moment I sat there and watched Xavier do for the first time, I was like, wow. Like, we're doing cats, like he's gonna do that eight times a week. And just such a fan girl moment. And obviously I, yeah, massively admire all the mist those but very fortunate, I think Harry's Mr. Solo is epic, just one of one of the greatest out there. And also Xavier is just. Of sublime. He's completely sublime. And Keon, who got to do it all the time. Keon and the Korean fans, their bond with Keon was just out of this world. I've never seen anything like it. They loved him, and he loved them, and it was special, special to watch. Misto is a great, yes, just great character. I mean, it wasn't everything for the misto, definitely, yes, he's

[25:21] Mike Abrams: Did you ever have like feedback to you, especially, like, with with Cass of like, Hey, you guys got to tone it back a little bit. Like, these two aren't supposed to be close. Like, it's, you know, or is it just something that's like, it's, it's not really noticeable for the the average person watching, but it's kind of a fun little thing for you, too. I

[25:39] Speaker 2: think Taz and I got away with it because our our personalities, as I said earlier, very similar to our characters, like she so her and her cast face is enough to put off anyone. Rump would be definitely scared of her, so would Katie. So on stage like we, our friendship was so obvious, but we definitely also stayed in our characters. The only time we as a cast had had words with was there's some very hilarious musical accents at the start of Mr. And obviously, if you're familiar with the show, a lot of listeners will be it's very dark on stage at that point, but it's not, maybe as dark as we thought. And yeah, I Paul Tugger is giving it life in that solo and we just used to get, I mean, by the end of the nine show week, who was in getting carried away. But I think that was the only time we were pretty good if we were going to do something, we made sure it stayed in our characters. Yeah, I mean, definitely, because, especially, I could get away with murder. She's the naughty one. Yeah, me and Billy were always fine.

[26:38] Mike Abrams: Yeah, you could do whatever you want. I mean, that's the the point of your of your character. I do want to hear a little bit before we go to the rapid fire about, I know that you mentioned that you were your cast was in vogue in Korea. So how did that come to life? What was that experience like? And, I mean, that's a very, very cool perk and experience, and

[26:59] Speaker 2: one that you just would never put with with doing a tour of cats. I don't think I would have ever, in my wildest dreams, put that with being in Vogue magazine. But in fact, it's just crazy because as like, I'm a short girl, I'm perfect rumple height. Being a model in vogue that has never been on my radar. And so you know, our company manager, he comes up to a few of us, and he's like, can you keep next Thursday day time free? And we're like, okay, thinking maybe one to come in early, sign some programs like, and it was the usual sort of Mongo rum monk strap misto, like the people. So we were like, Oh, this is okay. We'll keep the day free, and then it gets the birthday. And we're all in really early doing our makeup completely perfectly, because we've been given this heads up that it's like a photo shoot voga here, and we're freaking out. I mean, Cassandra Taryn, that's always been on her bucket list to be a model in vogue. So I'm sat with her in the dressing room with this free Starbucks coffee like we were just spoiled the whole day and and then we had to walk. We all had to walk outside the theater to get to where we were doing the photo shoot, which entirely illegal. Cats were humans. So even that was just so much fun, just the whole day from start to finish, and all our wiggies were with us, and all our just everyone together. It was so lovely. So we walked over to the building where we were shooting the pictures, and they had like this backdrop set up. And then, obviously it was a fashion shoot, but we were involved, and we were musical theater performers. So they started with me and Billy, which was like our worst nightmares. They started with us, and they were like, be cats, but, but be a bit Instagram, but like you are in vogue, but obviously stay in your characters. And me and Billy are like, Oh my gosh. So there's these series of three photos that are printed double page spread in Vogue magazine, and it is genuinely just us looking at each other as our my friendship with Billy, like, completely captured, in essence in Vogue magazine. Because we were, we were just baffled. We were like, Okay, so we're doing this, like, there's actually a camera in front of us, and, yeah, it was brilliant. And then my absolute favorite part of the day that I have to tell the story, and we were, we sort of had this backdrop, and it was quite slitty, and wearing these jazz shoes, and we had to, like, run in and meet each other on the backdrop. And Billy just, he went for it, he slipped, and the Vogue, the backdrop ripped. So it's like, my claim to fame forever, that Munger and rump ripped the Vogue background. Like they had to, like, re roll this backdrop out, because we dripped it, and we were, oh, gosh, we're so embarrassed, but no wonder the pictures. No,

[29:45] Mike Abrams: that's so perfectly in character. That is perfectly in character. If anybody's gonna wreck the set, it's gonna be mango Jerry rum teaser.

[29:52] Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. And the model that we did it with, she was just a genuine Korean model that was her, like, full time job, and she. She was just so lovely. And she was just asking us all questions about what we did, and we were asking her, and it was just an insight into a completely different world, a completely different life. And we Vogue really took control of the shoot. So it was just nice to have like, bit of direction that was, like, a little bit contradictory to our normal characters. It was just such an interesting day. And we all, we all loved it, and we were all exhausted by the time we did the show in the evening. Because you think it's not going to be that challenging, but actually, like to get the right shirt. It was, I mean, mine and Billy's heads were so close to this girl's face in the the like front page picture, that's like, at the front of the section of the magazine that we had got, like, orange makeup on her Gucci dress, and we were freaking but they were loving it. They wanted us as close as possible. It was just so different to anything I've ever done before, and yeah, it's definitely one of my favorite things. We'll try to

[30:56] Mike Abrams: include these pictures on social media with the episode, so they'll be in. I just the whole idea of that day is fascinating to me, because it's already, you know, you're in a show that's hard to explain, like, it's hard to explain to probably people who aren't in or even no theater. It's like, my job is to dress up as a cat and dance for two and a half hours eight times a week. But then you get dressed, you're walking through the streets in full, probably, makeup, costume, everything. Then you get there, and I just am envisioning, I've not done photo shoots and, you know, like, but the whole, the whole joke is always that it's an improv class, essentially. So they're getting all the different things. And there's always a joke of, like, be a cat, and it's like, no, that's actually what they're telling you to do. And so you're getting this whole different experience. But then you still have to go back to work, and that night, that night do the show,

[31:43] Speaker 2: yeah, it was wild. It was, what a day. And we were, like, on such a high from it as well. It was, it was just epic. And I tell people now, I'm like, I'm in vogue. And they're like, Katie, shut up. I'm like, no, no, I promise you, I promise you. It's just Yeah, it's the coolest thing ever. I made. My agent put it on my, like, performing CV, because I'm, like, it was just catch eyes, but yeah, it was, it was strange, like the whole you're at a photo shoot, but also be a cat. Because I also think, until we got in the room with the model, they didn't necessarily know what they wanted, and we didn't know what we wanted out of it either. It was very collaborative. It was lovely. And one of the biggest takeaways that we all took we were so proud of ourselves and our makeup, because all of these professional makeup artists were like, Wow, you did it yourself. You do your own makeup. And we were like, Yeah, we do every day, every

[32:35] Mike Abrams: day, yeah, you become experts at that. That is such a cool experience and such a fun, fun piece. Let's go to rapid fire. I want to do some quick rapid fire questions before we get to the you know, the key question here, so if you could go on for one night, any cat, male, female, doesn't matter. Just I would love to just perform for one night as this character. Who would you want to go

[32:58] Speaker 2: on? Absolutely missed though. Missed out. Definitely missed out. Yep,

[33:02] Mike Abrams: love it. Who are your favorite and least favorite characters? Oh, gosh. Oh,

[33:08] Speaker 2: that's hard. Okay, characters I'm going to separate them from, like my people on tour and Yes, completely my favorite character is Victoria. Definitely. I wrote my second year essay on Victoria and her role in cats. I just am fascinated by that whole concept, I think, because, yeah, there's more more to her than we will ever know and understand. And her story and her journey is just amazing. And the white cat touch, I mean, everybody solved when that first happened in the rehearsal room. Yeah, definitely my favorite, least favorite, oh, my least favorite character in our version was the Siamese, because you just can't see anything. But that's not really a character that was just my favorite, blinding moment favorite that's really hard, because they're all so wonderful. I guess rum calls me favorite. Oh no, I don't think it is. I was going to say mccavity, but I kind of loved him. I kind of wanted to run away in his gang. So, oh, that you've really stumped me. My, my, oh, I don't think I have one. I don't think I have a least favorite. I can't think of a reason for them to be my least

[34:15] Mike Abrams: so let me reframe it then, who's the one? Because I look at this as a family, who's the family member? That's like, ah, enough. It's been like, I still love them, but enough.

[34:26] Speaker 2: Gus definitely. Oh, Mango rump sat on the oven for the whole of ghost. They want to leave. She definitely wants to leave. Oh,

[34:36] Speaker 2: more willpower. Bad for my last question, okay, but I'm definitely bored by him.

[34:41] Mike Abrams: Favorite song in the show, favorite song,

[34:46] Speaker 2: manga, Jerry and rumble. Teaser always because you sing the first line and you're like, I can't believe this is my life every day. Yeah,

[34:53] Mike Abrams: I love it. Um, okay, my fun one. I always like to ask the fun one, and I try to create it to something related to i. To our episode. So which cat do you think would be the best Vogue model if they were doing that professionally? He

[35:07] Speaker 2: our version of this cat didn't get to do the shoot, and I was just heartbroken, alanzo, our alanzo, the model cat, let me tell you, like beautiful just legs for days, the perfect makeup every day, definitely. Alonzo and I think that about a lot of alanzos Generally, they're just so gorgeous. Alan zone pass, they own it. Yeah,

[35:29] Mike Abrams: I was thinking Bon ballerina probably would own it too, definitely. Yeah. Okay, great. Um, most important question, and final question, is this, this whole show is centered around the fact that I don't think Grizabella is the right Jellicle choice. So I want to hear who are you, Katie, if you're voting, if you're picking, who are you picking and why?

[35:49] Speaker 2: If Katie, as a level English student who wrote an essay on this show, is choosing most definitely Grizabella, because I love the idea that she sent up, and eventually we're going to have a Jemima step up to be a female leader of the tribe and take it over in a very different way, because she's so inspired by Grizabella. So therefore that has to happen, and she has to be sent up in order for that journey, in my mind, would happen. Okay,

[36:14] Mike Abrams: wait, so your version is Grizabella goes, and then Jemima is inspired by her redemption story and takes over from Old Deuteronomy. Yeah,

[36:25] Speaker 2: I think she's so curious from the very, very beginning, Jemima is even her entrance, her first line in those big eyes. I think as an audience member, I definitely she's the one that I look at and I'm like, there's something there's something gonna happen there. There's power in her. And I think the tribe doesn't know her power, and especially in our production, wherever we were, depended on what language Jemima sang moonlight, which was so special. And watching the audience reaction to that, everyone's rooting for her. Everyone is rooting for her. But I think the older members and the male members of the tribe, they don't quite know that she's got secret power.

[37:02] Mike Abrams: Wow. So Jemima doesn't exist in the versions that I've seen, because it's not okay. Jemima doesn't exist, or I think it was renamed, but Jemima is not. Was loosely canceled as a director in the US. And so the other version with Andy Blinken Bucha choreography, I never got that. So this take is very different. I've never thought about this angle, which is that she's ready. So essentially, how does Old Deuteronomy go away in this scenario? Because I've always thought when Old Deuteronomy is time is over, monkeys trap is taking over, right? Like he's the next the sun and next in line. How is Jemima taking over power? I love this idea. See

[37:41] Speaker 2: in at within our cast, our Jemima had a really close bond with our Old Deuteronomy as well. Like there was a lot of scenes where they were sat together. So I think in within my own little world and story, he can see the power in her too. And I think that's why he when she sings moonlight, there's such a everyone else is staring outwards and all Deuteronomy, he doesn't, obviously, he's not the instinct for her to start singing. It's within the moon, it's within what she's just seen. And she doesn't think it's okay. But I think that he he's the first to acknowledge that and notice that, and then obviously, in the end of the show, he pushes the white Pat forwards, do the touch. But I do think there's a lot to be said, and a lot of power within in America, does your syllable and your Vicky do they split track if there aren't enough people performing? Because in the UK, that's what happens. And Jemima ends up being the white cat. The white cat sings Jemima bits, and it's beautiful.

[38:35] Mike Abrams: Hmm? So that I don't know, I'm sure somebody can reply to this. So there's some, some fans who know every, every inch of the show, and will know that I just don't know the dancing and the different like staging well enough, because I've always seen it a handful of times more for the Lord version,

[38:50] Speaker 2: whereas the females in such a situation where you'd have a Vicky and Jemima split track, where the solo and everything would be done as Vicky, but she also takes on the lines and the sort of role of singing with Grizz and being that person. And I just think those two cats, they fascinated me ever since second year as a white cat. Touch everything about like the list, just how much that is in that choreography. And I am, I am gifted. She's the biggest loss in my in my cat's journey, is that Julian Lynn obviously passed away before I got to do the show, because I I would love to just sit in and pick her brains. I think if I could be at a dinner party with anyone, she'd be on my she'd be massively high up on my list. Because it's just beautiful. The choreography linking in is just so beautiful. Those

[39:39] Mike Abrams: three make sense, though, when I think about it, because one theory that I was told by Victoria that I love is that she was last year's choice, and this is her being reborn. That's why you're getting the beginning of her new journey. And so then if you have that partnered with Jemima as ready to take over and that, and then with all due. Around me, like, those three are kind of the duo. It's like, last year's choice and then the next these are almost like king and queen. Like, these are the two rulers together. And it's like, when the king's reign is over, the Queen's taking over. Yeah, I love that. I've not thought about that or even heard that in any capacity, and so I normally try to argue against every grizzabel choice, but I might accept this one purely because you're bringing me to a new theory I've not thought about at all, definitely.

[40:26] Speaker 2: Well, that's what this is for, you see, but that's definitely Casey's theory. I don't think rump would have thought thought quite that that extensively,

[40:35] Speaker 3: as I say. Who does rump want to have go up? Definitely wants

[40:39] Speaker 2: it to be Gus, like, one more one more growl Tiger story. One more year of growl Tiger, and she's going to be sending herself up to the heavy side. Yeah, definitely.

[40:48] Mike Abrams: So she's picking Gus, not because she thinks who deserves this? Because she's so tired of listening to these stories, it's like, it's time we got to get rid of this. Doesn't want

[40:56] Speaker 2: to put that time. He's mask on. One more time. Let me tell you. No, I would, I would definitely still put it back on, but no, I also think it naturally within our cast, like we've listened to your podcast, we've heard the questions, and I, I ended up really great friends with the US tour rumble, who's also called Aran, and we've spoken about this, and I guess definitely, definitely does deserve it more 100% But the story of redemption with Grace is so special. But I do think there's a lot to be said. If the story of redemption would be beautiful, if it was Gus too, if it was written that way, I think, yeah, definitely. And our our lovely Ian, John Borg who was just the most phenomenal actor. Every single night, he'd make you nearly cry like I can't imagine being in the audience watching him, because I was nearly at that point, watching him on stage every night. And yeah, his character definitely deserves to go up. Yeah,

[41:46] Mike Abrams: I love it. So you said that your cast, that you listened to this show like as you were doing it.

[41:53] Speaker 2: Our lovely Ed Wade came on. And I don't know when he recorded the episode, but it came out while we were we were still away, someone had to listen. I love it. Dressing room,

[42:02] Speaker 3: hi, Ed was so fun. His presentation of

[42:07] Speaker 2: cats, too. He used to tell us all the time we had to, like, sit him down and become an audience with snacks between a double show date and, like, hear this. And I reckon our versions of the characters then in the evening show, having heard what happened to them, was definitely affected. I

[42:22] Mike Abrams: EDS, cats, too. I remember when we were recording, he's like, I've got, you know, a little I've thought about this, and I did it, and he started telling me about it, and then he told the whole thing. I'm like, this is deep, like, this is thought out. No, we didn't do any the songs on there, but he's, he told me about them. I mean, I am floored, floored by it. I was floored by to the point where I was like, I want to, we gotta make this happen. I've written, like, four different versions of cats too, but I can't write songs, and I can't do this. I just have the, how do we take the different versions of this next year or after? I love the I like the idea of a ghost of cats. Miss pass is what I've called it, which is Grizabella comes back and learns that her, like, what would be her, her being the choice, like, how that impacted the rest of the tribe. And you get that kind of, you know, story that would be

[43:13] Speaker 2: really cool. Do you know what's the funniest part about this question as well, that I find the funniest, and that I really kept trying to bring myself back to if I felt like I was like, obviously, there's so much to be explored and to be serious about, but the fact that Mungo and rumple do that duet actually thinking that they have a chance. Bless their hearts. Bless their hearts also. Why do they want to go up? And it used to make me It used to make me laugh. When we'd first sing all Deuteronomy, I'd sit on the car boot with Billy as Mongo and rump fully in it after that duet, and we'd be like, Oh, you wanted to be empty, yeah, speak. It just made me laugh.

[43:51] Mike Abrams: I It is a fascinating, full on concept of, like, how does criteria get made? How is this picked? Why is everybody like, there are clearly some people, like, Tugger doesn't really want to go, but he's also putting his name in the ring. Like, yeah. So there's kind of that, like, are they actually wanting to go? Is there actually thought there do one go and rump kind of like, I kind of want to go, and are just so naive to realize they shouldn't, yeah.

[44:14] Speaker 2: And I just want to put my pills on, yeah.

[44:18] Mike Abrams: It's exactly, well, this has been fun. I love all anytime I get a brand new theory, I love it. So I love hearing a theory that I had not heard. I'm sure other people have heard it. Maybe not. This is, I think the beauty of this podcast is the super fans are are deep. So there are times where stuff I've made up, they're like, that's true. And there are times where they're like, Oh, I've heard this. But here's why I don't want this, and I love it. I think that's the beauty of the show, is that there isn't all like there's a lot of open area of interpretation which allows for these conversations. Speaking

[44:50] Speaker 2: of fans of the show, I have to give the hugest shout out to we had these two gorgeous us fans, and they came to watch the show and they. Messages and stuff before, and they were sat on the right on the front row in the ball and the end of acts one. And I love a bit of audience interaction, especially on those days where, as much as everybody loves the show, you have those days where you just need a little bit extra to get you to travel. And I spotted both of them, I think, like, right towards the end of hovid, and I just couldn't drop eye contact with them, because their faces everything. It was just, I'll never forget it. I'll never, ever forget that. It was a special moment, actually. And then we met after stage door, and it just, it blows my mind now that I'm able to, like, Be the person walking out of that door and meeting those people, because for so long, that was the other way around. And I still do that now with I'm the biggest time girl of all of my my Now friends, and, yeah, it was just really, really special. So I have to, have to give that to them. And they, they inspired me for that, for that extra ending of the soul season. Most definitely, they were wonderful. We're really amazing. Yeah,

[45:56] Mike Abrams: there's, there's such a incredible fan base. How can people stay in touch with you on social media and keep up with everything you're up to? I

[46:04] Speaker 2: love my Instagram. I'm always on my Instagram, and that is just at Katie Hutton, just my name, no numbers, no nothing, just my name. And I pop everything on there as soon as I know that I'm doing something exciting, which will hopefully not be too long again before that happens, everything's on there, and yeah, lots of cat stuff on there. I've kept all of my stories and my highlights up from the tour, and also my new journey that I've just embarked on with the Adams family is all on there too. And I think fans of cats would love that show as well, because it's very similar with the makeup and the commitment to your role, and every everyone in our ensemble had their own separate character, which was really special and very similar to cats. So yeah, just my Instagram really that's me.

[46:49] Mike Abrams: All right. Well, we will link it. We will hopefully get the Vogue pictures to share too and include everything when this comes out. So thank you so much for hopping on and sharing some really fun stories and some some new thoughts, or some, at least new thoughts for me, which is always amazing,

[47:06] Speaker 2: perfect. Thank you so much for having me, and it's just been a joy to return to the the happiness and the excitement that rumple gave me. She's a gift. I

[47:16] Mike Abrams: love it. Well. Thank you, and thanks everyone else for listening to this episode of the wrong cat died, the podcast breakdown of the catastrophe. To follow along. You can subscribe on Apple podcast Spotify, or any of us listen to podcasts, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok and threads of the wrong cat died. Or check out our website, the wrong cat died.com.