This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Mike Abrams: There's a cat over here. There's a cat over there. And the wrong one died. And the wrong one died.

[0:15] Mike Abrams: Welcome to The Wrong Cat Died, the podcast breakdown of The Cat Sashaphy. I'm your host, Mike Abrams, and today we have another amazing guest. We are working with the Perelman Performing Arts Center reimagined production of CATS called CATS: The Jellicle Ball to bring you a series of episodes throughout the run. When I saw the cast's announcements, the first message I sent was to Emma Sofia. So if you are new to The Wrong Cat Died, I encourage you to go back at some point and check out episode number 35 where Emma shares one of the most amazing audition stories I've ever heard for CATS. I hope the casting director who passed on Emma back then is now able to come see her because her performance as Cassandra and Skimbleshanks are amazing.

So I'm excited to bring us full circle and welcome Emma back to the show. Hello, hello. You are the first second guest I've had. And when I saw, I was like, I have to have you come back on because I've told many people about your audition story, how crazy and fun and hilarious it was, and just how you took it all in stride and are able to laugh about it. But then to now be able to be in a production of CATS really is full circle. I mean, it's third time's a charm because it was the Broadway audition, which was the White Unitard audition, the debacle. And then it was the director session with Tom Hooper for the movie, for Ruffles. So third time's a charm. I was just waiting for the Vogue rendition of CATS.

Yeah, the White Unitard one is the story we talked about the first time, which is hilarious. I mean, everyone should go back and listen to it because it's such a fun story. And I love hearing your interpretation of it. But was that your reaction to have like, this is third time a charm when you booked this?

[2:10] Emma Sofia: Yeah, it was because I was like, what is this thing with CATS? It keeps like, almost, it was just an almost thing. And I was like, okay, I guess CATS is just not meant for me, even though I always felt like that was the perfect show for me. Yeah, and I was like, okay, it's just not gonna happen. And then it happened. And I'm so happy that it's with this version because it feels the most authentic to me, to my true self.

[2:45] Mike Abrams: Yeah, it's a different version. And you are playing two different CATS in two different ways than I think are the way that most people are used to seeing them for CATS, which is, I think, a huge part of what makes this show great is the tweaks to the interpretation of the original source material.

[3:04] Emma Sofia: Absolutely. I mean, I made a very purposeful choice as Cassandra to be more cat-like and to be more like, homage to the original version. I like, you know, she's much younger. So, you know, I had it being two CATS was a problem solver in the workshop. It was so we did a workshop, they had three workshops, I was only in the third. And I was the last person cast. And then they were like, oh, in our version, Skimbleshanks needs to be late to the ball. They were like, we need you in the first act. So just be Cassandra. And I was like, okay. And it was just kind of like a problem solver. And then just doing the rehearsals for the PAC run, I had this like, aha moment, this very deep identity moment with being these two cats.

Because Cassandra became Emma in her 20s. The Emma that was very successful at a very young age, and fierce, and fun, but just like reckless and just kind of a mess, kind of a mess. Like she's, she's always chasing after boys and chasing after something like Cassandra, her physicality is very much like up here and always alert and looking around and searching for something external. And then Skimbleshanks is me now, you know, I'm 33. And this year has been very transformative for me just on a personal level. And I feel like I've kind of like, like evolved into the next Pokémon, my Pokémon has evolved, you know, and Skimbleshanks is Emma now after, you know, I shot the sitcom, which was crazy.

And after the sitcom, I came back to New York, and I went through a mental health thing. I moved to Miami for a year because I was able to buy a house because of Call Your Mother. Thanks, ABC. And I really had kind of a loss of identity. And then I had to rebuild that. Just, you know, life, life was life thing.

[6:04] Emma Sofia: Yeah. And I feel personally, like I have evolved into the person that I'm going to be for the rest of my life, which is much more grounded, much more confident, and somebody who loves themselves. Yeah, I didn't realize that I didn't really love myself in my 20s. I just was riding the wave of success and Broadway and TV and boyfriends and parties and this and that and this. And now I feel so much more in service for my community because I am grounded and I know who I am. And that Skimbleshanks, Skimbleshanks. I read like, when I was doing research, there was this one great article. You know, there's so much fan fiction and fan articles. I know, you know more than most.

[6:49] Mike Abrams: Yeah, yeah.

[6:57] Emma Sofia: And there's this one, like quite philosophical interpretation of Skimbleshanks. And they were talking about, like the themes of Skimbleshanks, like subtext. And they called him the unsung hero. He's one of those jobs that is under the radar, doesn't really get accolades for being in service for the community and for being in service in the railway. So it was this huge identity, like, aha moment. I did, I made this collage because Jalen and Bill were like, they put up all of our cat's names on the wall in the rehearsal studio at New 42. And they were like, bring in images. And I just had this like, inspiration. And I was like, I'm gonna make a collage. And I like, went into this like, four hour like, portal.

And I like, did I cut up all these magazines, I printed all these pictures of myself. And it was literally what became what the collage became was Cassandra evolving into Skimbleshanks. I cried about it. It got deep, man, it got deep. And, and it was a happy, you know, and it was just a problem solver. It was an accident. They were like, oh, just be Cassandra. And then it became this reflection of my identity of Emma in her 20s, evolving into Skimbleshanks. Like now I know who I am, I'm in service for the community. And I'm a badass.

[8:36] Mike Abrams: Yeah. Is that hard to go through that journey every night? Because you're essentially reliving both sides of that and that evolution with your intermission being your like, aha moment.

[8:47] Emma Sofia: I mean, it's now we're in the flow. It's been, you know, we've had two weeks of audiences. I don't know. I'm like,

[8:58] Emma Sofia: Everyday blurs, I'm sure.

[9:00] Emma Sofia: Everything is blurred. But now I'm in the swing of it. And I'm in the pocket of the show. So it's become less emotional. Because I definitely did have in the studio, some emotional, you know, just aha moments and vulnerability. It was a very vulnerable process. You know, Bill and Jalen created a really vulnerable environment, a very collaborative environment. So I was safe and able to go to that to those depths, those depths of creating these characters. But now it's just fun.

[9:39] Mike Abrams: So let me pivot a little bit. And I want to talk about each of the two different cats because you do have to kind of do like, you know, you mentioned about how you had your own, it's like two different versions of you. But you're also two very different, like personalities to portray in Act One versus Act Two. So Act One, you are all over the place. I mean, you were just like energy or you were moving around so much that it actually took me a second to realize that you weren't Skimbleshanks. Because I didn't open the, you know, the Playbill and program. I was like, oh, yeah, you're Skimbleshanks. But I was like, this doesn't look like Skimbleshanks. But then it clicked like, oh, this fits Cassandra so well.

So did you like, how do you bring that particular mindset to the energy of like, I'm going to go kind of mess with people. I'm going to go around the all the different seats. And like, you are in people's faces. At one point, you were like, right in my face. Like, you are definitely moving around during the Cassandra section.

[10:34] Emma Sofia: Well, you know, if you give me a stage, and then give me the ability to be immersive with the audience. Oh, honey, that's my playground. I lean into improvisation. I love interacting with the audience. I just I'm that kind of a performer. Some would say fearless. Yeah, I just, I really don't have shame. You know, referring back to the cats in the Broadway Cats audition. I just don't really have shame. I just I just don't care. Like, I care about personal things. But when it comes to performance, and when it comes to my art and my craft, I really I dive into the deep end. Because I'm like, why not? You know, so Cassandra just became and I'm so I'm like, I'm like, why did I do this to myself? Why did I do this to myself?

Because I am running around. I don't stop and I don't leave the stage for Act One. Yeah, but she's just this kind of a DD really energized just because we're at a ball. And yeah, Emma used to go to the club. You know, I never went to balls, but I used to go go dance at clubs up until last year, up until this year, up until right, right before we started CATS.

[12:30] Emma Sofia: The regular stage. It's not traditional. It's not proscenium, you know, it's quite immersive. And then it just kind of became this like, firework. You know, Cassandra is just like, so much energy. So just kind of like, not really self-aware. Yeah, that's why she's talking to so many people, and she's always interrupting something. And then she's like, ogling over Rum Tum Tugger the whole time, just trying to get his attention. You know, she's just like, she's a kid. She's a kid. So yeah, I exhaust myself. They did warn us when we sat down, because I was at one of the cabaret tables, and they said, anything on this table is fair game. So just FYI. And I was like, what do you mean? You know, I was like, kind of like, what do you mean?

And then all of a sudden, at one point, there's someone on the table behind us. And then you're like, right in our face. I was like, someone's gonna just grab my drink here in a minute. I'm sure. Yeah. Yeah. It's it was so much fun. And honestly, I was like, it's you were your energy that you bring is what makes the performance super fun, too. Because you're moving around so much. And you're like engaging with so many different people. I actually think that's part that I really like about this production a lot is everybody is part of the show. And you know, they always said that with the junkyard that they want you to feel like you've entered the junkyard in there. And you're lucky that Cats is letting you do that. But I really felt like you all let us come to the ball.

[14:12] Emma Sofia: Well, with the fourth wall. Yeah, well, the fourth wall, we wanted, you know, Bill and Jalen made it very clear that they wanted it to be a ball. And at a ball every year, you're in a huge crowd. And there's no, you know, when the categories are up, and there's like in there in those competition, competitions when they're, they're walking the category, it's, it's like a cipher, like people on the ground on, you know, or if it's on a runway, people are on the sides of the runway. So they really prioritized authenticity of the ball, you know, we want it to be as authentic as possible. So it was, you know, kind of got in the way, not got in the way, but it was one of our biggest hurdles in the creation was remaining authentic to the ball scene, but also making it a narrative theater show.

Yeah, you know, the immersive kind of, I don't think it would work if it was proscenium. I don't think that would have worked. And you know, this is I it was so fun talking to Bill and Jalen and to Josie and some of the other people that were involved with the creative because it's such a delicate line to blur the ballroom scene, which has its own culture, its own backstory, its own history. And then the theater scene, which also again, like this is not a new show, like people are going to come in and say, I know Jillian Lynn's choreography, and I know the music. And so you're taking the audience singing every single lyric. Yeah, this there was a girl in the audience yesterday, dressed as a cat with the wig and the face the whole nine yards.

I was like, Oh my god. And my friend who was Skimbleshanks on Broadway, he came last night. He's like family. He's one of my best friends of all time. He was Skimbleshanks on Broadway, which is such a gag for both of us. But he was like, Oh, yeah, get ready, get used to it. The fan. I love I love all this because one is that is Alex was the one dressed last night who has been on this show before and came in full cat and sent me a picture of her coming to the show. You had some super fans from Cats at the show last night. And they had a blast.

[16:39] Emma Sofia: But my next question was going to be, I was introduced to you by Colin. Yeah, this by Skimbleshanks from Broadway. Yeah. And when I saw the casting, it was what it was the first person I messaged after you was him and said, Are you ready? Like, are you excited? And even after I saw the show, I messaged him being like, I you have when are you going like, I want to hear what you think after you go, you need to do an episode with him, because I have, I wish that there would have been a camera on him. I would love to hear his take. I was I mean, he is he was hilarious. He was one of the first Skimbles I ever had on the show. And he's going to introduce this. So did you talk to him before, like during the rehearsal process of like, here's how he portrayed his uncle Skimbleshanks?

[17:23] Emma Sofia: He was the way he told me yes, he's my he, he refers to himself as my gay uncle, him and his partner. They are my family like they you know, because I met Colin when I was 23 doing Finding Neverland, my Broadway debut, and he just took me under his wing. And we got really close. We became collaborators. You know, we've done cabaret shows together. He's just we're two peas in a pod. So immediately when I got the audition, so Colin's partner is my physical therapist. Okay. And he's like a ubiquitous Broadway therapist, like everybody use it. He's just incredible. Like, like Patti LuPone goes to him. Okay. Wow. And so I got on his table and I was like, Oh, I got this audition for a voguing ballroom Cats like what?

And he was like, Oh my god, which cat? And I was like, I don't know. You know, I was like, I don't know Cats like what? And then I looked at my phone. I was like, I was like, Oh, for Skimbleshanks. And he went, what was it? He's like, Colin with Skimbleshanks. And I was like, Oh, yeah. Oh my god. So then when I was doing the self-tape in my living room, I just like, I was like, I don't know what to do. Because the breakdown for the audition was bilingual subway pole dancer. And I was like, okay. And then they sent me the song, which I didn't remember. I didn't remember Cats. It was such a blur watching the revival. Yeah, I was like, what's happening? I just didn't understand it.

[19:13] Emma Sofia: And so I listened to the song and I was like, first of all, it's in a male voice key. So it's very low. And it's a song. It's like a nonsensical song about being on a train. And I was like, what the what am I going to do? What am I going to do? And so I was just I had Colin on the phone, and he was just laughing the whole time. And I was like, I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. And then I was like, Rosie Perez. And then I was like, Tokisha. Tokisha is this new sensation. Like she is she is she does Dominican rap. It's this genre called dead and bow, which is from the like slums of the DR. And she was this like young street rat like prostitute like she came from nothing. And it's just so fierce and amazing and so authentic to herself.

She's like badass, like, she's incredible. And her music is so good. Like, and she's young, I found out who she was through my Dominican friends. And then she collaborated with Rosalia, who I'm obsessed with. So I was like, Okay, I'm gonna blend Rosie Perez and Tokisha. And Colin was like, great, call me back after you do a thing. So I like learn the song, whatever. Or that was like a like a couple like a day before I did the self-tape. And he was just laughing. He was like, I can't wait to hear what you do. Because we make we crack each other up. So the next day, I like put on a whole outfit. I had these like stripper thigh high boots that I already owned, of course. And I had this like for rainbow, little crop top that I had worn as a go-go for Easter.

You know, being a showgirl in the city, you got a lot of weird costumes, and I blended them together. And I did the first take, and I sent it to Colin. And he was like, great. I love it. But you know, Skimbleshanks is like everybody's supposed to love him, you know, so like, because I was making it very, like, badass, like, yeah, it was a little not off-putting, but he was like, make her friendlier. Okay, you know, so he was giving me like little notes. He was like, put in some humor here, because you don't want it to just be one, one note. So I was like, great. Okay, I'm gonna do another one. So I literally would do another one and then send it to him. And he was like, okay, great. Just do one more.

I love he was like, I, he was having the time of his life, like he just was cracking up the whole time. He's like, I can't believe this is real. He just couldn't believe it. And then finally, I got the right take. And I was like, this is the one that feels good. And he was like, Emma, this is the best thing I've ever seen in my life. If you don't book this, I don't know who will, because this is brilliant. Because he's so obsessed with Cats, you know, any member of Cats, you kind of join the cult. Totally. Yeah. Now, now remember in the first episode, I was like, I really don't understand Cats. Now I get it. Yeah. I'm in I drank the Kool-Aid. I'm here. I love it. So he was so excited about the audition. And he showed everyone the audition. He like he was like, this is the funniest thing I've ever seen. Because it's just it's so silly.

[22:41] Emma Sofia: Yeah, silly that, you know, to be like New York pole dance. Well, it was supposed to be a pole dancer. But then we switched it to just like the MTA. Yeah, conductor. We kind of blended the conductor and the people who sit behind the little booth that like don't really do anything but they like, you know, um, so yeah, that was the audition. And I was so proud of it. And they hired me, like a week before we started. So I thought I didn't book it. I was like, Okay, they must have found a unicorn because whatever I was like, this always happens to me with Cats. Yeah, always. I've always almost, but then I booked it. So yeah, that's Colin. Colin. So fun. He was the first person I called to tell him that I booked it.

And he was rehearsal for the Great Gatsby because he was in the Gatsby. He's a cabaret right now. But he was doing the Jeremy Jordan Great Gatsby. He was in rehearsals, like in the middle of rehearsal and picked up my FaceTime. I love it. Crying in the corner. I love it. You had you had Coach Skimbleshanks. I mean, you had your own Skimbleshanks. He's my best friend. Yeah. That is so funny. I got to see him in cabaret. He's incredible. And that's so, so fun. And it's fun to hear like, that how that comes full circle again, like, this is your best friend who played it. The same character on Broadway is a.

[24:04] Emma Sofia: I’m so excited to be here! It’s been such a journey since I first auditioned for CATS back in 2016.

[24:31] Emma Sofia: Playing Skimbleshanks and Cassandra in this production has been a full circle moment for me. I remember feeling so lost during my first audition, but now I feel like I truly understand the essence of CATS.

[24:58] Emma Sofia: Skimbleshanks is such a fun character. He’s the railway cat, and he has this incredible energy that I just love to embody on stage.

[25:28] Emma Sofia: And then there’s Cassandra, who is a bit more mysterious and has a different kind of depth. I find parts of both characters resonate with my own life experiences.

[25:58] Emma Sofia: It’s interesting how both characters have their own unique stories but also share a common thread of longing and connection.

[26:27] Emma Sofia: I think that’s what makes CATS so special; each character has their own journey, and yet they all come together in this beautiful tapestry.

[26:56] Emma Sofia: I also love the choreography for both roles. It’s challenging but so rewarding to bring these characters to life through movement.

[27:25] Emma Sofia: I remember during my audition for this production, I had a moment where I just let go and fully embraced the spirit of Skimbleshanks.

[27:54] Emma Sofia: The feedback I received was incredible, and it really boosted my confidence.

[28:09] Emma Sofia: I think that’s what this production is all about—finding your place and embracing who you are.

[28:24] Emma Sofia: I’ve had so many fun moments during rehearsals, especially when we all get together and just let loose.

[28:39] Emma Sofia: It’s a great team, and we all support each other, which makes the experience even more enjoyable.

[28:54] Emma Sofia: I can’t wait for audiences to see what we’ve created. It’s going to be a magical experience.

[29:09] Emma Sofia: The energy in the theater is palpable, and I think people will really connect with the characters.

[29:36] Emma Sofia: I’ve also been sharing some behind-the-scenes moments on my social media, which has been fun for fans to see.

[30:06] Emma Sofia: I love connecting with the audience and hearing their reactions to the show.

[30:35] Emma Sofia: It’s such a unique experience to be part of something that has such a rich history and so many passionate fans.

[31:05] Emma Sofia: I feel honored to be part of this legacy and to contribute my own interpretation of these beloved characters.

[31:35] Emma Sofia: I think everyone will leave the theater feeling uplifted and inspired.

[32:05] Emma Sofia: I’m just so grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to share it with everyone.

[32:35] Emma Sofia: Thank you for having me on the show! I hope everyone comes to see CATS: The Jellicle Ball.

[33:05] Emma Sofia: It’s going to be an unforgettable experience, and I’m so excited to be a part of it.

[33:35] Emma Sofia: Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more updates!

[34:05] Emma Sofia: I appreciate all the support from the fans and can’t wait to see you all at the show!

[34:30] Emma Sofia: Let’s make some memories together at CATS!

[35:00] Emma Sofia: Thank you again for this wonderful conversation!

[35:30] Emma Sofia: I’m looking forward to what’s next in this journey.

[36:00] Emma Sofia: See you at the Jellicle Ball!

[36:07] Emma Sofia: And I knew that I was talented, but I had a lot of self-doubt. And I always ended up with, like, boys who would make me feel bad about being so gregarious and so ebullient and big, you know? And I would always try to make myself smaller. And the queer community, the trans Black femme community, was the opposite. It made me feel, they were like, go more! We love it! Bigger! More! Be you! And that, I'm even getting emotional thinking about it, like that, you know, I was in my early 20s, and I was like, oh my god, like, go-go dancing at gay clubs, like, makes me feel the most like myself I've ever felt in my entire life. So the fact that I'm doing a show with Andre De Shields and Junior LaBeija, who created the, like, pioneered the voguing ballroom scene, like, it feels like it was catered to me.

You know, because I never walked balls, but I always was mistaken for a voguer. Every time I'd be dancing at a club, people would be like, oh my god, what house are you in? I've seen you vogue before. You're at the house of Gucci. You're the house, you're, you're Oricci. And I would just look at them and be like, yeah, yes, I am a voguer. You're right. But I never, I never was. You know, I just kind of always, that style just always, like, fit in my body. And I worked with voguers, so I just kind of would look at what they were doing and just kind of add some of those voguing, you know, moves. But yeah, so this, so now I feel so lucky that I've got to work with these voguing and ballroom legends, because now I've refined that in myself and in my craft.

And I just love it so much. So, so yeah, I feel indebted to the New York City queer scene, because I, I wouldn't be the performer and artist and person, human being that I am today, if it wasn't for the community. So this is just such a gift. I'm just so grateful and proud. And I'm just, yeah. It's, it's so, it's so great to hear that too, just like, also bringing out the best of your own self, right? Like that you get to be you in the most you way possible and accepted for that is, is what you want, right? And that's so, so great to hear and to be part of a performance that allows you to do that. It's a gift. Yeah.

[38:55] Emma Sofia: I'm like, this doesn't happen. This doesn't happen. You know, the two times I've been on Broadway, I was playing a kid. I was playing, I played Wendy, which was so fun and so great. And then I played Veruca Salt, which was so fun and so great, but it was, you know, very different side of myself. And it was very commercial. Yeah. And now you get to play an MTA, sexy pole dancing, Skimbleshanks train conductor. Like what? What a, what a full circle moment. No, it's, it's, I mean, again, so awesome. Let's do some rapid fire just to close this out here. So if you could go on for any other cat for one night, who would you want to go on as?

[39:44] Emma Sofia: Victoria.

[39:47] Emma Sofia: Victoria, baby. Yeah. Oh my God. Her solo is so good.

[39:51] Mike Abrams: Yeah. Who are your favorite and least favorite cats personality wise?

[39:57] Emma Sofia: Mungo Jerry and Rumpelteazer. Our favorite or least favorite?

[40:00] Mike Abrams: Least favorite.

[40:04] Emma Sofia: Least favorite. Okay. Well, Cassandra and them have a rivalry. So I just went off the top of my head. I'm like, ugh, because they're thieves. They're thieves and they go up in tag team against my house. So I'm like, ugh. But I love Dava and Jonathan in real life. They're amazing. But they're definitely, yeah, the cats that get on my nerves the most.

[40:31] Mike Abrams: Okay. What about favorite?

[40:33] Emma Sofia: Favorite? I mean, Andre, old Deuteronomy. Come on. Come on.

[40:40] Mike Abrams: Amazing.

[40:41] Emma Sofia: He's just-

[40:41] Mike Abrams: Legend.

[40:42] Emma Sofia: A legend. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And just to see him perform is a gift.

[40:47] Mike Abrams: Favorite song from the show?

[40:49] Emma Sofia: Memory. I wake up singing that song. It's annoying. I can't stop singing Memory.

[40:57] Mike Abrams: Okay. If Skimbleshanks was leading a house, what would Skimbleshanks' house be named?

[41:04] Emma Sofia: Oh my God. Maybe MTA.

[41:08] Emma Sofia: The house of MTA.

[41:10] Mike Abrams: MTA.

[41:14] Emma Sofia: I love it. I've been trying to figure out where they all, if they had a house, how would they describe them? Because it all sparked from the house of Glamour, which I thought was great. But then I'm like, God, what are the other houses? House of Railway. I like MTA.

[41:30] Emma Sofia: MTA. I think MTA is right. Okay. The important question, and you answered this last time. I argue that I don't think Grizabella is the right Jellicle choice. You did defend Grizabella last time. You've now been deep in the production. So has your mind changed or are you still team Grizabella for your Jellicle choice?

[41:51] Emma Sofia: Team Grizabella all the way.

[41:54] Mike Abrams: Sticking with it.

[41:55] Emma Sofia: Sticking with it.

[41:57] Mike Abrams: All right. I'm not going to try to argue you. I'm not sure if I'm going to count your vote twice, though. I think you only get to count once in the rankings. How can people stay in touch with you on social media and everything else you're working on?

[42:07] Emma Sofia: I am on Instagram. It's Emma Sofia with an F. Okay. Okay. Emma Sofia. Okay. That's my handle. Um, I just got a TikTok for the first time, like a week ago, two weeks ago, and I'm never on it. I literally just got it because to see us because we went viral. But I guess you could follow me on TikTok too, even though I literally have one post and I'd have like, I follow one person, but sure. Follow me on TikTok.

[42:43] Mike Abrams: Okay. Yeah. You all did go viral and it is crazy. I, you know, I don't use TikTok that much either. I do have it. And I did post one, like right after going and it also not viral, but like, it's a lot more views and likes than anything I've ever posted. And then I even had a, an Instagram just meme of like the girl yelling at the guy. And even that. I posted that. It is so funny.

[43:08] Emma Sofia: That was me. So, um, same thing. I love that.

[43:11] Mike Abrams: That also has gone a little mini viral for the amount of followers that my show has on social media. So it's, uh, you all are driving force of a lot of internet, uh, lore right now, which is super fun. I mean, I have had people on the street literally. Cause I was like warming up my voice. My, I was doing a vocal warmup, walking to the train, walking to the subway. And some girl was like, Oh, like, Oh, vocal warmup. Like, so, you know, and she's like, what show are you in? And I was like, cats. She was like, Oh my God, you're on cats. And like literally so many people just randomly have been like, you're in cats. Oh my God. I know. I know cats everywhere. Like even my coffee shop, my coffee shop is like, wow, your show is doing really well. Everybody knows about it. Like everybody it's the talk of the town.

[44:02] Emma Sofia: Yeah, it is. It is definitely been the talk of the town on all theater, especially with the theater group. Um, because again, there was such anticipation and then it's delivered so well that now it went from this, like, well, what are we going to see to the, wow, you've got to go see this. Yeah. It's really cool. Kudos to you all. It's been amazing. So everybody needs to run to the PAC, uh, open till July 28th. Tickets are hard to find now. So possible further extension till August. We don't know yet, but I hope that we extend so that everybody can come see.

[44:43] Emma Sofia: And the PAC does really great. Um, accessibility like tickets, like there's 30, there's, uh, veterans, educator, um, discounts, there's group discounts. Um, so the PAC is trying to make theater more accessible. Yeah, you can definitely find tickets. Um, hopefully by the time this comes out, then it'll already be extended, which will be great. But I hope everyone gets a chance to see it and maybe you can record it, find different ways to, to make sure it's, uh, available for everyone. Cause I've had overseas people also messaged me being like, I can't get to New York. How do I see this? I'm hopeful. Um, because I think everyone needs to see it.

[45:25] Mike Abrams: Oh, I agree. I agree. I think it's, it's the word that keeps coming up for the show is joy. Yeah. It's just perfect for it. It's pure joy. What I want you to do is one day I want you to go back in to find that old, uh, audition white leotard and I want you to bring it to the performance and wrap up this full circle moment of your third time's a charm. Yeah. Send it up to the Heaviside Layer and call it a day.

[46:03] Emma Sofia: I will do that. I have that unitard still.

[46:08] Mike Abrams: Oh, I'm sure you do. You're not going to get rid of that. You've got all your go-go dancing. You've got costumes and props and everything. I'm trying to assume you still have it. I need this closet right there. It's got all of it, all the memories, all the memories. I love it. Well, this has been so fun. I loved getting to see you perform and get your cat's moment and be able to bring this full circle and talk to you again. Now that you are last time I was in my dressing room on the CBS Radford law shooting, call your mother. So yeah. And now I'm in my Harlem apartment, you know, life is crazy.

[46:47] Emma Sofia: It is. And that call your mother show your character stole that show. I was so fun.

[46:52] Mike Abrams: So you're one of the 12 people who watched. I, I will say I watched it because of interviewing with you and I did enjoy your character thoroughly. Yeah. It was, it was a fun watch. And then again, I love, I love that you got to get to have Colin to come see it. And I just like everything about this has been so fun. So I'm glad yesterday and at intermission, I got a text that just said, I'm not okay. Period. Yeah. That's, that's, yeah, that's feels. I think that's how most people are feeling. It's like, it's, it's a lot and that's before he got to see your Skimbleshanks. So he's not okay before that moment.

[47:36] Emma Sofia: Oh, so fun. Well, this has been a blast. I appreciate you coming on your day off and, and sharing and bringing us again, full circle. Of course. Thank you for having me. Amazing. Well, thank you. And thanks everyone else for listening to this episode of The Wrong Cat Died, the podcast breaking the cat's atrophy to follow along. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else you listen to the podcast. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and threads at The Wrong Cat Died or check our website, thewrongcatdied.com.