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 breaking down the cat's atrophy. I'm your host, Mike Abrams, and I am very excited because we have two guests today. Back last February at Broadway Con, I learned about the Broadway Theatre of Pitman, New Jersey's productions of Cats that is going on right now when we're recording this. And I am very glad to have been able to see the show and have the Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer duo here today. So welcome, Adam Andrews and Jadyn Kelly. Thank you for joining me.

[0:39] Adam Andrews: Yay! Thank you for having us. We're so excited.

[0:44] Jadyn Kelly: I'm thrilled. I cannot wait. And we'll get into why. There's a reason why I'm very excited for you two in particular. But go ahead. You were gonna say something.

[0:55] Adam Andrews: Yeah, I was gonna say I have been a fan of this podcast before we started the production. So I'm very happy and honored to be a guest. I want to warn you, you got real life Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer here. So we could talk for hours. We're a crazy pair and a crazy duo. So we're excited to take on this together for sure. We do have the gift of the gap, if you will.

[1:15] Mike Abrams: Yeah, I love it. So let's start that at the beginning, because clearly you are Cats fans prior to being in this production. So take me to the beginning. When was the beginning of that Jellicle journey for you?

[1:33] Jadyn Kelly: I can go first. I grew up in Indiana and I first saw Cats. I can't remember exactly what year, but I was around five or six years old, maybe. I saw it at a dinner theater called Beef and Boards. You're like Indianapolis, Indiana. And one of my teachers was playing Bombalurina. I went to go see it. I was sitting in the front row. And the Rum Tum Tugger, my seat was like one of the ones that he got to dance with. And so me, this was like my first experience with live theater. And I'd already been a theater kid. But this was really like, this was my parents taking me to see it with one of my best friends. And getting to get up and dance with one of the cast members. And I was like, I need to be in the show when I'm older.

It was an absolute dream. But then as I grew up doing theater, Cats left me a little bit. I never really listened to it a lot. And then it wasn't until I was a senior in high school and I did a production of A Chorus Line under the direction of Jacob Brent, who was the magical Mr. Mistoffelees. And sometime after rehearsal, we would all just go and watch his videos of, you know, being that character and his conjuring turns were to die for. And so watching that and then having his influence, him really being a mentor to me and rediscovering the love for Cats. And growing up as a dancer, it's like the two shows you want on your resume are A Chorus Line and Cats. So checking off A Chorus Line was great.

And then I was like, oh my gosh, I have to do Cats. This is an absolute dream. And then getting the opportunity seeing that a theater about an hour from where we go to school was doing it. I made sure that my school schedule, I didn't have rehearsal anytime after 4:30 so we could get to rehearsal by six. And I could do the show. And I'm so thankful to have gotten cast. And it worked out that we were friends before we go to school together. So it really was nice getting cast together. But we'll talk about that later. I'll pass it over to Adam.

[3:36] Adam Andrews: So I have been a Cats fan since I've gotten into theater because my grandma was really into Cats. And I was trying to pick a song to sing for this like solo concert in my middle school. And so I was like, hmm, what song should I sing? And then I saw a clip of "Memory" from the pro shot. And I was like, I need to sing "Memory." And so I dressed up as Grizabella in front of the entire middle school. And mind you, I was the only one in costume who sang that night. And I sang "Memory." And it was really like, it probably wasn't as great as CCR Grizabella. But I would like to say it was one of my memorable performances. And then from that, I fell in love with Cats. So I watched the pro shot. And I was like, I need to play Mungojerrie when I grow up.

Mungojerrie was my dream role from Cats. I wanted to be him so bad. I loved his number. I thought, like, the way that Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer have to work together was just so fascinating to watch. And so I was in love with Cats. And then one thing led to another. And I saw the Cats revival in, when was that? Whenever that went up?

[5:05] Jadyn Kelly: 2016.

[5:06] Adam Andrews: Yes, I was gonna say 2016, but I didn't want to be wrong. And my parents took me to see Cats. And we sat all the way in the back row of the balcony, literally touching the wall. And I still felt like I was on stage with the Cats. And I just fell in love with it even more. And I staged door and I got to talk to like, the actors playing the Cats. And that really inspired me as a performer because they just like encouraged me to keep going as a performer, especially at that young age. So yeah, I've been a Cats fan. And I've been wanting to play Mungojerrie since I've wanted to do theater. So it's really, really special to me that I get to play this role.

[5:51] Mike Abrams: I love it. Okay, so, Jadyn, did you—I mean, I don't know if you realize that I grew up down the street from Beef and Boards.

[6:00] Jadyn Kelly: No way.

[6:00] Mike Abrams: Oh, my whole family still lives there. So we'll have an Indiana Palo Alto after we finish recording. It's also Cats is coming to Beef and Boards next year.

[6:12] Jadyn Kelly: It is. I saw that. I was like, I might have to go back there.

[6:14] Mike Abrams: I know. I was—I got sent it by every single person I know in Indiana. And I was—I have it on my list of like, when's the time to reach out to them to be like, I'm ready to talk to your cast whenever you cast everybody.

[6:28] Jadyn Kelly: Well, if I get cast in it, bring me back, I guess.

[6:31] Mike Abrams: Ready to go. I love Beef and Boards. Shout out to the Hoosiers on the north side.

[6:36] Adam Andrews: Yeah, go Hoosiers.

[6:38] Mike Abrams: Because I actually saw a lot of theater there growing up on top of the five or six shows that come through on national tours every year and recently went to see Sound of Music there with my niece and nephew. So I'm a Beef and Boards stan minus the food. Food's a little suspect, but it's a fun.

[6:54] Jadyn Kelly: It's all about the show. That's what I go for anyway. I don't care.

[6:58] Adam Andrews: I'm eating up their performances, not the food.

[7:01] Mike Abrams: Exactly. Okay. So before we talk about your production, because I did get to see—I got to saw this past weekend I was able to go. I want to talk a little bit about how I found out about you all getting cast. So there were two things. One is I've always had Nina on the show. So Nina, I was very hopeful that she got cast. I knew she was outside of Philly and I knew she was auditioning. And then I saw that she did. But on TikTok one day randomly I'm watching and all of a sudden I see somebody running on a treadmill and it's the trend where it's like they think I'm listening to this, but I'm actually listening to this. And I was like, did that say—the wrong cat died? I was like, I was like blown away, confused and blown away because at that point I had no idea you were cast.

And so I was like, oh, that's awesome. But I was like, again, it just showed up because I don't think at that point you'd tag me. And so that's how I learned that you were in the show and was so excited to hear because I'd heard regional productions over the years using the show as like a research method of being able to hear from other people, which is, again, really a cool part of this thing that I didn't expect. But I love hearing that both of you were listening before.

[8:21] Adam Andrews: Yeah.

[8:21] Jadyn Kelly: Yeah. Because that's honored, honored that that's the case. So now you're going to now get to add to this lore and you're going to be part of this.

[8:24] Adam Andrews: We're so excited.

[8:31] Jadyn Kelly: It was—I think when I posted that TikTok, we had only had maybe—that was—we'd only had two days of rehearsal and our first two days of rehearsal was our director, Tyler, who is—you are having later on the podcast. And we are so excited for that one because honestly, Cats with Tyler is the reason why I fell in love with the show so much more than I was to begin with. Just hearing his perspective of it. I don't want to spoil anything because I'm going to let him talk about that. But he is just—he is so knowledgeable about the show and has been a fan since he was so young. So hearing from him was really awesome. And he recommended the show. So I actually—it was yes, it was the day after our second rehearsal where we had just gone over all the history of Cats and the history of our characters and, you know, gotten our three words and got to explore that a little bit.

And my best friend Kate and I, who is also in this production of Cats, she plays Jellylorum. We went to the gym together and we had our separate workout routines. But both of us were like, we're going to listen to The Wrong Cat Died today, aren't we? And we're like, yeah. And so I don't know if we were listening to the same episodes. I think she had maybe listened a little bit before me. So was a couple episodes ahead of me. And I had just started while I was at the gym. And that's what got me through the Stair Master. Like I needed something that was going to keep me going. And I could have stayed on that Stair Master forever because I truly could listen to this podcast forever. It's so interesting. And especially having, you know, been in rehearsal just for a few days and having a basic understanding of the show was really cool to listen to from that perspective.

[10:02] Mike Abrams: Did you start with the like the first episodes where I was explaining characters from the beginning? Did you start with like—

[10:07] Jadyn Kelly: Yeah, okay. I started at the very beginning. And then I jumped around a little bit once I got through the first 10. And then I jumped around to see like—we definitely—we skipped to our episode pretty early and listened to a few of like other Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer talking and then with our carpool group as well because we're commuting. We both are musical theater students at Rider University. Go Bronx.

[10:33] Adam Andrews: Go Bronx, y'all.

[10:34] Jadyn Kelly: So our commute to Pitman is with traffic on the weekdays is about an hour and a half. But we have—there are six people from Rider, including us who are in the show. So we would just rotate through like listening to other people's characters. And that was really cool to getting to hear podcasts about characters that, you know, we aren't playing, but we do interact with in the show. And that allowed for us to form some connections with other characters, which was really cool.

[11:03] Adam Andrews: Yeah. And I've been like such a Cats fan that I've been—I’ve had like this knowledge of all these different characters and all their like side plots and like lore. And I love the niche fandom that is Cats. And I've been a part of that. So like listening to The Wrong Cat Died and like getting to hear all these different like ideas and theories about the different Cats, I just—I loved it. And I thought it was so interesting and it helped me as a performer, too.

[11:34] Mike Abrams: It's kind of fascinating because I've actually thought a lot about this. The start of those 10 episodes were supposed to be it.

[11:40] Jadyn Kelly: I know, that's crazy.

[11:42] Mike Abrams: And now here we are.

[11:43] Jadyn Kelly: And here we are.

[11:44] Mike Abrams: But it started with I knew very little. So I'm afraid to actually listen back to those first 10 episodes because I'm like, I don't even know if what I'm saying is right. And the first like three, I couldn't have told you the character names of the last eight, you know, like I just—

[11:59] Jadyn Kelly: There were a couple like on the—a little bit, but it was funny. It would make us giggle like the one you were talking about Victoria and you didn't know her name and you're like some insignificant white cat. But I'm like, she's so significant because like she's the one who accepts Grizabella and it was just we were listening and we were just—we were giggling. And you could tell—I mean, it was—you prefaced in the very beginning like I had no idea about it.

[12:21] Mike Abrams: Are you that was the intent? Are you like a theater kid, would you say? Or like, do you like musicals? Or is it like I like Cats?

[12:27] Jadyn Kelly: So it's actually the reverse. It's a very kind of wild thing on the whole way through. And I've been on a few other like other people's podcasts to talk about the like more of the like my side of it versus the cat side of it. I grew up going to theater, but in Indiana, where you get a few shows a year. So it's like I went to like The Lion King and I went to Sound of Music. Like I didn't grow up niche. I did not do any theater. I didn't sing. I guess I sang choir in like elementary school when they forced you. But like I wasn't a singer. I wasn't a performer. I grew up playing travel hockey. I grew up pretty like super into the sports world. I went to like every Indiana Pacers game. I grew up playing travel—like I was not a theater person.

I—when I moved to New York, I do love live events. And so I lived in the theater district when I first moved. And so I went to a lot. And so that was kind of fun to be in the heart of it and be able to just say, it's Tuesday night. I just finished work. I can get a ticket for really cheap because it's lottery or rush or something like that. And I would go and I found that very fascinating. My mom is a music teacher. So I did like—I have some basic knowledge of that, but not by any means, didn't study. It wasn't part of, you know, it wasn't part of it and had never seen Cats until the revival. And so where Cats and I kind of merged is I did humor writing for a long time. And I really like the idea of what Cats opened up from a humor writing standpoint, just from a comedic standpoint in general.

So that's why if you listen to those first 10 episodes, the general idea was, I don't know Cats. I've seen it once. I firmly believe it ends wrong. Let me tell you from an outsider's perspective, what I'm interpreting this to be. And as it went like that, that's why I'm like horrified of those first 10 episodes. I've actually thought about rerecording them now that I know way too much. But it started with that. And then it got about halfway through when there was a couple people on tour. And then Christopher Gurr, who was Gus on in 2016, just started kind of coming up and being like, I can answer these questions for you. And that is what spun this to what it is today, where I was fascinated by the, you know, there's a plot, but I was fascinated by the idea that.

[14:43] Mike Abrams: Nothing could be 100% true pretty much in any way. So when we get into like, we'll get into your Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer. I've heard directly from multiple different Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer different versions of how they play that relationship. And I love the idea that that can be done so many different ways and doesn't really change the whole thing. But at the same time, you could change the whole thing for the people that are paying the most attention or know Cats super well. And so that's kind of how I dug in and why I've been able to continue is because we can have this conversation and it doesn't feel repetitive to me and hopefully isn't repetitive to the listeners because you're hearing how your cast in Pitman is doing this, that's different than the Beef and Boards cast you saw, which I'm pretty sure I interviewed someone who did that production.

So it's like that version was different than the Fulton version, which is different than what I saw on international tour, which is different than what you did. And that to me is what's cool about Cats is that it is wildly different in any way. And you can have these conversations and it adds to the lore.

[15:51] Adam Andrews: I completely agree with that. And for me, I love Cats so much because every show is different. And even in our own production, I feel like every single night is a different performance. Because when you're on stage as the cat, you're kind of improv-ing your cat movements and your cat relationships to other cats as the show goes on, which makes the show so interesting to watch because it is the definition of live theater. Everything's happening in the moment. And I just think that's so beautiful.

[16:24] Jadyn Kelly: Yeah, it's really great. Especially, yeah, what Adam was saying with this production, there's so many moments. Yes, there are all our choreographed numbers, but in between when we're crawling to our different places, we interact differently every night. How I react with Cassandra in one moment might be different the next because I'm feeling different as me, myself, Jadyn as an actor or how I'm physically reacting is different. And I just think that, I mean, we're such theater nerds. We love live theater. I get emotional every night just when I'm sitting and watching people play their cat and being like, oh my gosh, I get to do this as a career. This is so wonderful. And it feels so fresh.

[17:06] Adam Andrews: And to jump off of what Jadyn is saying, not only is the performance of how we act as cats can be different every night, but I like the book and the songs of Cats. They can take on a different meaning for everyone. And I think it's so cool that something with such a, I don't want to say a loose plot because I firmly believe that there's a plot to Cats, but I think with something that's so metaphorical and uses poetry language, how you can interpret that different. And even in the show, I'll listen to lyrics as I'm just sitting there as a cat and I'll be like, oh, I never realized this could mean this as well about the different cats and creating those relationships.

[17:52] Jadyn Kelly: Completely. Yeah. There, there is a plot. I mean, there is a very clear plot, but there's a lot of unspoken unknowns. And I think that's where as performers, it has to be super fun to be able to create some of that and change that. And I mean, and I love when I talk to people, you're, you're still doing this. So I'm like, I can give you theories and it might change how you perform next weekend.

[18:15] Mike Abrams: We're going to take a quick break and then we'll be back for more of The Wrong Cat Died. But let's, okay. So let's, let's get into your Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer.

[18:26] Adam Andrews: How are you playing it from a relationship standpoint?

[18:29] Jadyn Kelly: We are, we're playing as twins.

[18:31] Adam Andrews: Yes. Twins. Okay. And then who's the other relationships you're playing? Like, is there a mom? Is there like, how are you thinking about all of that?

[18:38] Jadyn Kelly: Yes, yes. We actually have decided, well, this is, this goes back to Tyler, our director, who's a huge cat fan. He knows Cats like nobody knows Cats that I've ever met. And he created a whole tracking sheet of like almost a family tree of the cats. And we actually were talking about it in rehearsals and we were like, you know, I think that Jenny AnyDots is Mungojerry and Rumpleteazer's mother, because think about it. She's always trying to like, make sure the other cats are on their best behavior and like, make sure everything's tidy and proper. And she's also an orange cat as well in our production. So we were like, that's an interesting theory that Mungojerry and Rumpleteazer, who are like the troublemakers, are the offspring of this cat who's so put together and type one and very much.

So yeah, Tyler was like, because obviously there have been versions where like Jellylorum is their mom or Jenny. And so we, we played around like we talked again, the girl playing Jenny AnyDots is our friend Ariana, who we also carpool with who goes to Ryder. So when Tyler was like, okay, you could play it as like Jenny being their mom or Jelly. Jelly's also my best friend, Kate, who I mentioned earlier. So we were like, well, this is nice. We all already have a friendship and a relationship. So we started to explore that more throughout the process. And honestly, some of our characters, like once we got into costume was really when some other relationships began to form. So the way we play it is our Jelly is the mother to et cetera, because they actually quite look alike in their costumes and they actually interact quite a bit throughout the show.

So we're like, okay, let's play it that way. And something new that we just added this past weekend that had been kind of unspoken, but then we actually decided we're going to implement it is that Pounceable is our little brother because Pounceable was like, well, I've been playing it that Jenny's my mom. We're like, oh, well, that makes you our little brother. Well, if Jenny's your mom, that makes you our little brother. So let's play around with that. And actually at the end, Pounceable is, I mean, it explains because Pounceable in our production and a lot of other productions is the one who's kind of teasing Grizabella and not being very nice to her, pranks her by reaching out his paw and then she goes to reach in and he slaps it away.

That's pretty Mungojerry Rumpleteazer behavior there with the pranking. So we had that exploration in there. And then at the end, Pounceable is actually the last one to get up when we're all greeting Grizabella. And we added it that we were right in front of Tyler, who played Pounceable, and we turned to him and we nod to him and we're telling him like, it's okay, you can accept her. And so we had already been doing that just because our formations were right next to him. But then once we discovered that, oh, you've been playing it that Jenny's your mom. So let's play into that even more, we can lean into it. And it honestly, it put a smile on my face when we added it for the first time when we looked at him and he smiled back at us. And I was like, oh, wait, that's sweet.

[22:00] Adam Andrews: My favorite manifestation of these relationships that we are creating is the one with Jenny AnyDots when we are in Gus the Theater Cat.

[22:07] Jadyn Kelly: I know exactly what you're about to say.

[22:09] Adam Andrews: Where Jelly says, a tooth full of gin. And I always like tap Ariana who plays Jenny and I'm like, I'm like, me and Rumpelteazer, we want a tooth full of gin. And then she's always like, no, no, no kittens, like stop. And then we, we like we, we do like arc our backs, we pout. And another like moment that I love where it's like she's taking on that motherly role of us is whenever there's a Macavity scare. I kind of turned to Ariana to be like, what should I do? Like, should I run? Should I fight? And she always gives me like a little gesture to get out of the junkyard.

[22:49] Jadyn Kelly: As well as with Grizabella at that last moment, right before Grizabella sings memory, she comes on stage and Adam and I both look at Jenny. And Jenny nods no to us and tells us to leave. So we go back to our dresser and we lay down and we don't look at Grizabella until obviously she convinces us to turn around. But that's another moment. So we definitely have added moments, which I think have been super helpful in adding the in-between moments that aren't in the script.

[23:15] Adam Andrews: One thing I really love my goal in life is really like swing and ensemble work. And I know it's very similar for Adam as well. And one of my favorite things about being in an ensemble is getting to move past what's written. There's obviously not a lot written for ensemble characters. You have to create it yourself. And I think Cats is such an ensemble-based show. Yes, all of us have names, but there's so much room for creative freedom and that which I've really loved being able to explore. And a lot of our ideas actually have stemmed from listening to your podcast and listening to all the theories and taking bits and pieces from each one, as well as talking to our director, Tyler, talking with each other.

And I think we also brought pieces of ourselves into the character. Because we yes, we go to school together. And we were friends before, but we have definitely gotten very, very close throughout this production. Once we decided to play it as twins, it honestly it became our friendship got closer, but also that made our twins as Cats also best friends. So that was really nice to be able to explore that on stage. And also those partner cartwheels. Because yes, we do the partner cartwheels and we'll talk about our process with learning those. But it's very much it's much needed to have someone that you trust. Yeah, to do something that physically like exhausting and putting that much energy into it and having someone I could trust was really nice.

And it did take us a bit to actually get it technically wise. But we always had that. We were like, let's just fully put our trusting to each other. And that's the only way that these characters are going to come across as twins and as best friends because you do need that connection.

[25:36] Adam Andrews: Yeah, it's nice that we have that friendship.

[25:41] Jadyn Kelly: For sure. We definitely play into the twin telepathy quite a lot in the show, which is helpful when you are friends with the person playing your twin.

[25:45] Mike Abrams: Yeah. So since you're playing it as twins and not as love interests, because that is the other version I've heard a lot of, do you play any other love interests with other characters?

[25:55] Jadyn Kelly: We do.

[25:56] Adam Andrews: Yeah. Okay.

[25:57] Jadyn Kelly: You need to talk about your love interest with Rum Tum Tugger.

[26:00] Adam Andrews: Oh, yes. So obviously we have the Bomb Ballerina and Rum Tum Tugger bit. And within that, they are a couple, but they're kind of on and off.

[26:07] Jadyn Kelly: Oh, I thought you were going to tell me, your production gave me hard Tugger and Mistoffelees vibes because that number, they joined together.

[26:15] Adam Andrews: We actually, there is more of like a playfulness because we kind of shut down Tugstoffelees because we are playing it as Mistoffelees being old dude's third son. But Tugger obviously doesn't know that Mistoffelees doesn't know that. I think there's a lot of creative freedom within our production and we wanted to leave a lot of room for interpretation in terms of the relationship. There's definitely the Tugger and the Bomb, but Tugger's not as interested in Bomb as interested in Tugger. We have Cassandra who's also interested in Tugger. So that created some fighting between Cassandra and Bomb Ballerina, which you see a lot in Rum Tum Tugger.

[27:12] Jadyn Kelly: But also one of my favorite bits that our Bomb Ballerina Devon added was at the end when Mistoffelees is picking someone to go under the red curtain and old dude appears in place. Mistoffelees picks Cassandra. Devon who played our Bomb Ballerina is like waving her paw and being like, oh my gosh, pick me, pick me, pick me. And then he does it. He picks Cassandra and she is pissed off. And she plays that. And the first time we ever ran through that and she did that all of us like broke. We all were laughing. It was so funny. And she did that pretty on in the rehearsal process. I think honestly the first time we ever did it and it worked so well that it stuck.

[27:53] Adam Andrews: But I also I'm playing it as my character has a big fat crush on Rum Tum Tugger. And he it's not like an actual relationship. He just he flirts with me. He teases me. But we added that at the end of or throughout the number of Rum Tum Tugger. Mungojerry discovers Rumpleteazer's obsession and is not very happy about it.

[28:06] Jadyn Kelly: Okay, brotherly protection there.

[28:21] Adam Andrews: Exactly. Because I mean, we all know Rum Tum Tugger is like kind of, you know, I don't want to say mean words on here, but I'm just looking out for my sister, looking out for my sister.

[28:31] Jadyn Kelly: You know what I'm thinking. But so that's how we just we wanted to play that. And that was something we created throughout the process. It wasn't something I initially decided on. And that was also something as I got closer to Jared, who's playing Rum Tum Tugger. And that was something I was like, hey, I'm going to play with this a little bit. If you want to, you know, roll with me on that, and we can see where it goes. So a couple times he'll look at me during the show and wink at me. And that's just a fun thing that we added that no one else can see. But it added fun for our characters. But Adam can see it. Adam is Mungojerry can see all those interactions and is not happy. So I got to look out for my sister. It's all it's all out of love. It's all out of looking after. And so throughout Rum Tum Tugger, I'm looking at him and a couple times my tongue comes out and I'm panting a little bit excitedly and I'm like, Oh my gosh, Rum Tum Tugger singing.

[29:58] Mike Abrams: You can guess, you can make up your own theory, but it adds so much texture to the show and nuance, and it makes the cats look like more natural cats because they have all these relationships. I think it's just so interesting to see all these people on stage and they're all doing their own independent thing. You don't know what it is, but it leaves that guessing. I love that. I think it's what makes the show so unique. Not unique, because there's other shows that are like this, but for me, you can keep going back. I could go back and watch you all do this 20 more times, and I probably might not have caught that moment or caught that wink or all those different things. And actually, one of my favorite moments of being there this past weekend was what happened to me in the audience, because this is where there's levels to Cats, because you're at a place that has a lot of subscriptions where they're coming because they've bought the season and they know or don't know what Cats were.

And I had two very loud gentlemen behind me that right at your number, and I remember because they started talking about probably around Tugger of like, they're asking questions to each other, and then they were pretty loud. They're like, what is going on right now? And at your number, finally, one of the guys goes, I don't know what's going on. He goes, the costumes are great, the dancing's great, the singing's great. I have no idea what's happening. And so finally, at intermission, I turned around and I was like, I can answer your questions. What can I help you with? And I kind of explained them just like, again, the loose plot. But there's that version of Cats, which is like, your first time you take it in, you're trying to decipher what in the world you're watching, which is an incredibly difficult thing if you don't have any context when you walk in the door.

That's how I was the first time I saw it. I had the same reaction. Now, they left when they saw it a long time ago, and that's why they were also confused because they never got to Grizabella's moment. But they got, again, a taste of it after I told them what was going on. Then there's the fans, like the super fans that can go in and know, if I watch at this moment, the twins, they're going to turn a little, a second before everyone else. And yeah, I was really looking for, and you all at the very end, who's going to turn around at what moment for Grizabella? Who's going to be last? Who's going to be first? Because I know that that's not an orchestrated moment. It is when you all feel like it's time.

And so there's that level of Cats too as well, that you can go in and see some of those things. I think that's a really cool part of the show is I could watch and track a different cat each night and get a different story. And also, they're probably doing it different than how they did it last night with tweaks. Because obviously, the dance numbers and a lot of the stuff is the same, but they might be a little bit more towards this character today, or they might be a little bit more annoyed. You're all saying the friendships you all have, if one of you all bothers each other on that an hour and a half drive, you might have a little bit like, oh, I didn't like their song choices today. There's that level.

And so many of the rumors that I've debunked from the fandom with talking to people who did it was just like, yeah, we were friends. We were friends before, and we were talking about something, and then somebody noticed it on stage that night, and it became the thing that people were asking about. And so that is, to me, a cool part of Cats, and I think is what's such a fun thing for you all to get to do and interact with. So I want to ask you one more, and then I want to get a little bit into the cartwheels, because I do think that I want to hear a little bit about it. How are you all playing the Macavity relationship? And I ask because when I first saw the mischief and everything, it felt like there was a want to be in the crime gang, but you're kind of like not because you're the posh, coming from maybe a home, not actually crime-ridden like him. But how are you all playing that with your cast?

[34:05] Adam Andrews: Um, so for Mungojerry and Rumpelteaser, I actually just had a conversation with the cast on one of our breaks between shows, and I was like, so if Mungojerry and Rumpelteaser are stealing and like, why do you like us? Like, why do you still want us to be part of the tribe? And they said it's the humor that they bring to the tribe. And also, like, it's different than what Macavity is doing, because what we're doing is kind of petty theft, and like, mostly like, stealing from like, humans and our owners. So like, it doesn't really affect them. But Macavity is like a villain who doesn't get along with the other cats. And I talked to our Grizabella, like, Cece, she is incredible. And I was like, so what's your relationship as Grizabella with Macavity?

Do you think she left the tribe because she got caught up with Macavity, whether it was lovers, or if it was like, oh, honey, I'm gonna make you a star. And you can come with me. Like, was it that sort of thing? And she was like, I think that Macavity just led Grizabella down the wrong road. And there's still, like, so much in the air. I know Tyler was saying in the beginning of the process, he didn't want Macavity and Griz to be like, ex-lovers. Do you remember him? Yeah. So I think it's more of that, like, come with me, and I'll make your dreams come true. But you're actually like a really horrible person. Yeah. Okay. Cat.

[35:40] Jadyn Kelly: And then my other question for y'all with that is, do you have freedom to go mess with the audience? Are you limited when you're before? We made that joke. So obviously, we do go through the audience quite a bit throughout the show. And we made a joke to Tyler one day, we're like, everyone hide your purses, because we're gonna be stealing some wallets. And we don't because we don't want the audience petting or touching us. We didn't want to touch any of their things, because we don't want them to, you know, let them think they could pet us because these wigs, we got to keep the wigs intact. For me, as Mungojerry, that like audience interaction, like, I don't do a lot of I go in the audience like twice as Mungojerry.

But I don't know if you know this, you know how there's the Macavity double that goes to the mezzanine to like, scare right before Macavity. That's actually me. Okay, yeah. So I would go, I would take off all my Mungojerry stuff. And then I would put on, I put on all my Macavity stuff. And I run up, I have to run around the theater, go up to the balcony, come to, to the mezzanine. And I always have fun, because as Macavity, I can scare people. And just the show you came to there was this older woman in the audience. And she screamed so loud. And I just I think it's so much from the being the Macavity, like double for like the magic of him appearing in the mezzanine and then appearing on stage.

It's just like fun to go to the audience and scare like this. This wasn't the lady in the box that somebody like before the beginning of act two jumped on top of the box in the lower level and jumped up and like, completely frightened this lady from behind. That was not that one. No, that was I don't know who that was when we crawl around at the beginning, like with the green eyes. Yeah. No, this was from intermission. Green eyes I was aware for. And I warn the people next to me because I was like, hey, they were on the aisle. I'm like, hey, just FYI, they're going to come through here. And I think they told him like, they're going to come through here a lot. Yeah. I was like, they're going to be frequently in your face.

Yes. And so but this was the beginning of act two. And it's funny, because then those people either moved out of the front row or left. And so I was in the row by myself. And I was like having a blast because every time everyone would turn like, everyone's like trying to make a face with me. And I'm like, yeah, I know what's going on. Like, I was like, I love this. And also everyone knew that you were like, Oh, Mike is coming today. Mike is coming. He's wearing a pink sweatshirt that says Angelical. And so we all were like, okay, we're gonna we're gonna play around with that a little bit, because he won't get freaked out like these people who don't know Cats will. Totally. And I was laughing because when we were when I bought the tickets, it was pretty late in the process, because I was trying to figure out when I could actually come and it was I was trying to come originally at Halloween, and couldn't figure out how to get there for the Friday show.

And I had two friends with me, but there were not a lot of tickets left, except for in the balcony. Yeah. And so I finally like called the box office and I was like, I think I'm buying so we sat in three totally separate sections in three totally different areas. So I sat in that front row, my friend sat in the box in the front row, and then the one who had never seen it, we put him in like, what I call like the best seat, but it was more like center orchestra with a better view. Because I'm like, you should see it from back where you get the full experience of the whole, the whole ensemble, the whole ball, everything. I'm like, you don't know it. I was like, you can stick me anywhere in there, and I'll be fine. And my other friend had seen it a ton too. So that was kind of intentional. But I don't think I told anybody exactly where I was going to be. And I purposely put myself as close as I could.

[39:30] Adam Andrews: Oh, we loved it. That was wonderful. This second, like, it wasn't the second I came up. But when I started dancing, I saw you and I was like, Okay, now I know when, when and where I'm gonna put in my little. Well, it was fun because we pop out of the manhole right at the beginning, right in front of me, right at the beginning of act two, and we were like getting ready to pop out. And I was like, Okay, we're gonna look at him, right? Like, we're gonna stare at him. And so that was really fun. That's one of my favorite. Honestly, that's one of my favorite moments that we have in the show is getting to pop out of that manhole. It's so always we can hear everyone's reactions to us popping out because we are right next to the audience.

My favorite was the other night, we pop out. And this lady goes, Ah, that would have been a good picture. And then her husband, I turned to her and was like, you can't take pictures during the show. And she's like, I know, but it would have been a good picture. It was so funny. Another one was, I think it was maybe was our opening night, or it was opening weekend. And this man was sitting there. And he goes, Oh, not you two troublemakers. Again, we're gonna get you. And it was so funny, because every time I just want to give them like a little smirk or a little smile. Oh, because it's so it's just so funny. I love hearing their reactions to our mischief. We continue that mischief even in act two when we aren't as, you know, involved.

[41:48] Jadyn Kelly: Oh yeah, I was trying to figure out I did not know you're coming through that area. But I did notice because I could see this the smoke or whatever, like to come with you. Starting to like be because I thought I was looking at the orchestra pit. And so I was like, Oh, what's going on down there? Like, there's something happening. And then you came out. I was like, Oh, there's my answer to that. We're gonna take a quick break and then we back for more of The Wrong Cat Died. Let's let's talk quickly about the cartwheels. And then I want to get to the rapid fire because we're gonna get to the most important question. So you I mean, I at first didn't know if you're gonna do it. I thought I saw you I'll post a little bit about trying to learn and then I saw you do one, the one flip and I was like, Oh, that's a little like, that's still super, super hard to do.

But I was like, but it's at the end. And so then when you all started, I was like, I was pumped. Everyone's you know, going crazy. It is like you are pretty decent size height differences. Yeah. So like, yeah. How Yeah. How hard was that to like, like, what is that process to learn that?

[42:55] Adam Andrews: We were like, so when we got casted as Mungojerry, I was like, I want to do the partner cartwheels. And we and I've never done the partner cartwheels with anybody. And like, I don't them one at a time. Like I've been both positions. But I've never done more than one in a row. Like I've been faced before. And I've been the one doing the cartwheel, but never back to back to back. So I was like, I know the basics of where I'm supposed to hold. But I was like, we have to do it. We have to learn. And we got into rehearsal for the number. And then our choreographer, Heather was she pulled out these mats. And she was like, Are you ready? And we were like, let's go for it. We're gonna learn it. And of course, the first time we did it, we were falling all over the place and just like stumbling and like laughing it off.

But we were so determined to get it because I think it's just the cherry on top to that number. So one day we were at school, because we would go out and practice outside of rehearsal all the time. One good thing about we go to school together. And since we both are musical theater majors, we get access to the dance spaces within Ryder and we get to reserve them. So not just us, but all of our other cast members who go to Ryder, we would reserve the spaces and just like do the Jellicle Ball together and do the opening number just run over. And then Adam and I were like, one day where all of us were together, we're like, let's just try it. And I was like, you know what we need to do? We need to just go for it.

Like you need to have like the courage. It's more of like a mind game and like the courage to do it. And once like, we did it, then it was like, oh my goodness, this is so much easier than we thought it was like, so it was so daunting. Yeah, it was very scary, the thought of it. And there was a lot of times when we were first learning it in rehearsal, where I would like go put my hands up and I would go to go in and then I'd like squeak a minute and like chicken out and get scared. And so it started off we how we first started was we just held the position. So I did the cartwheel. And then I just stayed in the straddle while Adam held on to me. And we just held it. And we engaged our course we didn't move because I was like, if we have this position locked in, we never move from it. So as long as that is secure, that's all we need. So we started off just by holding it. They were like, okay, let's do one. Okay, now let's do I go and then you go.

[44:11] Jadyn Kelly: I want to warn you. You’ve got real life Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer here so we could talk for hours.

[44:31] Jadyn Kelly: So, I mean, I grew up watching CATS. I saw the 1998 movie when I was really little, and I just remember being so captivated by the music and the dancing. I was always a dancer, so I was just like, “I want to do that.” And then I saw the Broadway production when I was in high school, and it just solidified everything for me.

[44:51] Jadyn Kelly: I was like, “This is what I want to do.” And then when I got the opportunity to audition for this production, I was just over the moon. I mean, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are such iconic characters, and I just feel so lucky to be able to portray them.

[45:11] Jadyn Kelly: The rehearsal process has been intense but so rewarding. We’ve been working really hard to get everything just right, especially the choreography. The double cartwheels are a big part of our act, and we’ve had to practice them a lot to make sure they’re perfect.

[45:31] Jadyn Kelly: I think one of the most interesting things about playing Rumpleteazer is finding the balance between being mischievous and being lovable. I want the audience to root for us, even when we’re causing trouble.

[45:51] Jadyn Kelly: And Adam and I have such great chemistry on stage. We’ve really worked on developing our characters’ relationship, making sure it feels authentic and fun.

[46:11] Jadyn Kelly: I also love how the podcast has influenced our interpretations. Hearing different perspectives on the characters has opened my eyes to new ways of approaching Rumpleteazer.

[46:31] Jadyn Kelly: It’s been really helpful to listen to what other actors and fans have said about the show. It’s given me a deeper understanding of the character dynamics.

[46:51] Jadyn Kelly: Plus, the rehearsal process has been a great bonding experience for the cast. We’ve all become really close, and I think that translates to our performances.

[47:11] Jadyn Kelly: Learning the partner cartwheels was definitely a challenge, but it’s been so much fun. We’ve had to break it down step by step, and now it feels like second nature.

[47:31] Jadyn Kelly: I think the audience will really enjoy seeing that aspect of our performance. It adds a level of excitement and energy to the show.

[47:51] Jadyn Kelly: And I love how the choreography reflects our characters’ personalities. It’s playful and cheeky, just like Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer.

[48:11] Jadyn Kelly: I can’t wait for everyone to see it. It’s such a joy to perform, and I hope the audience feels that energy.

[48:31] Jadyn Kelly: I think the show has a little something for everyone, whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to CATS. There’s so much heart and creativity in it.

[48:51] Jadyn Kelly: And I’m really excited to share our interpretations of these characters with the world. It’s going to be a blast!

[49:11] Jadyn Kelly: I also think it’s important to highlight the teamwork that goes into a production like this. Everyone plays a vital role, and we all support each other.

[49:31] Jadyn Kelly: The camaraderie among the cast is something special. We’re all in this together, and it makes the experience even more enjoyable.

[49:51] Jadyn Kelly: I’ve learned so much from my fellow cast members, and I think that’s reflected in our performances.

[50:11] Jadyn Kelly: I’m just really grateful for this opportunity. It’s a dream come true to be a part of CATS and to bring these characters to life.

[50:31] Jadyn Kelly: I hope everyone comes out to see the show. It’s going to be an unforgettable experience!

[50:51] Jadyn Kelly: And don’t forget to follow us on social media to keep up with our journey. We’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes content and updates.

[51:11] Jadyn Kelly: I’m really looking forward to connecting with fans and sharing our love for CATS.

[51:31] Jadyn Kelly: It’s such a unique show, and I think everyone will find something to love about it.

[51:51] Jadyn Kelly: So, mark your calendars and get your tickets! You won’t want to miss this production.

[52:11] Jadyn Kelly: We’ve put our hearts into it, and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve created.

[52:31] Jadyn Kelly: It’s going to be a wild ride, and I hope everyone enjoys the journey as much as we have.

[52:51] Jadyn Kelly: Thank you for having me on the podcast. It’s been a pleasure to share my thoughts and experiences with you.

[53:11] Jadyn Kelly: I’m excited for what’s to come, and I hope to see you all at the show!

[53:31] Jadyn Kelly: And remember, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are ready to cause some mischief!

[53:51] Jadyn Kelly: So, get ready for a fun time at the Broadway Theatre of Pitman!

[54:11] Jadyn Kelly: Thank you again for this opportunity to chat. It’s been a blast!

[54:31] Jadyn Kelly: I can’t wait to see everyone in the audience, cheering us on.

[54:51] Jadyn Kelly: It’s going to be an amazing experience, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.

[55:11] Jadyn Kelly: Let’s make some memories together at the show!

[55:31] Jadyn Kelly: And don’t forget to bring your friends and family. The more, the merrier!

[55:51] Jadyn Kelly: I’m looking forward to seeing all the familiar faces and meeting new fans.

[56:11] Jadyn Kelly: It’s going to be a fantastic time, and I hope everyone leaves with a smile.

[56:31] Jadyn Kelly: Thank you for listening, and I hope to see you soon at the Broadway Theatre of Pitman!

[57:01] Jadyn Kelly: Until then, take care and keep the CATS spirit alive!

[57:21] Jadyn Kelly: Bye for now!

[57:41] Jadyn Kelly: And remember, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are always up to something fun!

[58:01] Jadyn Kelly: See you at the show!

[58:21] Jadyn Kelly: Don’t miss it!