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 Catastrophe. I'm your host Mike Abrams, and today we have another amazing guest. He was Skimbleshanks on the US National Tour 5 of Cats, and I'm excited to hear from him, so welcome Adam Lendermon, and thank you for joining me.

[0:29] Adam Lendermon: Oh my gosh, thank you so much. I have to say a little confession. I've always wanted to be a guest on a podcast, so you're making my dreams come true. I'm super happy to be here.

[0:42] Adam Lendermon: And the first chance is to talk about Cats. That's the way it has to be. I think it's fitting.

[0:48] Mike Abrams: Agree. A show that had such a huge impact on my career when I was a wee lad.

[0:56] Adam Lendermon: Yeah.

[0:58] Mike Abrams: Amazing. Well, let's start at the very beginning. What was your history with Cats before you saw it the first time? Or when did you see it the first time? You obviously did it early in your career, but what was the very first introduction to the show?

[1:11] Adam Lendermon: Sure. My first introduction to the show was the PBS film Diversion, which I fell in love with as an adolescent. It was one of my first dance shows that I ever saw. And I've performed since I was very young, but I was not really a dancer until a little bit later. And so it definitely was one of the shows that inspired me to become a dancer. And then I saw it live at the Orpheum Theatre in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, when I was in high school. And I just was sort of entranced by the breaking of the fourth wall, I think was really fascinating to me as a theater kid in high school. And it really became full circle because our tour went to the Orpheum as well, and I got to do the show on that stage many years later. So it was a great full circle moment.

[2:16] Mike Abrams: That's got to be really cool to like, you know, one of the probably not the earliest show you saw if you were a theater kid growing up, you probably saw lots there over the years. But to be able to do one that kind of also got you into, you know, dance at that, again, early in your career, like pretty right away. I think I even read that it was you left school to kind of go on part of this tour. So walk me through the audition process and like how you ended up landing this tour.

[2:42] Adam Lendermon: Sure. So I went to college on Long Island at Adelphi University. And my freshman year, I just started taking the train in to Manhattan to go audition for things. And I was non-union, and I would take the train in early in the morning, skip class, and sit in a holding room for several hours because there were so many people there. And Cats is one of those shows that I did this for. I went in initially, and I made it through the first dance cut. And then I sang. And well, I think there were actually two dance cuts that we had to get through. And then I sang. And then I think I had a call, but it's all kind of blurry in my memory because it's been so long ago. But I think there was a call back at a later date, and I was floored when I got the offer because I was in college, and I had to make the decision to leave school for a year. No regrets at all. But it was kind of life-changing in that moment.

[3:57] Mike Abrams: Yeah. And so that's, I mean, again, you're shooting for this as a career. This is what you're doing and what you're looking for, so you get this opportunity to do this. And this is what I was teased, and this is why I was excited to have you on the show, because you kind of came in, I think it's 2002, so it would have been a year into the tour being on tour, maybe a year and a half. But I heard that you had a very unconventional rehearsal process, and that's all I was teased. And so I want to hear from you, what was that rehearsal process like when you're now leaving school, taking a year off to go do this professional contract?

[4:40] Adam Lendermon: Sure. Yes, I think our beautiful Victoria Jean-Michel teased this for you. I'm happy to talk about it. So I, like I said, I had not been dancing for very long. I really had just started hardcore dance training my freshman year of college, and I left school after my sophomore year of college, so I had had about two years of very serious dance training. And I came into the tour as a replacement. All the contracts were up mostly at the same time, but when people leave the tour, it kind of bumps things and things shift. And they had asked the guy who played Skimble to stay on for a little longer, and they had to hire a new Skimble. But most of the rest of the company was new, and all came in and all rehearsed in New York together. So I joined the cast as a replacement. And I had to learn the show, the entire show, in a studio at the theater with our dance captain Brian Collier. And you know, that's a fairly common thing, I suppose, when you're joining a show as a replacement. But for me, it was incredibly difficult because I had never learned that much choreography in my entire life. And at that point in my life, that was something that I was not really great at, was just quick picking up of choreography. So I would be in the studio with the dance captain for several hours, and I would go back to my hotel room. And you have to remember, this is before we had phones to take videos of choreography. And so I would go back to my hotel room, and it was like my mind was a jumbled mass. I could not remember anything that we had done. I honestly don't even know how I learned the show. And of course, you know, a month later, I was like, how did I ever not know this show? Because you start doing it eight times a week, and it just becomes a part of your bones. But it was a struggle. It was a real struggle for me to learn the show as a replacement.

[6:57] Mike Abrams: Yeah. It's one of those shows, too, where you're blocked. I mean, you're dancing the whole time. You're blocked with almost the whole cast on at all times. And you're doing it kind of in an empty rehearsal space as someone who hasn't had that training at the level that people who start dancing as a three, four, five-year-old or whatever. So I am fascinated by that, but also how quickly you can pick it up. But that's also part of probably why they hire you, knowing that you have that ability to do it. But the timing is so interesting, too, because like you said, 2002 is pre-smartphone. I think the iPhone came out maybe around then or a little bit later, but it's not common at this point. And so you don't even have the VHS to kind of go back to. There's not YouTube for you to even go to. You are literally learning this in either memory or pictures or whatever you can, and then having to go do it. So I want to hear about the first time, though, you went on stage. Because obviously, they know you're ready for it, but how difficult was it to have that first kind of performance? And where were you where you got to go and do that very first live onstage full cast performance?

[8:02] Adam Lendermon: Sure. So I joined the tour in Cleveland. Actually, that's not true. I joined the tour in Biloxi. They were at a casino in Biloxi, and they were doing a casino version, meaning a shortened version. But I didn't start rehearsal until the following week when we went to Cleveland. And that's where I learned most of the show. And then we flew to Philly. And Philly is the first time I went on. And honestly, it's a blur. I mean, it's also, like I said, it's been so many years now. I am ever much more than 19, which I was 19 when I was on tour. I think it was pure adrenaline, probably. And I was less ready to go on than I think they thought I was, to be honest. So I even didn't do a couple of sections. Like I didn't do the Gumby tap. And I didn't do Tugger Boys, which is like a section in the ball. It was hard. It was really hard. And I don't even remember having a put in rehearsal, which kind of seems absurd saying that. And maybe I'm misremembering, and I did. But there's just so much. It's just bodies everywhere and junkyard pieces to navigate. But I got through it, and I didn't get fired. And then slowly but surely, it becomes just complete second nature.

[9:46] Mike Abrams: Yeah. As I've talked to so many people doing the show now, and I've talked to a lot of swings, I do find it really interesting of like, it's a little almost not easy. There's no way I can call this easy, but a little easier to know where you need to be because there's just an empty spot with so many cats on stage that there's a little bit of like, okay, I know I need to be in this general area. And then it's just like, all right, they're kicking over here. Don't get kicked over here. But yeah, adrenaline and just overall excitement probably of getting to do it gets you through it.

[10:19] Adam Lendermon: Sure. When you're acting like a cat to begin with, it's a lot easier to sort of paw in the direction that people need to be. If someone's on stage, and they're in the wrong place, it's much easier when you're not a human to sort of direct them in the right place on the stage.

[10:39] Mike Abrams: Yeah. So that's so true. And it is a little bit easier because you're crawling around too, and you're doing all kinds of crazy movements to begin with. But the other part of coming in as a replacement that I'm always interested in hearing a little bit about is the storytelling aspect of it. Because Skimbleshanks has a very deep backstory, but also has a lot of open-ended parts to how you want to play him. So when you come in as a replacement, how much of the story did you build out over time with the different characters and different actors? Versus how much were you told, like, hey, this is how the other person was doing it. I got to bring this in. But walk me through your Skimbleshanks backstory and relationships that you built out.

[11:23] Adam Lendermon: Sure. I don't remember being told anything about doing it like the person before me. There were definitely things that I was told about Skimbleshanks or that are sort of apparent in the text. They call him Uncle Skimbleshanks is sort of his loving term. And I think that that's something that I really sort of latched on to was sort of the caretaker of the kittens, making sure that they were clean and they were in the right spot. I definitely sort of took on, and I guess I brought a lot of my own myself to Skimbleshanks too, because I am a particularly, I'm a particular human and I think Skimbleshanks is a particular cat. So definitely he is, gosh, I haven't thought about this in so long. Yeah, he's a cat. He's the cat of the railway train. I don't know if you've heard, but he wants to make sure everything's in order. Everything has to be perfect. Everything has to be just right. And he's going to be the cat to make sure that everything's running smoothly and everybody's in their place. Nobody's misbehaving. He's the teacher. He's like the school marm.

[12:43] Mike Abrams: Okay. Okay. Did you play any relationships in terms of brother, sister, any partners, anything like that? I mean, you were young and Skimbleshanks plays a little, not older, but older compared to the teens and the kittens and everything. So how did you play those relationships?

[13:03] Adam Lendermon: Sure. Skimbleshanks in my world did not have any partners, so to speak. My relationships were more, I think disdain for Tugger. He definitely was annoyed by Tugger because, you know, Tugger's the bad boy and he is sort of the opposite of that. He is the fastidious good boy. And feeling like I, as an elder cat, feeling the need to monitor the kittens on stage. And by kittens, I mean, you know, Sillabub and Rumpleteazer and Victoria and Pounceable sort of being their babysitter sometimes.

[13:50] Adam Lendermon: Yeah. I remember there was one specific moment. I think it was during Gumby Cat. It was the beginning of Gumby Cat. Jackie Steadman, who played that, that was her name then she's now married, but she played Sillabub and we were the best of friends on tour. And we were by each other at the beginning of Gumby Cat. And I used to clean her for all of you listening out there. You know, I just remember sort of taking care of her and feeling like she was, you know, under my wing, not as a human, but as a cat in the show.

[14:35] Mike Abrams: Yeah. I love that. That is actually something that you can say just like no big deal as part of Cats. It's only Cats that you can actually make that comment and it'd be okay and not, you know, like, and strange, but funny and true and everyone gets it.

[14:52] Adam Lendermon: Yeah, it's wild. And I know there are a lot of haters out there, but it honestly was so much fun on stage because there's so much freedom in getting to slide around the stage and roll around. It's kind of like being a kid. You get to be a little kid on stage. It's like recess.

[15:17] Mike Abrams: Yeah. It has to be fun to do. And I think a lot of the hate is for people that saw it and didn't get it and didn't put any time to think about it or saw it early on. And it is a little weird. You have to get over some of that nature. But one thing I want to make sure we capture, because one of my favorite things about hearing, especially the fifth tour, is there are some wild stories, like unforgettable moments, because tour is very unpredictable. We're going to take a quick break and then we'll be back for more of The Wrong Cat Died. So what are the things that you, looking back, you know, it's been a few years, what are the things that you'll never forget from the tour? Whether they're funny, whether they're memorable, whether they were mistakes, what are the things that will always live in your brain?

[16:03] Adam Lendermon: When we were in Dearborn, Michigan, which is Detroit, basically, we were staying in Dearborn. We were there for three weeks in the middle of the winter, and we all had hotel suites, which was fantastic. And one of the cats, one of the ladies on the tour, threw a beer bong bash party. And I don't even know if I went now, honestly, but they got in big trouble, because like the hotel, people were complaining at the hotel. And I think we got talked to by company management the next day, because we had caused such a commotion amongst the other residents of the hotel. You know, that's the kind of stuff that happens on tour. You're trying to entertain yourself in the dead of winter, in the middle of nowhere.

[17:10] Mike Abrams: In Michigan.

[17:06] Adam Lendermon: Not that Detroit is the middle of nowhere, but we were in the suburbs.

[17:16] Mike Abrams: I like your disclaimer as 19-year-old, Adam. Adam, making sure that it's a...

[17:24] Adam Lendermon: I might not have been there at the beer bong party with underage drinking, but it's a memory that... that's the Macavity side of your cast bringing you in there.

[17:29] Adam Lendermon: Yes. Honestly, I wasn't even saying that because of that. I didn't think about that. I honestly don't know if I was there. I was never a big partier, which probably saved me from a lot of things on tour. But I just remember it was a big...

[17:48] Mike Abrams: It's very Skimbleshanks of you.

[17:50] Adam Lendermon: Well, see, I told you. It was not a stretch for me to be cast as Skimbleshanks. I'm sure anybody who knows me who's listening to this podcast is rolling their eyes and thinking, of course, who else would you be cast as? What else do I remember? We were in Raleigh, North Carolina, and there was an ice storm and they canceled a show. I do remember that. We played the Pantages in L.A. for three weeks. And here I am now, 25 years later, not 25, 23 years later, living in L.A. So that's an interesting full circle moment as well.

[18:33] Mike Abrams: Yeah, it was my first time ever to the West Coast and to L.A. It was really my first time seeing a huge portion of the country.

[18:42] Adam Lendermon: Yeah, that was going to be one of my next questions, because I think the tour... When you do the tour, a lot of the tour people, you do it young, and you're doing it either during college or around college or right after, you're early in your career. And it is a chance to see the whole United States, a lot of the United States. But it's also such a polarizing show that it's... Coming from Indiana, we get five shows a year. That's our thing. And it's like, the people go, whether they... They bought the season tickets. They're going to go to all of them. And it's like, if Cats is on the list, they're going to show up for Cats and they might stay for the whole thing. They might leave early, but they've already bought the piece. So do you remember the audience reaction? This isn't new at this point. It's been around for 20-ish years as Cats. But you're going to all these different cities. Is there certain parts of the country that are more pro-Cats, or is it very much just audience dependent on the night?

[19:37] Adam Lendermon: Honestly, my recollection is that we were always sold pretty well. There might have been random nights or random cities, but as a general rule, there are enough people all over the country that do like Cats or love Cats or come to the stage door in costume that I felt like a movie star, kind of. I mean, we had great reactions and great stage door attendance. I mean, we signed programs all the time. Yeah, that's my memory. Haha, see what I did there? That's my memory of it.

[20:23] Mike Abrams: Yeah, I mean, it's definitely – there's the theater people that want to go see theater, like high quality theater that's coming through their city versus – not saying it's not high quality, but a regional dinner theater or something that's more put up in town with local people, you're bringing in a tour of professionals to come through for only a couple weeks or two, three weeks, sometimes even less when you're doing that. So there's a lot of that. And then Cats does have a massive fan base that will go see it multiple times. I think you probably had people when you stopped in a city where they saw it three or four times on your stop, which is, again, such a unique piece. I think there's maybe a few shows that were starting to get to that level. But back then, it doesn't feel like there was that many that had this Cats level of polarizing of love and hate across the spectrum, which I think is what's really unique about it.

[21:17] Adam Lendermon: Yeah, I agree. I think this sort of stage door fandom is pretty common now, but I don't think it was as common back then. And I think Cats was one of the shows that really created that kind of reaction.

[21:32] Mike Abrams: Yeah, I think the dressing up definitely helps, too. And yeah, I never felt like... I never once staged door growing up in Indiana. And in New York now, it's a very big thing and very common. And I don't know if some of that's the social media aspect of it now with wanting to get photos and program sign, but it feels like the more people I've talked to that's done this over the years with Cats, that has always been a thing. It's always been a show that has a high level of that, which is maybe unique to Cats, or maybe just what Cats kind of draws out because of the storytelling and the uniqueness of just the show in general. And it's got to be kind of fun to see you all walk out in normal clothing. And it's very different than seeing you as Cats on stage.

[22:17] Adam Lendermon: I have a story about that. So, I can't tell you how many... Yeah. I can't tell you how many times I came out of the stage door. Obviously, I don't expect somebody to recognize me out of costume and makeup. But people would, of course, always say, which cat were you? And I would say, Skimbleshanks. And sometimes they would say, which one was that? And it just sort of blew my mind. I thought, wait, there's an entire number. I never counted. Maybe I should go back and count. But there's an entire number where they say this cat's name so many times. And I just thought it was fascinating when I said, Skimbleshanks, and people said, which one was that? You know, I could understand if you said Tumblebrutus.

[23:04] Mike Abrams: Did they get it when you said the train, the railway cat?

[23:08] Adam Lendermon: That's what I usually ended up saying was, remember the train number? That was me, the orange one.

[23:12] Mike Abrams: Yeah. Tumblebrutus or even the twins or Carbucket. There's a lot where it's like, all right, which one is that? Even as someone who knows the show super well, when the last couple of times I've seen it, I've had to be like, wait, hold on, who's who real quick? Because they've also done some different color schemes or different pieces. But yeah, your name is said a lot in that song and is referenced. And also towards the end too. So there should be at least some recency of the, you know, it's not like early on the Gumby Cat and then you've got intermission and a bunch of other stuff. Like you were the third to last song, I guess, fourth to last song, but you're the third to last cat that sings.

[23:53] Adam Lendermon: Right. It's a huge number. They build a giant train on the stage.

[23:58] Mike Abrams: It's okay. I wasn't offended. But I will say side note, we didn't have the twins on tour. So we didn't have Koroko Pat and Tantamile. They got added back in later. And I think that even somebody who was in the Equity 4 tour, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think even on the Equity 4 tour, they might not have had Koroko Pat and Tantamile. But at any rate, Mungojeri and Rumpel Teaser did a lot of the stuff that the twins do. Like in the opening, the sort of like role that they do. And I don't know how to describe that, but their opening entrance, the opening entrance that the twins normally do is Mungo, Rump, and there's a couple of other places that they did that on the tour.

[24:44] Mike Abrams: That's really interesting because it's definitely cats that are more ensemble that I've heard cut in other places where there's just less contracts, you know, where they can do that. But then the more I've learned about the twins, the more as like it's a great way to know just what the level of fandom someone has, because they're such a fascinating group that like senses everything that's happening. And they're the ones that sense old Deuteronomy's coming. And so it's a fun duo to watch from a fandom perspective, because it tells you a lot of what's about to happen in the story if it's not your first viewing. If it's your first viewing, you're going to be so confused anyways. But if you like know what's coming and you know the story, it's really fun to see where they start looking at what they're doing. So it's interesting that you didn't have them. And I wonder what the reason behind this was for not having them in at that point besides just more contracts.

[25:39] Adam Lendermon: I think it was just fewer bodies on the road is my guess.

[25:45] Mike Abrams: Yeah, I always heard that the twins were psychic, which is kind of cool.

[25:52] Adam Lendermon: Yeah. Yeah. So they're like whole thing that's, they're psychic and they play into that with the way that they act on stage. So when the old Deuteronomy comes out, they will look before anybody else does. And same with when Grizabella is doing her first entrance, they will turn first. So it's like if you watch them during the show, they almost tell you where to point your eyes next, but it's such a half a beat. It's not that much more. That it's a really cool piece to the storytelling. That's like, again, part of why cats is a little polarizing is it took me many episodes of recording this podcast for me to have any idea what that that was happening. And it's a really unique piece of the storytelling.

[26:35] Adam Lendermon: Agreed. I think that that's something again, that a lot of people don't necessarily know. But it's a lot of fun for us on stage that that all the cats really do have individual personalities. And there are things that were built within the show that are specific to each cat and, and the way each cat operates.

[26:53] Mike Abrams: Any other fun stories or memorable stories to share?

[26:57] Adam Lendermon: Yes, actually. So I don't remember what city this happened in. But we got to a city on a Monday. Um, well, we probably traveled on a Monday and got to the theater on a Tuesday, actually. So coming to the theater for the first time, we had sort of like mailboxes, little like slots if we were getting mail on the road that company management set up in every theater. And I got to the theater and I had a letter from a young couple that said, our daughter, I think the daughter was like, three or four at the time. Our daughter loves Skimbleshanks. She got a Skimbleshanks ornament for Christmas. And she would really like to meet Skimbleshanks. So I arranged for them to come to the stage door there. Oh, and they were coming to see the show later that week. So I arranged for them to come to the stage door early. I got to the theater early, put on my makeup early, got into costume early, which if you know cats is a lot because I was already there like an hour and a half early just to get my makeup on and warm up my body. And I met this couple and their little girl. And she took pictures with me. And she was so excited to meet Skimbleshanks. And I'm pretty sure I actually have pictures in an album somewhere of this. And it was just a really cool way to give something that cost me nothing. And then fast forward to, I guess a couple of years ago, I got a message, a DM on Instagram that said, hi, I don't know if you remember me, but my parents brought me to see cats when I was little. And you took pictures with me. You came to the stage door. And I just wanted you to know that that was a big reason, a big part of the reason why I decided to study acting. And I just, it was such a beautiful thing. It was a beautiful reminder of what we do, what I do, what we do as artists, as storytellers, as creators, touches people. You know, something from so long ago in my life came back to me two years ago.

[29:23] Mike Abrams: It's also such a reminder of the kindness and the things that you can do that have such a meaningful impact on somebody else. That's not that much more for you. It's like a little bit more early to come take a few photos, change the trajectory of somebody else's life. And that's just got to be such a cool thing. And to get to hear it full circle, usually a lot of those things happen, you don't know. But to get that story now, that's such an incredible story to share and to hear. And I hope that they one day get into cats and you can be in the audience when that person picks up acting and gets to perform as whatever character.

[30:04] Adam Lendermon: Absolutely. I think that would be amazing. Also, I think I was thrilled. I was like, wait, you don't want to meet Grizabella or Tugger or Mistoffelees? You want to meet Skimbleshanks? Please come here. Come here. I'm ready. I'm ready for all the Skimble fandom.

[30:21] Mike Abrams: Yeah. I mean, Skimbleshanks is pretty well loved. I think Skimbleshanks has got a solid fan base.

[30:27] Adam Lendermon: Fair.

[30:29] Mike Abrams: All right. Let's go to some rapid fire then. So let's ask some quick questions from cats. So if you could go on for one night and one night only, any cat, doesn't matter, male, female, whether you think you can do it or not, who do you want to perform as?

[30:44] Adam Lendermon: Demeter. Hands down, Demeter.

[30:46] Mike Abrams: Demeter. Love the answer. Who are your favorite and least favorite cats from a personality standpoint? So which one would you enjoy hanging out with and which one would bug you?

[30:58] Adam Lendermon: Well, as I said before, I am Skimbleshanks in a lot of ways and I think I would be irritated by Tugger, for sure. I think I would roll my eyes in real life. Who would I want to hang out with? Honestly, I would probably want to hang out with Griz. I would be the cat that's like, what's your story? I want to know about your life. Tell me. How'd you get here?

[31:25] Mike Abrams: Okay. Okay. Not maybe good for my last question, but let's keep going. What's your favorite song in the show?

[31:32] Adam Lendermon: My favorite song in the show? Probably Macavity.

[31:34] Mike Abrams: That's my answer. I love that song. It's so fun and so well done.

[31:46] Adam Lendermon: Yeah. And I wasn't in it.

[31:49] Mike Abrams: I love asking one fun one and one unique one. And I know you were in the TV show, The Goldbergs, which I was a huge fan of. So which cat do you think would be the best filmmaker?

[31:59] Adam Lendermon: Oh, interesting. The best filmmaker.

[32:06] Adam Lendermon: It might be Skimbleshanks. I feel like he would be the one that would have the organizational skills and he would have everybody on time. That ship would run so tight.

[32:20] Mike Abrams: I thought a lot about this because whenever I pose these questions, I then waste... not waste. I devote a lot of time to answering this question myself. And I landed on Bustopher Jones as the funding and producing because his money is going to be the one that covers it. Skimbleshanks is going to be directing and kind of keeping everything going on. And Mostopheles is going to be editing.

[32:44] Adam Lendermon: Yeah, I can definitely get down with that. I will participate in this imagined filmmaking.

[32:54] Mike Abrams: Okay, most important question, and that's what this whole show centers around, that I did not think Rizabella was the right Jellicle choice. So I'm asking you, Adam, who is your Jellicle choice and why?

[33:05] Adam Lendermon: I'm going to go with Demeter again. I don't know if anyone's ever said Demeter, but she's had a rough life. She's been through a lot. She's very afraid. She, I think she just needs her nerves are shot and she needs a more peaceful existence.

[33:25] Mike Abrams: Okay, you will be Demeter's fourth vote. Demeter does have a few. And yeah, and it's the same. It is the argument of like, it's been a rough go for her that she needs. It's kind of the same argument people make for Rizabella, but you're picking it with Demeter. So I am pro any non-Rizabella choice. So I'm here for it.

[33:46] Adam Lendermon: Yeah. Yeah. I stand by my choice.

[33:51] Mike Abrams: What was your Demeter, Skimbleshanks relationship?

[33:54] Adam Lendermon: Not great. I think from what I, well, I will say it varied. I had several Demeters throughout the tour, including swings. So honestly, it depended on who was on. But the things I remember about Skimbleshanks interactions with Demeter are that Demeter was often just afraid of everybody and didn't want to come near me either. She was sort of just not down to interact with a lot of people.

[34:30] Adam Lendermon: Well, cats, a lot of cats, I should say. But then I also had some Demeters who were a little bit the opposite in that they trusted me. And so I would have some interactions with Demeter. And I think as Skimbleshanks, I was always trying to sort of like, calm her, provide her with some solace.

[34:54] Mike Abrams: Yeah. Yeah. I was wondering if there was, with the way that you said you played your Skimbleshanks as the more caretaker and protector, that is one of the cats that needs it most in the entire tribe. And so that's interesting to hear you say that some of them will embrace that, and some of them are just like, I don't trust anybody.

[35:14] Adam Lendermon: Yeah. I think that was my intention. My intention was to provide that, but it depended on who the actress playing Demeter was and how they were receptive to it or not.

[35:25] Mike Abrams: Wow. Fascinating. Well, I really love that I got a Demeter vote, a non-Grizabella vote, that chalked one up for the movement. But this has been so fun. How can people stay in touch with things you're doing in your career and you in general?

[35:41] Adam Lendermon: I'm on social media. I have a website, adamlenderman.com. My Instagram is also just my name, adamlenderman. So people can definitely find me both of those places.

[35:55] Mike Abrams: Well, this has been so fun. Thank you for coming on. And I hope you enjoyed your first podcast experience, hopefully the first of many.

[36:03] Adam Lendermon: Listen, from your mouth, I hope so. If anybody's listening, invite me onto your podcast. And if I'm not the best guest you've ever had, please don't tell me. My ego can't take it.

[36:15] Mike Abrams: What's the shows you want to be on? What type of things do you want to talk about most? I'll put this out into the world and manifest it.

[36:23] Adam Lendermon: I don't even know. I just want to talk about life. I just want to have real conversations with people, like vulnerable conversations about difficult things, talking about life. That's my, that's, that's, I think that's it. I think that's what I want to do. I just want to have like some deep conversations.

[36:47] Mike Abrams: I love it. I've got some ideas for you from the other people in our Broadway podcast network. So we'll, I'll be sharing, I'll be sharing your information around and hopefully we'll manifest this into more, to more shows.

[36:58] Adam Lendermon: I love that.

[36:59] Mike Abrams: Thank you again for coming on. This was very fun to have you on as a guest.

[37:03] Adam Lendermon: I am thrilled to be here. I really appreciate it.

[37:07] Mike Abrams: Awesome. Well, thank you. And thanks everyone else for listening to this episode of The Wrong Cat Died, the podcast break down the cat's atrophy. To follow along, you can subscribe on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or any of us on the podcast, follow us on social media at the wrong cat died or check out our website, the wrong cat died.com.