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[0:00] Mike Abrams: Welcome to The Wrong Cat Died, the podcast breakdown of the cat's atrophy. I'm your host, Mike Abrams, and today we have another amazing guest. She's played a lot of cats, but most notably was Bombalurina in multiple productions of Cats, including the second and third US tours, as well as playing it in Germany. So welcome, Adrea Gibbs, and thank you for joining me.

[0:34] Adrea Gibbs: Thanks for having me, Mike. I'm flattered to be here. I'm excited. I actually want to start because I believe if my research is correct, your first production of Cats was the German production.

[0:47] Adrea Gibbs: No, actually, my first production was the Los Angeles company.

[0:54] Mike Abrams: Los Angeles. Okay. Yeah. So walk me through your Cats history. Let's maybe start there.

[0:58] Adrea Gibbs: Because I think everything is out of order. Because I was going to be fascinated if you learned it in German first.

[1:02] Adrea Gibbs: No, actually, I did it in German last. So we'll work our way.

[1:07] Mike Abrams: Okay. But no, I actually was one of a gazillion people that went to the cattle call for the Los Angeles company of Cats. And I managed to make it all the way through. In fact, it's how I earned my equity card. So that was pretty exciting. Yeah, it was pretty exciting. This was 1980.

[1:29] Adrea Gibbs: What? Uh, you know, I barely remember what year. Okay, that sounds good. I feel right. The US tour was 87, 86, 87. Yeah, so it must have been, it must have been 85. I, the only thing I really remember is when I graduated from high school, because they kind of drill that into you. And I actually have to look at my resume to figure out where I was and when I did what I, yeah, chronology, chronological dates are lost on me sometime in the 80s. We'll just stick with that.

[2:06] Mike Abrams: So you're in LA, you get through. Who did you get cast as?

[2:14] Adrea Gibbs: I was cast as Tantomile, and Tantomile was part of the original production in both London and New York. It was actually a role that was edited out of the bus and truck and some of the subsequent touring companies, but I played an identical twin. Supposedly, my twin was a male. My first twin was a fantastic dancer by the name of Serge Rudnansky, who was formerly with the American Ballet Theater. And he was just tremendous to work with. In fact, we got to do a really nice little bit of a duet when we appeared on Fame, which our LA company did with on the television show. And we got to do a real nice little potted, very small thing. And that was great. And then my second twin was an amazing actor by the name of Mark Oka. And so we, I went through two twins through the course of my history.

[3:11] Adrea Gibbs: And Tantomile, like you said, has been edited out. It's not in every production, but it's mostly a dance number, right? That's the kind of core thing for Tantomile because it's been edited out. I actually know so little about Tantomile. And that's why when I saw you were there, I was like, well, I know a lot about Bombalurina, so I know I have more questions there, but tell me like what we haven't covered Tantomile like at all in this podcast. So what do I need to know about this cat?

[3:35] Adrea Gibbs: Well, the story behind Tantomile, she's actually one of the names that T.S. Eliot had created, and she is a witch's cat. So Tantomile and her twin brother, Coricopat, seemingly have some kind of telepathy. They have a sixth sense that would actually put them ahead of all the other cats in terms of when, for example, Grizabella is approaching.

[4:01] Mike Abrams: Okay. Yeah. So it was pretty fun. These are the types of things I wish that the crowd knew going in because like how far, like I'm sure there's such deliberate motion and dance in every scene that you're ahead that as the two times I saw it and seeing in the movie, I never picked up on, just never, I mean, just never knew it was a thing.

[4:19] Adrea Gibbs: One of my favorite things about playing Tantomile was that she was not part of the cockroach brigade with Jenny and E. Dot. No, I love tap dancing. So it wasn't that Tantomile actually didn't do the tap dance for reasons that had to do with the Broadway production. So because they were replicating that particular show, then my character didn't do the tap dance, but they wanted me to see on set. So what was really interesting was I climbed up to a platform on the second level. This is a Los Angeles show. And I just sat and would stare at some poor unsuspecting person in the audience the entire number. And it was hilarious because you would notice people would realize they were getting looked at and then they would look up and they would see me staring.

And then you'd see them nudge somebody else and they kind of look up and then they'd go back to watch a number. They'd look up again and see that I was still staring at them. And it was quite fun. So that was amazing. It gave me a great moment. I got really, really good at staring down people.

[5:17] Mike Abrams: Did anybody come up to you after saying, what was that all about?

[5:21] Adrea Gibbs: Yeah, I actually, I, this is really weird. So as one might imagine, you kind of can gather sort of fan bases, like people that start to kind of follow your cat. I felt this was a lot more common in Starlight Express in Germany. There was a huge fan thing there, but, and to some degree at Cats in Hamburg as well. But there were people that came back and saw the show quite a few times with the Los Angeles company. And there were people that would send me notes backstage and just tell me how much they enjoyed the performance, which I thought was really interesting because Tantomile doesn't have a lot of standout moments, you know, compared to a lot of the other cats in the company. But I found out later too that a lot of the ushers used to like to watch me perform because they appreciated the fact that I was giving 110%, regardless of where I was on the stage, that it was for me, it was always about delivering the very best show I could to whomever was in the back row in the back corner of the theater, who may be having their first theatrical experience, maybe saved all their money to come see this show.

Maybe this is the only live theater they were ever going to get to see. And so for me, performing for that person in the back row was the most important thing to me, regardless of how I felt, the kind of day I had, what have you. So I always felt that that was a piece of what my job was.

[6:50] Mike Abrams: That's, I mean, and it's refreshing to hear because I, um, huge sports fan, watch a lot of sports. And I don't think that that's always the case in a lot of these games that you watch at the professional level where they do kind of mail in some games. And so hearing that it's like every day, eight shows a week that you're always going to do it because that might be the one time that that one person is going to see you is, is, is really, um, cool to hear. I'm curious to hear a little bit about the, the fan base is so like, to your point, there's, I've, I've interviewed some people who have seen the show many times and watched to watch one number versus me, who only saw a couple of times, kind of watched the whole thing, just mesmerized.

Um, did you, once you knew somebody was there, like it was a super fan that you, that wrote to you, I guess this is probably a little bit harder pre-social media days, but now you kind of get the interaction. Would you have tried to stare down that person? Did you like seek people out?

[7:47] Adrea Gibbs: If I knew there were there, I would like, if I knew who they were and I knew where they were seated and I could see them, then I would do that. Um, I did it to like my parents, right? When they showed up, um, because why not? Right. Um, and, and other friends, other people that I knew came in and, but sometimes, you know, it was just, it was just fun. It was just trying to find somebody that I thought might respond or I thought might, you know, connect on some level. So it was, it was a game for me. It was fun.

[8:24] Mike Abrams: Yeah. So now post LA, what's next in the Cats history? Is this the second US tour?

[8:30] Adrea Gibbs: Um, yeah, it was the second national. So it's where I met up with a bunch of the cats that had done the, um, Cats for COVID relief benefit. Um, I came in, I was a second Bombalurina. I mean, I came in fairly early to the company. Um, so it was, that was phenomenal. It was, um, first of all, I was flattered that I was, I was moved into Bombalurina, that role, because I, I liked that role. I liked the character. It was very different from who I am as a person. So it was kind of fun to play something different. Um, but there, it was my first chance to meet a gentleman by the name of Jimmy Walsky, who's become a very good friend of mine. And he was our dance captain on the show. And I only had one week.

I went in Baltimore. I had one week, uh, to get ready to go into the show and the show for all intents and purposes, the choreography was similar, but there were enough, uh, differences, you know, that I had to learn my paces again. Right. And then of course I had to learn the new numbers, um, in, in new stagings. What was really fun was opening night. Um, my first show I got into act two, I put on my Siamese costume, went on the stage and realized we had never staged the Siamese costume or the Siamese number at all. And I had absolutely no idea where it was going to go. And so all the other, all the other cats were kind of pushing me around to where I needed to be for the number. And I could hear Jimmy Walsky laughing in the back of the theater because I was running around this Siamese that had no idea where they were going, getting caught on stuff, getting hung up in the curtains. It was, it was hilarious. It was so funny.

[10:21] Mike Abrams: That is awesome. And so I'm sure he knew right away, like, oh, we forgot.

[10:29] Adrea Gibbs: Oh yeah. He said it was one of those things like as soon as the boat came down and as soon as the Siamese made their first appearance, it was that big. Oops.

[10:44] Mike Abrams: That is great. So that production was really the first time Cats was in major cities. So I love hearing like, what was the reaction like in like on tour to the show? I mean, I know it was, it's now such a polarizing show, but back then this was, was a very, I mean, it was a hit. People keep calling it the Hamilton of the time.

[11:02] Adrea Gibbs: Yeah. I think it's still in its own way was polarizing. There were definitely people that didn't like the show. It didn't appreciate the show. But I think the thing that the show brought to the public was simply that for anybody who has never seen the theater or people who have seen the theater, it was, it was an event that was very welcoming to everybody. You know, there wasn't a storyline that you had to make sure you paid complete and total attention to in order to get from point A to point B, but it had great music and catchy songs and great characters. And of course the costumes and the set and the makeup just, you know, people were overwhelmed by. So I think that was, I think that was the beauty of the show.

I think that still is the beauty of the show. And to me, it was really important that, you know, again, I think, I think sometimes I'm a little bit different breed than other people, cat breed, I guess, than other people. But, you know, for me, it was really important to connect with the communities that we went through. So I was, I was that one person that when I came out the stage door and people were asking for autographs and wanted to talk about the show, I would stay and talk to people, which interestingly enough, you can get away with ignoring people or scuttling by people very easily because it was really hard to tell actually who was on stage and who wasn't with the makeup and the hair and the costume and everything.

So I did have colleagues that made very quick exits and preferred not to be in the public, but I always felt like that was anybody that came and hung out at the stage door asking to talk to somebody. I felt like that was a really important part of the show too.

[12:57] Mike Abrams: What type of questions did you get at the stage door with a show like Cats in the 80s? I mean, that's that there was a, there was a super fans, but it's not like now where now there's a lot of, you know, there's 40 plus years of content of what people know about it. This is still like the first time a lot of people probably ever got to see it.

[13:11] Adrea Gibbs: I think it was a lot of people just wanting to say how much they enjoyed the show and to ask, like, you know, where are you from and how did you start? And, you know, what, you know, how long are you going to stay with a show? And just really curious about the business, but the show itself, you know, they wanted to know how long it took to get into makeup and wigs and, you know, could we eat whatever we wanted to while wearing those unitards? At that time I could eat basically whatever I wanted to, I'd be hard pressed to get my unitard now, but, you know.

[14:01] Adrea Gibbs: I mean, that's a, your number is very daunting. I mean, it's a daunting, like physical workout to do that show.

[14:06] Adrea Gibbs: Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, if you think about it, I mean, in my case, I spent, you know, seven plus years making my living on my hands and knees. Right.

[14:11] Adrea Gibbs: Everyone was just very curious about the show.

[14:26] Adrea Gibbs: I remember when we first started the tour, it was like a big deal. We were the first national tour, and everyone wanted to see what this was all about.

[14:36] Adrea Gibbs: I played Bombalurina, and I had a lot of fun with that role. It was exciting to be part of something that was so new and different.

[14:56] Adrea Gibbs: The audiences were really engaged. They would come to the stage door after the show, and it was amazing to see how much they loved it.

[15:16] Adrea Gibbs: I think the character of Bombalurina resonated with a lot of people. She’s strong and confident, and I think that’s something that people appreciate.

[15:36] Adrea Gibbs: I also played Tantomile in the initial Los Angeles cast, which was a different experience altogether.

[15:56] Adrea Gibbs: Being part of the original cast was special because we were all figuring it out together.

[16:16] Adrea Gibbs: The choreography was challenging, but it was so rewarding to see it all come together.

[16:36] Adrea Gibbs: I remember the first time we performed in front of an audience. The energy was electric, and it felt like we were part of something historic.

[16:56] Adrea Gibbs: I think the show really captured the imagination of the audience. It was unlike anything they had seen before.

[17:16] Adrea Gibbs: There was a lot of curiosity about the characters and their stories. People wanted to know more about the Jellicle cats.

[17:36] Adrea Gibbs: I think that’s part of what makes CATS so enduring. Each character has their own unique story and personality.

[17:56] Adrea Gibbs: And then there’s Grizabella. I have my own thoughts on her character and why she might not be ready for the Heaviside Layer.

[18:16] Adrea Gibbs: I think Grizabella represents a lot of things, but she’s also a reflection of the choices she made in her life.

[18:36] Adrea Gibbs: It’s a complex situation, and I think that’s what makes the story so compelling.

[18:56] Adrea Gibbs: I’ve had conversations with other cast members about this, and we all have different perspectives on it.

[19:16] Adrea Gibbs: It’s interesting to hear how other people interpret her journey and what it means to them.

[19:36] Adrea Gibbs: I think that’s part of the magic of CATS. It invites discussion and debate, and everyone has their own take on it.

[19:56] Adrea Gibbs: And of course, I can’t help but sing a little bit of Macavity.

[20:16] Adrea Gibbs: I remember performing it in German during one of our shows, and it was such a fun experience.

[20:36] Adrea Gibbs: The music is so powerful, and it really brings the characters to life.

[20:56] Adrea Gibbs: I think that’s what keeps people coming back to see the show again and again.

[21:16] Adrea Gibbs: There’s always something new to discover, whether it’s in the music, the choreography, or the characters.

[21:36] Adrea Gibbs: I feel lucky to have been a part of it and to share that experience with so many people.

[21:56] Adrea Gibbs: It’s a show that really stays with you, and I think that’s why it has such a lasting legacy.

[22:16] Adrea Gibbs: I love hearing stories from fans about how CATS has impacted their lives.

[22:36] Adrea Gibbs: It’s amazing to think about how a show can connect people across generations.

[22:56] Adrea Gibbs: I think that’s what makes theater so special. It creates a shared experience that can be cherished for years to come.

[23:16] Adrea Gibbs: I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of that magic.

[23:36] Adrea Gibbs: And I hope that the legacy of CATS continues to inspire and entertain for many more years.

[23:56] Adrea Gibbs: It’s a testament to the power of storytelling and the arts.

[24:16] Adrea Gibbs: I think that’s something we all need, especially in times like these.

[24:36] Adrea Gibbs: The arts have a way of bringing people together and lifting spirits.

[24:56] Adrea Gibbs: I’m proud to have been a part of that journey with CATS.

[25:16] Adrea Gibbs: And I look forward to seeing how the story continues to evolve.

[25:36] Adrea Gibbs: It’s a timeless tale, and I think it will always have a place in the hearts of audiences.

[25:56] Adrea Gibbs: Thank you for having me on the show to share my experiences.

[26:16] Adrea Gibbs: It’s been a pleasure to talk about CATS and the impact it has had on my life.

[26:36] Adrea Gibbs: I hope everyone continues to enjoy the magic of theater.

[26:56] Adrea Gibbs: And remember, there’s always more to discover in the world of CATS.

[27:16] Adrea Gibbs: Thank you!

[27:36] Adrea Gibbs: I appreciate the opportunity to share my story.

[28:22] Adrea Gibbs: And there was a core group of individuals that pulled together that actually wrote the script and put time and energy into cultivating something that was going to be a message-driven program, founded out of our cats collective.

[30:22] Adrea Gibbs: So we did the opening song and there were a variety of us that did the recording together. Independently. Nothing like singing by yourself trying to, you know, remember something from, you know, 2000 years ago. Try, you know, and there's not an orchestra and there's, there's nobody else to help you just barren in your own room it was pretty interesting. But then it was all, you know, record everybody recorded their bits and then it was all engineered and put together beautifully and there were these different segments that were directed by different folks from our group. And it was, it was honestly a team effort to pull this off and put together something that wasn't just a one-off song but it was really a whole event, it was really a whole spectacle.

That was bringing everybody together but also highlighting how important it is to support members in our community especially during, during this time of COVID when so many of our fellow performers and stage managers and dressers and makeup team and, you know, wig designers and costumers are all out of work.

[32:02] Adrea Gibbs: Yeah, I mean, it's, you know, it was, it's great to see the amount of money already raised. I love that and that it's still the donation page actually still up so I will put the link in the description for anybody listening to, you know, anything that you can give and to donate it's very much appreciated to support the community. But it was, you know, it's cool to see that come full circle from your Kansas City event to bringing back today and still always about supporting the community.

[32:33] Adrea Gibbs: Well, I think that's, that's the thing that's really interesting about the theater community is, is as large as it seems it's actually very small. And there's not even it's not even a sixth degree of separation between people. So it's really important when, when you are in a position to be able to help others that you do that, and raise them up because it's, it's about community.

[33:03] Adrea Gibbs: So, I want to do a little rapid fire getting to my favorite question to ask everybody. So, but before we get to that, let's do a couple quick fun ones to kind of ease into the million dollar question. If you I know you've played a couple cats, but if you had the opportunity to play anyone ignore if it's in your vocal range male, female, if you could play any cat, which one would you want to, which track would you really want to do?

[33:29] Adrea Gibbs: Oh, that's interesting. You know, I think I've already done it because I got to play so many of the cats I wanted to. So I guess who's your favorite to do.

[33:39] Adrea Gibbs: Boy, that's a loaded question. You know, I, this is gonna sound like a cop out, but each one of them represented such a different time in my life. I mean, each one is tied to very specific memories and very specific experiences I had. So, hey, I don't know. I'm asking a parent about a favorite child. I feel like you are, I think you are, because I can, you know, my, the very last cat I played actually is rumple teaser. And, you know, that's interesting because I was, you know, the, the oldest I was in my career playing this young kitten. Kind of a giant kitten, big kitten. But, you know, that kind of, in some ways coming full circle around to playing that, you know, the, the juvenile, if you will, was interesting from kind of going through the, the only cats I really didn't play the female cats. I didn't play, I never played Victoria or Sillabub or Jelly Lorem. So there were a couple that I, I never did play. But I also don't know that they were ones that I ever wanted to play either.

[34:55] Adrea Gibbs: Yeah. Okay. So let me rephrase this question. Which of the male tracks would you want to do?

[35:01] Adrea Gibbs: Oh, yeah, that's tough. Gosh, I would, I would probably. I know I might default to Tugger because Tugger being sort of the counterpart to Bambi would be kind of fun to play from a male perspective. And that's probably a pretty popular one for a lot of people to say.

[35:30] Adrea Gibbs: Yeah. A lot of people say it, but I also think, you know, you saying that it's kind of not your personality. It's sometimes the fun of acting. It's the opposite against type. I also think Gus would be amazing to play.

[35:44] Adrea Gibbs: Then you got to do Bustopher though and a couple others with that, right? And yeah. And Bustopher I thought was hilarious. Yeah. So, you know.

[35:53] Adrea Gibbs: Okay. Okay. I think there's, I think there's, there's some value to that. So you just want to play every, you just want to do every single track. Well, this is going to be a hard question then I guess for you next, which is, which is your favorite and least favorite cat?

[36:05] Adrea Gibbs: Oh, my favorite, my least favorite cat, huh? I suppose I could pick one like Jemima that no one ever sees because she's not in the company anymore. Jemima was canceled. I believe. Yes, she was. She was, she was knocked out. Et cetera was another one that wound up morphing into another cat. So.

[36:28] Adrea Gibbs: It's a very good, safe answer. I like that. Yeah. You like that? Yeah. Cause you're not, you can't anger anybody with that really. What about favorite? This might be hard with the same, same thing you've played so many of them.

[36:41] Adrea Gibbs: You know, I would probably, I would probably have to say Bombay Arena just cause I played her the longest. And I got a chance to experience her on tour as well as in Germany. And that was, I think that's pretty special. You know, she, she took me overseas for my first four way into working in Europe. And so I would say for that reason, yeah, she's probably my favorite.

[37:08] Adrea Gibbs: Okay. Favorite song from the show. Favorite song from the show. Well, I love Macavity. Yeah. I mean, who doesn't love Macavity? Right. That's my answer. I think my answer was always, it was Mungo, Jerry and Rumpel Teaser when I first saw it. Cause it was stuck in my head for like weeks after, but the more I researched it, the more Macavity song gets stuck in my head every time. Mungo and Rump was, I will admit is really fun. Especially when you're doing the double cartwheels. So that was, that was, that was just really fun. But I also, I'm really partial also to the, to Jellicle Cats, the opening number, because that just sets the stage for the whole evening.

[37:50] Adrea Gibbs: Yeah. I mean, there's not a really bad choice. I haven't heard anybody be like, oh, this is, I, you know, there's so many good options. I don't know. People might say Peaks and Pollicles is not a great choice.

[38:03] Adrea Gibbs: That's fair. I've not heard anybody say that as their number one. So that's probably fair. Okay. So my million dollar question, I, this entire podcast is named and based off the fact that I did not think Grizabella was the right choice to ascend to the heavyset layer. Do you agree with me? And if so, who would you pick? And if you disagree with me, I'd love to hear your defense of Grizabella.

[38:27] Adrea Gibbs: Interesting, because I did get to play Grizabella in Germany. So I do have some tender thoughts about her in terms of who was going to go to the heavyset layer. I think Grizabella was a good choice, but I don't think she was ready yet, to be honest with you. I think that she still had more to do in her current life to come back and be celebrated the way she was. I really think that it should have been Gus going.

[38:58] Adrea Gibbs: Love it. Team Gus. It's the most common answer, because I think it fits the right narrative based off of if you really break down who's probably ready to go. Yeah, he was tired. He had done what he was meant to do, and he still reveled in that, but it was probably time for him to travel onward.

[39:25] Adrea Gibbs: All right. I'm a fan. Anytime somebody says Grizabella is the wrong choice. I mean, again, this has been great having you on to chat through it. I really appreciate you taking the time. Any parting words from your cat's history before we take off?

[39:45] Adrea Gibbs: I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to be a part of that show. From being part of the original company in Los Angeles, getting moved over to the second national tour, which was interesting because a lot of my colleagues in Los Angeles actually went to the bus and truck, which was a new company that formed just after the Los Angeles company closed. So a lot of them moved on to that company. I thought I was going to go there. I found out later that the reason I didn't was they knew at an inkling that this opportunity would come up at the national and then actually the national two and wanted to move me over there. So I had the tremendous blessing of working with this national two company, which continues to be in my heart, as does LA, but there's just this really special bond with that group.

And then I got to go in and live and work in Europe and do not only cats over there, but Starlight Express and also did a lot of directing and choreography when I was working over there as well. So the show has given me so much in terms of memories, no pun intended, or memory and just having to having been able to do and see and experience so much. You know, I mean, I have a dime to my name, but I am so wealthy when it comes to the friendships and the experiences. And for me, it's about paying it forward. You know, it's talking to people that are still interested in the show. It's those nights of standing outside, you know, for an hour or two hours at the stage door talking to people. That is, I think.

[41:43] Adrea Gibbs: The best part about being in cats for me.

[41:48] Adrea Gibbs: Well, thank you so much for coming on and sharing your stories and your thoughts on the show and your experience with the show from across the globe, which is always so, so fun to hear.

[42:00] Adrea Gibbs: Oh, it's been my pleasure, Mike. I've kind of enjoyed going down this path.

[42:05] Adrea Gibbs: Yeah, a little bit down memory lane.

[42:07] Adrea Gibbs: A little bit. Yeah.