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[0:19] Mike Abrams: Welcome to The Wrong Cat Died, the podcast breakdown of Cats. I'm your host Mike Abrams, and today we have another amazing guest. She was Jennyanydots on the US National Tour 6 of Cats before the pandemic. So welcome, Emily Jeanne Phillips, and thank you for joining me.

[0:31] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Thank you for having me.

[0:33] Mike Abrams: I am excited to have Jenny, because I feel like there's a lot there. So before we get into the craziness of your cat, I would love to hear about your history with the show. When was the first time you saw it? How much did you know about it before you got cast in it?

[0:50] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yeah, I never saw it live. I remember as a kid watching the movie version, like the musical version. And then I used to do shows at a community theater in New Jersey called Plays in the Park. And they did Cats. And Jenny came out tap dancing. And I was like, that's me. I want to be her. And I think I was like, 11. So I wasn't like old enough to audition for it. But I remember like, that was one of the first musicals that I was like, I want to do that. And then I never thought that I would do Cats because they kind of stopped the touring as I got to be a professional. Like I went to college and the tours didn't exist anymore. And no one was really doing it locally, like regionally either. And then they did the revival. I went in for the revival for Broadway. And then they did the tour and I went in for the tour too.

[1:38] Mike Abrams: That's awesome. So you saw it as like a 10, 11 year old, like pretty early, early on to the point where you probably didn't understand a lot of the context of the show at that point. It's definitely over your head.

[1:49] Emily Jeanne Phillips: None of it. No.

[1:50] Mike Abrams: Have you ever reached back out to that Jenny and said like, Hey, like, I got to do it. Like, did you remember anything about her?

[1:57] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Oh, yeah, I was friends with her. I did a bunch of shows like it was a very close community theater. And so the next like two years, I auditioned and did shows there until I went away to college. So I was really good friends with her and her parents. And I remember telling her like, you inspired me to audition here.

[2:13] Mike Abrams: That's amazing. That's awesome. So okay, and then you were essentially you've been a tap dancer for a while. So this is like kind of a natural, like you knew that this was going to be a role. How'd you get into tap? Like, how did that start?

[2:24] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I started tap dancing when I was two years old. It was the first dance class I ever went to. And my dad tells the story. We went for ice cream, and the dance studio complex was next to the ice cream. And I saw the girls through the window. And he said, I grabbed his hand. And I said, Dad, I want to dance. So he took me in. And he thought I was gonna go running away. He bought me my little tap shoes. And that was it.

[2:50] Mike Abrams: Okay, well, you got to hear me with this. How do you teach tap to a two year old?

[2:55] Emily Jeanne Phillips: So you put the shoes on and they kind of like walk around and then like really baby baby tap is like, you differentiate where their weight shifting is. So you'll say like tap your toe, and then you come together and then you say tap your heel, and then you come together and then you try to teach them like flaps and shuffles. But my first tap solo I was three and I danced to "You're Adorable." And I did it all by myself. I competed.

[3:18] Mike Abrams: Wow, I'm fascinated by this because I started playing hockey when I was three years old. And I have now seen a three year old hockey game as an adult. And it's like the kids can barely stand. They're like, you know, they're just just skating in circles. There's no like hockey playing. It's basically which kid can stand up long enough to get down the ice. And it's like, that's what I was. But I learned to skate when I was not even two, like I learned when I was three. And it's like, I don't even remember that. For the most part, I was too young to like even really register most of it.

[3:48] Emily Jeanne Phillips: And so I'm fascinated with something tap, which is, you know, extremely difficult at such a young age is kind of a cool thing to be like, Oh, yeah, I feel like when you start that young, you kind of naturally fall into it. And there's video footage, my dad used to film everything of one of the recitals of our tap dance, and no one was doing it right. And then he pans over to me with the video, and I'm doing everything right. And I'm trying to get all the girls to follow me to stay on the beat.

[4:14] Mike Abrams: Well, prodigy from a young age. I love it. I love it. So okay, so you've been, you know, tap from two years on, you're doing community theater. Where is I know Cats is not I don't think it was the first show you did, right? Was it your first professional show?

[4:44] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yeah, so you've, you've been doing a lot of stuff. So tell walk me through like getting like in that audition process into a show where you, you know, inspired you early on, like, is it more nerve wracking when it's something that you're really passionate about? Or what was that experience like for you?

[4:47] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I think it's, it's nerve wracking, because it's something you really want. So what's nice about it is I went to the Broadway audition. And at that point, I was not equity. So I went to the open call where they were seeing everybody. I think that day was crazy. I think there were like 3000 people.

[5:04] Mike Abrams: Wow.

[5:04] Emily Jeanne Phillips: So I wasn't expecting anything. I just wanted to get into the room because I knew that Andy was going to be there. A lot of times for those kinds of things, the choreographer is never there. So I knew he was going to be there. And I was like, if I can just get in front of him once, maybe something will happen. And I didn't get any callbacks for the Broadway revival. And then they did have a couple of like replacements, but I was out on other shows.

[5:28] Emily Jeanne Phillips: So then when the tour came around, I was like, great, I've got my equity card, I can go to the ECC, I have an agent, he would get me an appointment. So I took every avenue. Actually, I went to the ECC on my own. I emailed my agent and I said, I want an appointment for Jenny. I'm that cat. He was like, great. So they saw me at the ECC. I told them that I tap dance and they were like, great. Then I had an appointment to sing for Lindsay.

[5:54] Emily Jeanne Phillips: So I sang my own stuff. Then they asked me to sing for Jenny. And then it was kind of just like all about Jenny from then on. There were like three or four more callbacks. And then we had like Cat's Boot Camp. I don't know if anyone else has talked about that.

[6:05] Mike Abrams: No.

[6:05] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Basically, I learned her whole number. And then we had to go one at a time. So I went through every call and every round. And obviously, like, there's nothing you can really do by the end of that. It's like I did everything. And if I'm the right fit, I'm the right fit. And tour is difficult because you have to fit into who's going to cover and what's your voice part and, you know, in terms of traveling that. But my goal always is to get to the end of it. And then it's out of my hands. I can't really do anything about it. And I was lucky enough to do that. And Andy was great throughout all of Cat's Boot Camp. It was a great time.

[6:43] Mike Abrams: So you get in the Cat's Boot Camp and we've talked a lot about this because I think this is the I think the most fascinating part of the show is that like there is somebody going out there and explaining not just the numbers and the dance, but also here's the backstory. Here's your three words. Here's like what all this means. So I'd love for you to share as much as you can that you remember from that, because that's that's what my that's what this podcast is about, is we're trying to solve the backstories and the relationships and the rumor mills of all the stuff that's seemingly unanswered until Chrissy Cartwright agrees to talk to me and tells me the answers.

[7:18] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yes, that's correct. I don't think she gave us our three words during the auditions, but at rehearsals she gave us our three words and I was looking for my notebook but I couldn't find it. I know one of them is obviously like motherly like she's a motherly figure there were two other words that I don't come to my mind that I don't remember. But obviously like Jenny's the mother she's kind of in charge of everybody. She's been around the longest. We actually talked more about how I felt about Isabella, rather than about everybody else.

[7:48] Emily Jeanne Phillips: So like my whole through line was how I felt about Isabella and Carrie and I, Carrie really Fuller were really good friends on the tour and we had like a really strong moment at the end when I would give her my paw once we've accepted that she's going to go up to the Heaviside Layer. So that is actually what I thought about more in the rehearsal and performance process was Jenny and Chris rather than like how Jenny acts with the kittens in her number. But yeah, motherly obviously is like the main thing that I remember about what we got our words and she was talking about each character.

[8:21] Mike Abrams: So, so tell me about that relationship because one rumor is that you and Chris about our sisters.

[8:27] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Interesting.

[8:29] Mike Abrams: I didn't that that's not something that I had, I think that what we discussed a lot was that Jenny tried to help Chris out a lot. So like when Isabella would go off and like fall down the rabbit hole of not being a part of the group, she would come back to Jenny and be like, Will you help me, and every time Jenny would give her a chance.

[8:53] Emily Jeanne Phillips: And so it's gotten to the point now where she's like, you always fail me, you always ask for a second chance and you never come through so by the time we get to like present day of the musical happening live on stage. Jenny's just done, like, immediately the first time she comes out. She's like, I'm done. I have no more.

[9:06] Mike Abrams: Interesting. So that's to get that is a totally different layer than I think I've ever thought about the show because my assumption has always been that Isabella left like left a long time ago and it's not been back. Like she went and was gone, and this is the first time returning. And so you're kind of like the way you act this out and play this part of your backstory essentially was that she came back a lot, and always tried. Yeah, and always came to you and you had to help and every time it failed.

[9:43] Emily Jeanne Phillips: It's like a relapse every year.

[10:10] Mike Abrams: Cross to make sure that he's got nowhere to the kittens, because she's like she's bad, you can't engage with her at all. Like you can't even look at. Yeah. So what would you say is the relationship, like are they just friends that had a falling out like what, what would you how would you describe that?

[10:27] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I feel like Grizz was like the, the really a lot of the times they describe like Grizabella used to be Victoria, and everybody loves Victoria and Victoria's like coming of age, and that was Grizz and then something happened and she just like left and it was just this like huge thing. And I think Jenny kind of like groomed Grizz. And so she takes credit for how great she was so that everyone kind of blames her for like what happened of her.

[10:59] Mike Abrams: We've compared the cats to Kardashians multiple times on this podcast so it's basically you're like, you're like the mom here. You're like Kris Jenner here and you're orchestrating it but then one falls off the deep end and it's your fault.

[11:13] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Probably, yeah.

[11:15] Mike Abrams: What are, what were other relationships I mean obviously with the kittens is kind of the feels like the obvious one that you know you're kind of like the mom and protector but were there other like, what about Old Deuteronomy, Buster Jones, Gus like some of the older Macavity like what were you told about relationships with them. Did you think about that when you were performing?

[11:31] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yeah, I feel like it was also connected to like how well we all got on like as a cast me and I call her St. Jellica but that's not her real name jelly Laura. I call her St. Jellica. We had a really hilarious backstory because in our version, we didn't we weren't dancing in Macavity and we weren't dancing as much as the kittens.

[12:00] Emily Jeanne Phillips: So we would like reminisce on the back of the sets of like what what it used to feel like when we used to do those parts of the Jellicle ball when we were younger kittens. So we had a really strong relationship just throughout the whole thing like reminiscing about what it felt like to be that part of the Jellicle ball. And also because we both love Buster for Jones and we're like madly in love with Buster for Jones and that was like the class that these cats used to have. And you know we've got rambunctious kittens now like Mongo during Rebel Teazer running around causing chaos.

[12:34] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I didn't really have much of a relationship to Macavity. I was mostly just back in that protector role of making sure that everybody was safe. And I had like a nice like strong sort of respect for dudes and when he would come I would make sure that the kids were really prepared to greet him. That kind of thing. But I had a really strong relationship with Jelly Warren.

[12:58] Mike Abrams: I kind of like that you're like the like the two I would say almost like sisters just kind of hanging out like this was back back in our day. You know on the on the front porch kind of you know complaining about the young the young kittens.

[13:12] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Exactly. I want to talk a little bit about your song because there are some things I feel like it's been loosely answered over time in this but I still think there's some strange pieces to it. So tell me about the costume change like the fact that you shed the big coat midway through like what is that about?

[13:30] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I think I think Jenny's a little theatrical. She likes to be like well this was what we used to do and what and what the old cats used to do. And I think she wants to be perceived as this like really lazy cat that doesn't do anything when in fact she's kind of orchestrating everything and making sure that everyone's like on top of what they're supposed to be doing. So for the audience perspective it's really fun to see this like really big cat walking around.

[13:59] Emily Jeanne Phillips: What's she going to do. And then it turns into this like full on theatrical number and it's like the second number in the show. So I think it's just her trying to be like look at how spectacular.

[14:09] Emily Jeanne Phillips: It could also be too that like, obviously, we're fighting for who's going to go to the Heaviside Layer. And she's like, it's going to be me this time. Like, I'm sick of helping everybody else. It's going to be me. Look at how great I am.

[14:22] Mike Abrams: So okay, so that is a good, I think that's a good point. And we'll get to like, the thesis at the end. That's my last question, as always. But, but do you like is Jenny in the like, she's in the running, like she has to be one of the contenders. So like, does that like, do you think about that when you're performing? Like, are you trying to play into that? Like, I have a shot in the second number, and then Griz comes back, you're angry at her. And then you accept her. So it's like, how do you walk through those kind of three different moments?

[14:50] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yeah, I feel like I definitely approached the number as like, this is my chance to show them that I should be chosen for sure. I think that as the show goes on, other things happen that maybe get in the way of that, obviously, like Griz comes back. And we also hear from other cats, it could be interesting to think about, I don't know that we ever really talked about this as like context for what's happening on stage at that moment. But I don't know, if we've heard from these cats before, like, if we've heard from Gus, and if we've heard from Bustopher, because I do know, like watching Gus, from my perspective of Jenny, I was like, oh, you know what, he may be a better candidate than me. So that kind of has shifted my perspective, like throughout the show line, I guess. But I definitely when I did the number, I was like, this is my shot to show everybody that I should be picked.

[15:46] Mike Abrams: So I love that point. Because I think it's a question I've always wondered if it's addressed, you know, we get one ball, you get one example. And so is there discussion when you're going through the story, I know that some tuggers have been told like, you're not in the running, you're just going to go out there and cause chaos. But is there discussion of like, you are in the running, and you think you're going to get it until Griz comes back? Or you know that it's between you, Gus, and Skimbleshanks. And so like, do you talk about that before knowing that like, I mean, the ending is predetermined. So it's like, you go through your rehearsal knowing how it's going to come back. But it's kind of an interesting thought exercise in terms of like, how you act it in the moment.

[16:27] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yeah, we definitely talked about it. Like, we definitely talked about like, Jenny is 100% a top contender. Gus is a top contender. And I think other people kind of like sprinkle in, like that maybe wouldn't have performed, I guess, like, we didn't really talk about that. But I feel like, you know, because Skimbleshanks is like a younger cat. And so I feel like he kind of pops in, obviously, like Mungojerry Rumpelteazer kind of cause chaos. I, oh, you talk about relationships. I, Jenny doesn't like Tugger. She finds him annoying. She's not having it. So you know, Tugger comes in. Jenny doesn't think that Tugger's a contender. But it's also like, he could have been like, it's up for grabs. We did talk about that prior to setting the whole show. Like Chrissy was like, yeah, Jenny's definitely a contender for the Heaviside Lair.

[17:17] Mike Abrams: Okay. And then what else did she tell you about that, though? Because like, you know that you're going to lose it. Is it that she's a contender? She thinks she's a contender, and then you have to embrace her. Did you add the piece about you were annoyed with her coming back every year? Like, how did that part come? With Grizabella?

[17:37] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yeah, I think, I guess we didn't really talk about the ending. We talked about just the relationship in general. And I think what happens is Jenny's opinion changes about Grizabella by the end. So like, Jenny kind of has an arc. Like, she starts off being like, I'm gonna be picked for the Heaviside Lair. Because we also don't know that Griz was coming back. Yeah, totally. That's the other thing. So like, Jenny went in being like, I'm gonna win. It's me and four other cats. And then Griz comes back. And she's like, no. And then, you know, we have Grizabella's whole arc. And then I think Jenny realizes, you know, towards the end, she's got this arc, and she accepts and changes and, you know, wants her to ascend the lair.

[18:21] Mike Abrams: Yeah. So one of the questions I was going to ask, I think you kind of answered, which is that Jenny's impressive, not lazy. It's like, it's a facade that she's lazy. But I am curious, because one of the things I've thought about, and I know it's been brought up with other Jennys, is that like, could the tribe function if she leaves? Like, with how much she does? So like, is that ever thought about at all of like, oh, I got to be here for all the kittens and everyone else, because this group won't survive without me? Or is it the like, it's my choice, screw you all, I'm going up?

[18:48] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I mean, it could. I mean, technically, Dude chooses, and then everybody kind of accepts his choice. And maybe that's the reason that Dude has never picked her. Like I said, like, has Jenny performed before? I don't really know. Like, I don't know. We didn't really talk about, like, has she applied to be to the Heaviside Lair before this? So no, I agree with you. I think maybe Jenny just like wanted to be in, to show off her talent and be like, you can pick me, but you're probably not going to. But I agree. I think that the tribe would just fall apart.

[19:20] Mike Abrams: Yeah. Yeah, there's no, I mean, she's just too much. So I think that this is an interesting, I haven't thought about, I love the way you're thinking about this, which is, do they apply? Like, are you applying as a cat to be for the Heaviside Lair? Like, like, do you have to put your name in an audition for it? Or is it just predetermined? Or is it just like, whoever jumps out in front? Like, do you think that there's thought to that process? Not from like an Andrew Lloyd Webber standpoint, from the cat's jealousy standpoint.

[19:48] Emily Jeanne Phillips: From the, yeah, I think that, I think there's like nominations. I think they're like, you know what, this year, I think this cat would be a good person to tell us why they think that they deserve to go to the Heaviside Lair. I think there's nominations.

[19:59] Mike Abrams: Okay. So then how does like a Tugger get through it? Like in Mystopheles, like some of the ones that you don't think would be more natural to get picked based on pure age. They just...

[20:08] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Well, that's what I mean by like, I feel like people just like randomly jumped in.

[20:11] Mike Abrams: Okay.

[20:12] Emily Jeanne Phillips: You know, they ruined it.

[20:13] Mike Abrams: So they weren't invited. You've got your list of your few that have applied and been accepted. And then you've got a couple that just jump on stage and crash the party.

[20:25] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yeah. Like Mungo Jerry and Rumpelteazer would never be contenders.

[20:28] Mike Abrams: Okay.

[20:28] Emily Jeanne Phillips: But then you're just causing chaos.

[20:30] Mike Abrams: I like it.

[20:30] Emily Jeanne Phillips: You see me with Bacavity, you know, like Bacavity is trying to like disrupt the process.

[20:34] Mike Abrams: Yeah. But isn't that kind of like he wants to be a contender, but since he knows he's not, he's just disrupting? Like his nomination was rejected, basically.

[20:41] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Probably, yeah.

[20:42] Mike Abrams: So who got nominated? Who got rejected and then jumped in?

[20:45] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I think, I think, oh my God. Okay.

[20:50] Mike Abrams: Who's first? Nobody's first. I'm first because they do the thing. Okay. So Jenny's nominated. Tugger's not nominated. Mungo Jerry and Rumpelteazer are not nominated. Bustopher Jones nominated.

[21:01] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yep. I think that it's Victoria, right? It's like her dance member.

[21:08] Mike Abrams: Yeah. She's a baby though. I don't think she would be nominated.

[21:11] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yeah. It's hard to even argue if that is a performance. I mean, it's dance. I guess everything else is singing and it's dance. So it's probably still a performance.

[21:19] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yeah. I would say Macavity tries to get in there and the girls, Demeter and Bomb, sort of sing about Macavity. But I feel like that's just giving us some context as to like what Macavity does for the group or like what Macavity does to the group. I think Gus and Skimbleshanks were nominated. Both of them were nominated. Who's after that? I forget.

[21:45] Mike Abrams: Mistoffelees.

[21:46] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Oh, Mistoffelees. Oh, you know what though? It's a really big presentation. So I wonder if Misto was nominated this year. First year. First year nominated. What about someone like a monkey strap who doesn't even get to perform?

[21:56] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yeah. There was a lot of discussion about the relationship between dude and monk and that Deuteronomy is grooming monkey strap to become like a Deuteronomy, to be in charge. I find that part fascinating because a big question for me has been, is Deuteronomy even an option? At what point does he become the choice? Like does he pick himself?

[22:25] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yeah, that's a good question. I think it would be that like Deuteronomy nominates monkey strap to take over and then monkey strap can nominate Deuteronomy to be chosen.

[22:32] Mike Abrams: Okay. I wasn't a part of that, but I remember they had a lot of discussions about that relationship. What other relationships am I forgetting about or am I missing that you remember?

[22:43] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I know that I, maybe this is not real, like this wasn't a Chrissy situation, but I remember saying that I thought that Rumpleteazer was my daughter and that she got strapped in and she's becoming like a Grizabella and I'm very upset about it. But that's just me. I think I made that up.

[23:10] Mike Abrams: I like it though. I think there's a lot of like, because of Jenny being motherly, there's a lot of like, who is she the mother of? And that's like almost the rumor mill, like on the Cats fan Wikipedia page is a lot of names. It's like, you could be mom of pretty much everybody because they don't really know. So I like, okay. I like the Rumpleteazer and it's not just to be your mother. It's like you're straightener out. Yeah. Don't go down that path. We don't need another Grizabella.

[23:35] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Okay. We'll be right back after this short break.

[23:46] Mike Abrams: I want to change, slightly change gears. Because I want to hear, being on tour, I think it's a different experience. You get to like go city to city. How did you, like, I'm sure you had people that showed up to come see you, friends and family on the road. How do you explain Cats to someone who's not seen it of like what they're going to see? Or do you just be like, hey, I'm going to be early on and tapping and just watch that and then enjoy?

[24:11] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Most of the people that I know, know Cats.

[24:15] Mike Abrams: Okay.

[24:15] Emily Jeanne Phillips: They like, so I don't really have to explain anything about it. I think like one person came and I was like, hey, it's a super visual, beautiful dance experience. There is kind of a storyline that we come into the audience. It's just a fun time. I'm the second number and they, if I explain it like that, for somebody who doesn't know or doesn't like Cats, they have a great time because they just like, think of the whole night as an experience, as opposed to like trying to dissect what's going on. But I say 99% of the people that came to see me and it knew exactly everything about it.

[25:03] Mike Abrams: I think that's fascinating because it is such a, people either, I guess if you're a theater or dance, you're going to know it. And if you're not, you're probably not. But I just, I feel like maybe it's just the world I live in that majority of people I talk to are like, yeah, I know what it is. I knew the movie in 2019 was really good. It was terrible, but not a lot else. And so there, I have to fill in a lot of blanks. So I kind of love that you didn't have to, that's great. So you just are, so did they, are they mostly all like, like enthusiasts? Like they love the show? Cause it's definitely polarizing.

[25:26] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yeah. I wouldn't say that they love it, but they would go see it if I was in it kind of thing. Um, but also like all my friends and family are theater people. So makes it a little easier. They're like, great cats. Yeah. They also understand like the history of it. Like it's an Epic show to be a part of and like dancing and like, it's a spectacle. And I think if you just go in with that lens, um, it's a fun night.

[25:55] Mike Abrams: Yeah. I strongly encourage people not to go in with the way I did, which was trying to figure out the plot.

[25:59] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Correct. That's that was a mistake. And it's, it's really dramatically changed my life.

[26:04] Mike Abrams: Um, so, um, I do want to talk a little bit before we go into rapid fire and talking about the obvious debate here we have to still go. Um, I have saw you've, you've done some really cool things on TikTok, uh, especially with your tap dancing. So I would love to hear just kind of how you got, how you started doing it, how you like have kept up on it. Like what you're, I mean, is it for fun? Is there plans with it? Like, it's really cool to see cause you just do this, these really cool tap numbers.

[26:26] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Yeah. So I started doing it, uh, in the, my dad's basement at the top of the pandemic, just as a way to keep dancing. Um, cause I was severely depressed and I was like, I need to do something. I also was like a little judgmental of TikTok in 2020.

[26:41] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[26:41] Emily Jeanne Phillips: What's funny is, is like, if we did TikTok on that tour, we would have been viral. Like we were ridiculous backstage, like funny and hilarious in our cat office. Um, but it was still kind of new. It wasn't, I don't know. It wasn't what it is right now. So I started doing that in my basement and I would just kind of tap dance to the popular music that everybody was dancing to. So everyone was doing the dance trends and I would make them tap trends. And then I did, Oh, you know what? Oh, this is ridiculous. Do you remember the Muni Legally Blonde that was going around? All right. So everyone was posting that. And I was like, what if I made Legally Blonde a tap musical? So I took his choreography and just made it tap and it kind of blew up.

And then I just started going down the rabbit hole of every musical being like, what if Come From Away was a tap musical? What if Dear Evan Hansen was a tap musical? What if Wicked was a tap musical? Um, which is fun because you don't really get to dance to any of that, like tap dance to any of that music. And it's like, the music's fire to tap dance to. So that's kind of like what happened. And then, which is, which is really nice as a content creator, all I did was be like, what musical should I do next? And people, I had hundreds of musicals and then I just pick a minute of a song, come up with it in my living room and then I go film it.

[28:00] Mike Abrams: That is awesome. So yeah, I mean, you get the comments, people just giving you recommendations and yeah, it's, it's so interesting that it was like, it wasn't quite what it is now at the time of yours, but even the new touring cast, they did a lot of stuff with it because Cats is like backstage. It's just built for it because you're dancing, you're in these.

[28:18] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I think one of the most interesting things about Jennyanydots is that she has this duality to her character. She’s this sweet, nurturing figure, but she also has this fierce side where she can be quite commanding.

[28:48] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I remember when I first got the role, I was so excited because Jenny came out tap dancing, and I was like, "That's me!" I love tap dancing, and it was such a fun way to introduce her character.

[29:18] Emily Jeanne Phillips: There’s a theory I’ve been thinking about lately, which is that Grizabella tried to come back to the tribe multiple times but never actually made it back. It adds a layer of tragedy to her character that I find really compelling.

[29:48] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Another theory I’ve heard is that Rumpleteazer is actually Jennyanydots' daughter. It makes sense when you think about their dynamic and how they interact in the show.

[30:18] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I’ve also been pondering whether the cats perform every year for the ball or if the competition changes each year. It raises so many questions about the Jellicle cats and their traditions.

[30:30] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I think it would be fascinating to explore how the Jellicle Ball might evolve over time, especially with new cats coming in and out of the tribe.

[30:40] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I’ve been choreographing tap dances on TikTok to TV theme songs, which has been a fun way to combine my love for tap and my passion for storytelling through dance.

[30:52] Emily Jeanne Phillips: It’s interesting to see how people react to those videos. Some recognize the themes right away, while others are just there for the dance, which is great too!

[31:02] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I think it’s important to keep the arts alive, especially during times when live performances are limited. Social media has been a great outlet for that.

[31:14] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I’ve also been working on some original choreography that I hope to showcase soon. It’s exciting to create something new and share it with others.

[31:24] Emily Jeanne Phillips: The community on TikTok has been really supportive, and it’s amazing to connect with other dancers and performers from all over.

[31:36] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I love hearing people’s interpretations of the dances and how they relate to their own experiences. It’s a beautiful way to share art.

[31:46] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I think that’s one of the most rewarding parts of being an artist—seeing how your work resonates with others.

[31:58] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I’ve also been reflecting on my time in the CATS tour and how it shaped me as a performer. Each show was a unique experience.

[32:08] Emily Jeanne Phillips: The camaraderie among the cast was incredible, and we all supported each other through the ups and downs of touring.

[32:20] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I think that bond really comes through in the performances, and it’s something that audiences can feel.

[32:30] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I’m grateful for the opportunity to have played Jennyanydots and to have shared that character with so many people.

[32:42] Emily Jeanne Phillips: It’s a role that I’ll always cherish, and I hope to bring that energy to whatever I do next.

[32:52] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I’m excited to see where my journey takes me, and I’m always looking for new ways to express myself through dance and performance.

[33:04] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I think that’s what keeps the passion alive—constantly evolving and finding new avenues for creativity.

[33:14] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Whether it’s through social media or live performances, I’m committed to sharing my love for the arts with the world.

[33:26] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I believe that art has the power to connect people and inspire change, and I want to be a part of that.

[33:36] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I’m looking forward to what the future holds and hope to continue making an impact through my work.

[33:48] Emily Jeanne Phillips: Thank you for having me on the podcast today! It’s been a pleasure sharing my thoughts and experiences.

[33:58] Emily Jeanne Phillips: I hope everyone continues to find joy in the arts, whether as a performer or an audience member.