This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:18] Mike Abrams: Welcome to The Wrong Cat Died, the podcast breakdown of the catastrophe. I'm your host Mike Abrams. Today we have another amazing guest. She was on the most recent US National Tour number six as a swing covering Grizabella and Jellylorum. So welcome, Kelliann DeCarlo. Thank you for joining me.

[0:30] Kelliann DeCarlo: Thank you.

[0:31] Mike Abrams: I'm excited to have you.

[0:32] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah.

[0:33] Mike Abrams: Again, recording live. This is new still kind of to be back doing this, which is, I think, fun because it makes the conversation so much more fun.

[0:41] Kelliann DeCarlo: Totally.

[0:42] Mike Abrams: We've already talked a little bit about this. I know this is going to be very fun to hear your thoughts.

[0:46] Kelliann DeCarlo: Lots to say.

[0:47] Mike Abrams: So let's start with the first part we always have to get out of the way, which is your history of Cats before you actually went on tour in Cats.

[0:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: Okay.

[0:55] Mike Abrams: The first time you saw it, first impressions of it.

[0:57] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah.

[0:58] Mike Abrams: Where was that first moment?

[0:59] Kelliann DeCarlo: My first impression of it was, well, so in college, many years ago, we were very lucky to have Jacob Brent be our teacher for the last semester of my senior year.

[1:07] Kelliann DeCarlo: In college, wow.

[1:08] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, he came in and subbed for our normal teacher who was suffering an injury. So I had Jacob Brent for the last semester of college, and he taught us original choreography for Macavity and for a little bit of the Jellicle Ball, I think. And I remember realizing how special it was to learn Cats from him because he was Mistoffelees.

[1:25] Mike Abrams: Yep.

[1:26] Kelliann DeCarlo: And I remember, but not really connecting to the material, and we all kind of laughed at it. Admittedly, I was really somebody who sort of groaned at the idea of Cats. I just kind of didn't. It just wasn't on my radar.

[1:35] Mike Abrams: No.

[1:36] Kelliann DeCarlo: Okay, so you weren't the young.

[1:39] Mike Abrams: No, no, no, no.

[1:40] Kelliann DeCarlo: Because there's only two versions of this answer, it seems like at this point.

[1:42] Mike Abrams: Yes.

[1:43] Kelliann DeCarlo: You either are like, I saw it as a young kid, and I wanted to be the dancer. I wanted to be the singer.

[1:46] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[1:49] Kelliann DeCarlo: I got introduced to it later, but it was always a running joke, and now you're in it.

[1:52] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, that's kind of what it was. And I really just kind of rolled my eyes at it. And then it's kind of a longer story, but right after college, I worked at a summer stock up in New England. And it was like exactly what you would picture, like five shows in three months. I've never worked harder for less money in my whole life, but it was a lot of fun. And after I had finished my season there, a couple years later, the artistic director reached out to me and asked me if I wanted to do Cats for their season. So I played Grizabella for them regionally. And before I left for that, I kind of was just like, ugh, I don't know. I guess I should take this job. I haven't worked in over a year. I guess I'll whatever.

[2:25] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah. And I went, and before I left for that contract, I saw The Revival, the most recent one.

[2:31] Mike Abrams: Okay, so this is 2000.

[2:32] Kelliann DeCarlo: So you were, did you see it before college?

[2:35] Mike Abrams: No.

[2:36] Kelliann DeCarlo: Okay.

[2:37] Kelliann DeCarlo: I'd never even seen the movie.

[2:38] Mike Abrams: Not even seen the 1990 movie.

[2:39] Kelliann DeCarlo: But of course you know what it is, because you're in theater.

[2:41] Kelliann DeCarlo: Oh, yeah. And I loved Phantom, and I loved Evita. I loved Weber material, but I just, Cats was always one that I was just like, I don't know if that's for me.

[2:48] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[2:49] Kelliann DeCarlo: I mean, I joked that I'm a dog person, but I really just had no interest. And then, so I saw The Revival, and I remember I somehow scored really cheap seats to the orchestra. And I saw, so I sat in the orchestra. So I was right around green eyes when everybody came out. And I remember being like, what is this?

[3:06] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[3:07] Kelliann DeCarlo: And I saw Mamie Perez.

[3:08] Mike Abrams: Okay, so you're not right away.

[3:09] Kelliann DeCarlo: Oh, yeah.

[3:10] Kelliann DeCarlo: So you didn't see Leona, you saw Mamie.

[3:11] Mike Abrams: No, I saw Mamie.

[3:12] Kelliann DeCarlo: Okay, great. And I remember sort of being entertained by what was happening. Not sure what was happening at all, but very surprised at how much I enjoyed it. And I mean, Mamie Perez as Grizabella, she's like the no breath wonder. I mean, she sings that whole climax in one breath. It's nuts.

[3:30] Mike Abrams: Yeah, Mamie's performance was insane.

[3:31] Kelliann DeCarlo: She's insane. I did get to see it. I've seen it twice. I saw Leona Lewis, and then I saw Mamie a year later.

[3:35] Mike Abrams: Oh, cool, cool.

[3:36] Kelliann DeCarlo: I told you, I wore Leona's unitard on tour, which was wild, wild.

[3:39] Mike Abrams: That's crazy.

[3:40] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, it was cool.

[3:41] Mike Abrams: That's so funny. It is such an experience the first time you're live in the theater. There's so much happening.

[3:46] Kelliann DeCarlo: Especially orchestra, you're there, there's a lot going on in the set. There's just a lot happening. And then Green Eyes comes out. I equated it to the very first time is, I forget the movie, I think it's This Is 40. It's one of those movies with Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen. And they go to Vegas, they do a bunch of drugs, and they're mesmerized by Cirque du Soleil. That's what I felt, but I was dead sober, and it was a matinee for me the first time I saw it. And I was like, I feel like I'm on a trip.

[4:07] Kelliann DeCarlo: Without being on a trip.

[4:11] Mike Abrams: Yeah. And I'm like, this is what, I'm like, that was the immediate thought when I saw it.

[4:15] Kelliann DeCarlo: Totally.

[4:16] Mike Abrams: Because it's overwhelming.

[4:17] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, it's just a lot to look at. And then I remember, but somehow at the end when she goes up on the tire, I was crying. Because I was just so happy for her. It was just one of those things that, I didn't know why it affected me, but it did. And then I went and did the show regionally with Chaz Wolcott, who was Mistoffelees on the tour. The first national tour.

[4:34] Kelliann DeCarlo: Wow, okay. And he taught us the original choreography, and kind of was the beginning of my journey with Grizabella. Kind of really gave me the back story of her time with Macavity, and how that kind of affected who she becomes, and the equivalence of how it's like if somebody that you know who kind of got mixed up with drugs, and kind of found the wrong people. And I had a great experience, and one of the things I think is so special about Cats is that the cast, you have to have such a trust with each other physically. I don't know a lot of other shows that require you to sort of roll on each other, and lick each other's paws.

[5:09] Kelliann DeCarlo: In a unitard.

[5:10] Mike Abrams: Yeah, in a unitard, covered in sweat. Okay, there's nothing glamorous about it. And I think I was really struck by that, watching it and experiencing it regionally. And then the pandemic happened, everything shut down, and there was a breakdown for a swing possible understudy for Grizabella. And it was probably right out of the pandemic. I think I submitted for it, I taped for it like maybe July of 2021.

[5:34] Kelliann DeCarlo: Okay.

[5:35] Kelliann DeCarlo: And then I got, I had two work sessions, it was like my second in-person audition in two years. And I had two work sessions with the creative team, and then I got cast, and then I left 10 days later. It was very fast.

[5:46] Mike Abrams: Quick.

[5:48] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, it was very quick. Kind of zero to 100.

[5:50] Mike Abrams: Yeah, but you also have experience with it, having done it recently too.

[5:53] Kelliann DeCarlo: Sure, yeah.

[5:54] Mike Abrams: Not that long before, regionally.

[5:55] Kelliann DeCarlo: Right, a couple years, yeah. Okay, so let's talk about the regional versus the tour.

[6:01] Kelliann DeCarlo: Oh, yeah.

[6:02] Mike Abrams: What you're told.

[6:03] Kelliann DeCarlo: What I'm told.

[6:04] Kelliann DeCarlo: Oh, gosh. How much backstory do you get when you're doing a regional production?

[6:07] Kelliann DeCarlo: We got, well, because I think you can't do Cats, well, I guess you can, but the way that Cats is usually done regionally is by somebody who's already done it.

[6:15] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[6:16] Kelliann DeCarlo: So they can sort of pass the knowledge around, which is always really, it's very special. It's kind of reminiscent of oral tradition and ancient cultures. It's kind of-

[6:24] Mike Abrams: Totally.

[6:25] Kelliann DeCarlo: And I think that's why there's so many versions of theories.

[6:27] Mike Abrams: Probably, yeah.

[6:28] Kelliann DeCarlo: It's because it's a little bit of telephone downwards from the group of people that did it originally or that were in there. It's like, this is what I remember, this is how we did it, and it seems like some of those are because of relationships with cast members. It's like, they're friends, so they played it this way.

[6:40] Mike Abrams: Right, right, right, right, yeah.

[6:41] Kelliann DeCarlo: But it is a little bit like, to me, it's fascinating because in regional, there's so much unknown in this story. There's a few constants and there's a lot of unknown.

[6:49] Mike Abrams: Yes.

[6:50] Kelliann DeCarlo: So I'm always interested in the regional of how much blanks they fill in versus how much they just kind of go out there. Like, here's the core and go out there and just do it.

[6:57] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah. I think, well, with regional, like on tour, we got the three words from Chrissy, which was really special and helpful, especially with, and Kim was there too. So Kim sets the show and then Chrissy would come in from London and kind of do her, share all of her information and all her backstory. And half of it was on Zoom because of the pandemic. But then she finally came in person and talked to us.

[7:15] Mike Abrams: Okay, nice.

[7:16] Kelliann DeCarlo: And it was really, really cool. And the three words really helped. So that was something from tour that was really special. And then on regionally, there's not much difference that I noticed, except that we didn't get the three words. And also that we were, I was told as Grizabella that I was not, there was, there was no Macavity connection. It was just that she, yeah, that they were, they were not connected at all. They were two separate things. And I don't know if I, I mean, don't quote me. I don't know. But I, I, when, when I went on tour, it was very clear that Grizabella got mixed up with Macavity.

[7:45] Kelliann DeCarlo: So did Bomb. And what I heard was that Bomb got out and Grizabella didn't, which is why right before remark, when Bomb snubs Griz, it's a huge slap in the face because Bomb knows what Griz has been through.

[7:58] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[8:00] Kelliann DeCarlo: That's okay. So let's, I want to, let's get into theories.

[8:01] Kelliann DeCarlo: Oh yeah. I got so many.

[8:03] Kelliann DeCarlo: Um, I've always, I, I've always connected. There's the Bomb and Demeter connection for sure because they, I mean, they sing the song together. And so that's where most of this is. A lot of this comes from staging is really what I've, I've picked up. So Bomb and Demeter, like I've always thought of Bomb and Griz as more of a daughter or kind of version of that where yes, she got out, but where's Demeter in that? If Bomb, if Bomb and Grizabella are in with Macavity together, Griz doesn't get out, Bomb does. Where's Demeter there in that whole thing?

[8:33] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think Demeter got like, I think, well, I think that Demeter gets lured by Macavity later and Bomb gets her out.

[8:40] Mike Abrams: Got it.

[8:41] Kelliann DeCarlo: Got it. Kind of saves Demeter, which is why a lot of the time Bomb kind of acts as Demeter's big sister.

[8:46] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[8:47] Kelliann DeCarlo: Are they sisters though?

[8:48] Kelliann DeCarlo: No, I actually think I have a weird conspiracy theory that Bomb is actually Grizabella's little sister.

[8:52] Mike Abrams: Oh, so they're sisters.

[8:53] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yes. And like kind of Griz like was like, I'll stay, you go. And then she kind of.

[8:58] Mike Abrams: It's very Hunger Games.

[8:59] Kelliann DeCarlo: It is very Hunger Games.

[9:00] Mike Abrams: Okay. Okay.

[9:01] Kelliann DeCarlo: That's interesting.

[9:03] Kelliann DeCarlo: I hadn't thought about it that way. So they're sisters because it feels like there's supposed to be a much bigger age gap.

[9:09] Mike Abrams: Yes.

[9:10] Kelliann DeCarlo: So Demeter is a, I mean, I guess it's Cats, so they can be all kinds of different.

[9:14] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[9:15] Kelliann DeCarlo: So that's okay. So that's kind of fun. So then that is, that is kind of weird and incestuous vibe with Macavity.

[9:21] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[9:22] Kelliann DeCarlo: And then.

[9:23] Kelliann DeCarlo: For sure.

[9:24] Mike Abrams: Okay. And then Demeter is not their sister. Is Demeter related at all to them?

[9:27] Kelliann DeCarlo: I don't think Demeter and Bomb are related.

[9:28] Kelliann DeCarlo: Separate.

[9:29] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think that they're separate and I think they're friends. And I think that Bomb helped get Demeter away.

[9:33] Mike Abrams: So she gets her out.

[9:34] Kelliann DeCarlo: But I think Demeter like feels like, I know when we played it, Lauren Lou played Demeter and she and I had a really nice moment on stage at the Jellicle Ball when, when we call it the sleepy circle, but when they realized that Griz has snuck in and she's up in the back and it's after the paw with, I almost said Aiden, that's who played it, Plato and Victoria. And the first people to wake up are the twins because they sense her and then everybody wakes up and everyone's like, get out of here. And Lauren and I had this really special moment on stage where we would sort of like connect and almost try to paw each other. And then she would go into the dance and it was just a special moment because she's always curious about Griz.

She's always, she's the last one to sort of look. She tries to give her a hand and then she gets scared and Monk always, always protecting her. So I have this weird theory that like Demeter is very connected to Griz because she has the sympathy that Bomb lacks.

[10:25] Kelliann DeCarlo: Well, it also, in the theory that you kind of, you've put forward, it's also, she might see that she has like, she's in the early stages of where Griz was. So it's like, she's seeing this going like, this is either my future or I can get out like my friend.

[10:41] Kelliann DeCarlo: Totally. And I don't think, I think Griz didn't have a Monk. I think Monk, cause Monk and Demeter are together. So I think, and I have, I have another theory. This is, you're really getting into it with me here. I have another theory that Monk and Griz were a thing, like very casually. And that's why she gets, Grizabella gets so angry when Monk tries to like assert himself. She's like, who the hell are you?

[11:02] Mike Abrams: Okay. How is Monk in this whole thing? Like, where does he fall? Because I know they're supposed to be like the old, the like teenagers and the kittens.

[11:09] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think Monk is probably like 25, 26. And I think Grizabella is like 33, 34.

[11:14] Mike Abrams: So this is, she basically cougared him early.

[11:16] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, kind of.

[11:17] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah. And then now he's with his current girl.

[11:20] Kelliann DeCarlo: He's saving Demeter cause he couldn't save Griz.

[11:22] Kelliann DeCarlo: That's what I think.

[11:23] Mike Abrams: Okay.

[11:24] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah.

[11:25] Kelliann DeCarlo: I haven't never thought about that angle for him because I've always thought his whole goal is to become next in line.

[11:29] Mike Abrams: It is.

[11:30] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah.

[11:31] Kelliann DeCarlo: And so I just never even thought about all the other things he might be trying to do. It just seems like, I've always just like, he's annoyed because his dad won't leave forever. And he's ready.

[11:39] Mike Abrams: He's ready to take over and he's not. I mean, it feels.

[11:43] Kelliann DeCarlo: He's not really ready until the end though, because he still doesn't really accept Grizabella until the end.

[11:48] Mike Abrams: Yeah, but is he?

[11:49] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think that's his big lesson. When's his turn?

[11:51] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think, well, I don't know. I think Monk's journey is so interesting because he's kind of like the prince in waiting. Like I used to joke that Monk and Tugger were like Harry and William.

[12:01] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[12:02] Kelliann DeCarlo: Like Tugger is Harry, Monk is William. And one has a path and the other one doesn't. You know, so it's just like, I think, back to your original question, I think that he's sort of just like waiting, like just sitting and waiting and just kind of ready.

[12:18] Kelliann DeCarlo: We were talking a little bit about when does Doot get to go to the Heaviside Layer. I think it's Doot's choice. I think it's Doot will choose when Monk is ready, and when Monk is ready, then Doot will go.

[12:31] Mike Abrams: Interesting. So he's basically very fatherly in that way.

[12:36] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yes. I'm like, it's my time. I don't see, I see a lot of selfishness in Doot, and I don't see him going in a while. I just feel like that's, you know, he's going to hold on for a while.

[12:44] Mike Abrams: Interesting. But we also, again, we only have one ball.

[12:48] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, that's true. I don't know if that could be, I also don't know what the true lifespan is here we're talking about.

[12:53] Mike Abrams: Yeah. Let's talk about some of the other, what other theories do you have?

[12:58] Kelliann DeCarlo: Other theories. I have a theory that Victoria, well, I think you've heard this before, but Victoria is Grizabella's daughter. And one of my things as an actor to sort of figure out for myself was what makes this year different? Why is it different? Why does Grizabella come now?

[13:10] Mike Abrams: Um, cause in my mind, this is her, their first time seeing her in a while.

[13:14] Kelliann DeCarlo: So that's a good question. Cause this is something that I hadn't thought about until recently. Um, when other people have now said this is, is, does she come back before this? Like how it's like my interpretation when I first saw it or, you know, the first, my first thought was, is she left, she got in rough with Macavity and she left, like she was out and this is her first time coming back and they're not accepting her for that reason. Like she's gone and this is her time. And that's like, that's why there's the little memory. And then she comes back and they accept her.

[13:46] Mike Abrams: I hadn't considered that. Like maybe she's tried to come back a couple of times, actually got there, talked to other cats and they were like, no, get out of here before the whole ball.

[13:51] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah. I mean, I kind of equate it to someone who is struggling with addiction and there is, there's this process where they try, they like will say, I'm fine. I'm fine. I don't have a problem. I think there, I think there was like the, if you want to humanize them, I think that was the equivalent of that. And in my, in my opinion, the last one to really let her go is Jelly. So I think, I think everybody kind of wrote her off and I think Jelly is the last one to sort of be like, I'm done. Like I can't.

[14:21] Kelliann DeCarlo: And then I don't, I think it's been a chunk of time since Grizabella went to the ball. And I think the reason she comes back is because it's Victoria's year and Victoria is her daughter. So she comes back to see, because she does a whole, I mean, she, when she enters for the ball, she watches, she's like front and center for the pas de deux. She can see the whole thing.

[14:34] Mike Abrams: Yeah. So, so, okay. Let's, I want to, I want to cover one piece of this first with Victoria. She has her kind of coming of age moment, right? Like that's supposed to be her dance. Is this like supposed to be her bat mitzvah, quinceañera, sweet 16 type of thing?

[14:46] Kelliann DeCarlo: We're sort of told it's, it's kind of her first orgasm. It's her first losing her virginity sort of.

[14:53] Mike Abrams: Okay. So I totally, I think that that's like supposed to be part of the dance. I thought about, that makes sense. But like, is this a celebration? So cats come together and they're just like, this is going to be her first orgasm. So we're going to come have a party for her.

[15:11] Kelliann DeCarlo: It's kind of like the equivalent of her kind of becoming a woman sort of.

[15:16] Mike Abrams: Yeah. It's like her, it's her graduation from like the kitten. So, so this, that is what this event is. So this is like, this ball is going to be for Victoria coming of age and then everyone else is going to kind of make their case for why they should go. So that's the two pieces that we have there.

[15:30] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yes. So that, that gets into my part that I'm always so curious about. Is someone going to have their coming of age next year too? Are these balls always the same?

[15:39] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yes. It's a ritual. So that's like the, they say that the, well, the, the ball itself is the ritual. So when, when everything comes quiet and they do this, this very slow kind of fluid dance in the middle, that's the ritual that they do every single year. The other numbers are kind of just like, um, it's kind of the Tony awards. Like you're sort of showing, you're showing why you're, why you should be chosen.

[16:03] Mike Abrams: He's never, he's never an option.

[16:07] Kelliann DeCarlo: So next year someone's going to have their first orgasm is what you're saying at the show, at the ball.

[16:09] Mike Abrams: Yes. And that, so they're going to celebrate that and then they're going to kill somebody.

[16:14] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yes. That's the premise of the show. Someone has their first, someone has their first orgasm and someone gets murdered.

[16:17] Mike Abrams: I honestly don't know if an orgy like that happens every year, but I will say like, that is a huge part. Like the, the ball itself is, is kind of.

[16:22] Kelliann DeCarlo: Like that is, that is insane when you think about that as the ritual. The ritual is someone has their first orgasm, they have an orgy and then they murder somebody.

[16:29] Mike Abrams: Pretty much. That's cats. It's like an episode of American Horror Story.

[16:35] Kelliann DeCarlo: That is, that is. There's also the whole thing about forgiveness and.

[16:40] Mike Abrams: But that, but that is, is that every year's choice? I don't know. That, so that's, what's fascinating to me because I feel like redemption was this year's lesson.

[16:45] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yes. So maybe there's a lesson with that. There could be. I would see that with Doot, as you said, kind of selfishly, like trying to teach a lesson every year.

[16:54] Mike Abrams: Yeah. And the lesson could be different every year or it could be who's most deserving, most willing. That is when we get into the debate of why or why not Grizabella? I think that's a core question is what is the criteria every year?

[17:03] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah. But now I'm just stuck on the fact that they're, they're ritual.

[17:08] Mike Abrams: Yes. That someone wrote an entire musical based on children's poems. And the outcome of this is a ritual of celebrating someone's first orgasm, having an orgy and then murdering.

[17:14] Kelliann DeCarlo: Well, I think it's also kind of leaning into the animalistic ness of it is that, you know, they're cats. They're, they're not as cerebral as we are.

[17:23] Mike Abrams: Well, actually cats are very cerebral, but they don't think as critically as we do. So I think it's, it's, yeah, you have to sort of lean into the, to that part of it because otherwise it's just, it looks like it's just humans on stage and cat costumes. You have to lean into the physicality of it and the sensuality of, I mean, cats are very sensual animals.

[17:49] Kelliann DeCarlo: I don't disagree with all of that. I just find it very one, very comical that that's the premise to the fact that there are like a bunch of five and six year old children in the audience of the show. And it's like the staples are all these very dark things that go right over their head.

[18:05] Mike Abrams: But it's funny that a lot of this stuff for a lot of the themes of the show, they get a lot of it. Like they don't get the darker stuff, but they do get like that Grizabella is an outcast. She's ostracized. Like they understand the bare bones of the themes of forgiveness and redemption, which I think is probably what makes the show so beautiful.

[18:25] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah. There's, I mean, there's a lot of, there's a lot of merits to it too, because it's also visually stunning. The dances are incredible. The choreography is incredible. I love the updates with the revival there. Andy did such a great job on that.

[18:40] Mike Abrams: You have some other things there, but I'm now, now I'm just stuck on the fact that it's like, because I always thought like, oh yeah, she has this, but now that it's in every year, celebrating somebody's coming of age.

[18:47] Kelliann DeCarlo: And to be fair, that doesn't always, I mean, me, that doesn't look like an orgasm for everybody, but for, I will say for the, for Victoria, that's what it is.

[18:58] Kelliann DeCarlo: We got very off topic. So she comes, this is my fault. Cause I was, I was kind of fascinated by this. So Grizabella is coming back because it's her daughter.

[19:07] Mike Abrams: I think it's Grizabella. Yeah. I think Grizabella knows it's Victoria's year and she's coming back to see that she wants to come see. And I think, um, and, and, and also, and yeah, she's also close to the end. And I think she realizes that if she doesn't get help now, she won't, yeah, she won't survive. I mean, they say it in the song, they really thought she ought to be dead, which is another reason why I think that they haven't seen her in a long time.

[19:33] Kelliann DeCarlo: We'll be right back after this short break.

[19:38] Mike Abrams: And so how much of your theories do you think come from the fact that as a swing, you covered Grizabella and Jelly like that? You like, did you put a piece more together because those were the two you were going back and forth between mostly?

[19:52] Kelliann DeCarlo: Um, not necessarily. I think with, well, so I had a lot of experience with Grizabella's backstory and I mean, it was really cool because I only got to enrich that on tour, but I didn't have that with Jelly. So it was all new. And I think with, I mean, Jelly's, um, I know, I remember Jelly two out of her three words, but I know they were practical and cheery, but Jelly spends the whole show looking after everyone else.

[20:18] Mike Abrams: Yeah. Especially Gus.

[20:19] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah. Especially Gus. But she also looks after the kittens. She also looks after Jenny. She also looks after Demeter. She like, there's, there's a ton of things that she's little side things that, that she's doing to make sure everyone's safe. Everyone's okay. Um, even Doot, she, she and Skimbleshanks tried to protect Doot at one point, um, right before the, or right, right before he's kidnapped. So there's a lot of her, her real thing is protection, I think. And I think a lot of times Jenny gets the motherly rap and I, to me, I would say that Jelly is like the cool aunt to Jenny's mom, you know?

[20:48] Mike Abrams: Um, yeah. And I think for me, um, what was cool about learning with, with Jelly was that, um, she, she kind of gets passed over even like even her opportunity to sort of plea her own case. She spends that time pleading Gus's.

[21:03] Mike Abrams: Yeah. Yeah. Which is very selfless and yeah.

[21:10] Kelliann DeCarlo: Okay. What about, I, I've always thought there might be some love triangle between Buster for Jones, Jelly and Grizabella.

[21:14] Kelliann DeCarlo: No, I think I'm going to counter that and say, I think it's between Buster for Jones, Jelly and Jenny.

[21:19] Mike Abrams: And Jenny. Yeah. Cause they sing that song together.

[21:24] Kelliann DeCarlo: I got, that's fair. Yeah. I always thought that they were friends. They were all friends and Buster for was, I think Buster was Grizabella's pimp for a little while.

[21:31] Mike Abrams: Oh, because he's the money. He's the money behind the operation.

[21:35] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think he's the money behind the Macavity's operation.

[21:40] Mike Abrams: Oh my gosh. Wow. Is that not right?

[21:43] Kelliann DeCarlo: I don't know. I've never heard of that. That's my, just my interpretation of him because there's very little backstory for him. He just like comes on and out. He, he eats, sings and goes, but he's also, he visits gentlemen's clubs.

[21:49] Mike Abrams: Yes. That's like a big rumor that staple. Now I'm not sure what that means in England. If it means the same thing as it means here in the U.S. um, it might be a little bit more wholesome than it is in the U.S. but I kind of always like, all right, he's the money there. Sure. And that's what kind of started a little bit of their problems, but they were friends before that seemed to be a staple is that Grizabella and Buster was there. He's the money behind the scenes.

[22:14] Kelliann DeCarlo: That's amazing. Wow. And then Jelly and Buster for, there are some rumors between the two of them. So my thought was that maybe Jelly doesn't like Grizz not being protective of the kittens, but because she's still mad of the whole triangle.

[22:26] Mike Abrams: No, I never, I guess I never gave Buster for that much. Cause he's only in one scene. He's kind of like, he also gets cut in the role. He's not the most, uh, he gets a bad rap because he's just, you know, and he's also, he's also Gus.

[22:37] Kelliann DeCarlo: Right. So it's right. Well, it's, you know, it's interesting. One of the things that I pieced together in the rehearsal process was everybody says that Jenny is angry at Grizabella because like she was the mother figure and, and, and she's there to protect the kittens.

[22:59] Kelliann DeCarlo: And she has right before remark when Grizabella enters, Jenny has a very strong reaction, right, right off the, right at the gate. And everybody says she's protecting the kittens. But what I also pieced together is a Jelly is also behind her. So I also think in addition to protecting the kittens, she's protecting her friend because I think in my mind, Jelly is the last one who was kind of holding out hope.

[23:20] Mike Abrams: This is where, this is where as someone who's performed the show a million times versus someone who's seen it twice, seen the 98 movie once and a half and some YouTube clips, like I don't even get that staging because I wouldn't be able to see it because they cut around and it's so fascinating that you're like, Oh, she's standing like that is they're behind.

[23:42] Kelliann DeCarlo: Or like, I do think there is a lot of fascinating pieces you can put together to have like, where are you in Skimbleshanks train or where you hear of like what that means. I haven't seen it enough to be able to like truly do that.

[23:51] Mike Abrams: Yeah. And that's what I think. I think that Jelly, Jenny and Skimbleshanks were the three who really tried to give Grizabella, like who tried to just kind of like help her and, and bring her and kind of plead her case to everybody else. And I think that Grizabella just messed up too many times and they kind of were just like, at this point, no more.

[24:08] Kelliann DeCarlo: And I think Jelly, I think Jenny, no, excuse me. I think Jelly is the last one who was like, I'm done. And that was it. And that's, and then now she's the one kind of accepting her back.

[24:18] Mike Abrams: And that's what it takes for her to be the choice.

[24:22] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah. When you're on tour, yes. How much do you all talk about this at all?

[24:28] Kelliann DeCarlo: Oh, well, so in rehearsals, obviously we talked about it a lot. Um, I don't know if we had like really deep conversations about it on tour because we were doing the show.

[24:36] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, it's I think it was cool to sort of build especially swinging the show. It was cool to sort of build your own relationships with everybody. Like I had that great moment with Lauren. I had some really great moments with Hilah who played Victoria as well. I used to see her before the show started and I would just say like see you at the end because I literally don't see her. Really? Yeah, the very end when she touches me. Do you not see her? Not really. Okay, like a little bit but not really. Actually, the person I interacted the most was Demeter.

[25:12] Mike Abrams: Interesting.

[25:13] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah. Yeah, that is a little foreshadowing. Maybe a little bit.

[25:16] Mike Abrams: Well, I think it's interesting also that baby Grizabella's only line in the opening is when you're walking alone.

[25:20] Kelliann DeCarlo: Wow, I didn't know she even had a line.

[25:22] Mike Abrams: Yes, she has one song at the end with the— they each have like little chunks of text before it really picks up and Grizabella's only thing is when you're walking alone.

[25:29] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah. Wow, fascinating. Okay, so I was I've always been curious of like when there's so much source material come up with all these rumors. Like how much does that come up when you're like sitting on the bus heading to your next?

[25:39] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, I mean it would come up every once in a while. It's not we talked about all the time. But yeah, did you notice that you had different relationships with the actual cast members based on who they played?

[25:46] Mike Abrams: Oh gosh. Good question.

[25:48] Kelliann DeCarlo: Like how much does that bleed through a little bit?

[25:51] Kelliann DeCarlo: Kim does such a great job, Kim Craven, who sets the national tour. She does such a great job of casting the show based off of sort of your own natural inclinations and personalities. So I think like our Jenny who's on the tour now and who was with me as well, her name is Michelle Carter. She is very motherly, very maternal naturally and I think that is she's like always trying to take care of everybody. So I think to some extent it does sort of bleed through. I mean our Bombalurina, Chelsea Mitchell, she was unbelievable and she had that like bomb energy of sort of commanding a room and really, and it was, it was yeah, so I would say like I would definitely say it bleeds through to some extent for sure.

[26:40] Mike Abrams: Yeah, I found this part of swinging so interesting.

[26:43] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, when you have especially when you swing four or five characters.

[26:46] Mike Abrams: Yeah, yeah.

[26:47] Kelliann DeCarlo: There are two. No, I mean different personality types that you'd have to go through.

[26:50] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yes, and as I've talked to other swings, it's like they either are totally like I've talked to a swing who's like I'm not at all a Tugger, you know, and so it's like really interesting to go on.

[27:01] Mike Abrams: Totally.

[27:02] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, but you're kind of what you're saying is a lot of your tour, it's like it kind of fit the personality types like it was part of the casting almost which I guess makes sense.

[27:12] Mike Abrams: Sure. I mean, I yeah, I think to an extent, right? I mean, yeah, there is acting involved. You have to sort of create.

[27:16] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, you have to create your own character.

[27:19] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[27:21] Kelliann DeCarlo: What we talked about a few minutes ago, I'm like, yeah, I really hope that that's not someone like no, no, no, no abusive relationship. Of course.

[27:25] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[27:26] Kelliann DeCarlo: But your natural inclination is to connect you to a certain character. I think that's across the board all shows, not just Cats.

[27:34] Mike Abrams: That's yeah, and I mean it kind of does make sense.

[27:37] Kelliann DeCarlo: I want to talk a little bit about tour. Okay, how like what tell me about like that? Not just the lifestyle but like you're in like we were talking about me being from the Midwest. You're like I'm in this city hated one loved one. What kind of makes the part of the city you like the most? Is it the food scene? Is it the theater? Like what is it about the stops that make it?

[27:59] Kelliann DeCarlo: Well, I think being local to New York, I think if there was ever a walking city, instant check plus.

[28:05] Mike Abrams: Okay.

[28:06] Kelliann DeCarlo: As long as we were, that really made a huge difference because you can walk to coffee, you can walk to lunch, you can find something, go shopping, you can do other things. You can have like a life outside of just I leave the hotel and I go to the theater. So that is a huge, that is a huge.

[28:21] Mike Abrams: Well, where are your favorite walking cities?

[28:23] Kelliann DeCarlo: I loved Spokane, Washington. I loved Portland. We closed in Portland. That was a great city. I loved, where else? Where else? I really liked Omaha, which was kind of a dark horse, but Omaha was really cool, shockingly.

[28:37] Mike Abrams: Yeah, very cute.

[28:38] Kelliann DeCarlo: Really good food, really good food, a really cute historic district. I joked it looked like Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. I really loved Omaha. We played Vegas, which was wild, but that wasn't—

[28:45] Mike Abrams: We played the Smith Center, okay.

[28:47] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, that was cool.

[28:48] Mike Abrams: Yeah, well, that's yeah. I've always said going to Vegas for work is not fun.

[28:52] Kelliann DeCarlo: So I wonder if it's the same when you're in a show.

[28:54] Mike Abrams: That's different when you're—

[28:55] Kelliann DeCarlo: Well, yeah, 'cause at night it's a little different. It was a lot, it was a lot of sensory overload for me. I'm kind of somebody who after the show I like to sort of go back and kind of decompress and relax and it's—

[29:05] Mike Abrams: Yeah, that's a totally supposed to be a breakdown on stage.

[29:07] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah.

[29:08] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[29:09] Kelliann DeCarlo: I'm trying to think another favorite city. I had, we played Florida a lot. We had a lot of Florida cities, which was really nice, especially because most of them fell into the winter.

[29:16] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, so we played Tampa, West Palm, that was great. West Palm Beach was beautiful.

[29:20] Mike Abrams: Any city where the crowd was just like, that crowd was a spectacular Cats crowd and others were those like, no, this group didn't get it?

[29:26] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, some of the smaller cities I felt like kind of they didn't really get it. I remember we would joke like leaving the theater, the swings would leave earlier because, you know, we weren't needed after a certain point and I remember we would always hear audience commentary leaving the show and walking around. You're in plain clothes, nobody had any idea who you are.

[29:43] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, so we would always hear like it was really great, but I wasn't sure what it was about. And we were kind of briefed by creative, but that's how it's kind of gonna be. You know, so much of it because it's necessary for you to tell as much of the story as you can, but at the end of the day, it's based off of poems and Grizabella the Glamour Cat is sort of taken out of a separate book.

[30:06] Mike Abrams: Yeah, not in the book.

[30:07] Kelliann DeCarlo: No, exactly. And you kind of had your—it's our job to make sense of it all for an audience.

[30:12] Mike Abrams: Yeah, it's a pot. I mean look, I did not catch any of this.

[30:16] Kelliann DeCarlo: Now can tell you about when I saw it in 2016, I caught none of it. I caught a few things. I couldn't remember. I still probably couldn't pick half the cats out of a lineup if you asked me to.

[30:24] Mike Abrams: So I do the other thing I always think a lot about is being from Indiana. They have a five show, I think a year season tickets like pass, right? And it's whatever five shows and yeah, buy the season or you hope you get the individual.

[30:37] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, which means that a lot of people will go no matter what.

[30:40] Mike Abrams: I know I do it. I have no idea what it is. And I vividly remember, and the show I don't think did great anywhere, but it was American Idiot.

[30:46] Kelliann DeCarlo: Oh yeah.

[30:47] Mike Abrams: And I went, it was a Saturday night. The family had the tickets. I was excited. It's like I like this music. I don't know what it's about. I like the music. So like how bad can it be? No more than 10 minutes in, everybody over the age of 60 got up and left.

[31:01] Kelliann DeCarlo: Like every single person?

[31:03] Mike Abrams: And it was a huge theater in Indiana and it was like that's—I've always been fascinated by that because I'm like Cats is up was on, actually was on that—

[31:09] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, yeah, in April of 2020.

[31:12] Mike Abrams: That didn't make it, but like that would have been one of the five shows that year and I was like how many people that like in Indiana are gonna like really love it, really get it or just be like, well, it's on my tour ticket?

[31:20] Kelliann DeCarlo: Advantage that that cat has is that it's been around for so long.

[31:23] Mike Abrams: True.

[31:24] Kelliann DeCarlo: So it's been around since the 80s. There's a film about it now. There's two films about it. I haven't seen the new one, so I can't comment on it.

[31:30] Mike Abrams: No, I haven't seen it. I've heard many a thing, but I haven't seen it. I'll tell you about it after we—

[31:34] Kelliann DeCarlo: Again, don't want to talk about on here.

[31:36] Mike Abrams: Right? And I think that also they have the Andrew Lloyd Webber, I mean his music is unbelievable. He's so talented. I mean everything he writes is so, so like rich and interesting and I mean I think that does make a difference.

[31:49] Kelliann DeCarlo: But of course there were always people that were kind of like, I don't know what this is.

[31:53] Mike Abrams: You know, there's still a lot of people are like that.

[31:55] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, for sure.

[31:56] Mike Abrams: There's half the people I tell I have this podcast still don't know I believe what it's about.

[32:01] Kelliann DeCarlo: I believe it.

[32:02] Mike Abrams: Yeah, it's like one of those things where I'm like, they're like, oh I want to listen to support me and I'm like, have you seen it? No. Do you know who Grizabella is? No. I'm like, well then you're right.

[32:10] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, this is gonna make sense.

[32:11] Mike Abrams: I mean somebody my family and friends would come to see the show, they would kind of be like what is about beforehand? I'd kind of give them a rundown and afterwards it never failed. They would always be like thank God you told us because otherwise we would have no idea what was happening.

[32:24] Kelliann DeCarlo: My rundown was just that basically there's this ritual every year where this group of cats meet in an alleyway and they have this ritual and they choose someone to go to the Heaviside Lair, which I equate to like cat heaven.

[32:36] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[32:37] Kelliann DeCarlo: And they get another chance to be reincarnated and come back and most of the show is all of the cats sort of auditioning for lack of a better word to be the choice and there are certain disruptions like Tugger's a disruption, he's never a choice.

[32:50] Mike Abrams: Munkustrap?

[32:51] Kelliann DeCarlo: Nope, not Munkustrap. Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer are a disruption, they're never a choice. Macavity is never a choice.

[33:01] Mike Abrams: Yeah, so I think there's certain disruptions, but for the most part, it's all just look at me. This is why I'm, you know, Jenny's whole thing is that she pretends to be lazy, but she's actually not, you know?

[33:12] Kelliann DeCarlo: Like everybody's got their own much detail.

[33:14] Mike Abrams: Oh yeah, and I mean it's, it's like, I mean, what was that like 10 seconds?

[33:18] Kelliann DeCarlo: That's no—

[33:19] Mike Abrams: I mean, it's not long. But like, yeah, that's, I, but I think like hearing that be like for me, I'm like, yeah, I got it. Hearing that if you were told me that before, I'd have been like Munkustrap, Jenny, any that like, yeah, Mungojerrie, like what are you talking about?

[33:31] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, and most of them don't just repeat their name over and over again besides Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer.

[33:36] Mike Abrams: Yeah, so I would have been lost. I don't know like great.

[33:39] Kelliann DeCarlo: Well, I don't know that I talk about the names, but I'll just be like there each cat is kind of auditioning for their further—

[33:44] Mike Abrams: Yeah, I still tell people when they go, I'm like you're gonna watch, it's a weird America's Got Talent X Factor singing competition, one gets killed at the end and goes up to that.

[33:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: Sure, but now moving forward, I'm telling everybody they're having a, it's a cult.

[33:58] Mike Abrams: They're gonna have their ritual.

[34:00] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, and it's gonna start with celebrating the girls' first orgasm.

[34:04] Mike Abrams: Yeah, or somebody, a cat's coming of age and they're gonna have an orgy.

[34:08] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, and then they're gonna murder a cat.

[34:10] Mike Abrams: Yeah.

[34:11] Kelliann DeCarlo: It's actually way less, in my experience, the revival is a little bit less sexual in that regard than the original. The original was kind of all—

[34:17] Mike Abrams: Yeah, the original was like very clear what's happening.

[34:19] Kelliann DeCarlo: The revival is like we're just all gonna go to sleep in a circle and—

[34:23] Mike Abrams: All right, let's transition to some rapid-fire, okay, so I'm excited.

[34:27] Kelliann DeCarlo: Got to play Tugger.

[34:29] Mike Abrams: If you could play any cat for one night, forget whether it's male-female, if you could do it, if you couldn't do it, if you just got to go on one night, yeah, who'd you want to go?

[34:37] Kelliann DeCarlo: I need her to meet her.

[34:39] Mike Abrams: Yeah, okay.

[34:40] Kelliann DeCarlo: She's got the best acting arc in the whole, in one of them. I think one of the best acting arcs in the whole show.

[34:44] Mike Abrams: Okay.

[34:45] Kelliann DeCarlo: I love that.

[34:46] Mike Abrams: Yeah, what about favorite and least favorite cat?

[34:50] Kelliann DeCarlo: Favorite cat, I think my favorite cat is Cassandra.

[34:54] Mike Abrams: Cassandra?

[34:55] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah. When I saw the revival, I watched Cassandra the whole show.

[34:59] Mike Abrams: Where does she fall in the age bracket?

[35:02] Kelliann DeCarlo: She is, they joke that she's the cat who went to finishing school. She is, I think like a teenager.

[35:07] Mike Abrams: Okay.

[35:08] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, like another teenager. She feels almost like omnipresent and it kind of is, I mean she's supposed to be, she's very aloof. She's very off to the side, but she wants to be engaged.

[35:17] Kelliann DeCarlo: But because she's, she's kind of like I said, she went to finishing school, she doesn't fit with like Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer.

[35:23] Mike Abrams: She's an interesting—

[35:24] Kelliann DeCarlo: But she wants to be sort of her and Alonzo were together a lot. They're kind of similar.

[35:29] Mike Abrams: Interesting.

[35:30] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, okay. We save your cat is Mungojerrie. He drives me nuts.

[35:34] Mike Abrams: Why?

[35:35] Kelliann DeCarlo: Just kind of 'cause, well, he's the one that's great. No, sorry, a Pouncival, someone that scratches Grizabella. But he's always like poking the kittens.

[35:43] Kelliann DeCarlo: I know in right before Grizabella has this moment with Pouncival where he's sort of pretending to extend his paw to her and she falls for it and he scratches her. And the only reason he does that is 'cause Mungojerrie tells him to. Mungojerrie is like do this, do this.

[36:01] Mike Abrams: I mean Rumpelteazer, I think is sort of a victim of Mungojerrie being like—

[36:05] Kelliann DeCarlo: Yeah, I was gonna say, so you have no qualms with her?

[36:08] Kelliann DeCarlo: No, she's not part of the chaos. I always thought that they were like very much, they're definitely a team, but I think Mungojerrie is kind of like the brains.

[36:15] Mike Abrams: Okay, and Rumpelteazer is kind of like—

[36:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think the biggest difference is just the speed at which you have to learn things. When you're in a regional production, you have a lot more time to really dig into the character and explore the nuances. On tour, you have to pick things up quickly because you're constantly moving from city to city.

[37:24] Kelliann DeCarlo: I also think the pressure is different. In a regional production, you might have a little more freedom to experiment, but on tour, you have to stick to the choreography and the staging as it's set.

[37:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: And then, of course, there's the physicality of it all. You're doing the same show every night, and your body has to adapt to that. It can be really challenging, but also really rewarding when you get it right.

[38:24] Kelliann DeCarlo: I remember when I first started learning Grizabella, I was really focused on her emotional journey. It’s such a complex character, and I wanted to make sure I was honoring that.

[38:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think one of the most important aspects of Grizabella is her vulnerability. She’s been through so much, and I wanted to convey that in my performance.

[39:24] Kelliann DeCarlo: I also love the idea that she represents redemption. Throughout the show, you see her struggle, but in the end, she finds her place. That’s such a powerful message.

[39:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think a lot of people can relate to her journey. We all have moments where we feel like we don’t belong or that we’ve made mistakes, and Grizabella’s story is about overcoming that.

[40:24] Kelliann DeCarlo: I also think it’s interesting to explore the relationships between the characters. For example, how Grizabella interacts with the other cats and how they perceive her.

[40:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: There’s a lot of depth to those interactions, and I think it adds another layer to her story.

[41:14] Kelliann DeCarlo: I’ve also thought a lot about the role of Jellylorum in the show. She’s such a nurturing character, and I think she provides a contrast to Grizabella’s journey.

[41:24] Kelliann DeCarlo: Jellylorum is there to support the other cats, and I think that’s really important. It shows that there’s strength in community and support.

[41:34] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think both characters have their own struggles, but they also have their own strengths. It’s fascinating to see how they both navigate their worlds.

[41:44] Kelliann DeCarlo: I also love the idea of exploring different theories about the characters. There’s so much to unpack in CATS, and I think it’s fun to dive into those discussions.

[41:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: Whether it’s about Grizabella’s past or Jellylorum’s role in the tribe, there’s always something new to discover.

[42:14] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think that’s part of what makes CATS so enduring. It’s a show that invites interpretation and conversation.

[42:34] Kelliann DeCarlo: And as a performer, being able to contribute to that conversation is really special.

[42:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: I’ve loved every moment of being part of this production, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

[43:04] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think the fans are such an important part of the experience too. Their passion for the show really adds to the energy of the performances.

[43:14] Kelliann DeCarlo: It’s amazing to see how different audiences react to the show, and it’s always a little different depending on where we are.

[43:34] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think that’s part of the magic of live theater. Every performance is unique, and you never know what to expect.

[43:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: I feel so lucky to be part of this incredible journey, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for all of us involved in CATS.

[44:14] Kelliann DeCarlo: I think there’s always going to be a place for stories like this, and I’m excited to be part of that legacy.

[44:34] Kelliann DeCarlo: Thank you for having me on the podcast. It’s been a pleasure to share my thoughts and experiences with you.

[44:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: I hope everyone continues to enjoy CATS and all the magic it brings to the stage.

[45:14] Kelliann DeCarlo: And remember, whether you’re a fan or a performer, we all have our own stories to tell.

[45:34] Kelliann DeCarlo: So keep sharing those stories and keep the conversation going!

[45:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: Thank you!

[46:04] Kelliann DeCarlo: I’m looking forward to connecting with everyone on social media too.

[46:14] Kelliann DeCarlo: You can find me on Instagram and TikTok at @kellianndecarlo.

[46:34] Kelliann DeCarlo: I love hearing from fans and fellow performers, so don’t hesitate to reach out!

[46:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: Let’s keep the love for CATS alive!

[47:14] Kelliann DeCarlo: Thanks again for having me, and I hope to see you all at the theater!

[47:34] Kelliann DeCarlo: Bye!

[47:54] Kelliann DeCarlo: Take care!

[48:14] Kelliann DeCarlo: Until next time!

[48:34] Kelliann DeCarlo: Bye!

[49:04] Kelliann DeCarlo: Thank you!