Cats: The Jellicle Ball Cast and Creatives on Bringing Ballroom Culture to Broadway
André De Shields and company share how the immersive production is redefining Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musical
What to Know
- Cats: The Jellicle Ball begins previews at the Broadhurst Theatre on March 18, with an official opening night set for April 7, following its acclaimed off-Broadway run
- The Broadway company includes Tony winner André De Shields as Old Deuteronomy, alongside a mix of Broadway performers and veterans of the ballroom world
- At a recent press event, members of the cast and creative team discussed honoring ballroom history, celebrating diversity and bringing something fresh to Broadway audiences
Cats: The Jellicle Ball is headed to Broadway this spring, transforming Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic musical into an immersive, drag and ball culture-inspired spectacle of the senses. As the Jellicle crew prepare to strut their stuff at the Broadhurst Theatre, the cast and creatives discussed the bold undertaking of this unorthodox revival during a recent press event.
“At a time when it seems that all of society's at its wits end, what we are bringing is a fresh supply of wit. Broadway's gonna be refreshed and we are gonna go nuts,” promises Tony winner André De Shields, who will be bringing his legendary status to the role of Old Deuteronomy. De Shields and the rest of the cast are reprising their roles from the show’s successful off-Broadway run in 2024.
“It's the merging of an idea that was exclusively for one community and now it has been bridged to all communities. It's the collaboration of the gay United Nations,” says Junior LaBeija (Gus the Theatre Cat), a veteran ballroom emcee who appeared in the landmark documentary Paris Is Burning. Jonathan Burke, who plays Mungojerrie, adds: “We get to bring Black and brown queer joy and history to the Broadway community, unlike it's ever been seen before.”
What can audiences expect in the choreography department? “Runway, old way, new way, voguing. There's African steps, there is body, there is realness,” teases Dava Huesca, who plays Rumpleteazer.
Ken Ard, who originated the part of Macavity in Cats on Broadway and is returning for this production to play DJ Griddlebone, espouses the transcendent power of the show. “Coming to see Cats is like getting 100 hugs because you leave there so spiritually full. Whether you're a spiritual or religious person or not, theater is church and it's for the people and when you leave, you feel like, 'Oh my god, that touched me.'"
Cats: The Jellicle Ball begins previews on March 18 and opens on April 7 at the Broadhurst Theatre.
Get tickets to Cats: The Jellicle Ball!
