Broadway on the Radio Encore! CATS: The Jellicle Ball

Summary

All Of It with Alison Stewart

Broadway on the Radio Encore! — CATS: The Jellicle Ball

Date: July 31, 2026
Event: Live from WNYC’s The Greene Space

Episode Overview

This special “Broadway on the Radio” episode of All Of It spotlights the celebrated adaptation “CATS: The Jellicle Ball,” a Tony-winning revival that fuses T.S. Eliot’s poetry and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music with the vibrancy, energy, and defiant artistry of ballroom culture. Host Alison Stewart sits down with the creative team—directors Bill Rauch and Zaylin Levinson, choreographers Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons—and cast members Tempris Chasity Moore (Grizabella) and Andre De Shields (Old Deuteronomy), exploring how this reimagined “Cats” revels in queer legacy, Black history, identity, and intergenerational community, all while honoring the traditions of musical theater and ballroom balls.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Creative Genesis of “CATS: The Jellicle Ball”

• Origin Story & Vision

  • Bill Rauch: The initial spark came from imagining “Memory” sung by an older man in a queer context—“being sung by an older person in a queer context would bring out contours in the music and in the lyrics that could be very powerful.” (07:49)
  • Zaylin Levinson: Childhood fascination with Cats, sparked by a trailer on a Barney video; a VHS copy kept him "five inches from the screen for two and a half hours." (08:23)
  • Both directors shared “serendipity” in being drawn to the idea of a non-literal, non-cat, human-focused Cats and placing it in a vibrant cultural context. (09:48)

• Making CATS Human & Ballroom

  • The creative team wrestled with whether a “Cats” with no cat ears/tails could work, using the wider tradition of people calling each other “cats” in Black slang, jazz, and queer communities as their entry point.
  • “The 20th century, everyone called each other, you know, look at that sly cat. That’s a dangerous cat over there. Look at that sexy cat right there, you know?” — Zaylin Levinson (09:48)

• Collaboration and Community

  • Early conversations with casting director Victor Vasquez led Zaylin to Bill; a 90-minute Zoom convinced both to co-direct. “In our first conversation, 90 minutes later, we had agreed that we were going to co-direct this production.” (11:11)

2. Centering Ballroom Culture

• Ballroom as the Foundation
  • “We knew from the very beginning that it was ballroom.” (11:25)
  • Picking up the Cats libretto post-pandemic, the competitive ball setting and yearly grand prize—mirrored in ballroom culture—matched easily with the show’s structure.
  • Partnering with ballroom icon Omari Wiles, the team translated each character and song into ballroom categories and spirit.

3. Directorial & Choreographic Challenge

• Embracing Difficulty

  • “Challenge is innate to the process… it is hard. For this work, so much of the job is standing in public and failing publicly as quickly as you can to get to the right answer.” — Zaylin Levinson (12:31)

• Fusion of Styles

  • Omari Wiles: “African dance is theatrical... it’s all layered within itself. So I felt like I grew up already on stage. I was pretty much born on stage.” (24:36)
  • Close working relationship with Arturo Lyons, whom Wiles credits as “already a legend,” blending respect and honesty to create passionate, precise, boundary-pushing choreography.

• Adapting to Broadway’s Structure

  • “Ballroom, we have rules, but it’s very lax about it. [On Broadway] They don’t play that here. You need to be on time, know your cues, how to read music. It’s a lot.” (26:54)

• Blending Energy & Reverence

  • Not everyone needs to do signature ballroom dips—“you have to find what category is for you. That speaks to how human each character is... we level each other up.” (28:48)
  • Special attention paid to reverence for elders, with house mothers and elder cats respected and centered: “It was really paying homage to our elders... in Black culture, it’s really important to respect our elders.” (28:48)

4. Ballroom’s Visibility & Welcoming Newcomers

• Ballroom Now & Then
  • Ballroom culture is “no longer underground”—access for newcomers includes Brooklyn’s $3 Bill (OTA), Paris balls, and the famous latex ball. “The doors are open for you to see again how human we are and just how talented these individuals are.” (31:51)
  • Grand prizes have grown from pizza slices to $10,000. (32:32)

5. Performance Highlights & Notable Moments

Key Musical Numbers (Timestamps refer to opening notes):

• “Rum Tum Tugger” (Sydney James Harcourt) — High energy opening, blending vocals and ballroom competition “The next category is Realness... Are you ready for some O-P-U-L-E-N-C-E?” (02:38)
• “Bustopher Jones” (Nora Shell) — Celebration of body positivity, community, and style: “Judges’ score: luscious body... get into that body!” (13:44 | 16:54)
• “Macavity” (Bebe, Nicole Simpson & Garnett Williams) — A femme icon’s mystery and bravado reimagined in ballroom’s image. Memorable lines like, “She say she love me, she put me in Chanel? Call me the devil baby ‘cause we wearing Prada?” (19:10)
• “Memory” (Tempris Chastity Moore) — The show’s most iconic number performed with aching soul and wisdom.
  • “I always say that that song has a lot of pain and comfort... remembering the good times and things that I once regretted that now make sense.” — Tempris Chastity Moore (40:15)
• “The Addressing of Cats” (Andre de Shields & cast) — A winking, ritualistic finale connecting Cats’ philosophy with the audience: “Cats are very much, much like you.” (46:32)

6. Reflections on Meaning & Legacy

• On Revolution & Representation (Andre De Shields)

  • “I am constantly looking for the next revolution because I want to be on the front lines. It’s not about spilling blood... but when there’s an intersection, such as the first 25 years of the 21st century has presented with us — this intersection between history and evolution… there’s now a generation of people who have been traditionally marginalized to the edges of society who can do exactly that.” (41:17)

• On Elders and Community

  • “They are the ones who started. They are the ones who threw the first brick. They are the ones who— who really helped the young ones understand who they are, where they come from, and how to love.” — Omari Wiles (30:44)

• Old Deuteronomy’s Role

  • “Old Deuteronomy is also the connection between the microcosm and the macrocosm. He’s not a God, per se, but he is the overlord of these unusual creatures. Each of whom has, at a minimum, nine lives.” — Andre De Shields (43:06)

• On Glamour and Ballroom’s Femme Queens

  • “A femme queen is in the building because she’s just extra and she’s just glamorous... glamora just shows up as confidence and pride in who you are and being your full self.” (44:13)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Anytime we would come up against a kind of existential wall, we would always remind ourselves that a characteristic of making this show is that it is hard.” — Zaylin Levinson (12:31)
• “You need someone that’s going to be honest with you. You need someone that’s going to encourage you... the energy that we bring together, I mean, it’s a dynamic duo. You cannot split us apart.” — Omari Wiles on working with Arturo Lyons (25:32)
• “Ballroom is no longer underground because this is a community that needs to be seen. This is a community that needs to be spoken of and be celebrated.” — Omari Wiles (31:51)
• “You’ve heard of several kinds of cat, and my opinion now is that you should need no interpreter to understand our character... cats are very much, much like you.” — Andre De Shields, “The Addressing of Cats” (46:32)

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Important Timestamps & Segments

• 02:38 – Rum Tum Tugger: Ballroom meets Broadway, Opulence category
• 07:07 – Directors Bill Rauch & Zaylin Levinson discuss creative inception
• 13:15 – “Challenge is innate to the process” (Levinson on process)
• 13:44 – Bustopher Jones: Musical performance on body positivity
• 19:10 – Macavity: Femme mystique and ballroom attitude in song
• 24:15 – Choreographers Omari Wiles & Arturo Lyons discuss blending styles
• 28:48 – On death drops, elders, and community respect in choreography
• 31:51 – Accessibility of ballroom and its new visibility
• 33:58 – "Memory": Tempris Chastity Moore’s powerhouse rendition
• 41:17 – Andre De Shields on change, revolution, and marginalization
• 43:06 – De Shields on Old Deuteronomy’s symbolic role
• 44:13 – Femme queen glamour and its meaning in the show and ballroom
• 46:32 – “The Addressing of Cats": Ritualistic, philosophical close

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Summary & Takeaways

This episode of All Of It is a joyous, thoughtful exploration of how “Cats” has been reinvented through the lens of New York’s ballroom culture, amplifying voices and traditions historically sidelined in the mainstream. The conversation reflects the radical possibilities of casting beloved works in new light—centered on humanity, chosen family, and the legacy of those who refused to be left on the margins.

The cast and creative team reveal that honoring the elders, respecting individual talent, and blending the irrepressible energy of ballroom with the discipline of Broadway reshaped “Cats” for a new era: “You’ve learned enough to take the view that cats are very much, much like you.”

A showcase of music, memory, and community—this episode lifts up both the beauty of the adaptation and the urgent need for spaces where everyone’s story can be seen, heard, and celebrated.

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Transcript

[Alison Stewart]

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[Andre De Shields]

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[Alison Stewart]

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[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

The next category is Realness Ta da. For a tom tuber Is a curious cat if you offer me a pheasant I'd rather have grouse if you put me in a house I much prefer flat if you put me in a flat then I'd rather have a house if you set me on a mouse then I only want a rat if you set me on a rat then I'd rather chase some house the old John Tugger Is a curious cat and there isn't any call for me to shout for he will do as he will do and there's no doing anything about who I'm terrible When you let me in then I want to go out I'm always on the wrong side of every door and as soon as I'm at home Then I like to get about I like to lie in the bureau drawer I make such a fuss when I can't get out Is a curious cat and there isn't any

[Andre De Shields]

use for you to doubt it for

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

he will do as he will do and there's no doing anything about it. My dislike and way's a matter of habit if you offer me fish then I only want a feast if there isn't any fish then I won't eat a rabbit if you offer me cream then I sniff and sneer Only like what I find for myself Nah but you catch me in it right up to my ears if you put it away on a lot of shell. Doesn't care for a cuddle But I leave on your lap in the middle of your song for another nine toy like a hormone. Sam.

[Omari Wiles]

No doing anything

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

about.

[Andre De Shields]

Yeah, About it.

[Alison Stewart]

That was Sydney James Harker, Rum Tom Tugger and the cast from Cats, the Jellicle Ball. This is all of it. We're here live in the green space with the stars of Cats. I'd like to introduce to you right now the co directors of Cats, Bill Rauch and Zalen Levingston. Thank you for being with us. So you had a memory. You were sitting in a bar and you had this vision of a man at a gay bar. An older man singing Memory. What about that image was important to you? And what did it strike in you?

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

You know, the song is so beautiful and so melancholy and it just felt like being sung by an older person in a queer context would bring out contours in the music and in the lyrics. That could be very powerful. So that was the original impulse.

[Alison Stewart]

Zaylin, your first exposure was to cats as a preschooler. You're watching Barney's Great Adventure.

[Zaylin Levinson]

That's True.

[Alison Stewart]

How did Barney bring you to Cats? And what did you like about it as a kid?

[Zaylin Levinson]

That's a great question. So, yeah, I would watch this movie, Barney's Great Adventure, and on the trailers, they would show a trailer of the pro shot of cats from 1997. 98. And I didn't know what I really was looking at. I just knew that the way these people were moving and what they dressed like felt, you know, like they did something tingly in my stomach, and I didn't know what was going on. And one day I went to Blockbuster with my mother, and I saw the box set of this pro shot with the black case and the yellow eyes. And I said, I want to watch that. And she was like, you don't want to watch that. And I was like, I do want to watch this. And so she was like, okay, if I get this, you have to watch it, because, you know, Blockbuster cost money. And so I got it. And the story goes, she put it in the vhs, and I sat five inches away from the television, and I didn't move for two and a half hours. I didn't ask for food. I didn't go to the restroom. And then that's when she knew I had a problem.

[Alison Stewart]

You said before that you and Bill were joking with a friend about turning cats into a production where there weren't cats, the cats weren't cats. What was interesting to you about that idea and that? Why did it seem. In what way did it seem impossible? We know it's possible, but at the time.

[Zaylin Levinson]

Yeah, well, I mean, Bill had been on this journey with trying to investigate cats as humans before I was. And it was just like this serendipitous thing where it just so happened at the beginning of his process, I had been asking the same question around. Could there be a production of Cats where there were no cats? Would it be called Cats? No ears, no tails. And could it be situated in a, like, cultural context? And it just felt like it could be artistically possible, because in the 20th century, everyone called each other, you know, look at that sly cat. That's a dangerous cat over there. Look at that sexy cat right there, you know? So I was like, this is possible, probably, but just felt like that could never happen. Andrew Lloyd Webber would never allow something like that to happen with his material. And then I was talking to who eventually became the casting director of the show, Victor Vasquez of Ex Casting. And I was joking with him. I was like, can you believe that? That would be a crazy idea? And then he didn't laugh. And he said, you need to talk to Bill Rauch. And I was like, okay. And then so two days later, I was on a zoom with Bill and he started to tell me about the year of work that he had been doing with our dramaturg, Josie and Omari Wiles, who's in the building. And we just started to connect. And I can let you talk about that meeting.

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

It was our first conversation and 90 minutes later, we had agreed that we were going to co direct this production. In our first conversation,

[Alison Stewart]

when did ballroom come into the equation?

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

As Shaelyn mentioned that Josie, our dramaturg and Omari and I began to work on this during the pandemic. And we knew from the very beginning that it was ballroom. I had thought about, as we talked about earlier, a gay bar, but picking up the libretto again years later, it's

[Alison Stewart]

clearly set at a ball.

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

It's a competitive ball.

[Zaylin Levinson]

It's.

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

It goes all the way through the tsle awards. It's a once a year ball that happens. Everybody's vying for the grand prize and being able to collaborate with Omari as a ballroom icon. So many of the categories just clicked into place immediately where it was very, very clear. This character, this song, this category. There were others that we worked on for years trying to find, but many of them were apparent from the very beginning.

[Alison Stewart]

We're going to hear another song in just a moment from the show. Zelda, what was a challenge for you in directing this show and how did you get through that challenge?

[Zaylin Levinson]

Oh, I mean, just remembering that challenge is innate to the process. And that, like, challenge is not a sign that you are on the wrong path. That, like, we're making a thing that's hard and, like, all the way through the process, from workshops to offshore Broadway to figuring out how do you extend a show like this to transferring to Broadway? Anytime we would come up against a kind of existential wall, we would always remind ourselves that, like, oh, a characteristic of making this show is that it is hard. And so just reminding myself that, you know, for this work, so much of the job is standing in public and failing publicly as quickly as you can to get to the right answer.

[Alison Stewart]

Everybody, let's thank Bill Rauch and Zaylin Levinson. Thank you so much for being with us. We're going to get to another song. Please welcome Nora Shell as Bustopher Jones along with Kendall Grayson, Stroud, Bryson Battle, Darius Wright and Garnett Williams. This is from Cats, the Jellicoe ball.

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

Ostiver Jones is not skinny bones in fact they're remarkably fat they do not hunt pups they have eight or nine clubs for they're the same age as street cats they're the cat we all greet when we walk down the street under coats of the city is black no commonplace mousers have such a roca trousers or such an impeccable Back in the hall of St James the smartest of names is the name of this r of cast and where all of us bow to be nodded or bound to like Bus up by Jones and White sp. My visits are occasional to the senior educational and it is against the rules for any one cat to belong bathe to that and the joint superior schools For a similar reason Winning my game is in season I'm found not at foxes but blimps I am frequently seen at the gay stage and screen which is famous for winkles and shrimps in the season of medicine I give my medicine to a pot hunter Succulent bones and just before news Not a moment too soon to drop in for a drink of the drones When I'm seen in a hurry there's probably curry at the Siamese or at the Gladia if I look full of gloom Then I plunged at the tomb on a cabbage rice pudding at Martin. And we're all of us proud to be naughty or bound to buy bus stop the toes in white Bust up our chosen white. I see the category is body. Judges score muscular body. Get into that body Judges scores women's body. Get into that body Judges scores luscious body. Get into that body Judges score model body. Get it to that body.

[Omari Wiles]

Yes.

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

Serve it to me body Yachty.

[Omari Wiles]

Yes.

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

Get into that body. Yachty Tens across the board so much in this way Masters Bustigoos J At one club or another they're bound There could be no surprise that under eyes they have grown unmistakably round there are 25 pounders or I am a pounder and I wait every day But I'm so well preserved Because I've observed all my life a routine and I'd say I am still in my prime I shall ask of my time that's the word from the starting of gay here's my strength shall be springing how mild one stop a joker's wife what's up? A Jones with wife what stop a joker's wife. And the winner is Busta Far Dot Tooty Pip. Yay. Yeah. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

That was Nora Schell as Bustopher Jones along with Kendall Grayson, Stroud, Bryson Battle, Darius Wright and Garnett Williams. Stick around for more of our Broadway on the radio event with the team behind Cats, the Jellicle Ball. This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart. Thanks for joining us and happy Friday. All this hour, we're revisiting our live in person Broadway on the radio event with the team behind Cats, the Jellicle Ball. The show won three Tonys this year and its final performance will be on August 8th. So let's hear some more music. You'll hear the voices of Bebe, Nicole Simpson and Garnett Williams introducing us to Macavity, the mystery cat.

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

Macavity's a mystery cat? She's called the hidden paw? For she's a master criminal who can defy the law? She's the baffleman of Scotland Yard? The flying squads to spell for when they reach the scene of crime. Macavity's not there. Okay, walking labels, y'. All. She say she love me, she put me in Chanel? Call me the devil baby cause we wearing Prada? But cavity Macavity, there's no one like me Cavity, she's broken every human law? She breaks the law of gravity? Her powers of levity will make a faker stare. For when you reach the scene of crime and the cavities not there? You may seek her in the basement you may look up in the air. But I tell you once and once again my cavities not the hell macavities and ginger cat she's very tall and thin you would know so highly far. Her eyes are sunken in, her brow is deeply lined with thought. Her head is highly domed? Her coat is dusty from neglect? Her whiskers are uncomb? She sways her head from side to side with movements like a snake? And when you think she's half asleep, she's always wide awake. The cavity, the cavity, the nail unlike the cavity? But she's a feline shape, A monster of dear brother. You may meet her in the by street, you may see her in the square? But when the crime's discovered then my cavity's not. She's outwardly spectable. I know who she cheats at cards she do and her footprints. And when the lord is lieutenant or the jewel case is rifled or when the milk is missing or another piece been stifled, all the greenhouse glass is broken. Oh, and the trellis past prepared. They're the wonder of the fate the cavities not. There's no one like the cavity that never work a pack of such deceitfulity she always has a and one or two to spare. Whatever time the deed Took place. Macavity wasn't there. And they say that all the cats whose wicked deeds are widely known. I might mention Mungo Jerry. I might mention Griddle Bona. Are nothing more than agents for the cat who all the time just controls the operation. The Napoleon of cryo, a monster of depravity. You may meet her in a by street. You may meet her in a square. But when a crime discovered that. My cavity, My cavity,

[Alison Stewart]

My cavity. That was Bebe Nicole Simpson, the cast of Cats, the Jellicoe ball. This is Broadway on the radio. On all of it live from the green space. Let's hear it again for the band. And now, please welcome the co choreographers of Cats, Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons. It is so nice to see you. Oh, hello.

[Omari Wiles]

Hello.

[Alison Stewart]

So I read that you were born in Senegal.

[Omari Wiles]

Yes, I was.

[Alison Stewart]

And you took African dance when you were six years old?

[Omari Wiles]

Yes, my mom and dad are known African dance teachers and drummers. Musicians. Baba Olukoshe Wiles and Marie Bas Wiles.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm glad you said their names. How did your early experience prepare you for ballroom?

[Omari Wiles]

Well, African dance is theatrical. African dance is almost like a Broadway show. All the layers of music, singing, dance, theater, the storytelling, it's all layered within itself. So I felt like I grew up already on stage. I was pretty much born on stage.

[Alison Stewart]

Artur, your dance credits run deep. You helped launch HBO's Vogue competition. Legendary. How did you meet Amari?

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

I met Amari in Senegal. I'm lying online. Boreham. Yeah, Legendary boreham. I know Amari for 20 years now. For real?

[Alison Stewart]

For a long time.

[Andre De Shields]

A long time.

[Alison Stewart]

We'll talk later, Amari. We're gonna talk about Arturo. Like he's not there. Why did you know he was the. Why did you know he was the right person to help you on this project?

[Omari Wiles]

Well, honestly, he was my Jellicoe choice from the beginning. Arturo's mind, Arturo's engineering. Arturo's heart and love and passion for dance and creativity, it really stood out for itself. I joining the boreham scene. He was already a legend and someone that I admired when I saw hit the floor competing and then being invited by him to do various projects, dance videos that he would be. That he would choreograph, really just kept me on the right path of being a professional dancer, but also being a passionate dancer. And through his passion grew my passion. And I would not have picked anyone else to take this journey with. He has helped me grow. He has helped this show grow. He literally tells me yes and no to what you know, and you need someone that's going to be honest with you. You need someone that's going to encourage you. But also, we work so well together, and the energy that we bring together, I mean, it's a dynamic duo. You cannot split us apart.

[Alison Stewart]

Arturo, what did you learn about Broadway now that you've been on Broadway?

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

It's very strict. It's strict.

[Alison Stewart]

Tell me more.

[Andre De Shields]

So, you know, in ballroom, we have

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

rules, but it's very lax about it.

[Andre De Shields]

They don't play that here. You need to be on time, you need to know your cues, you need

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

to know the terminology. You need to know how to read music.

[Andre De Shields]

It's a lot, but it's great in the show.

[Alison Stewart]

You mix ballroom with Broadway. How did that shape the choreography?

[Omari Wiles]

Well, honestly, when you think of ballroom and you think of the theatrics and the whimsical energy that we bring, it goes hand in hand with Broadway. And I think the energy on stage is to perform, right, Is to entertain, and both worlds go hand in hand with that. So it was really, honestly, besides understanding the difference in the music, it was really easy to understand the character in what we wanted to represent as far as ballroom, as far as musical theater, how we wanted to approach the choreography. But not just the choreography, but also just the energy of each piece and each number to the point where you don't need to see the choreography, you don't need to see them in costume. You can just feel it in their voices that they're being ballroom and that at the same time, they're enjoying musical theater.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah. Cats is a super athletic show, but it also has reverence for age and wisdom. The elder Cats and the house mothers receive a great deal of respect in the show, and the show is willing to take its time. How did you go about balancing the death drops with the reverence for experience?

[Omari Wiles]

Well, we didn't want anyone to die, clearly, so those death drops had to be out of the show. And we called them, and we called them dips. And the dips were. Honestly, it depended on the category that you walked. Not everyone needs to dip, and, you know, and not everyone needs to vogue in ballroom. You have to find what category is for you. And I think that speaks to how human each character is and how human the ballroom scene is. We find what is your skill set, your trait, your talent, and we heighten that up through competition, through sportsmanship, we level each other up. Because of all the shade that was received from society, we decided we'll turn that shade around. Right. And how do we turn shade into friendly competition. How do we turn shade into allowing us to see our own growth and our own special or how special we are. Right. In that sense. So with the choreography, with the age, it was really paying homage to our elders. I mean, coming from Senegal and from West Africa, ancestry elders is so important. And being able to honor our elders is a big thing that we do. And I think in black culture, and it's really important, too, to respect our elders. So it wasn't saying, oh, you can't do this. It was saying, no, you're seasoned, and you do this this way. Right, right. And it was that type of energy, that type of love that the entire cast shows, and the type of respect as well, too, that the cast shows to the elders. I mean, they are the ones who started. They are the ones who threw the first brick. They are the ones who. Who really helped understand or help the young ones understand who they are, where they come from, and how to love.

[Alison Stewart]

Yes. Clap for that. All right, Arturo, someone seen Cats, and they really want to get into ballroom. Where should they go in New York?

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

I would say OTA first.

[Omari Wiles]

Yes. There's a Vogue Club in Brooklyn. OTA, the $3 bill. It's that $3 bill every other Monday. I think now they have it. It used to be every Monday, but I think it's every other Monday now. You can go there and you can experience a taste of ballroom. A little bit. A little salmon paste, a little taste of ballroom. Right. You get to taste that. But there's so many balls that are going around, going on around the world, not only in this state, but you can go depending on where you are. You can be in Spain, you can be in Paris.

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

You can come to my ball in

[Andre De Shields]

Paris on September 19th.

[Omari Wiles]

Yes. Arturo's having a ball in Paris.

[Alison Stewart]

That's an invitation. I just heard one.

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

Okay.

[Omari Wiles]

You know, there's so many balls happening. A lot of people who didn't know about ballroom always came to the latex ball held by the organization GMHC August 22nd. And that's August 22nd. Going to be at terminal.

[Alison Stewart]

Who knows, right?

[Omari Wiles]

There's a lot of access to now. Ballroom is no longer underground because this is a community that needs to be seen. This is a community that needs to be spoken of and be celebrated. And so now the doors are open for you to see again how human we are and just how talented these individuals are. But a ball, honey, you can go to the pier on Christopher street on that green turf and see a ball happening.

[Andre De Shields]

Okay?

[Omari Wiles]

And that's what I remember growing up, I remember going to the pier and there were balls that were happening and we would do grand prize was a movie ticket or grand prize was $1. You know what I'm saying? A grand prize was come with me to get you a slice of pizza.

[Andre De Shields]

A long time ago.

[Omari Wiles]

A long time ago. But now the grand prizes are a little bit more, you know, now you're giving $10,000 away, you're giving $5,000 away. But it's because of the competition has gotten so fierce. So fierce. It has gotten bigger. But it's also I think the need to celebrate someone, to give someone a grand prize so that they can take that and excel within their self and with their craft or within their life, really.

[Alison Stewart]

That was Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons. They are the Tony winning co choreographers of Cats. The Jellicle Ball. We'll have more of our Broadway on the radio event after a quick break. We'll be hearing from the incomparable Andre de Shields. And we'll also get to hear tempress Chastity Moore as Grizabella sing the show's most iconic song, memory Stick around. This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Welcome back. This hour we've been hearing from the team behind Broadway's Cat's the Jellicle Ball, which won three Tonys this year. The show's final performance will be on August 8th. So let's get back into it with some music. It wouldn't be Cats without memory. This is tempress Chastity Moore with Teddy

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

Wilson Jr. And Darius wrote Sam. And a rose that is fading Roses wither away like the sunflower I yearn to turn my face to the dark I am waiting for the day. Now Old Deuteronomy just before dawn through a silence you feel you can cut with a knife announces the cat who can now be reborn and come back to a different angelical life. Sam. Memory Turn your face to the moonlight Let your memory need you open up its horrendous if you find there the meaning of what happiness is Then a new life will begin. Memory of all alone in the moonlight I can smile at the old days I was beautiful then I remember the time I knew what happiness was Let the memory live again Burnt out in the smoky days the stale cold sab of morning the street lamp dies another night in the over another day is dawning Daylight I must wait for the sunrise I must think of a new life and I mustn't give it when the dawn comes Tonight will be a memory too and a new day will begin. Sunlight through the tre. Like a flower as the darkness breaking the memory is waiting.

[Zaylin Levinson]

For.

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

The memory of my days in the ground if you touch me, you'll understand Whatever. Look, a new day has begun.

[Alison Stewart]

That was Temperance Chastity Moore from TA Chastity. That is probably one of the most famous songs sung on Broadway. What do you think when you are singing that song?

[Omari Wiles]

I always say that that song has

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

a lot of pain and comfort.

[Omari Wiles]

Like, I've been here for a half a century, and I remember the times where there was things not happening to my body. And I remember the good times, you know, so I'm remembering the good times and things that I once regretted that now make sense. So it's a lot of pain and comfort. I try to just make everyone else

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

remember their happy times and that time.

[Alison Stewart]

We're making a little bit of noise over here because we are joined by Andre de Shields, everybody. I remember seeing you in the Wiz when I was a little girl.

[Andre De Shields]

You're not that old.

[Alison Stewart]

I am that old, but that's another story. You were on Broadway long before cats started in 81, when you heard that it was coming back and they were using the ballroom. Why did you want to be part of it?

[Andre De Shields]

I wanted to be part of it because my formative years are the 60s. My very first professional show was Hair. That was another attempt at mixing generations that had been so far apart for so long. And now right here beats the heart of an unreconstructed hippie. So I am constantly looking for the next revolution because I want to be on the front lines. It's not about spilling blood or anything like that, but when there's an intersection, such as the first 25 years of the 21st century has presented with us, this intersection between history and evolution. And finally, the change that's been sitting on the horizon. The paradigm that says, come, it's my turn. Let me in. The power of the feminine. There's now a generation of people who have been traditionally marginalized to the edges of society who can do exactly that. Nice.

[Alison Stewart]

You play old Deuteronomy.

[Andre De Shields]

Deuteronomy.

[Alison Stewart]

What is his role in the production? The way you play him.

[Andre De Shields]

The leader, The progenitor of. All the cats that you will meet through your entire life have come from my thighs. Old Deuteronomy is also the connection between the microcosm and the macrocosm. He's not a God, per se, but he is the overlord of these unusual creatures. Each of whom has, at a minimum, nine lives.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah. For Grizabella, glamour takes on a new meaning. What does glamour mean to her?

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

Well, I mean, in the ballroom aspect, you have the woman.

[Omari Wiles]

The women of trans experience who came

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

before me were just very glamorous.

[Omari Wiles]

We call them femme queens. And so here she's a glamour girl. Like, she's, like, they always show up and show out, you know, that a glam. You know, a femme queen is in

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

the building when they.

[Omari Wiles]

The femme queen is in the building

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

because she's just extra and she's just glamorous.

[Omari Wiles]

And this, you know, she's holding onto things that she had before when she once felt more glamorous.

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

But in her mind, she's still glamorous.

[Omari Wiles]

So glamora just shows up as confidence

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

and pride in who you are and being your full self.

[Omari Wiles]

And that's how it shows up here.

[Alison Stewart]

Andre, we're going to hear the addressing of Cats, the grand finale. What does this song mean to you?

[Andre De Shields]

It was an education. Now, I had seen several versions of Cats because for many years I knew the person who was playing old Deuteronomy. As a matter of fact, the original Old Deuteronomy on Broadway was Ken Page, a lovely friend of mine who is now in his own version of the Heaviside Layer. I investigated his title because if you know the first books of the holy Scripture, Deuteronomy is the last, and it is when the second time the law is delivered. So I take on that special. Activity with this group of people. I've come back to lead the Jellicoe Ball so that another person, another cat can be chosen to experience what I know.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's hear the Addressing of Cats with Andre de Shields and the cast of Cats.

[Andre De Shields]

You've heard of several kinds of. Of cat, and my opinion now is that you should need no interpreter to understand our character. You've learned enough to take the view that cats are very much, much like you. You've seen us both at work and games. You've learned about our proper names, our habits and our habitat. But how would you address a. A cat?

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

So first your memory of dog.

[Andre De Shields]

And say a cat is not a

[Omari Wiles]

dog,

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

And say a cat is not adored.

[Andre De Shields]

With cats. Some say one rule is true. Don't speak till you are spoken to. Myself I do not hold with that. I say you should address a cat. But always keep in mind that she resents Familiar. You bow and the taking of your heart. Address him in this form, O cat, with condescend and treat you as a trust trusted friend. A little token of esteem is needed, like a dish of cream. And you might now and then supply some caviar or Strassburg pie, some pieces or salmon paste. He's sure to have a personal taste. And so in time, you reach your

[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

aim and call him by his name.

[Alison Stewart]

That was Andre de Shields. What a treat to have him and the rest of the team behind Cats, the Jellicle Ball, join us earlier this year in the green space. If you want to watch video of that event, just search YouTube for cats, WNYC Broadway on the radio. And that's all of it for this hour. But after the news, we'll talk about New York City's own trailblazing civil rights icon, Shirley Chisholm with University of Kentucky professor Anastasia Kerwood, whose book is called Shirley Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics. That's coming up. This is all of it.

[Zaylin Levinson]

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[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

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[Zaylin Levinson]

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[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

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[Zaylin Levinson]

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[Narrator/Performer (various cast members)]

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[Zaylin Levinson]

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