Tag: Cats

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Donald Trump “Embarrassed” Mike Pence Has Pets, Calls Them “Low Class”

Vice President Mike Pence (L) and Donald Trump (R)

Just one more horrible thing to learn about Donald Trump.

Last week, folks were quoting an article at The Atlantic by Mckay Coppins wherein Donald Trump was quoted as saying Vice President Mike Pence wants to “hang” all the gays.

But what didn’t get hardly any attention was the next paragraph where a White House adviser shared that Trump was embarrassed that Pence brought his family pets with him to Washington, D.C.

Apparently, Donald Trump thinks having pets is “low class.”

When it was reported last January that the Pences would be moving some of their family pets—which include two cats, a rabbit, and a snake—into the Naval Observatory, Trump ridiculed the menagerie to his secretary, according to a longtime adviser. “He was embarrassed by it; he thought it was so low class,” says the adviser. “He thinks the Pences are yokels.”

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Casting For Broadway CATS Revival To Include SYTYCD Winner Ricky Ubeda

Ricky Ubeda to play “Mr. Mistoffelees” in Broadway revival of Cats

Ricky Ubeda, season 11 winner of So You Think You Can Dance, will be featured in the upcoming Broadway revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats as “the magical Mr. Mistoffelees.”

Previews will begin July 14 prior to an official opening July 31 at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 W. 52nd Street).

From Playbill:

The company will include Giuseppe Bausilio as Carbucketty, Quentin Earl Darrington as Old Deuteronomy, Jeremy Davis as Skimbleshanks, Kim Faure as Demeter, Sara Jean Ford as Jellylorum, Lili Froehlich as Electra, Daniel Gaymon as Macavity, Shonica Gooden as Rumpleteazer, Christopher Gurr as Gus/Bustopher Jones, Tyler Hanes as Rum Tum Tugger, Andy Jones as Munkustrap, Kolton Krouse as Tumblebrutus, Eloise Kropp as Jennyanydots / Gumbie, Jess LeProtto as Mungojerrie, Georgina Pazcoguin as Victoria, Emily Pynenburg as Cassandra, Arianna Rosario as Sillabub, Ahmad Simmons as Alonzo, Christine Cornish Smith Bombalurina, Corey Snide as Coricopat, Emily Tate as Tantomile, Ricky Ubeda as Mistoffelees, and Sharrod Williams as Pouncival,as well as Richard Todd Adams, Aaron Albano, Callan Bergmann, Claire Camp, Francesca Granell, Jessica Hendy, Harris Milgrim, Madison Mitchell, Nathan Patrick Morgan and Megan Ort.

Casting for the role of “Grizabella” will be announced at some point in the near future. Elaine Paige won the Olivier Award for her powerful turn as the “Glamour Cat” in the original London company, and Betty Buckley won the Tony Award for her powerful portrayal on Broadway.

I have a personal interest in the production, and in Ubeda’s casting, as I spent two years of my early career playing “Mistoffelees” on the national tour of Cats back in the 1980s when the show first hit the U.S.

Congrats to Ricky and all the new kitties!

Me as “Mr. Mistoffelees” in Cats
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CATS The Musical Opened On Broadway 33 Years Ago Today

Thirty-three years ago today, Broadway history was made when Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS opened at the Winter Garden Theater.

The show would run for 7,485 performances ultimately closing on September 10, 2000.

Come awards season, the production would win 7 Tony Awards, and a slew of other honors.

The show holds a special place in my heart as, after struggling mightily during my first year as a young actor in NYC, I was cast as “the magical Mr. Mistoffelees” in the brand new second national touring company. For two years, I earned my first decent pay check as an actor, traveled the entire country and had the most amazing time a 23 year old can have.

I fell in and out of love; I learned how to “work” on a long running show (it was easily the most physically demanding show I would do); and I gained wonderful, important friendships that hold strong ties today.

Bonus – although I did not do the show with her, over the years I’ve developed a terrific friendship with the show’s Tony Award winning “Grizabella,” Betty Buckley. I saw her in the role and she, along with the entire production, held me transfixed for almost three hours. The memory (you see what I did there, right?) lives on vividly in my head even today. I love that we share that bond.

Congrats to everyone who helped create this art that employed and entertained so many people even today.

Much credit to Trevor Nunn (the original director), Gillian Lynne (the original choreographer who SHOULD have won the Tony Award that year), T.S. Eliot (the poet who’s work the show is based on), and especially David Taylor, T. Michael Reed and Stanley Lebowsky – the supervisors of the show who staged our company.

A photo posted by Betty Lynn Buckley (@blbuckley) on Oct 7, 2015 at 11:21am PDT
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Add “Remove Cat” To Pre-Flight Checklist

Over 7 million views in two days. The pilot’s double-take at the one minute mark is perfection.

Via the Guardian:

A cat has escaped with at least one of its nine lives after stowing away on an ultra-light aircraft flight.

A video has been posted on YouTube of the cat digging its claws into the aircraft’s wing as its pilot and passenger fly hundreds of feet above the ground at first apparently unaware of its presence.

Romain Jantot, understood to be the pilot in the clip, cites a flying club in Kourou, French Guiana, in the film’s description.

“A standard flight until … I still don’t know if it got in after the pre-flight check or if I missed it,” he says. “The cat is doing well, she is still our mascot.”

All appears well and cat-free as the aircraft accelerates on the runway and begins its takeoff. But about 38 seconds into the clip, the cat slowly creeps into view under the plane’s left wing, making its way towards the pilot and passenger with a sinister slow crawl.

Just after a minute has passed, the pilot’s shock is clear as he notices the windswept stowaway. Never before has a man’s face said “there’s a cat on the wing of my plane” with such unequivocal clarity.

(h/t JMG)

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Artist’s Challenge – Day One

Me as “the magical Mr. Mistoffelees” in CATS in 1986

Over on Facebook, several of my theatre friends are taking part in The Artist’s Challenge.

For 5 days, 1 post each day, 1 pic or several pics or video of your artistic journey so far. Each day nominate 2 people to join.

I was nominated by my friend Arminae Reames, who I’ve known for years since NYC acting days. So, I thought I’d also share my posts here.

I have to start with my first big job – “Mistoffelees” in the national touring company of CATS – 1986!

What a rush to be in an original cast of such a hot show – with an amazing cast. We were the first to share the show with Dallas, Atlanta, St. Louis, Miami, Houston, Louisville, Memphis,… so many citiies. Can you imagine? It was the WICKED of it’s time 🙂

I couldn’t have been more blessed. What a head-spinning experience. Everyone should get to live this kind of roller-coaster.

My PR guru husband, Michael Caprio, tracked down this original press pic. #luckyinlife‬