The Wrong Cat Died

“Every cat is rehearsing a way to make themself shine.” This episode features Korie Lee Blossey who played Old Deuteronomy in Casa Mañana’s 2025 “Cowboy Cats” in Fort Worth Texas. Korie recounts early fandom through the soundtrack, clips, and the 1998 filmed version, plus repeated auditions where he was told he sounded too young. He discusses Cowboy Cats’ country-style ideas with Stockyards-inspired design, props, and Grizabella’s Mule Alley. Plus, Korie shares his experience in a John Oliver Cats spoof where he was credited as Old Deuteronomy. 01:44 Chasing Old Deuteronomy 04:17 Cowboy Cats 17:59 Wild West Stage Magic 21:56 Honesty Over Camp 27:27 John Oliver Cats Spoof 28:06 Ken Page Tribute Moment 33:11 Rapid Fire Check out Korey on Instagram: @itsmekorielee Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alan Seales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Broadway Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social Media: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I was just so along for the ride.” This episode features Shelby Griswold who was an understudy in Cats: The Jellicle Ball at the PAC and is heading on the US National Tour of Six as Anne of Cleves. Shelby describes learning ballroom fundamentals, navigating improv versus set staging for a commercial musical, and creating her own movement material when covering tracks like Victoria. She shares how performing in revealing costumes and receiving an audience email about representation shifted her confidence and approach to work. Plus, Shelby and Mike cast the Six queens as Cats. 09:01 Casting Chaos 12:22 Learning Ballroom 20:42 Walking the Categories 32:36 Joining Six Tour 48:11 Rapid Fire Check out Shelby on Social Media: @shelby__griswold Check out Shelby's website: www.shelbygriswold.com Check out Six on Social Media: @sixustour Check out Six's website: sixonbroadway.com/ustour Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alan Seales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Broadway Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social Media: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“ I have the characters who have a named song be their characters the entire show. And every time Munkustrap announces ‘the cat who will now be reborn and go back to a different Jellicle life’ I have those eight players stand up.” This episode features Anne Beck, director and choreographer of 2026 Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s CATS in Indianapolis and a former Bombalurina. Anne recounts first seeing CATS at the Winter Garden, joining a 2012 Gateway Playhouse production with Ken Page, and learning extensive character backstories from Jacob Brent through rehearsal “tea time.” She explains how she stages CATS by starting day one with feline movement and story, emphasizing clarity, forgiveness, chosen family, and Grizabella’s throughline. She contrasts directing in large venues like Ball State with the intimate Beef & Boards space, notes the show’s fast rehearsal demands, and shares favorite roles, songs, and performance details for first-time audience members. 01:15 First Encounter with CATS 03:15 Playing Bombalurina 16:25 Beef And Boards Immersion 21:05 Prepping First Timers 29:48 Relationships And Family Tree 35:45 Fast Rehearsal Process 37:01 Dinner Theater Audience 45:13 Rapid Fire Check out Beef & Boards on Instagram: @beefandboards Check out Beef & Boards' website: www.beefandboards.com Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alan Seales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Broadway Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social Media: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I felt like I owed it to the performers in The Jellicle Ball. Just because they changed the way I look at the world so I wanted people to have that experience.” This episode features Brett Evans, known online as Kermit MAFrog, to discuss becoming a CATS fan after initially viewing it as a “punishment,” discovering how different each production can be, and falling in love with the Jellicle Ball’s cast, intimacy, and audience interaction. Brett explains how he shifted from pursuing theatre to writing a poem a day for 10 years, then created his Jellicle Ball tribute videos to spotlight performers. He shares how his content began with viral Patrick Mahomes-as-Kermit sports videos before evolving into Muppets-meets-musical-theatre parodies. 05:33 Why The Jellicle Ball Hit Different 06:41 Poem a Day Origins 14:57 A Poem for The Wrong Cat Died 25:12 Kermit MaFrog Begins 28:12 Muppets Meet Musicals 36:51 Muppets Cats Dream Cast 43:51 Guilty Pleasure Showtunes 46:13 Rapid Fire Check out Brett & Kermit on Social Media: @brettevansmafrog Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alan Seales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Broadway Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social Media: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Chrissie Cartwright asked me to do a pirouette and I didn’t know what it was.” This episode features Dominik Hees who played the Rum Tum Tugger on the German Tent Tour and later in the Vienna revival of CATS. Dominik shares how he was cast despite no formal training and initially not knowing basic dance terms, receiving private dance lessons, and learning to sustain eight or nine shows a week in extreme tent temperatures. He shares how choreography and staging were adapted to his strengths, why the role evolved for him from a boy-band energy to a sexier, stiller, more mature performance, and how working with Chrissie Cartwright, Gillian Lynne, and Trevor Nunn shaped different interpretations. He describes changing onstage relationships with Mistoffelees, Grizabella, Munkustrap, and Bombalurina over time, shares favorite characters and songs, and weighs who should be the Jellicle choice. Be sure to see him in his upcoming Beauty and the Beast production. 04:28 From Rock to Musicals 07:07 Learning the Jellicle Ball 12:47 Finding Tugger’s Story 26:59 Parenthood Changes Tugger 28:08 Tugger Relationship Map 36:31 Rapid Fire Check out Dominik on Instagram: @dominik.hees Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alan Seales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Broadway Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social Media: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices