March 5-29, 2026
46th Season
161st Production
Music Theater Works in association with Concord Theatricals
KYLE DOUGAN-LEBLANC
Producing Artistic Director
Presents
Cats
Based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot
Music and Lyrics by
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Cats
is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals
on behalf of The Really Useful Group.
www.concordtheatricals.com
Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.
The music of a seven-time Tony-Award winning composer combined with the words of a Nobel-Prize winning author was sure to create a musical that was unforgettable. Add in extensive dance sequences with elaborate costumes and makeup, and you have one of the longest running shows on Broadway - nearly 18 years to be exact!
CATS was actually one of the first musicals I ever saw. I was lucky enough to catch the tour coming through my hometown in Dallas, Texas while on a date with my high school sweetheart. And much like everyone else, I mostly just remember being mesmerized by the dancing because despite its fame, it’s not uncommon to hear the question, “So, what is CATS about?” In an interview with Hal Prince, he talks about sitting with Andrew Lloyd Webber to discuss the deeper meaning of the show after listening through it for the first time. And Webber famously replied, “Hal….. It’s about CATS.”
This quote really makes me giggle because so often in theater, we creators want to dig way deeper than any writer ever intended us to. But sometimes, it’s important to remember that theater also exists to entertain and bring joy. Afterall, T.S. Eliot’s collection of poems that the show is based off of, “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,” was written simply to entertain his grandchildren. Andrew Lloyd Webber grew up with his mom reading the stories to him, and he was inspired to put it to music. I wanted to approach this production with that in mind by encouraging all departments to have fun and let their creativity take over. Setting it in a British cat lady’s flat instead of a junkyard felt like a good place to start!
I was also very drawn to the intimacy that this specific theater space allows for, so I wanted to cast a large group of 30 to fill it with sound and overwhelm it with movement. My hope is to fully immerse you as an audience into our world and into the music and dance that is so beloved and nostalgic to many.
To me, CATS feels like a collection of vaudeville vignettes. During each number, we meet a new cat and with a song that has its own groove and feeling to match the unique personality of the cat being introduced. This gives such freedom to explore different styles of storytelling and different forms of dance from technical ballet to romantic waltzing to funky rock to rhythmic tap. Of course, then there’s the added challenge to make all of those styles move like a cat. Honestly, crawling around on the floor for hours upon hours to prep the choreography for this show was definitely the most physically demanding experience I’ve ever had as a choreographer. But one added bonus - I did have a newborn rolling around on the floor next to me to take inspiration from!
By honoring the fun and silliness of the show, I feel it also helps bring out the underlying themes that I do feel are important, too. While we take in the spectacle, we also see a group learning together to celebrate individuality, community, acceptance, and redemption. These themes are not new in literature and media, but feel especially prevalent to me to highlight in today’s social climate. One of my favorite things about the arts is how it holds a mirror up to society. While we may be watching an entertaining clowder of cats gather in moonlight for a Jellicle Ball, I hope everyone leaves the theater finding these themes and messages resonating within themselves.
Mandy Modic
Director
| Grizabella | ............... | Ava Lane Stovall |
| Old Deuteronomy | ............... | Sam Nachison |
| Mr. Mistoffelees (US Munkustrap) | ............... | Nick Johnson |
| Rum Tum Tugger | ............... | Ethan Lupp |
| Munkustrap | ............... | Daniel Hurst |
| Macavity/Plato | ............... | Sterling Ford |
| Jellylorum | ............... | Molly Bremer |
| Bustopher Jones / Asparagus | ............... | John Cardone |
| Demeter | ............... | Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor |
| Skimbleshanks | ............... | Danny Spagnuolo |
| Bombalurina | ............... | Emma Jean Eastlund |
| Jennyanydots | ............... | Morgan Schoenecker |
| Mungojerri | ............... | Alex Villaseñor |
| Rumpleteazer | ............... | Madison Jaffe-Richter |
| Sillabub (US Victoria) | ............... | Irene Lo |
| Tumblebrutus (US Skimbleshanks/Mungojerri) | ............... | Tola Abitogun |
| Victoria | ............... | Mikala Curless |
| Electra | ............... | J'Nae Howard |
| Tantomile (US Demeter) | ............... | Ciara Jarvis |
| Coricopat (US Rum Tum Tugger) | ............... | Albert Johnston |
| Cassandra (US Rumpleteazer) | ............... | Mia Hilt |
| Carbuckety (US Jennyanydots / Jellylorum) | ............... | Emily Ann Brooks |
| Pouncival (US Macavity / Plato) | ............... | Alex Iacobucci |
| Exotica (US Bombalurina/Sillabub) | ............... | Whitney Turner |
| Alonzo (US Mr. Mistoffelees) | ............... | Raymond Cam Truong |
| Off Stage Chorus Soprano (US Grizabella) | ............... | Kristin Brintnall |
| Off Stage Chorus Alto (US Carbuckety/Cassandra / Tantomile) | ............... | Rachael Dec |
| Off Stage Chorus Tenor | ............... | Andrew John Baker |
| Off Stage Chorus Bass(US Deuteronomy / Bustopher Jones / Gus) | ............... | Jake Elkins |
| US Tumblebrutus / Pouncival / Alonzo/Caricopat | ............... | Jaxson Smith |
| Conductor/Keyboard 1 | ............... | Linda Madonia |
| Keyboard 2 | ............... | Justin Kono |
| Keyboard 3 | ............... | Kevin Disch |
| Reed 1 | ............... | Eva Butcher |
| Reed 2 | ............... | Lara Regan |
| Cello | ............... | Lewis Rawlinson |
| Bass | ............... | Eric Von Holst |
| Drums | ............... | Doug Bratt |
(Musicians are members of Chicago Federation of Musicians, Local 10-208)
Director & Choreographer Assistant Choreographer Music Director Assistant Music Director Electronic Music Design Production Manager Company Manager Circus Arts Choreographer Intimacy Choreographer Fight Choreographer Dialect Coach Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager Scenic Designer Props Designer Costume Designer Wardrobe Head Hair, Wig, and Makeup Designer | Hair, Wig, and Makeup Lead Lighting Designer Assistant Lighting Designer Media Designer Media Technician Sound Designer Production Sound Engineer Load-In Supervisor Scene Shop Scenic Charge Aerial Rigging Non-Equity Deputy Dance Captain Fight Captain Circus Captain Social Media Captain Managing Director |
| Crew Head | ............... | Cody Kressmann |
| Run Crew | ............... | Conrad Franzen |
| Wardrobe Head | ............... | Kristen Brinati |
| Wardrobe Crew | ............... | Ab Rieve |
| Wardrobe Crew Cover | ............... | Reve Smith |
| Wardrobe Crew Cover | ............... | Anna Korcz Rogers |
| Hair & Makeup Lead | ............... | Melanie Saso |
| Hair & Makeup Crew | ............... | Xander Falcon |
| Hair & Makeup Crew | ............... | Macy Rea |
| Lighting Board Operator | ............... | Riley Woods |
| Head Audio / A1 | ............... | Isaac Mandel |
| Head Audio / A1 | ............... | Elie Bufford |
| Audio Tech / A2 | ............... | Darien Durell |
| Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats | ............... | Company |
| The Naming of Cats | ............... | Company |
| The Old Gumbie Cat | ............... | Munkustrap, Jennyanydots, Jellylorum, Demeter, Bombalurina |
| The Rum Tum Tugger | ............... | Rum Tum Tugger, Company |
| Entry of Grizabella | ............... | Grizabella, Demeter, Bombalurina, Company |
| Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town | ............... | Bustopher Jones, Jennyanydots, Bombalurina, Jellylorum, Company |
| Mungojerri and Rumpelteazer | ............... | Mungojerrie, Rumpelteazer |
| Old Deuteronomy | ............... | Munkustrap, Rum Tum Tugger, Old Deuteronomy |
| Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball | ............... | Company |
| Grizabella: The Glamour Cat | ............... | Grizabella |
| Introduction to Act II/The Moments of Happiness | ............... | Old Deuteronomy, Sillabub, Company |
| Gus: The Theatre Cat | ............... | Jellylorum, Asparagus |
| The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles | ............... | Asparagus, Old Deuteronomy, Munkustrap, Company |
| Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat | ............... | Skimbleshanks, Company |
| Macavity: The Mystery Cat | ............... | Demeter, Bombalurina, Company |
| Magical Mister Mistoffelees | ............... | Rum Tum Tugger, Company |
| Memory | ............... | Sillabub, Munkustrap, Grizabella |
| Journey to the Heaviside Layer | ............... | Company |
| The Ad-dressing of Cats | ............... | Old Deuteronomy, Company |
Bill Kirchmeyer and Binny’s Beverage Depot, Javier Vega at Byline Bank, Chicago Aerial Arts, Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Ann Davis, Scott Stratton, Orlando Miranda, the staff at The Paul M. Angell Foundation, Alex Stanzione with Blackbaud Solutions, Christine Perez, Jorge Valdivia and the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance, C.A.R.E. Skokie, Tom Tresser, Amy Holcomb, Heidi Krueger and the Lake Forest Public Library, Rusty Hernandez