Ep257 - Isabelle McCalla, Swing in McCalla's 1998 CATS & Emma Tate in Schmigadoon!

“My most treasured possession was that VHS. I played it every single day. And then I started teaching myself every single track.” This episode features Isabelle McCalla who is currently starring as Emma Tate in Schmigadoon! on Broadway. Hear Isabelle recount seeing CATS in 1998 at age five, petting the actress playing Cassandra, and becoming obsessed with the London VHS, learning songs and choreography in her parents’ ballroom dance studio. She talks favorite and hardest tracks, her childhood understanding of the show’s sensuality, and reactions to the new Jellicle Ball revival’s ball-culture framing and storyline, plus the 2019 Cats film and the viral “Mr. MESStoffelees” video. Isabella discusses the incredibly fun Schmigadoon! and then she and Mike cast the Cats into the show.

01:03 First CATS Encounter

02:39 1998 CATS VHS Obsession

09:13 Cats: The Jellicle Ball

18:28 2019 CATS Movie

20:08 Schmigadoon!

24:10 Schmigadoon Meets Cats

32:54 Rapid Fire

Check out Isabelle on Instagram: @izzymccalla

Check out Schmigadoon! on Broadway: schmigadoonbroadway.com

Produced by:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alan Seales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Broadway Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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