Exclusive: Inside Paramount’s Circus-Inspired Production of CATS

At Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Illinois, the Jellicle Ball has gone airborne. With a new circus-themed revival of Cats now on stage through June 15, director Trent Stork, circus choreographer Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, and music director Kory Danielson have reimagined the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical into something entirely new - while keeping its soul intact.

“It’s been an idea that’s been stewing in my brain for over a decade,” said Stork, who first worked on Cats as associate director 11 years ago. “I remember thinking, ‘What if Victoria arrived to the Jellicle Ball on a moonbeam of silks?’” Though that version wasn’t possible at the time, Stork held onto the concept and brought it forward when the opportunity to direct Cats returned.

The idea grew organically. “Each act could be a circus act,” Stork explained. “A circus is a pageant where it’s one entertainment after another - just like Cats!” As the concept developed, it became clear that the show’s lyrics and structure naturally supported this reinterpretation. “There’s a lyric that says, ‘We can balance on bars, we can walk on a wire,’ and it just lined up.”

Once the idea was approved for the season, Stork’s first call was to Hernandez-DiStasi, founder of Chicago’s Actors Gymnasium and a leading figure in circus choreography. Her reaction? “Why hasn’t anybody thought about this before?” she said. “It was brilliant—and Trent had such a clear vision. That makes my job easier.”

The collaboration quickly expanded. “We started to formulate the different acts and ideas,” said Stork. “At Paramount, we have an amazing team that just kept saying yes as we went down the process.”

Hernandez-DiStasi called the experience “one of the biggest productions I’ve ever worked on,” comparing it to the Ringling Brothers in terms of scale. “There were so many options available on stage. It was exciting to watch it come together,” she said.

Casting such a show required a rare blend of skills. “Cats already demands top-tier singing and dancing,” said Hernandez-DiStasi. “Now we needed performers who also had circus training.” Luckily, many came from her own backyard - the Actors Gymnasium. “I didn’t even know some of them could sing and dance at that level. But they could, and did.”

Stork took a methodical approach to casting. “I made a PowerPoint,” he said, “breaking each cat down into percentages of circus, singing, and dancing needs.” From there, he worked with Danielson, Hernandez-DiStasi, and choreographer Kasey Alfonso to find performers who could cover every base.

For Danielson, adapting the music was a balance of precision and flexibility. “We fit everything within the confines of the existing score,” he explained. “There were a few moments where we added a fermata or repeated bars, but mostly the circus performers adapted to the timing already in place.”

While Cats has a reputation for being plot-light, it’s also rich in musical and choreographic complexity. “The score already has so much spectacle - it lent itself to the circus vision without us having to do much,” said Danielson. “I was really impressed by how precisely the performers were able to time their tricks.”

Still, the creative team knew they were walking a line between innovation and expectation. “People come in with certain expectations,” said Stork. “There’s a very specific look and feel to Cats. We wanted to honor that, but also give it our own spin. And that’s what we love to do at Paramount.”

The production features performers suspended in the air, dance numbers with circus apparatuses, and a set that transports audiences beyond the junkyard. But the core remains the same. “It’s about being transported,” said Stork. “Leaving your worries for a couple of hours.”

For Hernandez-DiStasi, the goal is simple: “I just want people to feel good. I want them to forget the world for two hours and smile.”

Danielson agreed. “There’s real emotional weight for people who’ve grown up with Cats,” he said. “My mom saw it opening night and cried. I finally got to watch it from the audience the other day, and it took my breath away.”