ON THE EVE OF CATS' 30TH ANNIVERSARY BWW TALKS TO JASON WISE

 

On May 11^th, 1981 Andrew Lloyd Webber first brought his magical musical, CATS, to a theater in London's West End District where it promptly made itself at home - for the next 21 years.  It hit Broadway the following year and now, "the mystical divinity of unashamed felinity" that is CATS will be celebrating its 30^th anniversary this week at San Francisco's Orpheum Theater, now through May 15th.

As most people know by now, T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," was the inspiration for the show.  Its delightful poems about all manner of cats caught the eye of Lloyd Webber who began playing with the idea of setting the poems to music.  He wound up creating a magical world of feline felicity and ferociousness and ultimately forgiveness and redemption that has captured the hearts of millions. Literally, millions.

As T.S. Eliot and Lloyd Webber will tell you, all cats have three names.  Their every day name, their fancy name and the one name that only the cat himself "knows and will never confess."  The "Naming of Cats" song began what would eventually become the "longest running, North American touring production in history."

The original cast is now in their 50's or so, while most of the members of the new cast were just, well, kittens, when the show first opened. 

Broadway World interviewed one such cast member who was ten when CATS first captured his heart. 

Alas for us, we were not able to get his special cat name out of him, but Jason (his ordinary name), who plays Tumblebrutus (his fancy name), was gracious enough to answer a few other questions for us!

BroadwayWorld (BWW):  Jason, you first fell in love with CATS eleven years ago when you were ten years old.  You were already singing, dancing and acting then, but did you think the show would be around long enough for you to be in it?

JASON: You know what?  I absolutely did because I don't think I understood the logistics that shows actually close. Not to mention, that cryptic (and fascinatingly so) slogan, Now and Forever. It was a promise to a 10-year-old's heart.

BWW:  How exciting is it for you to be involved in CATS on its 30^th anniversary?

JASON:  In the theater community, it's not a rarity to see "CATS" on a resume, so to say that I did the 30th Anniversary performance makes me feel like I have a special little CATS gem that not everybody who has done the show has.

BWW:  How has the show changed from when you first saw it in 2000? 

JASON:  That's the glorious thing. It absolutely hasn't. And this is coming from the Super-fan in me, not the CATS dancer. Obviously, it is a tour so everything has to be able to fit into tractor trailers, but if you were to walk into the Winter Garden Theater on Broadway 25 years ago, and purchase a ticket for CATS - you would be seeing the same show that you'll see at the Orpheum in San Francisco this week.

BWW:  In CATS all the elements of live theater coalesce and come together to create something magical and moving.  Is there a moment in the show when you can feel that the magic has wrapped itself around an audience?

JASON: There is no show curtain at CATS, so I think the immersion into our world begins the moment the audience member arrives to be seated. Sometimes I'll sneak a peek at the audience if I'm ready early, and instead of looking through their Playbills or going to the bathroom, I see them walking up to the front of the orchestra and pointing out different items on the set. Then, when the house lights drop, we add in haze and strobe lights; the famous "spaceship" is rising to the most haunting overture you've ever heard and the felines begin to make their entrance down the aisle. By the time the opening number begins, and we're out on stage dancing to "Jellicle Songs," their jaws are usually dropped and you can cut the tension with a knife. They have been completely transported and somehow it seems to last the entire 2 and a half hours of the show.

BWW:  Does the magic still happen for you as well?

JASON:  It always will. I am still finding things on the set I have never seen, I am still noticing lighting that I have never seen, I still look at the costumes (even my own) and notice things I've never seen.  I still stare at everyone's make up.

BWW:  When does it start for you?  On stage?

JASON:  My magic starts when I sit down to do my makeup. I love looking in the mirror, taking a deep breath, and watching my own transformation. It takes about 20-25 minutes to do the face, so that gives you time to really focus on (as funny as this sounds) becoming a feline. On days that I'm already feeling feline, I blast Rufus Does Judy or Gypsy to get me in the mood.

 BWW: How do you think playing Tumblebrutus has shaped you? 

JASON:  Shaped me? Well, my shirts fit much tighter, and my legs have never looked better. I'm joking.

BWW:  I think audience members would agree with that!  What is Tumblebrutus like and how are you  like him?

JASON:  CATS enthusiasts know that the characters in the musical are really divided into two categories, there are the adult cats, and there are the kittens. Tumblebrutus is right in the middle. He's a teenage heartthrob, juvenile delinquent and the ultimate bad boy – frisky, disobedient and puckish. Think Bart Simpson. He is always flipping around and walking on his hands showing off for the girls, and always testing his limits to see how much trouble he can get away with before the adults reprimand him.

I think we are alike in the playful sense. I think we both can be very cheeky. I suppose we are more alike than we are different. In real life, I'm always playing pranks on the girls on the tour bus, and scaring them in their dressing room. Just ask Jordan Dunlap (Victoria). My pranks are harmless, but I think Tumblebrutus has far more fun. 

BWW:  How long have you been playing the part?

JASON:  I'll give you the statistics, because that's way more fun. 6 eye infections from the make-up, 2 stress fractures, 1 busted knee, 1 lost toe nail, 1 ruptured disc, 49 States, 6 Countries, around 175 cities, 5,000 Venti Skinny Vanilla Lattes, and 2 zip lock bags full of room keys. That adds up to two years.

BWW:  Those are some amazing stats!  Okay, Jason – confession time.  How much CATS memorabilia do you have? 

JASON:  I am so embarrassed to answer this question, but there is an enormous cardboard box in my parent's attic in Upstate New York that is labeled "Jason's CATS Stuff." When I did the show in Colombia, I'm going to admit that I dug through the trash in the lobby after the show to grab some of the ticket stubs. They were so cool!  They had the CATS logo printed on them, and the ticket prices were in pesos. I wanted to have something foreign.

BWW:  What is your most prized CATS possession?

JASON:  My most prized possession would have to be the Original Cast Album on LP that I found at a second hand store for three dollars. I have had everyone that I have worked on the show with sign it. No pun intended, but it has become a complete record of everyone who was a part of my "Jellicle" life. I think it's something I will cherish forever. Also, I have a piece of the actual CATS set from the Winter Garden that is very special to me because I know it has seen the blood, sweat, and tears of hundreds of dancers.

BWW:   What's next for you?

JASON: In terms of the immediate future, my dream is to be a true New York gypsy. Agents and teachers have never understood that about me. I want to do as many shows in the chorus as I can. I did not go into this to be a star.  I did not go into this for the money and I did not go into this for the fame. My passion comes from show choreography. The stars rarely get to dance (Sutton, you're the exception). So for now look for me third from the left, hopefully dancing on a big dime or as a giant fork, and in 10 years look for me behind the table.

BWW:  Jason, thank you so much for talking with BroadwayWorld.  We wish you and the 30^th Anniversary tour of CATS a great run now and forever!

 

Cats
Wednesday-Sunday, May 5-15, 7:30 p.m. (Sun. 6 p.m.) with 1 p.m. matinee performances Wed., Sat. and Sun. $30-$150
San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre

www.shnsf.com

Cast Photo Courtesy of Joan Marcus

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