Video: André De Shields Talks Collaboration Between Theatre Artists and Ballroom Community in CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL

Tony Award winner André De Shields stopped by CBS New York on Tuesday to discuss the current reimagining of Cats: The Jellicle Ball Off-Broadway.

Shields says the new production is a "magical collaboration between those of us who consider ourselves legitimate performers and the Ballroom community."

He added that he and his collaborators bring "a radical courage, a radical resilience, and radical joy" to Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musical.

"There's a lot of mythology [in the show] about how you can get along by not judging and allowing people to be who they say they are and how authentic they want to be," he told CBS.

The production is running at PAC NYC through August 11, 2024. Performances began on June 13, 2024.

Watch the full interview!

About CATS: The Jellicle Ball

The company includes Baby (Victoria), Jonathan Burke (Mungojerrie), Emma Sofia Caymares (Skimbleshanks), Tara Lashan Clinkscales (Ensemble), André De Shields  (Old Deuteronomy), Shelby Griswold (Understudy), Sydney James Harcourt (Rum Tum Tugger), Antwayn Hopper (Macavity) Dava Huesca (Rumpleteazer), Dudney Joseph Jr. (Munkustrap), Capital Kaos (DJ), Junior LaBeija (Gus), Dominique Lee (Understudy); Robert "Silk" Mason(Mistoffelees), “Tempress” Chasity Moore (Grizabella), Shereen Pimentel (Jellylorum), Primo (Tumblebrutus), Xavier Reyes (Jennyanydots),  Nora Schell(Bustopher Jones), Bebe Nicole Simpson (Demeter), Kendall G. Stroud (Understudy), Frank Viveros (Ensemble), Garnet Williams (Bombalurina) and Teddy Wilson Jr. (Sillabub).

This production will be a radical reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic dance musical Cats based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot.  Inspired by the Ballroom culture that roared out of New York City over 50 years ago and still rages on runways around the world, it will be staged as a spectacularly immersive competition directed by Zhailon Levingston (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Chicken & Biscuits) and PAC NYC Artistic Director Bill Rauch (All the Way), with all new Ballroom and club beats, runway ready choreography, and an edgy eleganza makeover.  Come one, come all, and celebrate the joyous transformation of self at the heart of Cats and Ballroom culture itself.

The creative team includes Directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Choreographers Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles, Rachel Hauck (Scenic Design), Qween Jean (Costume Design), Adam Honoré (Lighting Design), Kai Harada (Sound Design), Brittany Bland (Projection Design), Nikiya Mathis (Hair/Wig Design), William Waldrop (Music Supervision and Music Direction), David Lai (Music Coordinator), Trevor Holder (Beats Arrangement), Capital Kaos(Ballroom Consultant), Josephine Kearns (Dramaturg & Gender Consultant),  X Casting/ Victor Vazquez CSA, and Sujotta R. Pace CSA (Casting).