Michelle Carter, who plays Jennyanydots, talks to the News-Press about the impact of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical
From left, “Cats” features Michelle Carter as Jennyanydots, Lauren Louis as Demeter, Chelsea Nicole Mitchell as Bombalurina and Kayli Jamison as Jellylorum.
The American Theatre Guild will present the popular musical “Cats” as part of the “Broadway In Santa Barbara” series at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17 and 18 at The Granada, 1214 State St.
“Cats” was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and is based on T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.” The record-breaking musical has captivated audiences in more than 30 countries and 15 languages, and it is now on tour across North America.
“The show at its crux is all the kitties who have gathered together on what is essentially kitty Christmas Eve,” said Michelle Carter, who has been performing as Jennyanydots in “Cats” since August 2021. “The cats assemble to decide which cat will ascend to a higher level of being.
“Jennyanydots is the first one up for contention in her initial song-and-dance number where she is vying for herself,” Ms. Carter told the News-Press. “She is significant personally because there aren’t any other roles like her, especially involving tap in musical theater, particularly for females.
“The character (Jennyanydots) is super confident, boisterous, bossy and doesn’t care what others think of her,” Michelle Carter told the News-Press about her character in “Cats.” “I feel like that character has translated into my personal life and has given me a lot of confidence back that I probably lost due to the pandemic.”
“She is not, unfortunately, chosen to ascend,” Ms. Carter said. “However, she does help introduce several other characters that she has personal relationships with.”
She described Jennyanydots further.
“The character is super confident, boisterous, bossy and doesn’t care what others think of her. I feel like that character has translated into my personal life and has given me a lot of confidence back that I probably lost due to the pandemic,” said Ms. Carter.
“During the pandemic, it was hard for me to sit around for a year,” she said. “For me personally, I tie self-worth to the jobs I get. Whether or not we are able to do our craft speaks volumes to how we feel about ourselves.”
The News-Press asked Ms. Carter about the significance of the musical’s iconic song “Memories.”
“I think it goes back to the themes of the show,” Ms. Carter said. “The song encompasses the major themes of the show: longing to be accepted and yearning to fit in with people you care about. I think that is a very universal thing that everyone will encounter in their lives. Because of the song’s fame, a lot of people don’t realize there is a cat singing it.”
Ms. Carter spoke to the impact of “Cats” on musical theater.
“It was sort of the original ensemble dance show,” she said. “It introduced a new quality of movement on Broadway. Dance was a certain way in the 80s.
“ ‘Cats’ gave musical theater creators permission to branch out into other things. There wouldn’t be a ‘Newsies’, a ‘Hamilton’ or a lot of other things if there wasn’t a ‘Cats,’ ” she said.
Ms. Carter explained how audiences are impacted by “Cats.”
“I can say first off, the most special part of being in this piece is that we have so many young audience members,” she said. “For many, it is their first theater experience. I love being on the opposite end of seeing their eyes light up.
“At its crux, ‘Cats’ is about forgiveness, acceptance and wanting to be accepted by people,” Ms. Carter said. “That is a universal theme that everyone can relate to whether felines are on stage or not.”
Since its world premiere, “Cats” has been seen by more than 75 million people worldwide. Originally directed by Trevor Nunn with choreography and associate direction by Gillian Lynne, “Cats” opened in London’s West End in 1981.
The original Broadway production opened in 1982 at New York City’s Winter Garden Theatre, where it ran for 7,485 performances and 18 years.
“Cats,” which won the Tony for best musical, held the title of longest-running musical in Broadway history until it was surpassed in 2006 by Mr. Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera.”
The original Broadway production closed on Sept. 10, 2000 and is currently the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history.
“Our production is the part that is unique,” Ms. Carter told the News-Press. “We are remounting the 2019 Broadway revival version of ‘Cats.’ The choreography is by Andy Blankenbuehler, who won the Tony-award for his choreography of ‘Hamilton.’”
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
FYI
The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Cats” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17 and 18 at The Granada,
1214 State St., Santa Barbara.
Tickets start at $55 and can be purchased at americantheatreguild.com/santabarbara or by calling
1-805-899-2222. Group ticket savings for 10+ are available by contacting Groups@ATGuild.org.
