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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-wrong-cat-died-1185529/ep257-isabelle-mccalla-swing-in-mccalla-s-1998-cats-emma-tate-in-schmigadoon
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-wrong-cat-died-1185529/ep257-isabelle-mccalla-swing-in-mccalla-s-1998-cats-emma-tate-in-schmigadoon.md
Podcast: [The Wrong Cat Died](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-wrong-cat-died-1185529)
Published: 2026-06-05T04:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/podcasts/the-wrong-cat-died/
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/BPNET2831592566.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-wrong-cat-died-1185529/episodes/ep257-isabelle-mccalla-swing-in-mccalla-s-1998-cats-emma-tate-in-schmigadoon
Duration seconds: 2467

## Resource

“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 Social Media: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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