{"podcast":{"title":"The Wrong Cat Died","slug":"the-wrong-cat-died-1185529","podcast_index_feed_id":1185529,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/thewrongcatdied","website_url":"http://TheWrongCatDied.com","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/bb12282e-b59f-11e9-a924-17817bb35b1c/image/0e8f73306f186d98bdb59c486e098d6d.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Broadway Podcast Network","episode_count":290,"summary":"Grizabella was the wrong cat to die. After seeing CATS the Musical for the first time in July of 2016, podcast host Mike Abrams was filled with a whirlwind of emotions. He was amused, confused, and a little angry. Almost exactly three years later when the 2019 CATS movie trailer came out, Mike had enough. It was time to speak his truth – Grizabella was the wrong Cat to Die at the Jellicle Ball. In this podcast, Mike interviews CATS cast members, CATS superfans, CATS haters, and explores the backstories of the Jellicle characters all to make a case for why they were more worthy to ascend to the Heaviside Layer than Grizabella.Part of the Broadway Podcast Network.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-09T14:18:19.333709+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-wrong-cat-died-1185529"},"episode":{"title":"Ep253 - Dudney Joseph Jr., Munkustrap in CATS: The Jellicle Ball","slug":"ep253-dudney-joseph-jr-munkustrap-in-cats-the-jellicle-ball","published_at":"2026-05-12T04:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-wrong-cat-died-1185529/ep253-dudney-joseph-jr-munkustrap-in-cats-the-jellicle-ball","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-wrong-cat-died-1185529","url":"https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/podcasts/the-wrong-cat-died/","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/BPNET6842482378.mp3?updated=1777301309","summary":"“I think that the magic that MCs create and where they're able to activate someone. I think that's a gift and it's really incredible.”” This episode features Dudney Joseph Jr. who is currently performing as Munkustrap in Cats: The Jellicle Ball at the Broadhurst Theatre. Dudney shares his first exposure to CATS via VHS in Buffalo, roles he once imagined playing, and how the production grew through workshops into a Broadway transfer. Dudney explains blending musical theater narration with ballroom MC responsibilities, learning to “take up space,” and developing the Legend Statements and Stars (LSS) curtain-call chants, an idea he voice-noted to Zhailon after the Lincoln Center workshop, then built under tight timing at the PAC before it went viral. He discusses changes from the PAC to Broadway, collaborating with creatives to honor both Cats’ legacy and ballroom culture, and working alongside ballroom icons like Junior LaBeija and Leiomy, including how they supported and informed his performance. Dudney also created a custom “Wrong Cat Died” chant for a podcast curtain call. 01:00 Introduction to CATS 04:26 Jellicle Ball Workshops 07:01 Building Munkustrap as MC 11:12 Creating the Curtain Call Chants 23:19 From PAC to Broadway 28:45 Ballroom Meets CATS 38:11 Why You Should Go 44:00 Rapid Fire Check out Dudney on Instagram: ⁠@dudney_jr Check out CATS: The Jellicle Ball on Social Media: @catsjellicleball Check out CATS: The Jellicle Ball: ⁠⁠⁠⁠catsthejellicleball.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alan Seales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Broadway Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social Media: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheWrongCatDied Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"“I think that the magic that MCs create and where they're able to activate someone. I think that's a gift and it's really incredible.”” This episode featu…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3444,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-wrong-cat-died-1185529/episodes/ep253-dudney-joseph-jr-munkustrap-in-cats-the-jellicle-ball/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-wrong-cat-died-1185529/ep253-dudney-joseph-jr-munkustrap-in-cats-the-jellicle-ball.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}