{"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":"Ep257 - Isabelle McCalla, Swing in McCalla's 1998 CATS & Emma Tate in Schmigadoon!","slug":"ep257-isabelle-mccalla-swing-in-mccalla-s-1998-cats-emma-tate-in-schmigadoon","published_at":"2026-06-05T04:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-wrong-cat-died-1185529/ep257-isabelle-mccalla-swing-in-mccalla-s-1998-cats-emma-tate-in-schmigadoon","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/BPNET2831592566.mp3","summary":"“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","meta_description":"“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 Is…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2467,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"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/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/ep257-isabelle-mccalla-swing-in-mccalla-s-1998-cats-emma-tate-in-schmigadoon.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}