Could it be? Another— *gasp* CAT!? (Well you didn’t think we’d suddenly switched to Dogs: The Musical, did you?)
Thank you for giving us some of your time today! Could you tell us who you are and who you play?
Alyssa Bell: Sure! My name is Alyssa Bell and I play Cassandra.
Tell us a little bit about Cassandra?
Alyssa: Cassandra is an Egyptian cat. She’s very aloof and sort of mysterious. She is not a fan of Grizabella. She’s a little too cool for school. But secretly she is having a lot of fun.
Now how are you and Cassandra similar or different?
Alyssa: We’re definitely different because I’m a huge dork. She’s really, really cool. It’s fun to get to play someone who is much cooler than I am and explore that side of my personality.
Why did you want to come out and audition for Cats?
Alyssa: I’ve always sort of thought of Cats as a silly show, perhaps? I didn’t really take it that seriously before. But I will admit that I was totally wrong. Bambi is a genius and I’m having a really wonderful time. It’s so fun to be in. And this group of people is very kind and supportive.
I love that. This is your first Bambi show? What’s that been like?
Alyssa: Yes. Like I said, she’s a genius! It’s been a whole lot of fun to just put complete trust into somebody who really, really loves the material. Someone once said— I believe it was Nathan (Music Director Nathan Scavilla) who said, “Bambi is to Cats as Vince Musgrave is to A Chorus Line.” (IYKYK!) To have someone who loves the material that much makes us love it just as much.
Do you consider yourself to be a dancer?
Alyssa: I would consider myself a very strong mover, perhaps. Maybe I’m underselling myself a little bit. But definitely a mover.
What does it mean to be a Jellicle Cat?
Alyssa: To be a Jellicle Cat is to give yourself over to the power of the group, of the clowder. To just be a part of a group that creates something more beautiful and bigger than ourselves.
Do you have cats at home? Tell me about your cats!
Alyssa: I do! My cat, his name is Stevie, which is short for Stephen Sondheim, naturally. One day, I thought it would be fun to get a cat named Stephen Sondheim. And five years later, he’s my little baby! He’s a gray tabby. He’s such a cute little guy.
We know that cats have three names. The name that the humans call them or their daily use name, their more dignified name, and their third, secret name that we can never know. What do you think the humans are calling Cassandra?
Alyssa: Probably Cassie.
Oh we’re not trying to throw that back to A Chorus Line at all, are we.
Alyssa: Well Charlotte d’Amboise did play Cassandra on Broadway for a bit…so it’s got some Cassie-Cassandra…I’m finding the throughline. I’m making the connections!
That’s hilarious and I love it. What has been your big personal takeaway from this experience?
Alyssa: That’s a great question. I think Cats is a lot of fun to be in. And it just feels good to just dance sometimes. To just completely give in to something completely different. Change your body language entirely to something new and it’s been fun exploring that.
If you had to sum up your experience here at Cockpit in Court with Bambi and Cats using just one word, which word would you use?
Alyssa: With Bambi specifically…exploration!
Cats plays July 19th 2024 through August 4th 2024 in the F. Scott Black Theatre of The Robert and Eleanor Romadka College Center at the Community College of Baltimore County Essex Campus— 7201 Rossville Boulevard, Essex MD. For tickets call the box office at (443) 840-2787 or purchase them online.
Follow along in the “Return to the Jellicle Ball” Series here:
