They put a spell on you… wait— that’s not a stage musical (either). But these witchy cats could totally be a part of that stage show…when it becomes a stage show. You met Coricopat this morning…now it’s time to meet the other half of the Psychic Kitty Cat duo…
Thank you for joining us! Tell us who you are and who you play!
Lisa Rigsby Geiger: I’m Lisa and I am Tantomile.
Tell me about Tantomile!
Lisa: Tantomile is one of the psychic twin cats. We can sense when things are coming…like we can sense when Old Deuteronomy is coming… or when Macavity is coming.
That’s exciting. How are you and Tantomile similar or different?
Lisa: So, similar, I am a twin in real life. So is that type casting? I don’t know! But it’s very easy to play this character for me. And I’m happy with Anthony, who plays my ESP Twin, Coricopat.
That’s awesome. Now why did you want to come out and audition to be a part of Cats?
Lisa: Bambi Johnson! I saw her last show of Cats at Tidewater (Cats at Tidewater Players, Fall 2022.) and she made me a Cats lover. I owned a cat, so I’m that kind of cat-lover already, but as far as the show goes? I liked the music before but seeing her version of the show was so great!
And this is not your first Bambi show, correct?
Lisa: No it is not. It’s my second. I just did Oliver! (Tidewater Players, Oliver! May 2024) with her and it was just the most amazing experience, she made it so magical and made the story what it really should be and I’m really excited that I get to work with her again. So far Cats has been pretty magical with her, I really love getting to work with her.
And you’re a dancer?
Lisa: Yes. I’m a dancer but I’m not a young sprite dancer anymore. I do learn. Eventually. We are definitely all on different experience levels as far as dancers go but Bambi makes it work for all of us, which is really fantastic.
Couldn’t agree more. What does it mean to you to be a Jellicle Cat?
Lisa: A Jellicle Cat. You have to be worthy of joining all the other cats in the clowder and coming to the Jellicle Ball. Of course your hope is to be chosen to go to the Heaviside Layer, once you are eligible for that.
Now, it’s my understanding that you do not currently have a cat.
Lisa: No, I do not. But the one I did have was amazing. He had such a great personality and he was always dressed to impress…because he was a tuxedo cat. He was called Eeyore. From the Winnie The Pooh series.
He sounds so very sweet. But now we have…Snowball? Who is not a cat?
Lisa: Snowball is very much not a cat. He is a hurricane of a dog. So, we’re going back to Pekes & The Pollicles.
Snowball is 100% a hurricane of a dog. But a very cute hurricane. Now, 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 Tantomile?
Lisa: Tantomile is Riggles-Giggles.
What has been your big personal takeaway from getting to be a part of this experience?
Lisa: I’ve learned so much from Bambi. And I’m learning that you can always grow as a dancer and as a performer. Bambi brings the best out of you.
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?
Lisa: That’s a really tough question! But the first thing that comes to mind is ‘incredible.’
Cats plays July 19th 2024 through August 3rd 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:
