Three times ascended through the Heaviside Layer. A rare three-peat, as it were, and rarer still that this Cat has only ever played one role…are we ready to meet Demeter?
Erin, it’s such a pleasure to see you again! Welcome back! And thank you for joining us! And this is officially your third time performing as Demeter with Bambi in Cats. Why keep throwing your hat into the ring for this show?
Erin McArthur: So number one, I will follow Bambi anywhere. Number two, when you’ve done it so many times, it has become a part of my soul at this point, it’s part of my muscle movement, so it’s easy to remember. I have two kids at home and a lot going on so doing something that’s familiar is quite fun for me because I get to keep building on that character. And also Demeter, I’m realizing, each and every time— as Bambi was mentioning before— is an intensified version of who I am. She’s a little neurotic and constantly overthinking things and worried. Sadly, there are parts of me that are like that too. So it’s really easy to channel those intensified parts of her into this role.
This is incredible. You played Demeter in 2016, then again in 2022 at Tidewater Players, and now here you are with Demeter in 2024 at Cockpit in Court. How would you say that your Demeter has progressed or evolved through the years? What is different for her this time around?
Erin: I would say she’s a lot stronger. One of the things that has been really cool— and this is like a side tangent, but it’s the first thing that popped into my head. This has been a very uniquely wonderful experience working alongside three different Bombs (Bombalurina… in 2016 Darby McLaughlin; in 2022 Lindsey McCumber; in 2024 Lizzie Detar) because they are such an iconic duo, that’s a very large part of it and they complement each other. And each one of these other ladies brings something different to Bomb. Even though those two cats, Demeter and Bomb, have their personas from the original casting, you still have to work within that duo with those three individual people who are portraying them slightly different to create the dynamic relationship that Demeter and Bomb have, so feeding off of that is fun each time and challenging too. That has definitely made me a stronger Demeter each and every time. Tackling that, playing into that, how I get to complement Bomb as Demeter depending on which Bomb I’m playing with, and I’m finding something brand new each and every time I play her.
I love getting to hear this and what a truly unique experience that must be for you! Now, has what it means to you to be a Jellicle Cat changed at all from the last time I asked you what does it mean to be a Jellicle Cat?
Erin: I really feel like I’m going to cry here— and I’m so sorry— but I think the answer is yes. You know how the show has no real plot, well, it’s a very loose plot, but the cats, they come back every year to choose someone, and I guess I get to come back and do exactly what it is that they’re telling the story of— and I get to do that. It’s pretty cool. I think I stated in older interviews that I’ve been peaking out from behind furniture since I was a little kid, watching Cats on TV, the original film, and I thought my answer was going to be, “no, I embrace it in the same way” except I think it’s really cool to keep coming back, to keep getting to dance and sing and tell our stories of Cats together. And then seeing who’s going to get chosen. One of these days it might even be Demeter! I wasn’t expecting to go deep with it or cry about it, but it’s just such a special experience for me.
I think it’s beautiful that your passion for this show and this experience— all three of these experiences with Bambi and Cats— is so strong and so intense and I think that makes you all the more suited for the role and the production.
Erin: You’re going to make me cry some more! Thank you!
Do you have cats at home? I cannot remember what you said the last time.
Erin: I don’t. I had a cat when I was younger, at my parents’ house. And there were a couple, my cousin had a couple and we lived close to them, so I was around cats and with cats but I don’t have cats and I’m not a cat person. I have one doggie and kids. Ollie—
Oh yes, Ollivander, named after Harry Potter. I think I do remember you saying that, now that I think about it.
Erin: Good memory!
And the two kids are older now?
Erin: Yes, Kaylee is nine now and Caleb is six. I think I only had Kaylee for the Cats in 2016 and by 2022 I had both Kaylee and Caleb.
I like that this has been a progression of Cats and kids. 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 Demeter and has it changed from whatever we thought they were calling her two years ago?
Erin: No…because she doesn’t really have humans. Demeter is definitely a cat who was owned once but it was not a good experience. We don’t even know who they are, we don’t like to think about them, it was a bad experience. Now she has a collar, because she was owned in a very bad situation. If humans saw her on the street, they’d probably just refer to her as ‘cat’ or ‘go-away-cat’ or something like that.
Got it. What has been your big personal takeaway from this experience with Cats in 2024?
Erin: Like I said in how I am very much like Demeter, I overthink things, I have a lot of imposter syndrome. The fact that Bambi has invited me— and I’m going to cry again, and I really don’t mean to— three times to the Jellicle Ball? Is really helpful for my confidence and soul. And it helps me see a version of me that I don’t always see.
This came up in a feature interview I was doing with Bambi, actually, and she said she can’t ever see anybody else as Demeter.
Erin: Oh gosh! Wow. At every single audition, every time it comes around, I hear myself saying, “She’s going to find a more perfect person, someone better” and I have to tell myself it’s okay because I’ve done it twice and it’s fine, or I’ve done it once and it’s fine. But she keeps inviting me back and that is so very special to me. I’m humbled and honored and it is just so, so very special to me.
I love that for you. I love that for both of you. And I, come July 19th, will have seen you perform all three times as Demeter in Bambi’s Cats— I’m to the point where I do think we should just call ALW and ask him, like a Disney show, can it just be: Bambi’s Cats— and I am very much looking forward to seeing what magic you bring to the stage this time around. Now clearly Bambi is very special to you as well. What has it been like getting to return to the Jellicle Ball with her this time around?
Erin: As always, with Bambi Johnson, it’s magical.
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?
Erin: You’ve sucked all the emotion out of me. I don’t have any more words for you. Let’s just say— wait, that’s not one word…I was going to say ‘continually iconic’ that it continues to be exactly what it is. The magic continues. I don’t think there’s a noun version of iconic? The iconicness of it continues. I know I’ve butchered your question here. But it’s so amazing how she has taken the same show, put it into production three different times and it’s still uniquely different each time. With different people in different roles, the same show, but a different experience each time. It continues to be different and fun and magical.
You get a pass on your one word summary because this is eight years and three productions of Cats I think you’re trying to sum up and I don’t think Bambi could have said it better.
Erin: Thank you so much. Please come see Cats!
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:
