How does Mr. Mistoffelees fit into the plot?
He’s kind of the lead dancer. He’s a magical cat. The show’s villain kidnaps the leader of the tribe and they call upon Mistoffelees to use his powers to conjure back the villain. He kind of saves the day. One of the staples of “Cats’” has always been the elaborate costumes. How long does it take you to get in and out of all that makeup? The whole process takes about an hour and a half. There are makeup plots that are copyrighted and very specific that we have to follow. And they do teach us how to do our own makeup. I actually had to have mine corrected recently because the branches of my eyebrows were at the wrong angle. It can be difficult sometimes because the wigs cause what we call “bacon strips,” which are red side burns. You constantly remember that you’re in “Cats” when you look in the mirror. [Laughs] But I think all of it is a good thing. It’s hard not to have all that on and not act like a cat, it helps build the character. I consider those two hours my character developmen
