“In my head I think Jemima is the daughter of Bombalurina and Macavity.” This episode features Gabrielle Parker who played Jemima on the 2025 International Tour of CATS. Hear Gabrielle share how a ballet background and seeing Cats around age 10 sparked her obsession with the show and her early goal to play Victoria. She recounts auditioning soon after graduating, initially being seen for Rumpleteazer before landing Victoria, and explains how character work begins with the “three words,” including Victoria’s surprising trait of being “unselfconscious.” Gabrielle discusses later playing Jemima on tours through Korea, Taiwan, China, and Europe, including the challenge and audience reaction of singing the opening of “Moonlight” in Korean and Mandarin. She offers personal Jemima backstory theories, reflects on touring culture differences, shares memorable mishaps and emergency cover moments, and reveals she met her husband on CATS, joking about a “white cat curse.”
00:50 First Time Seeing CATS
07:18 Building Victoria and Jemima
12:08 Jemima Backstory
20:20 Singing Moonlight in New Languages
24:33 White Cat Curse Love Story
26:48 CATS Wedding Performance
31:53 Rapid Fire
- Check out Gabrielle on Instagram: @gabbyparker_
Produced by:
Alan Seales & Broadway Podcast Network
Social Media: @TheWrongCatDied
