André De Shields and Junior LaBeija Team Up for ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’

André De Shields and Junior LaBeija are starring together in Cats: The Jellicle Ball, a reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical as a queer ballroom competition. De Shields plays Old Deuteronomy and LaBeija appears as Gus the Theater Cat in the Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch production, which begins previews on March 18 at the Broadhurst Theater.

De Shields recalled being startled during the Off Broadway run when an audience member shouted, “Bitch, you ate that!” — at first he thought, “Who’s calling me a bitch? Do I have to go Baltimore on them? Where’s my knife?” before realizing it was a high compliment.

De Shields, 80, who won a Tony for playing Hermes in Hadestown, and LaBeija, 68, the ballroom veteran captured in the documentary Paris Is Burning, have become touchstones for the younger cast.

de shields, junior labeija, cats, jellicle ball, old deuteronomy, gus, broadhurst theater, zhailon levingston, bill rauch, ballroom competition