Musical

Cats

January 16-19, 2025 at the Victoria Theatre
Tickets on sale via Dayton Live beginning November 12, 2024

“The clever twist is that it’s a collection of very human stories – funny, entertaining, moving,” said producer Douglas Merk. “The performers and creative team inevitably ‘muse-ify’ all of our shows and we’re eager to interpret these songs and dances in a way that feels current and emphasizes great characters and storytelling and a fresh visual approach.”

Director Joe Deer added, “Cats is the perfect Muse Machine musical because it has dozens of great roles that can be tailored to special talents of each performer. The ensemble will be more integrated into the show than ever. I can’t wait to see what the company makes of this landmark show. This will be a Cats unlike any production you’ve seen!”

Choreographer Lula Elzy and visiting guest choreographer Kevin Gaudin elevate Cats to new heights!

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the next Muse Machine musical be announced?

You may watch the announcement via the link above.

What are the next musical performance dates?

The 2024-25 musical will run Thurs, Jan 16 – Sun, Jan 19, 2025 at the Victoria Theatre. Public tickets for this performance swill be available via Dayton Live beginning mid November.

How may I audition and when do they occur?

You may reserve an audition appointment online beginning in late August. Links will be posted on this page to reserve an audition appointment. For planning purposes, these are the tentative audition dates for the upcoming musical:
• Auditions: Sept 23-29, 2024 (students will schedule an appointment for one session on one of these days)
• Round 1 Callback Auditions for Selected Male Characters: Mon, Sept 30, 2024, 4:30-9:30pm
• Round 1 Callback Auditions for Selected Female Characters: Tues, Oct 1, 2024, 4:30-9:30pm
• Round 2 Callback Auditions for Selected Performers: Wed, Oct 2, 2024, 4:30-9:30pm

What grade levels may audition?

Grades 8-12 may audition for any Muse musical. Often, students in lower grades also have an opportunity to audition (it depends on the show selected — whether the younger grades participate will be clarified in early August). This year, grades 3-7 may also audition.

What do I prepare for auditions?

Shortly after the show is announced, links are provided with detailed info about exactly what you should prepare. In short, for a cast audition you select and prepare your own brief monologue and song segment. There is nothing to prepare in advance for the dance audition. There is less to prepare for auditions for students in grades 2-7. You will also find info pages for orchestra auditions and production assistant interviews — we’ll help to make it easy!

Do I need to be a Muse Machine member to audition?

Middle school and high school students must be a member of Muse Machine to audition. Muse “membership” doesn’t exist for elementary school students, so it is not a requirement for those performers.

How do I become a Muse Machine student member?

In most cases, you may join through this page on our website. Be patient, most school links will become available in July, August or September. If your school doesn’t participate in Muse and is not on that list, scroll down that page to “my school is not on the list” and you may join Muse directly there. You may join for the 2024-25 season beginning in August 2024.

When and how often do you rehearse?

This is difficult to answer because it is different for different members of the cast. Usually, rehearsals occur from 4:30-8:30pm Mon-Thurs, 10am-5pm on Sat and noon-5pm on Sun. However, only certain performers will be needed at each rehearsal, so there may be weeks when many students are only needed one or two days. Rehearsals begin in mid October and run through the performances in January, with breaks for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Most of our performers are also in shows at their schools, other orchestras, play sports, etc, and we make every effort to be flexible around students’ other school commitments and to be a complementary experience.

Summer Performance

The Muse Machine Summer Concert is an original musical revue featuring a large cast of performers in grades 2-12 and many Muse alumni as well, all performing as singers, dancers or in the orchestra. The concert happens in July or early August of selected years and auditions are typically in early July, with rehearsals beginning days afterward. Tickets generally go on sale in June through Dayton Live.

A Muse concert is not scheduled for summer 2023.

You may audition for the summer concert if:
• You are an alum of Muse Machine musicals or concerts
• You were a Muse member during the preceding year
• You will be a Muse member in the upcoming year
• You are an elementary school student