Cathy Rigby is Seussical's New Cat
The next Cat in the Hat in Broadway’s Seussical will be Cathy Rigby, an inside source confirmed to Broadway.com.
Of course, former Olympic champion Rigby is no stranger to the Broadway stage. She was nominated for a Tony Award in 1991 for her performance in the title role of the 35th anniversary return of Peter Pan, a production that came back to Broadway in 1999 and also toured the country extensively. Other theatrical credits include The Wizard of Oz, Annie Get Your Gun, Meet Me in St. Louis, South Pacific, Paint Your Wagon, They're Playing Our Song and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. As a gymnast, Rigby participated in both the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics. She became the first American woman to win a medal in World Gymnastics competition and holds 12 medals in international gymnastics competition, eight of them gold.
Although Seussical has consistently struggled following negative reviews, the show enjoyed a shot in the arm when Rosie O’Donnell took on the role of the Cat in the Hat for a limited time in January and February while original Cat David Shiner took a vacation. Although O’Donnell has publicly announced plans to return to the role in April, no official announcement has been made yet. Also no word yet on the exact dates for Rigby’s Seussical stint, or what Rigby’s casting means for Shiner. Stay tuned.