Pop Culturalist Chats with Georgina Pazcoguin

Georgina Pazcoguin is no stranger to the stage. She has been a ballet dancer with the New York City Ballet since 2003. In 2013, she was promoted to a soloist. In 2015, she made her Broadway debut in On The Town. As Victoria the White Cat in Broadway’s revival of Cats, Georgina slinks, spins, and twirls her way across the stage. Pop Culturalist was able to catch her before rehearsal and chat about being a part of the Cats revival, and, of course, dancing.

Cats Questions

PC: Cats is a very iconic show. What has it been like being a part of that? Do you feel any pressure because it’s so iconic?
Georgina: Absolutely. I feel with any revival show, there are expectations. There are people who love the show as it was and don’t want it to change. Then, there are people who want to see a fresh take on it. I think it’s really exciting.

Personally, stepping into the role, I’ve had the opportunity to do iconic roles before with the New York City Ballet, so I’ve become accustomed to it; but this is obviously a totally different genre. You do feel like you have responsibility to carry on the legacy, but at the same time, this particular legacy is so much fun. It’s like being accepted into another huge family. Now that the show’s up and running, we have original cast members trickling in to see it. You get their experiences. You go out to sign autographs and you’ll meet someone who did the tour. A friend of mine was on her way back on the subway and ended up meeting the original Macavity.

PC: Oh! That’s so fun!

Georgina: He just happened to look at her. For instance, our set says NAP 70 for John Napier. He was like, “My set said NAP 3.” It’s such an incredible family to be a part of. It is really, really special. I’m not going to lie about that at all.

PC: It’s such a great ensemble piece. I can just imagine it’s a great thing to be part of. Now that you’ve been in the show for a little bit and embodying Victoria for awhile, is there anything that you’ve either learned about her or has come out for the character since you’ve started?
Georgina: I think the cast is finally settling into our characters and becoming more and more feline. We’re stretching the boundaries of what the felines can do on stage. I’ve learned a lot about myself during this process. This has stretched me in a number of different ways. I am a dancer first and a singer second. It’s so much singing—even the ensemble cast. That been a lesson. I’m really excited that my voice is going to get stronger because of that. I am so happy to get to show a softer side of my dancing, which is something that has not been put on display so much at New York City Ballet. I’m very happy to do a solo and to be a romantic part. These are things that I really enjoy. I like exploring this facet of my artistry. It just so happens that Cats is letting me do that. I’m very pleased.

PC: When you go back to the New York City Ballet, what is that something from your Cats experience that you’re going to take back?
Georgina: There are so many lessons that I’m going to take back to New York City Ballet. I think this is part of the reason why I took this opportunity. I needed to be fed differently for awhile; I needed some different food and some different inspiration. I think, any sort of training you do, you can always take back to the original job.

PC: Definitely. Dance, like you just said, is what you started out in. Did you ever think or dream about being on Broadway or doing the whole thing (like the singing and acting and dancing), or was dance always your original main focus?
Georgina: Originally, ballet was my goal. But now, I tend to set these seemingly impossible goals. I don’t mind striving for them. I do have those goals now. I want to continue to sing and I want to get better at acting. I want to do more musical theater. I love this community, I love this environment, I love what it teaches you. At the same time, I also love ballet. I want to continue to do ballet as long as my body can take it. Basically, I want everything!

PC: No big deal. Everything for the taking! In ballet (and I guess also out of ballet) are there particular roles that you have always dreamed of having or a particular character piece?
Georgina: In ballet, there are things I would so love to do. I would love to play the novice in Jerome Robbins’ The Cage. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to play. I do get to play Anita in West Side Story which is great. That’s a dream come true. Theater wise, any Chita Rivera role I would love to have a crack at. I also really like originating roles. I am not opposed to that at all. I don’t really match a lot of ballerinas from the past. I feel like, in the ballet world, people are always looking at, “Who’s the next Darci Kistler? Who’s the next Wendy Whelan? I don’t see myself as being the next “someone.” I want to be me. I’m open to those opportunities as well.

PC: Who would Victoria be if she were a human?
Georgina: A blend between Katharine Hepburn and Princess Diana. Katharine Hepburn because of her unselfconscious nature. Princess Diana because of her acceptance of all and her undeniable charm.

PC: In Cats, if you could play any other cat, is there one that you would like to tackle or that you think would be fun?
Georgina: I want to be Mistoffelees. I think everyone wants to do Mistoffelees at least once. Or Rum Tum Tugger. I think there could be a mean Rum Tum Tugger like one time.

PC: Do you have a ritual before or after each performance to unwind and rest?
Georgina: All the girls are in a larger dressing room. We love it. We’re such a family. One of my close friends, Sara Jean Ford (she plays Jellylorum), we have what we’re now dubbing among the cast as a “cool-down cocktail.” It takes a little bit of time to get out of the wig and the make-up. After a show, you chug your coconut water. (We all insist on staying hydrated.) We have a little bar here and I do like vibe gin after the show. Sara and I sit here and talk about real life. She’s a single mom and I’m a single woman in New York. We share hilarious dating stories. It’s something I look forward to after the show. It takes us back into reality because Cats is such a weird land. It’s such suspended reality. It’s fun to be there but it’s also really important to leave Victoria at the theater and become me again.

PC: In all of the roles you’ve had in dance, whether it’s in Cats or the other Broadway stuff you’ve done, what has been your favorite all-time role?
Georgina: I’m really loving Victoria right now—not just because I’m in the show. I’m loving her because she is very much the antithesis of myself. It really is a transformation. In an interview I did earlier, they had only seen pictures of me as Victoria. When I showed up as myself, they thought I looked nothing like the person in the costume. I think that’s a good thing? Hopefully they’re not thinking I look ugly! I’ve always liked being a completely different character than myself on stage. I find I can open a part of my soul that I would normally keep reserved in meeting someone—roles like Anita where I get to play a totally different character than myself; those are things I truly enjoy.

PC: Has there been one person in the field that you’ve looked up to as a role model since you began?
Georgina: I’ve been so fortunate to have so many people come into my life and be mentors in a sense. I think someone I speak of and miss terribly everyday (because he’s no longer with us) is a good friend of mine—Albert Evans. He was a principal dancer at New York City Ballet. He came into work every day like it was a new day, no matter what crazy stuff happened yesterday. At City Ballet, or here on Broadway in this particular art form, crazy stuff happens all the time. Some of it good—some bad; sometimes you might go home and cry. There have been so many times I’ve wanted to quit ballet altogether. I knew Albert would be there if I called him. He would be the one to say, “Put on your big girl pants and do the work.” I think I attribute a lot of my tenacity to him, and also to my parents. My family has been very supportive of me in this entire process. I can’t leave them out in this.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: What is your favorite book?
Georgina: I am a science fiction nerd. I recently finished the Fionavar Tapestry. I loved that. Any science fiction novel you can get me …

PC: What is your favorite play or musical?
Georgina: I grew up with Cats. I should say Cats because I’m in it. It’s definitely one of them. I really love the new game changing musicals like Hamilton. I think asking the audience to participate and be involved is a fantastic idea.

PC: What is your guilty pleasure movie or television show?
Georgina: I am really into Scandal right now. I know I’m six or seven years behind on that. Scandal and Damages—that’s how much TV I watch.

PC: Is there anything that people would be surprised to find in your music collection?
Georgina: There’s a lot of classic rock. I’m a huge classic rock fan. There’s a lot of A/C D/C Bon Scott. I had the biggest crush on Bon Scott ever. It’s ridiculous. I think it’s also well-known that I’m a huge Michael Jackson fan.

Photo Credit: Matt Murphy