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# 5 minutes with a Tony nominee: ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’’s Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch
- URL: https://www.broadwaynews.com/5-minutes-with-a-tony-nominee-cats-the-jellicle-balls-zhailon-levingston-and-bill-rauch/
- Published: 2026-05-31T12:00:57.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-31T12:00:57.000Z
- Description: The co-directors have completely reimagined the 1980s musical for today.
- Author: Ruthie Fierberg
- Tags: Podcast, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, News, Zhailon Levingston, Bill Rauch, 2026 Tony Awards Spotlight, 5 minutes with a Tony nominee, Closer Look

Co-directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch teamed up for the first time to revive “Cats” as “Cats: The Jellicle Ball.” Both are accomplished directors. Levingston is an Obie Award winner and made his Broadway directorial debut with “Chicken & Biscuits.” Rauch has shepherded large ensemble plays like “All the Way” and “The Great Society” to the Main Stem. 

Both are now first-time Tony Award nominees for their direction of “Cats: The Jellicle Ball.” Here, they express their pride in the musical, their collaboration and their ability to translate the magic of the show’s downtown premiere to Broadway.

![audio-thumbnail](https://storage.ghost.io/c/79/db/79db42b7-f4e9-42b6-8d81-14cee7d2a3d1/content/media/2026/05/5min_Bill_Zhailon---5-29-26--4.30---PM_thumb.png)

5 minutes with a Tony nominee: Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch

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“Cats: The Jellicle Ball” is [nominated](https://www.broadwaynews.com/2026-tony-award-nominations-the-complete-list/) for nine Tony Awards.

[How co-directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch merged musical theater and ballroom to create a ‘third event’ with ‘Cats’The artists say that the Broadway mounting of “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” is the deeper expression of their goal to merge forms.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Broadway NewsRuthie Fierberg![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/79/db/79db42b7-f4e9-42b6-8d81-14cee7d2a3d1/content/images/thumbnail/Sydney-James-Harcourt-as----Rumtumtugger----from-CATS_-The-Jellicle-Ball.-Photos-by-Matthew-Murphy-and-Evan-Zimmerman-for-MurphyMade-1-f71aaa3d12913e726059bae12d4cc293b79c11539c8c282615f1f54526dd1d70.jpg)](https://www.broadwaynews.com/how-co-directors-zhailon-levingston-and-bill-rauch-merged-musical-theater-and-ballroom-to-create-a-third-event-with-cats/)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/79/db/79db42b7-f4e9-42b6-8d81-14cee7d2a3d1/content/images/2026/05/18.-Junior-LaBeija_by-Andy-Henderson.jpg)

Junior LaBeija in “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” on Broadway, 2026 (Credit: Andy Henderson)

The 2026 Tony Awards will take place on June 7 at Radio City Music Hall. [P!NK will host](https://www.broadwaynews.com/p-nk-will-host-the-79th-annual-tony-awards/) the ceremony, which will be broadcast live on CBS and livestreamed on Paramount+ Premium (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT). CBS and Pluto TV will present the Tony Awards: Act One, with additional details to follow.

See the full list of nominations [here](https://www.broadwaynews.com/2026-tony-award-nominations-the-complete-list/).