Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
"Who makes the home for changes in culture if not artists, actors, people on Broadway?"
The legendary André De Shields is up for a Tony Award for his performance as Old Deuteronomy in Cats: The Jellicle Ball, a revamped reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats that brings the Jellicles to the runway, inspired by Ballroom culture that rose to prominence in Black and brown queer communities through the '80s.
Watch De Shield's full interview with Playbill in the video above.
"Who makes the home for changes in culture if not artists, actors, people on Broadway?"
The legendary André De Shields is up for a Tony Award for his performance as Old Deuteronomy in Cats: The Jellicle Ball, a revamped reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats that brings the Jellicles to the runway, inspired by Ballroom culture that rose to prominence in Black and brown queer communities through the '80s.
Watch De Shield's full interview with Playbill in the video above.










