Dan McCoy

Cats History
US Tour 1 - 10/1986 - Swing

US Tour 4 - 03/1987 - Munkustrap

US Tour 4 - 08/1988 - Munkustrap

Broadway - 12/1992 - 20/09/1993 - Munkustrap

Biography (1987)
Dan McCoy is a graduate of the Jordan Conservatory of Music, joins Cats after six months with the national company. Dan has performed with Leslie Uggams, Barbara Eden, Sandy Duncan and Gene Barry. When at home, Dan enjoys eating and spending quiet moments with his goldfish.



Interview (1989)
"Cats" Back on the Prowl Again - The Oklahoman, January 20, 1989.

Jellicle Cats come out tonight, Jellicle Cats come one come all: The Jellicle Moon is shining bright Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball.

WHAT are Jellicle Cats, you ask?

They're rather small, black and white felines with cheerful faces and moonlit eyes. But, they're unlike any other cat you might have seen before. And they almost always have unique names like Bombalurina, Jellylorum or Munkustrap.

Jellicle Cats are the famous inhabitants of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical "Cats," an enchanting story based on the writings of T.S. Eliot. The musical makes a return engagement to Oklahoma City this weekend with performances scheduled at 8 tonight, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Civic Center Music Hall.

One Jellicle cat that prowls the nocturnal junkyard in this highly acclaimed musical is Munkustrap, a colorful feline who introduces the audience to several of the other cats in the show. For the past 2 1/2 years, actor Dan McCoy has performed the role of Munkustrap, a singing and tap dancing storyteller.

Before the curtain goes up each night, though, McCoy spends nearly an hour making the transformation from actor to cat, a step-by-step process in which he must apply makeup, costume and wig.

"I start by putting my hair in pincurls and then put on a nylon wig cap," he said. "Then I begin with a layer of gray and white makeup to outline the areas of my face and then powder over that to set it.

"Next, I fill in the black areas with a brush, accent the white and gray areas and then powder again to set. At that point, I usually redo the black to make it darker because the powder kind of dulls it out.

"That part takes about 20 minutes at the most.

"Then, with the help of a dresser, I get into my costume pieces and put on my microphone pack which is strapped to the middle of my back. I then go to a hairdresser, who pins the microphone cord down to the wig cap so that the microphone comes down to the front of my forehead.

"The final step is having the wig pinned on."

Once a lengthy process, the nightly ritual has become second nature to McCoy and other cast members, who are made up to resemble a whole litter of colorful kittens. Or, according to one set of lyrics, everything from practical and dramatical cats to statistical and mystical cats.

Perhaps the most demanding aspect of touring with the "Cats" company for the 31-year-old actor is trying to maintain a fresh outlook. Performing a show for such a long period of time can definitely take its toll on an actor.

"You have to keep trying to find something new in the show," he said.

"Recently, we have had a lot of new people rotating in different roles, so the show really varies from month to month because of different actors' characterizations and personalities.

"Also, in moving from city to city so frequently, you're performing for different audiences in all types of theaters. That gives the show a slightly different twist and keeps it fresh."

Watching these cats behave like people (or is it people behaving like cats?) is fascinating.

No wonder "Cats" has been so successful.

Who can resist the charms of such interesting creatures?

Obituary (1995)
By Variety Staff, March 19, 1995.

Dan McCoy, an actor, singer and dancer who debuted in one of Broadway's longest-running musicals, died Feb. 7 at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City of complications from AIDS. He was 37.

A native of New Paris, Ind., McCoy was a cum laude grad from Butler University and a graduate of the Jordan Conservatory of Music.

He made his Broadway debut in "Cats" in December 1992. He played Munkustrap, the tuner's narrator, until he left in September '93. McCoy also performed that role in two national touring companies of the show.

Additional credits included leading roles in many stage shows such as Herod in "Jesus Christ Superstar" in Long Beach, Calif., opposite original Broadway cast members Carl Anderson and Barry Dennen, the L.A. production of "La Cage aux Folles" and a tour of "Woman of the Year" starring Barbara Eden.

McCoy was the model for the character of Gaston in Disney's animated "Beauty and the Beast." His TV credits included appearances on "Quantum Leap."

He is survived by his parents and a sister.