Cats in Outer Space!

Zachary Dietz Brings CatStronauts! the Mews-ical to UC Irvine

This summer, Zachary Dietz, professor in the Department of Drama, known for his work as a conductor and music director for Broadway shows like Mrs. Doubtfire, In the Heights, School of Rock and more, teamed up with drama students to workshop an exciting new project — CatStronauts! the Mews-ical. Dietz is adapting the popular STEM-based children’s graphic novel series CatStronauts into a Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) musical, working closely with the book’s author, Drew Brockington, and his writing partner Pete Donovan in NYC.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled CatStronauts! The Mews-ical made its debut right here UC Irvine,” shared Dietz. “The fact that our talented B.F.A. musical theatre students were an integral part of this innovative process made the experience even more special. It was truly inspiring to collaborate with such an engaged and dynamic group of artists!”

The series, which follows a team of spacefaring cats on their galaxy-saving missions, is brimming with humor, charm, and science, making it a perfect fit for this creative endeavor. The workshop at UC Irvine included a table read with students and marked the project’s early stages. Dietz is also exploring a collaboration with Professor David Copp from UC Irvine’s Samueli School of Engineering department, whose solar energy research aligns with the STEM themes of the musical. 

“Distilling an aerospace proposal for a lunar power plant into a catchy song sung by four cats in spacesuits is no small feat,” shared Dietz. “We want kids walking out of the theatre discussing alternative energy solutions with their parents and teachers — while humming along to a toe-tapping jazz waltz!” 

To learn more about Zachary Dietz, visit his Department of Drama bio page here. For more about CatStronauts read here.