Jacob 'Jazzy' Brent (born August 14, 1973) is an American stage actor who is best known for his portrayal of Magical Mr. Mistoffelees in the video production of '' Cats'' which was filmed in 1998. Brent graduated from the

North Carolina School of the Arts The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is an arts school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It grants high school, undergraduate, and graduate degrees. Founded in 1963 as the North Carolina School of the Arts by then-Governo ...

in 1991. He holds a Masters of Fine Arts from

San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...

. He worked with the ALICE workshop, a musical based on Alice in Wonderland, as well as his own showcase at the Sadlers Wells Theatre. In 2002, he worked on choreography for the Elan Awards and the Dance with Dancers Millennium Gala for the New York City Ballet. At the San Jose Children's Musical Theatre, he directed a 2008 production of ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

'' as well as a 2009 Spring Production of Leonard Bernstein's '' Candide''. In 2016, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Dance at

Shenandoah University Shenandoah University is a private university in Winchester, Virginia. It has an enrollment of approximately 4,000 students across more than 200 areas of study in six schools: College of Arts & Sciences (including the Division of Education and Le ...

, where he taught until 2019. Brent then moved on to become the head of Musical Theatre at

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison Coll ...

until 2021, when he became interim Musical Theatre Head at The University of the Arts.

Career highlights

* ''

Starlight Express ''Starlight Express'' is a 1984 British musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. It tells the story of a young but obsolete steam engine, Rusty, who races in a championship against modern engines in the hope o ...

'' Las Vegas (

Turnov Turnov (; german: Turnau) is a town in Semily District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 14,000 inhabitants. It is a traditional centre for gemstone polishing, glass craftsmanship and arts. The town centre is well preserve ...

) 1993–94 * Broadway '' Cats'' production ( Pouncival) 1994–1996 * Broadway ''Cats'' production (

Mr. Mistoffelees Mr. Mistoffelees is a character in T. S. Eliot's 1939 poetry book ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'' and its 1981 musical adaptation, Andrew Lloyd Webber's '' Cats''. Mistoffelees is a young black-and-white tuxedo cat with magical powers ...

) 1996–1999 * ''Cats'' and ''Making of Cats'' (

) 1998 * "The Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular" cast member December 2000 and 2001 * London ''Cats'' production (

) April 2001 – October 2001 * Directed and choreographed ''Cats'' production at Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival (Auburn, N.Y.), August 21, 2013 – September 11, 2013

References

External links

Jacob Brent: Biography

Broadway Dance Center: Jacob Brent
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brent, Jacob American male musical theatre actors Living people 1973 births