Oh, what a feline: Star of WMU Theatre’s ‘Cats’ moonlights as ‘American Ninja Warrior’ competitor
Michael Vasilevich, center, stars as narrator Munkustrap in WMU Theatre's production of "Cats."
Vasilevich says the physicality of "Cats" enabled him to tap into his "American Ninja Warrior" skills.
"Cats" is the sixth WMU Theatre production Vasilevich is involved in.
See Vasilevich and the cast of "Cats" in action in the Williams Theatre from Oct. 24 through Nov. 9.
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Student by day, actor by night and ninja on the weekend: Michael Vasilevich is a triple threat! The Western Michigan University music theatre performance major is wrapping up his final year with a bang, starring in WMU Theatre’s immersive production of “Cats” and clawing his way into the national spotlight with his second appearance on NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior.”
“The bright lights, the audience and the pressure of having one chance to give your absolute best is what I live for,” says Vasilevich. “Whether I’m on stage performing or on the course competing, I’m driven by that same mix of adrenaline, focus and love for what I do.”
Audiences will get to see that passion for performance when the curtain rises on “Cats” on Friday, Oct. 24. As Munkustrap, the narrator and a leader of the Jellicle cats, Vasilevich remains on stage for the entire show.
“Munkustrap is a very physically demanding role,” he says. “As the leader of the tribe, he’s always present, grounded and in control. I’ve spent a lot of time exploring his physicality and how his posture and movement set him apart as an authority figure among the other cats.”
The role also provides an opportunity for his ninja skills to shine.
“There’s a lot of scaffolding incorporated into the set, and any time I have the opportunity to climb it, I do!”
“Cats” runs through Sunday, Nov. 9, in the Williams Theatre in WMU’s Gilmore Theatre Complex. See the full show schedule and buy tickets online.
Ninja in the making
Vasilevich has been training for this moment for more than half of his life. A natural performer in a family of athletes, he found a combination of the two worlds in “American Ninja Warrior.”
“I fell in love with the show when I was 10. I literally became obsessed and was a total super fan,” he remembers.
From that moment, parks and playgrounds around his hometown of Chicago became makeshift obstacle courses where Vasilevich would dream up new physical challenges to conquer. As a teenager, he made it official and joined the Ultimate Ninjas gym and gained national recognition as a competitor on “American Ninja Warrior Junior.”
“It was really awesome. I did pretty well and placed in the top half of my age group,” says Vasilevich, who was attending a performing arts high school at the time.
While the experience was fun, after the show he needed to pivot his focus to his next challenge: the college search. An audition in Chicago for WMU’s theatre program sealed the deal.
“I did several auditions, and WMU’s ended up being my favorite. I really connected with the head of our program, Jay Berkow,” he remembers. “Then I came and toured and absolutely fell in love with the program and the theatre; I just knew this is where I wanted to be.”
Much like his ninja approach, he hit the ground running at Western, expanding his acting range by playing parts in a diverse array of WMU Theatre productions, from “The SpongeBob Musical” to “Dreamgirls.”
“I don’t think that I could have ended up in a theatre program anywhere else, because I don’t think I would have improved as quickly and vastly as I did here,” says Vasilevich. “We do a freshman showcase, and I was also in shows that year, and every single person—my mom, my dad, my sisters, my girlfriend, even people in the theatre program—told me how much I improved and how much better I got in all different aspects—singing, dancing and acting—in just that first year. And from there, I’ve only gotten stronger and improved.”
He tapped into those budding skills when recording his audition tape for “American Ninja Warrior,” leaning into his theatre story. When he got the call that he’d been chosen for Season 17, he felt like all the stars had aligned.
“By some crazy coincidence, the first semester I was not cast in a show at Western was the first time they decided to film in fall instead of spring,” he says. “I had been waiting for years to fulfill this dream of being on the show that I had wanted since I was a little kid doing courses in my backyard. It was so surreal.”
Being far from his gym in Chicago, Vasilevich leaned into his resources at Western, using the climbing wall at the Student Recreation Center and continuing to take classes such as ballet that helped him with balance and strength.
His hard work paid off, and when he flew out to Las Vegas for the national competition and taping in autumn 2024, he exceeded his expectations and made it through four obstacles before falling into the water during his race.
“I was very proud of myself for even doing it in the first place,” he says. But he knew he could improve even more if given the chance, and as soon as he got back to campus, he started thinking about how he could land back on the show.
Looking to the future
Vasilevich had already been cast in “Cats” when he got the call to join Season 18 of “American Ninja Warrior.” A highlight of his college theatre career, the “Cats” production will likely be his last at Western. Luckily, he didn’t have to choose between the play and the television show and was able to fit filming into his rehearsal schedule.
“The support I’ve received at Western has been such a blessing,” Vasilevich says. “I was honestly blown away by the response from my professors, classmates, and friends. Everyone has been so encouraging and genuinely excited for me, and it means the world to know that my community here is cheering me on—both on stage and on the course.”
An air date for next season hasn’t been announced yet, but Vasilevich expects it will be sometime in summer 2026. You can watch his first appearance on the show in Season 17, episode 6, streaming now on Peacock. And while we’ll have to wait to see how Vasilevich fares in his second shot at “American Ninja Warrior” fame, after his experience with “Cats,” it’s safe to say he’ll land on his feet.
“There are no plans to stop doing ninja!” he says. “I’ll be swinging on bars and climbing walls until I no longer can.”
Vasilevich will graduate from Western in spring 2026, and he hopes to leap onto the professional theatre scene in Chicago shortly after. While his ninja training helped him build his physical prowess, his professors at Western helped him work out what it takes to build a successful theatre career.
“My education at Western has been such a vital part of shaping who I am as both a performer and a person,” Vasilevich says. “I’ve grown so much through the incredible training, mentorship and performance opportunities I’ve had here. I’m forever grateful to WMU for giving me such a joyous past four years.”
For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.