Cay received extensive training in classical voice under the tutelage of Dreux Montegut at Loyola University New Orleans. Throughout her years at Loyola, Cay studied classical, sacred, and opera repertoire and enjoyed performing as a soloist and ensemble member. She continued to perform in musicals and competitions, winning first place in the NATS Southern Region Musical Theater competition and second place in the NATS Louisiana Classical competition. Upon relocating to Houston, TX in 2005, Cay performed principle roles with Main Street Theater (Frieda in Gershwin's Pardon My English) and The Country Playhouse prior to joining the resident company of The Masquerade Theatre in 2007. Throughout her tenure at Masquerade, Cay performed a range of ingenue and character roles, such as Marian Paroo (The Music Man), Little Sally (Urinetown), Amy (Little Women), Kathy (Company), Blanche Ingram (Jane Eyre), Iola (Parade), and Emily (A Christmas Carolby Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens). Cay ventured into new musical territory in May 2011 as part of the founding company of The Music Box Theater, Houston's first and only original musical comedy cabaret theater. Here Cay performs music and sketch comedy that is fresh and fun alongside a cast of Houston all-stars. Cay also starred as Janet in Music Box's 2011 Halloween blockbuster, The Rocky Horror Show, then was delighted to perform in MJR Theatricals/Music Box Musicals productions, playing April in Company, Mrs. T/Bad Idea Bear in Avenue Q, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme in Assassins and Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (BWW Houston Best Supporting Actress in a Musical nomination). Throughout 2021-22, she originated the title role for the demo recordings of Joan of Arc, a new musical by composer Phil Yosowitz, recorded at Wire Road Studios in Houston.
Stage
Coming Up
"Damaged Divas of the Decades 3"
Feb 17 - Apr 27, 2024 (Dark 3/15-23)
LIVE at The Music Box Theater!
Press
Sultry siren Cay Taylor purrs through “Speak Low” from Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash's One Touch of Venus, but she intoxicates with her heartfelt rendition of Stephen Schwartz's “Meadowlark” from the Baker's Wife. - D.L. Groover, The Houston Press
"Taylor, who plays a comically psychotic serial murderer, goes all scary for Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walking" (with Wrobel and Scarborough hullabalooing wildly in the background), and then magnificently reverses direction and softly charms during Alison Krauss's "When You Say Nothing At All." - D.L. Groover, The Houston Press
"Eric Edward Schell and Cay Taylor handle all of the ancillary puppet roles excellently, and as the "Bad Idea Bears," who convince Preston that drinking a 12-pack of beer makes for better economical sense that not, they stole the scenes from under the main actors' puppet noses." - Abby Koenig, The Houston Press
"Cay Taylor skillfully plays the neglected and oft-forgotten Olive Ostrovsky with a zeal for cuteness. Taylor tenderly plays with our heartstrings and leaves us rooting and hoping for her. Her performance of "My Friend, the Dictionary" is charming and charismatic; however, when she sings "The I Love You Song," with gorgeous back-up from Kristina Sullivan and Chioke Coreathers, she steals our hearts and souls. The number is nothing short of is exquisite and compelling." - David Clarke,BroadwayWorld.com
"Taylor gives glorious voice to her succession of tender ballads. She acts Marian with relish, from her initial prickly skepticism and resistance to Hill’s charm, to her eventual romantic awakening and championing of his impact on the town." - Everett Evans, The Houston Chronicle
"An interesting surprise for me was Taylor’s take on the Dolly Parton song, “Jolene.” I have always enjoyed Dolly’s work, but for some reason I never liked that song. Now I have to reassess because Taylor did it so splendidly with an a cappella opening, a great assist from the banjo, and an escalating power for the song that was sensational." - David Dow Bentley, The People's Critic
"Cay Taylor is not to be out done by the guys. She can hold her own, whether playing homage to the original material girl Madonna or playing a blind soap star during the groups ‘Days of Our Box’ sketch. The girl is funny, not to mention she has a sex appeal that gay men pick up on." - Steven Tilotta, The Houston Voice
"Cay Taylor hysterically inhabits a variety of seedy characters but brings the house down with amazing vocal renditions of “Feels Like Home” and “Moon River." - Buzz Bellmont, The Critic's Critic