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Cats (musical)

Cats is a sung-through musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is based on the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. The musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make the "Jellicle choice" by deciding which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. As of 2022, Cats remains the fifth-longest-running Broadway show and the seventh-longest-running West End show.

Cats
Logo
MusicAndrew Lloyd Webber
BasisOld Possum's Book of Practical Cats
by T. S. Eliot
Premiere11 May 1981; 42 years ago (1981-05-11): New London Theatre, London, England, U.K.
ProductionsMultiple productions worldwide
Awards

Lloyd Webber began setting Eliot's poems to music in 1977, and the compositions were first presented as a song cycle in 1980. Producer Cameron Mackintosh then recruited director Trevor Nunn and choreographer Gillian Lynne to turn the songs into a complete musical. Cats opened to positive reviews at the New London Theatre in the West End in 1981 and then to mixed reviews at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway in 1982. It won numerous awards including Best Musical at both the Laurence Olivier and Tony Awards. Despite its unusual premise that deterred investors initially, the musical turned out to be an unprecedented commercial success, with a worldwide gross of US$3.5 billion by 2012.

The London production ran for 21 years and 8,949 performances, while the Broadway production ran for 18 years and 7,485 performances, making Cats the longest-running musical in both theatre districts for a number of years. Cats has since been revived in the West End twice and on Broadway once. It has also been translated into multiple languages and performed around the world many times. Long-running foreign productions include a 15-year run at the Operettenhaus in Hamburg that played over 6,100 performances, as well as an ongoing run in a purpose-built theatre in Japan that has played over 10,000 performances since it opened in 1983.

Cats started the megamusical phenomenon, establishing a global market for musical theatre and directing the industry's focus to big-budget blockbusters, as well as family- and tourist-friendly shows. The musical's profound but polarising influence also reshaped the aesthetic, technology, and marketing of the medium. Cats was adapted into a direct-to-video film in 1998 and a feature film in 2019.

Background

Cats is based on T. S. Eliot's 1939 poetry book Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, the songs in the musical consisting of Eliot's verse set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.[1] The musical is unusual in its construction; along with Eliot's poems, music and dance are the main focus of the show at the expense of a traditional narrative structure.[2] Musicologists William Everett and Paul Laird described Cats as "combining elements of the revue and concept musical".[3] The plot centres on a tribe of cats called the Jellicles, as they come together at the annual Jellicle Ball to decide which one of them will ascend to the Heaviside Layer (their version of heaven) and be reborn into a new life.[4] The bulk of the musical consists of the different contenders being introduced, either by themselves or by other cats.[5]

Poems

 
T. S. Eliot's poetry provided most of the lyrics for Cats

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats is a collection of light poetry about cats that Eliot had originally written for his godchildren in the 1930s. Due to the rhythmic nature of Eliot's work, there had been previous attempts before Cats at setting his poems to music, though none of these attempts had been met with much critical or commercial success.[6] John Snelson, a musicologist, wrote of the poems:

[They] provided excellent material for musicalization, as Eliot's style in this collection is reminiscent of a popular lyricist. The poet uses repeated catch phrases, strong hooks, steady rhythm and outrageous, attention-grabbing, witty rhymes, which are the ingredients of every well-crafted popular lyric.[7]

Most of the lyrics in Cats were taken from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats with very minor alterations. Supplementary verses from unpublished poems by Eliot were adapted for "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat" and "The Journey to the Heaviside Layer", while the song "The Moments of Happiness" was taken from a passage in Eliot's The Dry Salvages. Cats director Trevor Nunn and lyricist Richard Stilgoe provided the remaining lyrics, namely for the opening number "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" and the most famous song from the musical: "Memory". The former was written by Nunn and Stilgoe and was modelled after an unpublished poem by Eliot titled "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats", while the latter was written by Nunn based on another Eliot poem titled "Rhapsody on a Windy Night".[1]

Creation

Inception

Lloyd Webber began composing the songs in late 1977 as a songwriting exercise, partly because Eliot's book had been a childhood favourite and partly to see if he could write music to predetermined lyrics. The compositions were performed privately for friends but Lloyd Webber had no further intentions for them at the time. After his song cycle Tell Me on a Sunday was televised by the BBC in early 1980, Lloyd Webber began to consider using his musicalization of Eliot's poems in the same vein for a televised concert anthology.[8] He approached producer Cameron Mackintosh to explore possible avenues for the songs.[9]

Practical Cats, as the show was then called, was first presented as a song cycle at the 1980 summer Sydmonton Festival. The concert was performed by Gemma Craven, Gary Bond and Paul Nicholas. Eliot's widow and literary executor, Valerie, was in attendance and brought along various unpublished cat-themed poems by Eliot. One of these was "Grizabella the Glamour Cat" which, although rejected from Eliot's book for being "too sad for children", gave Lloyd Webber the idea for a full-blown musical.[10] He explained:

The musical and dramatic images that this created for me made me feel that there was very much more to the project than I had realised. I immediately decided that I needed the support of another to encourage me to re-work my settings and to see if a dramatic whole could be woven from the delightful verse that I was now to be allowed to develop.[8]

Lloyd Webber thus decided to turn Practical Cats into a musical, co-produced by Mackintosh and the Really Useful Group's Brian Brolly.[10]

Development

Shortly after the Sydmonton Festival, Lloyd Webber began setting the unpublished poems he had been given to music, a few of which were later added into the show. He also composed the overture and "The Jellicle Ball", incorporating analog synthesizers into these orchestrations to try to create a unique electronic soundscape.[11] Meanwhile, Mackintosh recruited Nunn, the then artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), to direct Practical Cats. Nunn was an unusual choice as he was considered "too high-brow" for musical theatre,[12] but Mackintosh felt that a "pedigree" director was needed to ensure Valerie Eliot's approval of the project.[13] After much persuasion, Nunn came on board and was joined by his RSC colleagues, choreographer Gillian Lynne and set and costume designer John Napier.[9][14] Nunn initially envisioned Practical Cats as a chamber piece for five actors and two pianos, which he felt would reflect "Eliot's charming, slightly offbeat, mildly satiric view of late-1930s London".[15] However, he relented to Lloyd Webber's more ambitious vision for the musical.[15] Nunn was also convinced that for the musical to have the wide commercial appeal that the producers desired, it could not remain as a series of isolated numbers but instead had to have a narrative through line.[14] He was therefore tasked with piecing the self-contained poems together into a story.[16] Nunn wrote about the significance "Grizabella the Glamour Cat" had on the construction of the narrative:

Here in eight lines Eliot was describing an intensely recognizable character with powerful human resonances, while introducing the themes of mortality, and the past, which occur repeatedly in the major poems. We decided that if Eliot had thought of being serious, touching, almost tragic in his presentation of a feline character, then we had to be doing a show which could contain that material, and the implications of it. Furthermore, we would have to achieve the sense of progression through themes more than incidents.[17]

An event called the Jellicle Ball was referenced by Eliot in the poem "The Song of the Jellicles", while a cat version of heaven known as the Heaviside Layer was mentioned in one of his unpublished poems. Nunn expanded on these concepts by conceiving the Jellicle Ball as an annual ritual in which the cats vie to be chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer, thus giving the characters a reason to gather and sing about themselves in the musical. He also added the element of rebirth as a play on the idea that cats have nine lives.[1]

One of Nunn's stipulations for agreeing to direct Practical Cats was that actress Judi Dench would be cast in the musical. Lloyd Webber was happy to oblige given her credentials and so Dench joined the company in the dual roles of Grizabella and Jennyanydots. Former Royal Ballet principal dancer Wayne Sleep was offered the part of Mr. Mistoffelees after Lloyd Webber and Mackintosh attended a performance by his dance troupe, one of the many dance showcases they saw in preparation for the musical. Casting for the other roles began in November 1980, with auditions held across the UK for dancers who could also sing and act. There was an initial disagreement over the casting of Nicholas as Rum Tum Tugger; Nunn had misgivings about the actor's easy-going attitude but eventually yielded to Lloyd Webber, Mackintosh and Lynne, all of whom were keen on Nicholas for the role. Sarah Brightman, who had already made a name for herself with the chart hit "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper", arranged a private audition and was cast in an as-then undecided role. By December, the full cast had been assembled.[18]

Meanwhile, Mackintosh engaged the advertising agency Dewynters to design a poster for the musical. After much back-and-forth, the agency presented a minimalist poster consisting of a pair of yellow feline eyes (with dancing silhouettes for the pupils) set against a black backdrop. The producers and the creative team loved the design but felt that the title — Practical Cats — looked out of place when paired with the image of the cat's eyes. The musical's title was thus shortened to just Cats.[19]

The musical was scheduled to open on 30 April 1981, with previews starting on 22 April. Shortly before tickets went on sale in mid-February, Nunn revealed to the alarmed producers that he was struggling to write the script for the musical. Despite still having no established book or score, rehearsals began on 9 March 1981 in a church hall in Chiswick, London. [20] The situation improved later that day when Lloyd Webber, Mackintosh and Nunn met with Richard Stilgoe, a musician known for his ability to improvise lyrics on the spot, in hopes that Stilgoe could write an opening song for the musical. By the next evening, Stilgoe had produced a draft for "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats".[21] However, "Memory", an 11 o'clock number for Grizabella that Nunn insisted the show needed as its "emotional centre",[22] still had no lyrics at this point. Lloyd Webber's former writing partner Tim Rice was brought in to write a lyric for the song, but his version was rejected by Nunn for being too depressing. The lyrics for "Memory" were not completed by Nunn until well into the previews.[23]

 
The original 1981 London cast of Cats

Many of the ensemble characters were created by the original cast through extensive improvisation sessions held during the rehearsal process. Said Nunn: "[O]n day one of rehearsals what we had was 15 poems set to music and five weeks later we had a show with characters, relationships and stories running from beginning to end."[24][25] The production faced a last minute mishap when Dench snapped her Achilles tendon during rehearsals for "The Old Gumbie Cat" and had to pull out one week before the first preview. Shortly after this, the original music director, Chris Walker, also had to leave the production for medical reasons and was replaced by the film conductor Harry Rabinowitz. Dench's understudy Myra Sands replaced her as Jennyanydots, while Elaine Paige agreed to take over the role of Grizabella. Opening night was pushed back to 11 May, but Mackintosh refused to postpone the previews as he wanted to dispel the industry rumours that the production was an impending debacle.[26]

The development of Cats was also plagued by financial troubles. Mackintosh struggled to raise the £450,000 (US$1.16 million[27]) needed to stage the musical in the West End as major investors were sceptical of the show's premise and refused to back it. Lloyd Webber personally underwrote the musical and took out a second mortgage on his house for the down payment of the theatre. He later recalled that if Cats had been a commercial failure, it would have left him in financial ruin.[28] The remaining capital was eventually raised by small investments procured from 220 individuals through newspaper advertisements.[1][12] After the musical became a massive hit, the rate of return for these investors was estimated to have exceeded 3,500 per cent.[29]

Synopsis

Act I – When Cats Are Maddened by the Midnight Dance

 
The Jellicle cats gather every year to make the "Jellicle choice" and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.

After the overture, a tribe of cats known as the Jellicles gather on stage and describe themselves and their purpose ("Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats"). The cats (who break the fourth wall throughout the show) then notice that they are being watched by a human audience, and proceed to explain how the different cats of the tribe are named ("The Naming of Cats"). This is followed by a ballet solo performed by Victoria to signal the beginning of the Jellicle Ball ("The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball"). At this moment, Munkustrap, the show's main narrator, explains that tonight the Jellicle patriarch Old Deuteronomy will make an appearance and choose one of the cats to be reborn into a new life on the Heaviside Layer.

Munkustrap introduces the first contender Jennyanydots ("The Old Gumbie Cat"), a large tabby cat who lazes around all day, but come nighttime, she becomes active, teaching mice and cockroaches various activities to curb their naturally destructive habits. Just as Jennyanydots finishes her song, the music changes suddenly and Rum Tum Tugger makes his extravagant entrance in front of the tribe ("The Rum Tum Tugger"). He is very fickle and unappeasable, "for he will do as he do do, and there's no doing anything about it".

Then, as Rum Tum Tugger's song fades, a shabby old grey cat stumbles out wanting to be reconciled; it is Grizabella. All the cats back away from her in fear and disgust and explain her unfortunate state ("Grizabella: The Glamour Cat"). Grizabella leaves and the music changes to a cheerful upbeat number as Bustopher Jones, a fat cat in "a coat of fastidious black", is brought to the stage ("Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town"). Bustopher Jones is among the elite of the cats, and visits prestigious gentlemen's clubs. Suddenly, a loud crash startles the tribe and the cats run offstage in fright. Hushed giggling sounds signal the entrance of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, a pair of near-identical cats. They are mischievous petty burglars who enjoy causing trouble around their human neighbourhood ("Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer"). After they finish, they are caught off-guard and confronted by the rest of the cats.

Finally, the Jellicle patriarch, Old Deuteronomy, arrives before the tribe ("Old Deuteronomy"). He is a wise old cat who "has lived many lives" and is tasked with choosing which Jellicle will go to the Heaviside Layer every year. The cats put on a play for Old Deuteronomy ("The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles"), telling a story about two dog tribes clashing in the street and subsequently being scared away by the Great Rumpus Cat. A moral from Old Deuteronomy is interrupted by a second loud crash, presumably from Macavity, which sends the alarmed cats scurrying. After a quick patrol for Macavity, Old Deuteronomy deems it a false alarm and summons the cats back as the main celebration begins ("The Jellicle Ball"), in which the cats sing and display their "Terpsichorean powers".

During the Ball, Grizabella reappears and tries to dance along, but her age and decrepit condition prevent her from doing so ("Grizabella: The Glamour Cat (Reprise)"). As a result, she is once again shunned by the other cats, but that does not stop her from vowing to return for another chance to be in the spotlight while a guilty Old Deuteronomy looks on ("Memory (Prelude)").

Act II – Why Will the Summer Day Delay – When Will Time Flow Away?

After the Jellicle Ball, Old Deuteronomy gathers his tribe to contemplate "what happiness is". Jemima (also known as Sillabub), the youngest of all Jellicles, understands the patriarch is referring to Grizabella, and passes the message on to the rest of the tribe ("The Moments of Happiness"). Gus – short for Asparagus – shuffles forward as the next cat to be introduced ("Gus: The Theatre Cat"). He was once a famous actor but is now old and "suffers from palsy which makes his paws shake". He is accompanied by Jellylorum, his caretaker, who tells of his exploits. Gus then remembers how he once played the infamous pirate captain, Growltiger ("Growltiger's Last Stand"). Gus tells the story about the pirate captain's romance with Lady Griddlebone, and how Growltiger was overtaken by the Siamese and forced to walk the plank to his death.

Back in the present, after Gus exits, Skimbleshanks is seen sleeping in the corner ("Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat"). He is the cat who is unofficially in charge of the night train to Glasgow. Skimbleshanks is considered vital to the rail operations, as without him "the train can't start". Within his song, a whole steam train engine is assembled out of objects in the junkyard.

With a third crash and an evil laugh, the "most wanted" cat Macavity appears. He is the so-called "Napoleon of Crime" who always manages to evade the authorities. Macavity's henchmen capture Old Deuteronomy and take off with the patriarch in tow. As Munkustrap and his troop give chase, Demeter and Bombalurina explain what they know about Macavity ("Macavity: The Mystery Cat"). When they are finished, Macavity returns disguised as Old Deuteronomy, but his cover is blown by Demeter and he ends up getting beaten by Munkustrap and Alonzo. Macavity holds his own for a time, but as the rest of the tribe begin to gang up and surround him, he shorts out the stage lights and escapes in the resulting confusion.

After the fight, Rum Tum Tugger calls upon the magician Mr. Mistoffelees for help ("Magical Mr. Mistoffelees"). Known as the "original conjuring cat", Mr. Mistoffelees can perform feats of magic that no other cat can do. He displays his magical powers in a dance solo and uses them to restore the lights and bring back Old Deuteronomy. Now, the "Jellicle choice" can be made.

Before Old Deuteronomy can make his decision, Grizabella returns to the junkyard and he allows her to address the gathering. Her faded appearance and lonely disposition have little effect on her song ("Memory"). With acceptance and encouragement from Jemima and Victoria, her appeal succeeds and she is chosen to be the one to go to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a new Jellicle life ("The Journey to the Heaviside Layer"). A tyre rises from the piles of junk, carrying Grizabella and Old Deuteronomy partway towards the sky; Grizabella then completes the journey on her own.[i] Finally, Old Deuteronomy closes the show by giving his final speech to the audience ("The Ad-dressing of Cats").

Notes:

  1. ^ The method in which Grizabella ascends to the Heaviside Layer varies depending on the production. In the original London and Broadway productions, she climbs up a stairway that emerges from the ceiling. In the 1990s and 2000s scaled-down touring productions, she ascends via a flying saucer-like vessel.[30]

Music

Musical numbers

"Growltiger's Last Stand" has been dropped from US and UK productions since 2016,[31] with "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles" moving to Act II to replace it.[32]
Also credited as "Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball".[32]

Orchestration

Based on the definitive 16-piece licensed version.[33]

Characters

Cats is an ensemble show with a large supporting cast and no leads.[34]

Featured

 
From left to right: Old Deuteronomy, Jemima, Grizabella and Victoria during an event in Germany, 2011.

Characters who are featured singers and/or dancers:

  • Asparagus (Gus) a.k.a. the Theatre Cat – A frail elderly cat who used to be a famous stage actor.[35]
  • Bombalurina – A flirty and confident red queen; she is best friends with Demeter and the two share an intense hatred for Macavity.[36]
  • Bustopher Jones a.k.a. the Cat About Town – A fat upper-class cat with a "fastidious black coat and white spats". Respected by all, he is a man of leisure who frequents gentlemen's clubs for their fine dining.[37] In most productions, the actor playing Gus also plays Bustopher, though in early productions the part was handled by the actor playing Old Deuteronomy.
  • Demeter – A troubled and skittish queen; she is best friends with Bombalurina and the two share an intense hatred for Macavity.[36]
  • Grizabella – A former Glamour Cat, ostracised by the Jellicles, who has lost her sparkle and now only wants to be accepted.[38]
  • Jellylorum – A motherly caretaker who watches out for the kittens and looks after Gus.
  • Jemima/Sillabub – The youngest kitten. Idealistic and jovial, she is sympathetic to Grizabella's plight.[39]
  • Jennyanydots a.k.a. the Old Gumbie Cat – She sits around all day and is seemingly very lazy, but at night, she becomes very active as she rules the mice and cockroaches, forcing them to undertake helpful functions and creative projects to curb their naturally destructive habits.[40]
  • Macavity a.k.a. the Mystery Cat – A notorious criminal known as the "Napoleon of Crime".[41] Usually played by the actor playing Admetus/Plato.
  • Mr. Mistoffelees – A young black-and-white tuxedo tom learning to control his magical powers.[42] He is a featured dancer, performing his signature "Conjuring Turn" (twenty-four consecutive fouettés en tournant) during his number.[43] Mistoffelees' chorus identity is sometimes known as Quaxo.
  • Mungojerrie – A mischievous troublemaker, he is one-half of a notorious duo of cat-burglars along with Rumpleteazer.[44]
  • Munkustrap – A grey tabby tomcat who is the storyteller and protector of the Jellicle tribe. He is Old Deuteronomy's second-in-command and the show's main narrator.[45]
  • Old Deuteronomy – The wise and benevolent elderly Jellicle leader who is beloved by his tribe.[46]
  • Rumpleteazer – A mischievous troublemaker, she is one half of a notorious duo of cat-burglars along with Mungojerrie.[44]
  • Rum Tum Tugger – A flashy and unappeasable cat who loves to be the centre of attention.[47]
  • Skimbleshanks a.k.a. the Railway Cat – An upbeat and active orange tabby cat, who lives on the mail trains and acts as an unofficial chaperone to such an extent he is considered rather indispensable to the train and station employees.[48]
  • Victoria – A demure and graceful white kitten. She is a featured dancer, opening with a ballet solo after "The Naming of the Cats" and is the first character to touch Grizabella.[49]

Others

Other characters who have appeared in multiple notable productions include:

  • Admetus/Plato – The chorus identity of Macavity. He is a teenage ginger-and-white young tom, and is typically paired with Victoria in a pas de deux during the Jellicle Ball.[50]
  • Alonzo – A black-and-white tom. He is vain, insecure and full of bravado.[51]
  • Bill Bailey/Tumblebrutus – A playful tom kitten, often performing acrobatics as well as being a strong dancer. His costume consists of brown patches (including a brown eye patch) on a white base.[52]
  • Carbucketty/Pouncival – A playful and acrobatic brown-and-white tom kitten.[53]
  • Cassandra – An elegant and aloof brown pointed queen.[54]
  • Coricopat and Tantomile – Mysterious twin brother and sister with psychic abilities.[55]
  • Electra – A reserved and solemn tortoiseshell kitten. Her costume is brown, red and black.[56]
  • Etcetera – An exuberant and immature tabby kitten. Her costume is white, black and brown.[57]
  • Griddlebone – Growltiger's lover in "Growltiger's Last Stand", in which she sings "The Ballad of Billy M'Caw" or the mock Italian aria "In Una Tepida Notte" (depending on production). Usually played by the actress playing Jellylorum.
  • Growltiger – A theatrical character Gus recalls playing in his youth, and who appears in Gus' memory during "Growltiger's Last Stand".[35] In some productions he is portrayed as a vicious pirate; in others, he is more comical. Usually played by the actor playing Gus.
  • Rumpus Cat – A spiky-haired cat with glowing red eyes, seen as a sort of superhero figure in "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles" despite his ineptness. Usually played by one of the male ensemble characters in the play within the musical.[58]

Notable cast

Role Original London cast
1981[59]
Original Broadway cast
1982[60]
First London Revival cast
2014[61]
Second London Revival cast
2015[62]
Broadway revival cast
2016[32]
Admetus/Plato Steven Wayne Kenneth Ard Cameron Ball Javier Cid Daniel Gaymon
Alonzo Roland Alexander Héctor Jaime Mercado Adam Lake Jack Butterworth Ahmad Simmons
Asparagus (Gus) Stephen Tate Stephen Hanan Paul F. Monaghan Christopher Gurr
Bill Bailey/Tumblebrutus Peter Barry Robert Hoshour Adam Salter Jon-Scott Clark Kolton Krouse
Bombalurina Geraldine Gardner Donna King Charlene Ford Emma Lee Clark Christine Cornish Smith
Bustopher Jones Brian Blessed Stephen Hanan Paul F. Monaghan Christopher Gurr
Carbucketty Luke Baxter Steven Gelfer Joel Morris Luke Cinque-White Giuseppe Bausilio
Cassandra Seeta Indrani René Ceballos Cassie Clare Danielle Cato Emily Pynenburg
Coricopat Donald Waugh René Clemente Benjamin Mundy James Titchener Corey John Snide
Demeter Sharon Lee-Hill Wendy Edmead Zizi Strallen Anna Woodside Kim Fauré
Electra Anita Pashley Lili Froehlich
Etcetera Julie Edmett Christine Langner
George/Pouncival John Chester Herman W. Sebek Stevie Hutchinson Jordan Shaw Sharrod Williams
Griddlebone Susan Jane Tanner Bonnie Simmons Clare Rickard
Grizabella Elaine Paige Betty Buckley Nicole Scherzinger Beverley Knight Leona Lewis
Growltiger Stephen Tate Stephen Hanan Paul F. Monaghan
Jellylorum Susan Jane Tanner Bonnie Simmons Clare Rickard Sara Jean Ford
Jemima/Sillabub Sarah Brightman Whitney Kershaw Natasha Mould Tarryn Gee Arianna Rosario
Jennyanydots Myra Sands Anna McNeeley Laurie Scarth Jane Quinn Eloise Kropp
Macavity John Thornton Kenneth Ard Cameron Ball Javier Cid Daniel Gaymon
Mr. Mistoffelees Wayne Sleep[i] Timothy Scott Joseph Poulton[i] Mark John Richardson[i] Ricky Ubeda
Mungojerrie John Thornton René Clemente Benjamin Yates Harry Francis Jess LeProtto
Munkustrap Jeff Shankley Harry Groener Callum Train Matt Krzan Andy Huntington Jones
Old Deuteronomy Brian Blessed Ken Page Nicholas Pound Adam Linstead Quentin Earl Darrington[ii]
Rum Tum Tugger Paul Nicholas Terrence Mann Antoine Murray-Straughan Marcquelle Ward Tyler Hanes
Rumpleteazer Bonnie Langford Christine Langner Dawn Williams Georgie Leatherland Shonica Gooden
Rumpus Cat Roland Alexander Kenneth Ard Adam Lake Jack Butterworth Christopher Gurr
Skimbleshanks Kenn Wells Reed Jones Ross Finnie Evan James Jeremy Davis
Tantomile Femi Taylor Janet Hubert-Whitten Kathryn Barnes Gabrielle Cocca Emily Tate
Victoria Finola Hughes Cynthia Onrubia Hannah Kenna Thomas Georgina Pazcoguin

Notes:

  1. ^ a b c Also credited as "Quaxo" (chorus cat)
  2. ^ Also credited as "Victor" (chorus cat)

Notable replacements

Notable replacements from the musical's West End and Broadway runs:

West End

Broadway

Artistic elements

Musical treatment

 
Andrew Lloyd Webber

Cats is completely told through music with no dialogue in between the songs,[71] although there are occasions when the music accompanies spoken verse. Lloyd Webber's compositions employ an eclectic range of musical styles so as to magnify the characters' contrasting personalities.[4] For example, the rebellious Rum Tum Tugger is introduced with a rock song ("The Rum Tum Tugger"); the fallen Grizabella is accompanied by a dramatic operatic aria ("Grizabella: The Glamour Cat"); Old Deuteronomy makes his grand entrance to a lullaby-turned-anthem ("Old Deuteronomy"); and Gus' nostalgia for the past is reflected through an old-fashioned music hall number ("Gus: The Theatre Cat").[16] Many of the songs are pastiches of their respective genres, which Snelson attributes to the show's origins as a song cycle:

The original concept of a set of contrasting numbers, without a dramatic narrative, meant that each song needed to establish some sort of musical characterization independent of the others and develop a quick rapport with the audience. Such a rapid familiarity and identification of purpose can be achieved through pastiche. But it was only a musical starting point, for the songs in Cats move beyond the straightforward "Elvis" pastiche of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; they are less pointed, more the free workings within a range of chosen styles than direct copies of a specific performer or number. The audience responds to the musical differences, given an initial security provided by the familiarity of recognizable, underlying stylistic generalities.[72]

Lloyd Webber also employs various techniques to help connect the pieces. Namely, the score relies heavily on recurring motifs as well as the use of preludes and reprises.[73] For instance, melodic fragments of "Memory" are sung by Grizabella and Jemima at several points in the show before the song is sung in full,[39] serving to characterise Grizabella and foreshadow her final number.[74][75] Similarly, Lloyd Webber introduces a fugue in the overture, and variations of this theme are then repeated throughout the musical until it is finally resolved as Grizabella ascends to the Heaviside Layer.[76]

The musical also features an unusual amount of "group-description" numbers. According to musicologist Jessica Sternfeld, such numbers are usually relegated to the prologue and nothing more, as seen in "Another Op'nin', Another Show" from Kiss Me, Kate and "Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof. Cats on the other hand features four Jellicle-defining songs: "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats", "The Naming of Cats", "The Jellicle Ball" and "The Ad-Dressing of Cats". These numbers allow the cats to celebrate their tribe and species as a whole, in between the ones that celebrate individual members.[77]

Choreography

 
Gillian Lynne

Regarded as "one of the most challenging shows to dance in musical theatre history",[78] dance plays a major role in Cats as the original creative team had specifically set out to create "England's first dance musical".[79] Before Cats, the industry-wide belief was that British dancers were inferior to their Broadway counterparts. The risky hiring of a British choreographer, Lynne, for a British dance musical was described by one historian as "a vivid and marvellous gesture of transatlantic defiance".[80] Making Lynne's job more challenging was the fact that the music in Cats is unceasing and the majority of the cast remains on-stage throughout nearly the entire show.[80]

Lynne choreographed the original London production with a dance crew consisting of her assistant Lindsay Dolan, the dance captain Jo-Anne Robinson, and cast members Finola Hughes and John Thornton.[79] The resulting choreography blends ballet, modern dance, jazz and tap, interspersed with acrobatic displays.[16] Lynne also trained the cast to evoke the movement, physicality and behaviour of actual cats.[81] These feline traits were incorporated into the movement and choreography so as to create an "anthropomorphic illusion".[16] Lynne considered the 13-minute "Jellicle Ball" dance to be the crux of the show, noting that in order to work as a dance-driven musical, Cats "had to succeed there or die".[79][82] She recalled the difficulty she faced in persuading Lloyd Webber to add the extended dance break, culminating in her and her dance crew having to dance all the parts in the "Jellicle Ball" to convince him.[79][82]

Staging

The original staging of Cats at the New London Theatre was considered revolutionary[83] and "one of the first truly immersive theatrical experiences".[34] Instead of a conventional proscenium, the theatre was quasi-in-the-round with a central revolving stage.[15][84] Nunn and Napier had sought to create "an environment rather than a set",[17] and around $900,000 was spent remodelling the New London in preparation for the show.[9] This included mounting sections of the stalls onto the theatre's 60 ft (18 m)[85] revolve such that the audience moved along with the stage.[16] When the show was brought to Broadway, the Winter Garden Theatre was given a similar $2 million makeover;[86] its proscenium stage was converted into a thrust, and a part of its roof was torn through to allow for the effects of Grizabella's ascension to the Heaviside Layer.[87]

Nunn was also adamant that the orchestra for Cats be hidden backstage — out of the audience's view — so as not to break the immersion.[88] Adding to the experience, the show usually includes a lot of audience interaction, such as during the overture when the cast don flashing "green eyes" as they make their way through the audience in the darkened theatre.[77][89] In the original Broadway production, catwalks were built to connect the stage to the boxes and balcony so as to give the cast access to the entire auditorium during the show.[90]

Set and costume design

Napier began designing the set in November 1980, wanting "a place where cats might congregate together, which also included maximum room for dancing".[91] The set of Cats consists of a junkyard filled with oversized props to give the illusion that the cast are the size of actual cats;[92] it remains the same throughout the show without any scene changes. Over 2,500 of these scaled-up props were used to fill the whole auditorium in the original Broadway production.[16][93]

Napier also designed the costumes, combining cat and human features based on "hints" given in Eliot's poems, while ensuring that they did not impede the dancers' movements.[91] The costumes generally consist of a unitard, a wig that is fashioned to suggest the presence of feline ears, patches resembling body fur, and arm and leg warmers to give the performers' hands and feet a more paw-like appearance. As with the contrasting music and dance styles, the costumes and make-up are used to bring out each character's distinct personality. For example, the costume for the flirtatious Bombalurina is designed to accentuate her sensuality, while the markings on the costume for Jemima — the youngest of the tribe — resemble crayon scribbles.[24] Every character's design motif is custom-painted by hand onto a plain unitard to line up with their performer's individual body. In order to reproduce the "hand-drawn aesthetic" of Napier's original design sketches, costume painters in the original Broadway production used squeeze bottles to apply the paint. Due to the amount of dancing in Cats, most of the costumes did not last longer than a few months.[94]

Productions

Cats has been translated into over 15 languages and produced professionally in more than 30 countries.[95]

London

 
Cats at the New London Theatre (1999)

Cats premiered in the West End at the New London Theatre on 11 May 1981. The musical was produced by Mackintosh and Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group, with direction by Nunn, choreography by Lynne (who also served as the associate director), set and costume design by Napier, lighting design by David Hersey, sound design by Abe Jacob and music direction by Harry Rabinowitz.[96] It played a total of 8,949 performances before closing on its 21st anniversary, 11 May 2002. The final performance was broadcast live on a large outdoor screen in Covent Garden for fans who could not acquire a ticket.[97] Cats held the record as London's longest-running musical from 1989, when it surpassed Jesus Christ Superstar,[98] until 8 October 2006, when it was surpassed by Les Misérables.

The musical returned to the West End in 2014 for a planned 12-week limited run at the London Palladium. Beginning on 6 December, the revival starred Nicole Scherzinger as Grizabella, and featured the original creative team, with direction from Nunn, choreography by Lynne and design by Napier.[61] Lloyd Webber was also involved and rewrote "The Rum Tum Tugger" for the revival.[99] The run was later extended through April 2015 and an additional 100,000 tickets were released, with Kerry Ellis replacing Scherzinger as Grizabella.[65] The musical returned once again to the London Palladium for another limited run lasting from 23 October 2015 to 2 January 2016, starring Beverley Knight as Grizabella.[100]

Broadway

 
Broadway revival of Cats at the Neil Simon Theatre

Cats debuted on Broadway on 7 October 1982 at the Winter Garden Theatre with a record-breaking $6.2 million in ticket pre-sales.[27] The musical was co-produced by the original London production team, along with David Geffen and The Shubert Organization.[60] Most of the original creative team remained, with Martin Levan replacing Jacob as the sound designer and Stanley Lebowsky replacing Rabinowitz as music director. It was the most expensive Broadway show ever mounted at the time with a production cost of $5.5 million,[101] though it recouped its investment in less than 10 months.[98] On 19 June 1997, Cats overtook A Chorus Line to become the longest-running show in Broadway history with 6,138 performances.[102] At the time, the musical was found to have had an economic impact of $3.12 billion on New York City and had generated the most theatrical jobs of any single entity in Broadway history.[93] In early 2000, the show's closing was scheduled for June but it was subsequently pushed back after a resulting surge in ticket sales.[103] The show closed on 10 September 2000 after a total of 15 previews and 7,485 performances.[60] One actress, Marlene Danielle, performed in the Broadway production for its entire 18-year run.[69] Its Broadway-run record was surpassed on 9 January 2006 by The Phantom of the Opera, and Cats remains Broadway's fifth-longest-running show of all time. Overall, the original Broadway production grossed approximately $388 million in ticket sales.[104]

Encouraged by the reception to the first West End revival, producers began looking to bring Cats back to Broadway in early 2015.[105] The Broadway revival opened on 31 July 2016 at the Neil Simon Theatre.[32] It featured new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, with Nunn and Napier from the original creative team returning to direct and design respectively.[106] Scherzinger, who played Grizabella in the 2014 West End revival, had originally agreed to reprise the role on Broadway but later withdrew.[107] Leona Lewis was cast as Grizabella instead,[108] and was succeeded by Mamie Parris three months later in October 2016.[109] The Broadway revival closed on 30 December 2017 after 16 previews and 593 performances.[32]

Planned Off-Broadway Production (2024)

It was announced on June 14, 2023 that the show would make its Off-Broadway debut at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in summer 2024. It was also announced that the show, to be directed by Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, will be set in the 1980's world of Ballroom culture, with new choreography by Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles. Josephine Kearns will serve as the production's dramaturg as well as gender consultant.[110] This will be the show's first major production to depart stylistically from the original.[111]

North America

Following its Broadway debut, Cats has been staged extensively across North America. The first US national tour, Cats National I, launched at the Shubert Theatre in Boston in December 1983 and closed in November 1987. The opening night cast included Laurie Beechman playing Grizabella and Charlotte d'Amboise playing Cassandra; later replacements included Victoria Clark and Jessica Molaskey both playing Jellylorum/Griddlebone. This production was a "slow tour" that had lengthy engagements lasting for several months in each of the nine cities it visited.[112][113] Cats National II, a separate sit-down production at the Los Angeles Shubert Theatre, ran from January 1985 to November 1986, and starred Kim Criswell and George de la Peña in the roles of Grizabella and Mistoffelees respectively.[114][115] A third US touring company, Cats National III, ran for two years from September 1986 to September 1988. Notable performers in the third tour included Jonathan Cerullo as Skimbleshanks (1986) and Bill Nolte as Old Deuteronomy (1987).[116]

The fourth national company, Cats National IV, toured the United States for 13 years from March 1987 to December 1999.[117] It overtook the first national tour of Oklahoma! in November 1997 to become the longest-running tour in theatre history, and played its 5,000th performance in July 1999.[118] Notable performers in the fourth tour included Amelia Marshall as Sillabub (1988), Jan Horvath as Grizabella (1990), Bryan Batt as Munkustrap (1991–1992), Jennifer Cody as Rumpleteazer (1992), David Hibbard as Rum Tum Tugger (1992–1993), Natalie Toro as Grizabella (1992, 1997), Christopher Gattelli as Mistoffelees (1993), John Treacy Egan as Old Deuteronomy (1993–1994), J. Robert Spencer as Rum Tum Tugger (1995), Bart Shatto as Bustopher Jones/Gus/Growltiger (1996), Linda Balgord as Grizabella (1998), Andy Karl as Rum Tum Tugger (1998), and Lena Hall as Demeter (1998).[117] By June 1997, the North American touring companies had grossed over $400 million.[86]

After the show's closure on Broadway in 2000, Troika Entertainment obtained the touring rights for Cats and launched the show's first non-Equity national company.[119] After a try-out at Harrah's Atlantic City in July 2001, the production toured North America for 11 years from August 2001 to June 2012.[120][121][122] Performers in the non-Equity tour included Julie Garnyé as Jennyanydots (2001)[123] and Dee Roscioli as Grizabella (2002).[124][125] In January 2019, a new North American Equity tour based on the 2016 Broadway revival opened at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Rhode Island, and was originally scheduled to run through June 2020.[126] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, performances of this tour were suspended on 13 March 2020. The tour re-launched as a non-Equity production on 21 September 2021.

Meanwhile, the first Canadian national production premiered in March 1985 at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres in Toronto, Ontario. It moved to Montreal two years later and then toured other parts of Canada. By the time the production closed in August 1989, it had become the most successful Canadian stage production of all time with a box office of $78 million from nearly 2 million tickets.[118][127] A second All-Canadian company began at Toronto's former Panasonic Theatre in May 2013 and ran for four months & 128 performances, 28 years after the original production.[128]

The musical first played in Mexico from April 1991 to November 1992;[120] the Spanish-language production performed over 400 shows and starred María del Sol as Grizabella,[129] Manuel Landeta as Munkustrap,[130] Susana Zabaleta as Jellylorum, Maru Dueñas as Sillabub and Ariel López Padilla as Macavity.[131] A revival premiered at the Teatro San Rafael in May 2013, with an opening night cast that included Filippa Giordano as Grizabella, Landeta, and Maru Dueñas.[132] After a total of 350 performances, the show closed at the Teatro San Rafael in June 2014,[133] and then toured over 36 cities in Mexico until December 2014.[134][135] Other performers who later joined the production included Lisset,[136] Rocío Banquells,[137] Lila Deneken and Myriam Montemayor Cruz, all of whom played Grizabella.[138] Another Mexican revival was launched at the Coyoacán Centennial Theater in October 2018, with Yuri as Grizabella and Landeta as Old Deuteronomy.[130][139] The revival marked its 200th performance in May 2019.[140]

United Kingdom

The first UK and Ireland tour opened in May 1989 at the Opera House Theatre in Blackpool. The cast for this tour included Marti Webb as Grizabella, Rosemarie Ford as Bombalurina and John Partridge as Alonzo.[120] Following a six-month engagement in Blackpool that broke the theatre's box office record and was seen by around 450,000 people,[141] the production moved to the Edinburgh Playhouse for three months, before closing in May 1990 after another two months at the Point Theatre in Dublin.[120] A second national tour launched in June 1993 at the Bristol Hippodrome,[142] featuring Rosemarie Ford as Grizabella, Robin Cousins as Munkustrap, Simon Rice as Mistoffelees and Tony Monopoly as Old Deuteronomy.[143] The tour closed at the Manchester Opera House in December 1995.[144]

Following the closure of the original West End production, a nationwide tour embarked in 2003 with Chrissie Hammond starring as Grizabella,[145][146] until Dianne Pilkington took over the role in 2006.[147] Hammond reprised the role on tour again from 2007 to 2008.[148][149]

A UK and Ireland tour of Cats launched in February 2013 at the Edinburgh Playhouse with Joanna Ampil as Grizabella.[150][151] Susan McFadden took over the role from Ampil during the tour's three-week stop in Dublin.[152] The production ran through 2014 before transferring to the West End.[153] In between its limited West End runs, the musical returned to the Blackpool Opera House Theatre in 2015, this time starring Jane McDonald as Grizabella.[154][155] After the second West End revival, the production toured the UK in 2016 with Anita Louise Combe as Grizabella and Marcquelle Ward as Rum Tum Tugger.[156][157]

Japan

 
The CATS Theatre in Shinagawa, Tokyo (2008)

The Japanese-language production of Cats by the Shiki Theatre Company has been playing continuously since it premiered in Shinjuku, Tokyo, in November 1983. This production is a "slow tour" with engagements lasting for several years in each of the nine cities it has visited.[158][159] An initial investment of ¥800 million (US$3.4 million in 1983) was required to bring Cats to Japan, including ¥300 million for the construction of a purpose-built theatre tailored to the needs of the musical. This was a big financial risk for the Shiki Theatre Company as it meant that a long run was needed to turn a profit; however, stage productions in Japan ran on a monthly basis at the time and open-ended runs were unheard of.[160] The resulting success of this production led to what the local media termed a "musical boom" in the 1980s, with other Broadway musicals quickly following suit and opening in Japan.[161]

As of 2019, the show is performed at the purpose-built CATS Theatre in Tokyo.[158][162] The production has played over 10,000 performances to over 10 million audience members.[163]

Similar to the original London staging, the set of the 1,200-capacity CATS Theatre is built on a revolving stage floor such that during the overture, the stage and sections of the stalls revolve approximately 180 degrees into place.[164][165] In 1998, the Japanese production underwent major revisions to the choreography, staging and costume designs.[166] Following further revisions in 2018,[167] the current incarnation features 27 named cats, including both Jemima and Sillabub (who have evolved into two separate characters), and an original character named Gilbert.[168]

There have been numerous notable performers in the Japanese production, including Shintarō Sonooka as Munkustrap (original 1983 cast),[169] Kanji Ishimaru as Skimbleshanks (1992),[170] Masachika Ichimura, and Mayo Kawasaki.[171] Yoshiko Hattori (ja:服部良子) holds the production's record for the longest-appearing cast member; she played Jennyanydots in the original 1983 cast and remained in the role for 20 years with a final performance tally of 4,251.[171]

Vienna

Under the direction of Peter Weck, the first German-language production of Cats opened in September 1983 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, Austria. In 1988, the show transferred to the newly renovated Ronacher Theatre where it ran for another two years before closing on its seventh anniversary in September 1990.[112][172] The Vienna production played a total of 2,040 performances to more than 2.3 million audience members.[173]

The original Viennese cast included Ute Lemper who played Bombalurina, Steve Barton who played Munkustrap, Robert Montano who played Pouncival,[112] and Angelika Milster who played Grizabella.[174] Pia Douwes was also a member of the cast from 1987 to 1989, covering several different characters including Grizabella.[175] The Vienna production also performed limited runs at the Komische Oper Berlin in East Germany in 1987,[176] and at the Moscow Operetta Theatre in the Soviet Union in 1988.[177]

An ongoing revival by the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien production company opened at the Ronacher Theatre in September 2019.[178]

Germany

 
The Operettenhaus where Cats played for 15 years

Influenced by the show's success in Vienna, a German production by Stella Entertainment premiered in April 1986 at the newly renovated Operettenhaus in Hamburg.[172][179] It closed in January 2001 after 15 years, having played over 6,100 performances to 6.2 million audiences.[179][180] Cats was the first stage production in the country to be mounted without public funding and was also the first to run for multiple years; its success established the medium as a profitable venture in Germany.[180] The musical was also a huge boost for tourism in Hamburg, particularly the subdivision of St. Pauli where it accounted for 30% of all tourists. The number of overnight visitors to the city increased by over one million per year within the first five years of the show's premiere.[179]

Cats redefined musical theatre in the German-speaking part of the world, turning an industry which consisted of repertory theatre at the time towards privately funded commercial productions. The success of the Vienna and Hamburg productions sparked a "musical boom" in the region that saw numerous musicals being launched not just in Germany but also in Switzerland.[172][180] It also led to a "construction boom" in Germany as new theatrical venues such as the Schmidt Theater were enacted all around the country.[180][181] Germany has since grown to become the third largest musical market after the US and UK, with Hamburg as its "musical capital".[172][180]

After Hamburg, the German production transferred to Stuttgart where it played from 2001 to 2002.[182][183] Stage Entertainment took over the production mid-2002 and moved the show to Berlin (2002–2004)[184][185] and later Düsseldorf (2004–2005),[186] before touring other cities until 2006.[187][188] Mehr-Entertainment launched a separate tour of Cats that ran from December 2010 to June 2013, performing in a travelling purpose-built tent theatre.[180] Besides Germany, this company also made stops in cities in Luxembourg, Switzerland and Austria.[189]

Europe

Beyond the UK, Vienna, and Germany, Cats is also produced frequently in the rest of Europe.

1980s and 1990s

The first non-English production of Cats premiered in March 1983 at the Madách Theatre in Budapest, Hungary, with direction by Tamás Szirtes and choreography by László Seregi.[190] Since then, the Hungarian-language production has continued to be staged intermittently as part of the Madách Theatre's repertoire and, as of 2017, has been performed nearly 1,500 times.[191][192]

November 1985 saw the premiere of a Norwegian-language production at Det Norske Teatret in Oslo. It closed in January 1987 and included performers such as Øivind Blunck, Brit Elisabeth Haagensli and Øystein Wiik.[118][193] Jorma Uotinen directed and choreographed a Finnish production at the Helsinki City Theatre that ran for over two years from September 1986 to December 1988, and featured Monica Aspelund as Grizabella, Heikki Kinnunen as Gus, and Kristiina Elstelä as Jennyanydots/Griddlebone.[194] A Swedish version of the musical opened in 1987 at the Chinateatern in Stockholm. The production was seen by 326,000 audiences before it transferred to the Scandinavium in Gothenburg two years later.[195]

Meanwhile, the Carré Theatre in Amsterdam, Netherlands, staged the musical in 1987 (with Ruth Jacott as Grizabella[196]), 1988 and from 1992 to 1993.[197] Cats made its French debut at the Théâtre de Paris from February 1989 to April 1990,[120] with an original cast that included Gilles Ramade as Old Deuteronomy.[198] The show was also produced in Zürich at the ABB Musical Theatre from 1991 to 1993,[199] while a production by Joop van den Ende and the Royal Ballet of Flanders was staged at the Stadsschouwburg Antwerpen in Belgium in 1996.[200] An English/German-language "Eurotour" production also toured the region from May 1994 to December 1995.[173]

21st century

 
The first non-replica production of Cats was staged at the Teatr Muzyczny Roma in Warsaw, Poland (2007).

The show was staged at the Det Ny Teater in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the 2002–2003 season.[201] This Danish production was translated by Adam Price and was one of the largest theatrical productions ever mounted in the country at the time with 100 performers, musicians and stagehands.[202] The first non-replica production of Cats was approved for a Polish production at the Teatr Muzyczny Roma in Warsaw.[203] Set in an abandoned film studio instead of a junkyard, the Polish version opened in January 2004 and closed in 2010.[204][205][206] The Gothenburg opera house staged a production with a Swedish-language script by Ingela Forsman; this version was reimagined to take place in an abandoned fairground and played from September 2006 to February 2007.[207] Other productions were also staged at the Divadlo Milenium in Prague from 2004 to 2005,[188] and a Norwegian revival at the Chat Noir in Oslo in 2009.[208] The first Italian-language production began touring Italy in 2009.[209]

The Dutch live entertainment company Stage Entertainment has been responsible for several European productions of Cats. The company produced the musical at the Coliseum Theatre in Madrid from December 2003 to January 2005, with a cast that included Víctor Ullate Roche as Mistoffelees.[210][211] They then staged a Russian-language production at the Moscow Palace of Youth from 2005 to 2006, with a cast that included Ivan Ozhogin as Munkustrap.[212][213] A Dutch production under the same company toured the Netherlands and Belgium from 2006 to 2007,[205][214] featuring several performers in the role of Grizabella including Pia Douwes and Anita Meyer.[215][216] A Paris revival by Stage Entertainment ran at the Théâtre Mogador from October 2015 to July 2016. This production was based on the 2014 London revival and also featured a new song written especially for the French show by Lloyd Webber.[217][218]

English-language touring companies have also toured the European region extensively. International tours in the early to late 2000s included stops in Sweden, Norway,[219] Finland,[220] Greece,[188] Portugal,[221] Germany,[222] and Italy.[223] The 2013–2014 UK tour visited cities in Belgium,[214][224] Greece, Italy,[225] Monaco, and Portugal.[153] Most recently, a UK production played in numerous European cities from 2016 to 2019, with tour stops in Switzerland, Croatia, Belgium, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, and Luxembourg.[226] These European tours have featured several notable performers in the role of Grizabella, including Pernilla Wahlgren (Sweden; 2003),[227] Katarína Hasprová (Slovakia; 2016)[228] and Jenna Lee-James (Netherlands; 2018–2019).[229]

Oceania

The first Australian production ran from July 1985 to August 1987 at the Theatre Royal in Sydney. The original cast included Debra Byrne as Grizabella, John Wood as Old Deuteronomy, Marina Prior as Jellylorum, Jeff Phillips as Rum Tum Tugger, David Atkins as Mistoffelees, and Anita Louise Combe as Sillabub.[118][230] The Sydney production cost $3 million to mount and grossed a record $28 million. It was credited with revitalising the then-stagnant musical genre in Australia. After closing in Sydney, an additional $1.8 million was spent transferring the production to Melbourne, including $725,000 to refurbish the old Her Majesty's Theatre.[231] The Melbourne run played from October 1987 to December 1988, with an opening night cast that included Megan Williams as Grizabella, Wood as Old Deuteronomy, Phillips as Rum Tum Tugger, Linda Hartley-Clark as Demeter, Femi Taylor as Bombalurina, Rachael Beck as Rumpleteazer and Seán Martin Hingston as Plato/Macavity.[118][232] From 1989 to 1990, the company toured the Festival Theatre in Adelaide,[233] His Majesty's Theatre in Perth,[234] Civic Theatre in Newcastle, Lyric Theatre in Brisbane, and the Aotea Centre in Auckland.[118] This was followed by a second national tour from 1993 to 1996,[235] during which Delia Hannah made her debut as Grizabella in 1994.[236] A professional circus adaptation of Cats, titled Cats Run Away to the Circus, had a national tent tour from 1999 to 2001, with Hannah once again starring as Grizabella.[237][238] Hannah reprised her role for another production that toured Australia and Asia in 2009 and 2010.[239]

In July 2014, Australia's Harvest Rain Theatre Company staged the biggest production of Cats in the Southern Hemisphere with over 700 performers. Produced by Tim O'Connor, the production was performed at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. Callum Mansfield directed and choreographed it, and its cast included Marina Prior as Grizabella and Steven Tandy as Bustopher Jones and Gus.[240][241] From October 2015 to May 2016, a revival toured Australia with stops in Sydney, Hobart, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.[242][243] The revival featured singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem as Grizabella,[244] before Delia Hannah took over the role during the Adelaide and Perth seasons.[236][245]

The musical played in Auckland from 1989 to 1990,[246] and for a limited run in 2015.[247] A New Zealand national tour played across 16 cities in 2019, with a reimagined setting in a derelict Victorian theatre that was inspired by post-earthquake Christchurch.[248]

Asia

Besides Japan, Cats is also produced regularly in other parts of Asia. The region has hosted numerous English-language productions of the musical, beginning with a tour from 1993 to 1994 when it played in Singapore (with local actress Jacintha Abisheganaden as Grizabella),[249] Hong Kong and South Korea.[250] Cats returned to Asia from 2002 to 2004, when an international touring company performed in Malaysia,[251] South Korea,[252] Shanghai,[253] Taipei and Beijing;[254][255][256] the 2004 cast included Slindile Nodangala in the role of Grizabella.[255] A touring company visited Asia again between 2007 and 2010, including stops in the region of Taiwan,[205] Macau, and Thailand in 2007;[257] South Korea from 2007 to 2008;[258] China in 2008;[259] Singapore and Hong Kong in 2009 (with Delia Hannah playing Grizabella);[239][260][261] and Manila in 2010 (with Lea Salonga as Grizabella).[262] Cats toured Asia again from 2014 to 2015, making stops in South Korea, Singapore and Macau.[263] Two years later, another Asian tour was launched and is scheduled to run through 2020, with visits to South Korea from 2017 to 2018,[264] Hong Kong[265] and Taiwan in 2018,[266] China in 2018 (with Joanna Ampil as Grizabella) and 2019,[267] and planned stops in the Philippines and Singapore in 2019, and Malaysia in 2020.[267] Cats was China's highest-grossing musical in 2018, accounting for over 20% of the total grosses from all musicals staged in the country that year.[268]

The musical has also been translated and staged nationally in Asia. From September 2008 to May 2009, a Korean-language production toured South Korea, with Shin Youngsook and Ock Joo-hyun alternating as Grizabella, Kim Jin-woo and Daesung alternating as Rum Tum Tugger, and Kim Bo-kyung as Rumpleteazer.[269] This production was revived and toured South Korea from 2011 to 2012, with Insooni and Park Hae-mi taking turns to portray Grizabella.[270] The first Chinese-language production began touring various cities in China in 2012.[271]

Others

Spanish and Portuguese-language productions of Cats have been staged in South America, with productions in Argentina in 1993 (with Mexican actress Olivia Bucio as Grizabella),[177] in Chile in 2006 (at the Arena Santiago)[272] and 2014,[273] in Colombia in 2009,[274] and in Brazil in 2010 (with Paula Lima as Grizabella).[275] Other countries that the musical has been performed in include South Africa (2001–2002),[251] Lebanon (2002),[276] Qatar (2003, 2017),[277][278] Turkey (2013),[279] Israel (2014),[280] and the United Arab Emirates (2017).[281]

A full-length production of Cats has been performed regularly for guests aboard Royal Caribbean International's cruise ship Oasis of the Seas,[282] starting in autumn 2014, with a cast rotating every nine months.[282][283]

Regional and amateur

 
A school production of Cats in Bangalore, India (2014)

Cats has been produced by various professional regional theatre companies. Broadway Sacramento staged the musical in 2003 and 2009 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. Both productions featured Ken Page reprising his role as Old Deuteronomy from the original Broadway production, along with Jacquelyn Piro Donovan as Grizabella and Jeffry Denman as Munkustrap.[284][285] A 2010 amphitheatre production at The Muny starred Page as Old Deuteronomy, Stephanie J. Block as Grizabella and Lara Teeter as Munkustrap.[286] The La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts staged the musical in 2014, with a cast that included Todrick Hall as Rum Tum Tugger.[287]

Nick Winston directed and choreographed a production at the Kilworth House Theatre in 2019 with a cast that included Emma Hatton and Helen Anker. Set in a dilapidated London Underground station during World War II, this production was given a 5-star review by The Stage for its "radical" reimagining of Cats.[288]

The musical is also available for school and amateur licensing through The Musical Company.[289] On 24 March 2013, the largest-ever staging of Cats was performed by 3,000 students from Stagecoach Theatre Arts schools at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, UK.[290]

Film adaptations

Steven Spielberg's former animation studio Amblimation had planned an animated adaptation of the musical in the 1990s.[291] The film was to be set in war-torn London during World War II, but the project was abandoned with the studio's closure in 1997.[292] The following year, a direct-to-video film was released. The film was directed by David Mallet and was shot at the Adelphi Theatre in London. It starred Elaine Paige as Grizabella, John Mills as Gus, Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy, and Michael Gruber as Munkustrap.[293]

A film adaptation directed by Tom Hooper for Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment and Working Title Films was released on 20 December 2019. The film starred James Corden as Bustopher Jones, Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy, Jason Derulo as Rum Tum Tugger, Idris Elba as Macavity, Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella, Ian McKellen as Gus, Taylor Swift as Bombalurina, Rebel Wilson as Jennyanydots and Francesca Hayward as Victoria.[294] Swift collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber for a new song called "Beautiful Ghosts."[295] The movie was poorly received by both critics and audiences and was also a massive flop at the box office. Andrew Lloyd Webber disowned the film, claiming that it convinced him to get a therapy dog.[296]

Reception

Box office

Cats is a commercial blockbuster. Its worldwide box office gross of over US$2 billion by 1994 made it the highest grossing musical in history at the time.[297] In 2012, the New York Post reported that the musical's grosses had reached $3.5 billion.[298]

Critical reception

London

The original London production received mostly rave reviews, with critics hailing it as a watershed moment in British musical theatre.[299] Michael Billington of The Guardian lauded Cats as "an exhilarating piece of total theatre". Billington praised the show's "strong framework" and the ease in which the poems were integrated. He was also very impressed by Lloyd Webber's fitting compositions, Napier's environmental set, Lynne's effective and at times brilliant choreography, and Nunn's "dazzling staging" that makes use of the entire auditorium.[300] The show received similarly glowing reviews from The Sunday Times' Derek Jewell and The Stage's Peter Hepple. Jewell proclaimed it to be "among the most exhilarating and innovative musicals ever staged",[299] while Hepple declared that with Cats, "the British musical has taken a giant leap forward, surpassing in ingenuity and invention anything Broadway has sent us".[301]

There were a few lukewarm reviews, most notably from Irving Wardle of The Times. Wardle enjoyed Lloyd Webber's compositions but found the visual spectacle too overwhelming.[299] Robert Cushman's review for The Observer concluded that Cats was flawed but unmissable.[302]

The reviews for the 2014 and 2015 London revivals were positive as well, with critics giving both productions an average of 4 out of 5 stars.[303][304] Critics generally found the revivals to be enjoyable and invigorating, though Mark Shenton was disappointed that the new staging lacked the immersiveness of the original.[303][305]

Broadway

Reactions to the original Broadway production were mixed.[306] In his review for The New York Times, Frank Rich noted that the main draw of the show was that it "transports the audience into a complete fantasy world that could only exist in the theater". He attributed much of this "wondrous spectacle" to Nunn's direction, Napier's set and costume designs, as well as the talented cast. Rich found many of Lloyd Webber's songs to be "cleverly and appropriately" pastiche, and was impressed with how Lynne and Nunn distinguished each character through personalised movement. However, he panned Lynne's choreography and felt that the musical failed in its vague attempt to tell a story. Overall, he wished that the show had more "feeling to go with its most inventive stagecraft."[307] Clive Barnes of the New York Post concluded his review saying: "Its importance lies in its wholeheartedness. It is a statement of musical theater that cannot be ignored, should prove controversial and will never be forgotten."[308]

The 2016 Broadway revival received a similarly mixed review by Charles Isherwood of The New York Times. Isherwood concluded that the revival was "fundamentally the Cats you knew and loved when you were first bit by the musical-theater bug. Or it's the Cats you knew and snickered at when you first encountered it."[309]

Awards and nominations

Cats has received many international awards and nominations. The original London production was nominated for six Laurence Olivier Awards in 1981, winning two awards including Best New Musical.[310] Two years later, the original Broadway production won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, out of eleven nominations.[311] The London and Broadway cast recordings were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, which the latter won.[312][313] In 2015, the London revival was nominated for — but did not win — two Olivier Awards, including Best Musical Revival.[314]

Cultural impact and legacy

This is how they divide history: BC — Before Cats — and AD — Andrew Dominant.

— Mark Steyn on the history of musical theatre.[315]

Despite mixed reviews when Cats opened in New York in 1982, critics agreed that it was innovative and visually spectacular in ways that Broadway had never seen before.[308] The musical became a cultural phenomenon and has had a profound influence on the medium.[316] Cats established musical theatre as a global commodity,[317][318] marking the beginning of a new era in the industry that is characterised by huge global stakes for potentially even huger global profits.[317] It led the shift in the Broadway market towards big-budget blockbusters and shows that appeal to families and tourists,[86][319] which in turn left smaller productions struggling to compete.[318] Cats also ushered in a "golden age of British musicals" which saw West End exports dominate the industry for nearly two decades.[320][321] Musical theatre historian Vagelis Siropoulos asserted that in terms of impact, the "seminal Broadway opening" of Cats was "comparable only to Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! thirty nine years ago."[317]

Ultimately, critics are polarized on whether Cats has changed musical theatre for the better or for the worse. William Grimes wrote of its detractors: "There are more than a few who see the Cats phenomenon as the theatrical equivalent of the rise of the megabudget Hollywood action film. For them, Cats is a soulless money machine."[308]

Influence and innovations

As the "first true megamusical",[322] Cats pioneered a genre of musical theatre that is produced on a grand and global scale. It paved the way for later megamusicals — including Les Misérables (1985), The Phantom of the Opera (1986) and Miss Saigon (1989) — that have dominated the industry since.[323] Siropoulos explained:

Cats is considered the quintessential megamusical, because it reconceived, like no other show before, theatrical space as an immense affective encompasser, that transforms the viewing experience into a hypercharged thrill-ride and the spectator into an explorer of new and challenging aural and visual sensations. Its unprecedented success paved the way for even bolder hyperspatial configurations, made the set designer a proper environment builder and raised light and sound design into the status of art in their own right. It also paved the way for the constant revolutionization of stage technology.[324]

 
The cat's-eyes logo and the "now and forever" slogan were used to advertise the musical at the New London Theatre (1999).

Cats introduced a marketing strategy that set the template for subsequent megamusicals. Early advertisements for the musical did not feature traditional pull quotes (despite many positive reviews) or any of the cast, instead branding the show itself as the star. It did this by adopting — and then aggressively promoting — a single recognisable image (the cat's-eyes logo) as the face of the show.[325] The cat's-eyes logo was the first globally marketed logo in musical theatre history,[86] and was paired with a tagline ("now and forever") to create what The Daily Telegraph called "one of musical theatre's greatest posters".[326] Such branding emblems proved equally effective for later megamusicals, as seen with the waif Cosette for Les Misérables and the Phantom's mask for The Phantom of the Opera. This advertising method had the additional effect of diminishing the importance of critical reviews, popularising the so-called "critic-proof" status of megamusicals.[325]

Additionally, Cats was the first Broadway and West End show to capitalise on merchandising as a major revenue stream. Stalls were set up in the theatre lobbies to sell souvenirs ranging from toys and watches to coffee mugs, all of which were emblazoned with the cat's-eyes logo. The official Cats t-shirt became the second-best-selling t-shirt in the world in the 1980s, second only to the Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt. Merchandising has since become an important source of income for the industry.[317][327]

Beyond the megamusical, Cats also led the Broadway trend for musicals aimed at families and tourists, which later took the form of the Disney Theatrical Productions and jukebox musicals.[319][328] The marketing campaigns for the musical targeted family audiences at a time when this demographic was not a consideration in the industry.[328] Composer Joe Raposo said of family musicals in 1986: "Cats is a wonderful proof of what an audience is out there, untapped. People do want a theatrical experience for their children."[329] Thanks to its easily accessible spectacle, the original Broadway production also tapped into the then-burgeoning tourist boom in New York and its audience shifted increasingly towards foreign visitors in its later years.[318][325] Billington also specifically traces the rise of the jukebox musical genre back to Cats, citing the latter's disregard for dramatic text in favour of an all-encompassing theatrical experience.[330]

 
Radio microphones have become the norm in live theatre since Cats.[331]

The musical's fantasy setting and disregard for verisimilitude allowed for groundbreaking experimentations in lighting and audio technology. The original London and Broadway productions featured David Hersey's pioneering use of automated lighting to produce kaleidoscopic landscapes and complicated optical effects. Hersey also used light in an "architectural manner", with fast-changing configurations to spotlight different performers in rapid succession. This dynamic shifting of the audience's perspective created an effect similar to that of fast cutting in film editing.[16] The original London production of Cats was also the first known instance in which an entire cast was individually outfitted with radio microphones.[331] The departure from shared ambient microphones meant that the show did not have to depend on the acoustics and architectural design of the theatrical venue, and enabled the sound designer to achieve cinematic levels of sound amplification and studio-quality audio in live theatre.[332] This practice transformed sound design and has since become the norm in live theatre.[331]

Cats opened new regional, touring and international markets that the industry continues to capitalise on.[318] Recognising the global potential of his show, Mackintosh replicated the original production worldwide with an unprecedented degree of standardisation.[317] Paraphrasing theatre historian Alan Filewod, Marla Carlson wrote:

Cats began the progressive transformation of "Broadway" from a specific location into a delocalized "moment of reception" that can be experienced anywhere and everywhere, even while continuing to depend upon the stamp of approval that box-office success in an actual Broadway theater bestows.[333]

In the 1980s, the success of local productions of Cats in Tokyo,[161] Sydney,[334] Vienna, Hamburg,[172] and Toronto were turning points that established these cities (and their respective countries) as major commercial markets in the global theatrical circuit.[335] The musical was also a boon for the Broadway touring industry. In 1997, The New York Times credited the regional and touring productions of Cats with "almost single-handedly reviv[ing] the sagging road business".[336] Cats revolutionised the touring business by introducing the now commonplace practice of extended touring engagements that can last several weeks or months in a single city, as opposed to the typical one-week or ten-day tour stop. Mackintosh's insistence that all touring productions of Cats replicate the Broadway production also resulted in the expansion and upgrading of regional theatre venues to accommodate the musical's demanding logistical requirements, as local theatre owners did not want to miss out on the opportunity to host the lucrative show.[337]

"Memory"

"Memory" is the standout hit song from Cats. By 2002, the song had been played over two million times on radio and television stations in the US.[97] It was the most requested song at piano bars and lounges in the 1980s, and was an equally popular choice at weddings, concerts and other gatherings. As of 2006, the song had been recorded around 600 times by artists such as Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow, Judy Collins, and Johnny Mathis, in covers ranging from easy listening to techno.[338] According to Sternfeld, it is "by some estimations the most successful song ever from a musical."[322]

Creators

Cats was the ground-breaking show for all of us ... The success of it gave us all the freedom to go on and do other shows.

— Mackintosh[320]

Despite moderate hits with Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, Lloyd Webber was still relatively unknown to the general public before Cats, especially in the US. With Cats, he became a big celebrity in his own right.[322] The musical also established the theatrical careers of the original creative and production team. Following Cats, they collaborated on other global blockbusters including Starlight Express (composed by Lloyd Webber, directed by Nunn and designed by Napier), Les Misérables (directed by Nunn, designed by Napier and produced by Mackintosh), and The Phantom of the Opera (composed by Lloyd Webber, choreographed by Lynne and produced by Mackintosh).[1][339]

The New London Theatre, where the original London production of Cats played for 21 years, was officially renamed the Gillian Lynne Theatre in 2018. This made Lynne the first non-royal woman to have a West End theatre named after her.[340]

By 2012, the royalty payments from Cats to the Eliot estate had totalled an estimated $100 million.[298] Valerie Eliot used a portion of this money to establish the literary charity Old Possum's Practical Trust, and to set up the T. S. Eliot Prize which has since become "the most coveted award in poetry".[341][342] Cats also turned things around for the independent British publishing house Faber and Faber. As the publisher of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, royalties of up to £1 million annually[320] kept the then-struggling Faber afloat during the 1980s.[343] Moreover, the musical led to a surge in the sales of Eliot's book.[1] The success of Cats led Faber to turn another of their literary properties, Ted Hughes' The Iron Man, into a 1989 musical of the same name.[344]

In popular culture

Cats has been referenced many times on screen; from the films Six Degrees of Separation[297] and Team America: World Police,[345] to the sketch comedy Saturday Night Live, and animated series like Family Guy, The Simpsons and BoJack Horseman,[346] as well as live action comedies including The Golden Girls, Caroline in the City, Glee and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.[347][348] An episode of the musical television series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, titled "I Need Some Balance", parodied Cats by having all the songs sung by anthropomorphic cats who "introduce [themselves] over '80s Broadway beats".[349]

Stage parodies of the musical have also been mounted in the West End and Off-Broadway. CAT – (THE PLAY!!!), a one-man show written by Jamie Beamish and Richard Hardwick, is a dark comedy about the fictitious life of Dave, a cat who was fired from the original London production of Cats on opening night. Starring Gerard McCarthy as Dave and with choreography by Arlene Phillips, the musical premiered at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Festival;[350] it performed at various regional venues before making its West End debut at the Ambassadors Theatre in April 2017.[351] Katdashians! Break the Musical!, a parody mashup of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Cats by Bob and Tobly McSmith, premiered Off-Broadway at the Elektra Theatre in June 2016.[352] All the song parodies of Cats were later removed after accusations of copyright infringement from Lloyd Webber's representatives, who claimed the songs were being used "to parody another subject matter entirely".[353] Other stage shows that satirise Cats include Six Degrees of Separation,[348] Angels in America,[297] and The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!).[354]

Madame Tussauds New York features wax figures of several characters from the musical, including one of Grizabella that sings "Memory" through the use of projection mapping technology.[355] Similarly, a wax figure of Rumpleteazer is displayed at the Panoptikum wax museum in Hamburg, Germany.[356]

A Cats postage stamp was issued by the United States Postal Service in 2000 as part of its Celebrate the Century series. The musical was chosen as one of fifteen "outstanding artifacts, events and activities" from the 1980s to be commemorated with its own stamp design.[357] Beginning in March 2019, the Rinkai Line in Tokyo, Japan, uses two songs from the musical for its train departure melodies at the Ōimachi Station; the train to Ōsaki Station uses a jingle of "Memory", while the train to Shin-Kiba Station uses a jingle of "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat".[358]

The visual effects of the 2019 film adaptation were mocked in the 2022 Disney film Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers, in a scene where the titular characters notice two alley cats resembling the ones in the film as they venture through an "uncanny valley" part of town.[359]

Recordings and music video

Cast recordings

List of cast recordings, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications
Cast Album details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications
US
[360][361]
AUS
[362]
AUT
[363]
GER
[364]
JPN
[365]
NED
[366]
NZ
[367]
UK
[368]
Original London cast 86 44 7 21 6
Original Broadway cast 131 5 17
Original Viennese cast 1 24
Original Australian cast
  • Released: 1985[379]
  • Label: EMI
  • Formats: CD
19
Original Japanese cast
Original Hamburg cast
  • Released: 6 October 1986[381]
  • Label: Polydor Records
  • Formats: LP,[382] CD
  • Live recording
12
Original Dutch cast 72
Original London cast (Highlights from Cats)
  • Released: 1989[384]
  • Label: Polydor Records
  • Formats: CD
Japanese cast
  • Released: 8 February 1989[169][386]
  • Label: Pony Canyon
  • Formats: CD
Original French cast
  • Released: 1989[198]
  • Label: Polydor Records
  • Formats: LP, cassette, CD
  • Live recording
Original Mexican cast
  • Released: 1991[387]
  • Label: Polydor Records
  • Formats: CD
Original Polish cast -
Dutch cast
Original Italian cast
  • Released: 26 January 2010[390]
  • Label: Compagnia della Rancia
  • Formats: CD
  • Live recording
Japanese cast 13
Film cast

Music video

Title Year Director(s) Details Ref.
"The Rum Tum Tugger" 1985 Jeff Lee Starring original Broadway cast member Terrence Mann as Rum Tum Tugger, the musical number was re-arranged and re-staged for a music video. It was the first music video created to promote a Broadway show. [392][393]

Revisions and cut material

The stage production of Cats has undergone several revisions since its London opening. When the show transferred to Broadway, several cuts and rewrites were made with the intention of appealing more to an American audience.[394] Additionally, a song entitled "Cat Morgan Introduces Himself" was cut during initial development. Lloyd Webber performed this song at the show's 6,138th Broadway performance, when it broke the record to become the longest-running Broadway show.[102]

"Growltiger's Last Stand"

The "Growltiger's Last Stand" sequence has been changed multiple times over the course of the show's history. In the original London production, the "last duet" for Growltiger and Griddlebone was a setting for an unpublished Eliot poem, "The Ballad of Billy M'Caw". For the original Broadway production, the Ballad was replaced with "In Una Tepida Notte", a parody of Italian opera with more slapstick humour.[93][395] This new version was eventually incorporated into all other productions of Cats.[93]

"Growltiger's Last Stand" has been criticised as being racially offensive. The original lyrics, taken directly from the Eliot poem it is based on, included the ethnic slur "Chinks" and this was later replaced with the word "Siamese".[31] The number also originally involved the cast putting on "Asian accents" to portray the Siamese cats.[309] In the 1998 video version, the entire scene featuring Growltiger was cut.[396] By 2016, "Growltiger's Last Stand" had been removed completely from the US and UK productions of the show.[31] The 2019 Vienna Revival included the song, but since its closing in June 2022, "Growltiger's Last Stand" is now not present in any replica production of Cats.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer

In the original London production, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were characters in their own right and sang their eponymous song themselves as a singsong-style duet. When the show transferred to Broadway, the song was instead sung in the third-person, with Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer as puppets being magically controlled by Mr. Mistoffelees. Their number was also rewritten to be faster and more upbeat, alternating between vaudeville-style verses and a "manic patter" section. Eventually, the Broadway version of the song was rewritten to allow Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer to once again sing their own song as full characters.[397]

Rum Tum Tugger

The 2014 London revival introduced several modernisations to the show. Rum Tum Tugger was reworked from a ladies-man rockstar to a breakdancing street cat. His eponymous musical number was also turned into a rap.[398][399] The 2015 Australian tour and 2015 Paris production also used the new version of the character; however, the 2016 Broadway revival did not.

Choreography

The 2016 Broadway revival featured new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, who introduced more hip hop and cool jazz elements to the movements and dances.[55] Blankenbuehler's choreography for the ensemble numbers did not differ too much from the original by Lynne, but significant changes were made in several solo numbers, including "The Rum Tum Tugger" and "Mr. Mistoffelees".[309]

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cats, musical, cats, sung, through, musical, with, music, andrew, lloyd, webber, based, 1939, poetry, collection, possum, book, practical, cats, eliot, musical, tells, story, tribe, cats, called, jellicles, night, they, make, jellicle, choice, deciding, which,. Cats is a sung through musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber It is based on the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum s Book of Practical Cats by T S Eliot The musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make the Jellicle choice by deciding which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life As of 2022 Cats remains the fifth longest running Broadway show and the seventh longest running West End show CatsLogoMusicAndrew Lloyd WebberBasisOld Possum s Book of Practical Catsby T S EliotPremiere11 May 1981 42 years ago 1981 05 11 New London Theatre London England U K ProductionsMultiple productions worldwideAwardsLaurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical Tony Award for Best Original ScoreLloyd Webber began setting Eliot s poems to music in 1977 and the compositions were first presented as a song cycle in 1980 Producer Cameron Mackintosh then recruited director Trevor Nunn and choreographer Gillian Lynne to turn the songs into a complete musical Cats opened to positive reviews at the New London Theatre in the West End in 1981 and then to mixed reviews at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway in 1982 It won numerous awards including Best Musical at both the Laurence Olivier and Tony Awards Despite its unusual premise that deterred investors initially the musical turned out to be an unprecedented commercial success with a worldwide gross of US 3 5 billion by 2012 The London production ran for 21 years and 8 949 performances while the Broadway production ran for 18 years and 7 485 performances making Cats the longest running musical in both theatre districts for a number of years Cats has since been revived in the West End twice and on Broadway once It has also been translated into multiple languages and performed around the world many times Long running foreign productions include a 15 year run at the Operettenhaus in Hamburg that played over 6 100 performances as well as an ongoing run in a purpose built theatre in Japan that has played over 10 000 performances since it opened in 1983 Cats started the megamusical phenomenon establishing a global market for musical theatre and directing the industry s focus to big budget blockbusters as well as family and tourist friendly shows The musical s profound but polarising influence also reshaped the aesthetic technology and marketing of the medium Cats was adapted into a direct to video film in 1998 and a feature film in 2019 Contents 1 Background 1 1 Poems 2 Creation 2 1 Inception 2 2 Development 3 Synopsis 3 1 Act I When Cats Are Maddened by the Midnight Dance 3 2 Act II Why Will the Summer Day Delay When Will Time Flow Away 4 Music 4 1 Musical numbers 4 2 Orchestration 5 Characters 5 1 Featured 5 2 Others 6 Notable cast 6 1 Notable replacements 6 1 1 West End 6 1 2 Broadway 7 Artistic elements 7 1 Musical treatment 7 2 Choreography 7 3 Staging 7 4 Set and costume design 8 Productions 8 1 London 8 2 Broadway 8 2 1 Planned Off Broadway Production 2024 8 3 North America 8 4 United Kingdom 8 5 Japan 8 6 Vienna 8 7 Germany 8 8 Europe 8 8 1 1980s and 1990s 8 8 2 21st century 8 9 Oceania 8 10 Asia 8 11 Others 8 12 Regional and amateur 9 Film adaptations 10 Reception 10 1 Box office 10 2 Critical reception 10 2 1 London 10 2 2 Broadway 10 3 Awards and nominations 11 Cultural impact and legacy 11 1 Influence and innovations 11 2 Memory 11 3 Creators 11 4 In popular culture 12 Recordings and music video 12 1 Cast recordings 12 2 Music video 13 Revisions and cut material 13 1 Growltiger s Last Stand 13 2 Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer 13 3 Rum Tum Tugger 13 4 Choreography 14 References 14 1 Bibliography 15 External linksBackground EditCats is based on T S Eliot s 1939 poetry book Old Possum s Book of Practical Cats the songs in the musical consisting of Eliot s verse set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber 1 The musical is unusual in its construction along with Eliot s poems music and dance are the main focus of the show at the expense of a traditional narrative structure 2 Musicologists William Everett and Paul Laird described Cats as combining elements of the revue and concept musical 3 The plot centres on a tribe of cats called the Jellicles as they come together at the annual Jellicle Ball to decide which one of them will ascend to the Heaviside Layer their version of heaven and be reborn into a new life 4 The bulk of the musical consists of the different contenders being introduced either by themselves or by other cats 5 Poems Edit T S Eliot s poetry provided most of the lyrics for CatsOld Possum s Book of Practical Cats is a collection of light poetry about cats that Eliot had originally written for his godchildren in the 1930s Due to the rhythmic nature of Eliot s work there had been previous attempts before Cats at setting his poems to music though none of these attempts had been met with much critical or commercial success 6 John Snelson a musicologist wrote of the poems They provided excellent material for musicalization as Eliot s style in this collection is reminiscent of a popular lyricist The poet uses repeated catch phrases strong hooks steady rhythm and outrageous attention grabbing witty rhymes which are the ingredients of every well crafted popular lyric 7 Most of the lyrics in Cats were taken from Old Possum s Book of Practical Cats with very minor alterations Supplementary verses from unpublished poems by Eliot were adapted for Grizabella The Glamour Cat and The Journey to the Heaviside Layer while the song The Moments of Happiness was taken from a passage in Eliot s The Dry Salvages Cats director Trevor Nunn and lyricist Richard Stilgoe provided the remaining lyrics namely for the opening number Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats and the most famous song from the musical Memory The former was written by Nunn and Stilgoe and was modelled after an unpublished poem by Eliot titled Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats while the latter was written by Nunn based on another Eliot poem titled Rhapsody on a Windy Night 1 Creation EditInception Edit Lloyd Webber began composing the songs in late 1977 as a songwriting exercise partly because Eliot s book had been a childhood favourite and partly to see if he could write music to predetermined lyrics The compositions were performed privately for friends but Lloyd Webber had no further intentions for them at the time After his song cycle Tell Me on a Sunday was televised by the BBC in early 1980 Lloyd Webber began to consider using his musicalization of Eliot s poems in the same vein for a televised concert anthology 8 He approached producer Cameron Mackintosh to explore possible avenues for the songs 9 Practical Cats as the show was then called was first presented as a song cycle at the 1980 summer Sydmonton Festival The concert was performed by Gemma Craven Gary Bond and Paul Nicholas Eliot s widow and literary executor Valerie was in attendance and brought along various unpublished cat themed poems by Eliot One of these was Grizabella the Glamour Cat which although rejected from Eliot s book for being too sad for children gave Lloyd Webber the idea for a full blown musical 10 He explained The musical and dramatic images that this created for me made me feel that there was very much more to the project than I had realised I immediately decided that I needed the support of another to encourage me to re work my settings and to see if a dramatic whole could be woven from the delightful verse that I was now to be allowed to develop 8 Lloyd Webber thus decided to turn Practical Cats into a musical co produced by Mackintosh and the Really Useful Group s Brian Brolly 10 Development Edit Shortly after the Sydmonton Festival Lloyd Webber began setting the unpublished poems he had been given to music a few of which were later added into the show He also composed the overture and The Jellicle Ball incorporating analog synthesizers into these orchestrations to try to create a unique electronic soundscape 11 Meanwhile Mackintosh recruited Nunn the then artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company RSC to direct Practical Cats Nunn was an unusual choice as he was considered too high brow for musical theatre 12 but Mackintosh felt that a pedigree director was needed to ensure Valerie Eliot s approval of the project 13 After much persuasion Nunn came on board and was joined by his RSC colleagues choreographer Gillian Lynne and set and costume designer John Napier 9 14 Nunn initially envisioned Practical Cats as a chamber piece for five actors and two pianos which he felt would reflect Eliot s charming slightly offbeat mildly satiric view of late 1930s London 15 However he relented to Lloyd Webber s more ambitious vision for the musical 15 Nunn was also convinced that for the musical to have the wide commercial appeal that the producers desired it could not remain as a series of isolated numbers but instead had to have a narrative through line 14 He was therefore tasked with piecing the self contained poems together into a story 16 Nunn wrote about the significance Grizabella the Glamour Cat had on the construction of the narrative Here in eight lines Eliot was describing an intensely recognizable character with powerful human resonances while introducing the themes of mortality and the past which occur repeatedly in the major poems We decided that if Eliot had thought of being serious touching almost tragic in his presentation of a feline character then we had to be doing a show which could contain that material and the implications of it Furthermore we would have to achieve the sense of progression through themes more than incidents 17 An event called the Jellicle Ball was referenced by Eliot in the poem The Song of the Jellicles while a cat version of heaven known as the Heaviside Layer was mentioned in one of his unpublished poems Nunn expanded on these concepts by conceiving the Jellicle Ball as an annual ritual in which the cats vie to be chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer thus giving the characters a reason to gather and sing about themselves in the musical He also added the element of rebirth as a play on the idea that cats have nine lives 1 One of Nunn s stipulations for agreeing to direct Practical Cats was that actress Judi Dench would be cast in the musical Lloyd Webber was happy to oblige given her credentials and so Dench joined the company in the dual roles of Grizabella and Jennyanydots Former Royal Ballet principal dancer Wayne Sleep was offered the part of Mr Mistoffelees after Lloyd Webber and Mackintosh attended a performance by his dance troupe one of the many dance showcases they saw in preparation for the musical Casting for the other roles began in November 1980 with auditions held across the UK for dancers who could also sing and act There was an initial disagreement over the casting of Nicholas as Rum Tum Tugger Nunn had misgivings about the actor s easy going attitude but eventually yielded to Lloyd Webber Mackintosh and Lynne all of whom were keen on Nicholas for the role Sarah Brightman who had already made a name for herself with the chart hit I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper arranged a private audition and was cast in an as then undecided role By December the full cast had been assembled 18 Meanwhile Mackintosh engaged the advertising agency Dewynters to design a poster for the musical After much back and forth the agency presented a minimalist poster consisting of a pair of yellow feline eyes with dancing silhouettes for the pupils set against a black backdrop The producers and the creative team loved the design but felt that the title Practical Cats looked out of place when paired with the image of the cat s eyes The musical s title was thus shortened to just Cats 19 The musical was scheduled to open on 30 April 1981 with previews starting on 22 April Shortly before tickets went on sale in mid February Nunn revealed to the alarmed producers that he was struggling to write the script for the musical Despite still having no established book or score rehearsals began on 9 March 1981 in a church hall in Chiswick London 20 The situation improved later that day when Lloyd Webber Mackintosh and Nunn met with Richard Stilgoe a musician known for his ability to improvise lyrics on the spot in hopes that Stilgoe could write an opening song for the musical By the next evening Stilgoe had produced a draft for Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats 21 However Memory an 11 o clock number for Grizabella that Nunn insisted the show needed as its emotional centre 22 still had no lyrics at this point Lloyd Webber s former writing partner Tim Rice was brought in to write a lyric for the song but his version was rejected by Nunn for being too depressing The lyrics for Memory were not completed by Nunn until well into the previews 23 The original 1981 London cast of CatsMany of the ensemble characters were created by the original cast through extensive improvisation sessions held during the rehearsal process Said Nunn O n day one of rehearsals what we had was 15 poems set to music and five weeks later we had a show with characters relationships and stories running from beginning to end 24 25 The production faced a last minute mishap when Dench snapped her Achilles tendon during rehearsals for The Old Gumbie Cat and had to pull out one week before the first preview Shortly after this the original music director Chris Walker also had to leave the production for medical reasons and was replaced by the film conductor Harry Rabinowitz Dench s understudy Myra Sands replaced her as Jennyanydots while Elaine Paige agreed to take over the role of Grizabella Opening night was pushed back to 11 May but Mackintosh refused to postpone the previews as he wanted to dispel the industry rumours that the production was an impending debacle 26 The development of Cats was also plagued by financial troubles Mackintosh struggled to raise the 450 000 US 1 16 million 27 needed to stage the musical in the West End as major investors were sceptical of the show s premise and refused to back it Lloyd Webber personally underwrote the musical and took out a second mortgage on his house for the down payment of the theatre He later recalled that if Cats had been a commercial failure it would have left him in financial ruin 28 The remaining capital was eventually raised by small investments procured from 220 individuals through newspaper advertisements 1 12 After the musical became a massive hit the rate of return for these investors was estimated to have exceeded 3 500 per cent 29 Synopsis EditAct I When Cats Are Maddened by the Midnight Dance Edit The Jellicle cats gather every year to make the Jellicle choice and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life After the overture a tribe of cats known as the Jellicles gather on stage and describe themselves and their purpose Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats The cats who break the fourth wall throughout the show then notice that they are being watched by a human audience and proceed to explain how the different cats of the tribe are named The Naming of Cats This is followed by a ballet solo performed by Victoria to signal the beginning of the Jellicle Ball The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball At this moment Munkustrap the show s main narrator explains that tonight the Jellicle patriarch Old Deuteronomy will make an appearance and choose one of the cats to be reborn into a new life on the Heaviside Layer Munkustrap introduces the first contender Jennyanydots The Old Gumbie Cat a large tabby cat who lazes around all day but come nighttime she becomes active teaching mice and cockroaches various activities to curb their naturally destructive habits Just as Jennyanydots finishes her song the music changes suddenly and Rum Tum Tugger makes his extravagant entrance in front of the tribe The Rum Tum Tugger He is very fickle and unappeasable for he will do as he do do and there s no doing anything about it Then as Rum Tum Tugger s song fades a shabby old grey cat stumbles out wanting to be reconciled it is Grizabella All the cats back away from her in fear and disgust and explain her unfortunate state Grizabella The Glamour Cat Grizabella leaves and the music changes to a cheerful upbeat number as Bustopher Jones a fat cat in a coat of fastidious black is brought to the stage Bustopher Jones The Cat About Town Bustopher Jones is among the elite of the cats and visits prestigious gentlemen s clubs Suddenly a loud crash startles the tribe and the cats run offstage in fright Hushed giggling sounds signal the entrance of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer a pair of near identical cats They are mischievous petty burglars who enjoy causing trouble around their human neighbourhood Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer After they finish they are caught off guard and confronted by the rest of the cats Finally the Jellicle patriarch Old Deuteronomy arrives before the tribe Old Deuteronomy He is a wise old cat who has lived many lives and is tasked with choosing which Jellicle will go to the Heaviside Layer every year The cats put on a play for Old Deuteronomy The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles telling a story about two dog tribes clashing in the street and subsequently being scared away by the Great Rumpus Cat A moral from Old Deuteronomy is interrupted by a second loud crash presumably from Macavity which sends the alarmed cats scurrying After a quick patrol for Macavity Old Deuteronomy deems it a false alarm and summons the cats back as the main celebration begins The Jellicle Ball in which the cats sing and display their Terpsichorean powers During the Ball Grizabella reappears and tries to dance along but her age and decrepit condition prevent her from doing so Grizabella The Glamour Cat Reprise As a result she is once again shunned by the other cats but that does not stop her from vowing to return for another chance to be in the spotlight while a guilty Old Deuteronomy looks on Memory Prelude Act II Why Will the Summer Day Delay When Will Time Flow Away Edit After the Jellicle Ball Old Deuteronomy gathers his tribe to contemplate what happiness is Jemima also known as Sillabub the youngest of all Jellicles understands the patriarch is referring to Grizabella and passes the message on to the rest of the tribe The Moments of Happiness Gus short for Asparagus shuffles forward as the next cat to be introduced Gus The Theatre Cat He was once a famous actor but is now old and suffers from palsy which makes his paws shake He is accompanied by Jellylorum his caretaker who tells of his exploits Gus then remembers how he once played the infamous pirate captain Growltiger Growltiger s Last Stand Gus tells the story about the pirate captain s romance with Lady Griddlebone and how Growltiger was overtaken by the Siamese and forced to walk the plank to his death Back in the present after Gus exits Skimbleshanks is seen sleeping in the corner Skimbleshanks The Railway Cat He is the cat who is unofficially in charge of the night train to Glasgow Skimbleshanks is considered vital to the rail operations as without him the train can t start Within his song a whole steam train engine is assembled out of objects in the junkyard With a third crash and an evil laugh the most wanted cat Macavity appears He is the so called Napoleon of Crime who always manages to evade the authorities Macavity s henchmen capture Old Deuteronomy and take off with the patriarch in tow As Munkustrap and his troop give chase Demeter and Bombalurina explain what they know about Macavity Macavity The Mystery Cat When they are finished Macavity returns disguised as Old Deuteronomy but his cover is blown by Demeter and he ends up getting beaten by Munkustrap and Alonzo Macavity holds his own for a time but as the rest of the tribe begin to gang up and surround him he shorts out the stage lights and escapes in the resulting confusion After the fight Rum Tum Tugger calls upon the magician Mr Mistoffelees for help Magical Mr Mistoffelees Known as the original conjuring cat Mr Mistoffelees can perform feats of magic that no other cat can do He displays his magical powers in a dance solo and uses them to restore the lights and bring back Old Deuteronomy Now the Jellicle choice can be made Before Old Deuteronomy can make his decision Grizabella returns to the junkyard and he allows her to address the gathering Her faded appearance and lonely disposition have little effect on her song Memory With acceptance and encouragement from Jemima and Victoria her appeal succeeds and she is chosen to be the one to go to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a new Jellicle life The Journey to the Heaviside Layer A tyre rises from the piles of junk carrying Grizabella and Old Deuteronomy partway towards the sky Grizabella then completes the journey on her own i Finally Old Deuteronomy closes the show by giving his final speech to the audience The Ad dressing of Cats Notes The method in which Grizabella ascends to the Heaviside Layer varies depending on the production In the original London and Broadway productions she climbs up a stairway that emerges from the ceiling In the 1990s and 2000s scaled down touring productions she ascends via a flying saucer like vessel 30 Music EditMusical numbers Edit Act I Overture Orchestra Prologue Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats The Company The Naming of Cats Asparagus Munkustrap The Company The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball Victoria Quaxo Munkustrap Company The Old Gumbie Cat Jennyanydots Munkustrap Bombalurina Jellylorum Demeter Company The Rum Tum Tugger Rum Tum Tugger Quaxo Bombalurina Company Grizabella The Glamour Cat Grizabella Demeter Bombalurina Company Bustopher Jones The Cat About Town Bustopher Jones Jennyanydots Bombalurina Jellylorum Company Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer Mungojerrie Rumpleteazer Company Old Deuteronomy Munkustrap Rum Tum Tugger Old Deuteronomy Company The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles Munkustrap Rumpus Cat and Company The Jellicle Ball The Company Grizabella The Glamour Cat Reprise Jellylorum and Jemima Memory Prelude Grizabella Act II The Moments of Happiness Old Deuteronomy Jemima Company Gus The Theatre Cat Asparagus Jellylorum Growltiger s Last Stand including The Ballad of Billy M Caw or In Una Tepida Notte Growltiger Griddlebone Genghis The Crew Company Skimbleshanks The Railway Cat Skimbleshanks and Company Macavity The Mystery Cat Demeter Bombalurina Girls Mr Mistoffelees Mr Mistoffelees Rum Tum Tugger and Company Memory Grizabella Jemima The Journey to the Heaviside Layer The Company Finale The Ad Dressing of Cats Old Deuteronomy and Company Growltiger s Last Stand has been dropped from US and UK productions since 2016 31 with The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles moving to Act II to replace it 32 Also credited as Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball 32 Orchestration Edit Based on the definitive 16 piece licensed version 33 Woodwind I flute tenor saxophone soprano saxophone Woodwind II B clarinet baritone saxophone flute Woodwind III oboe cor anglais Horn I Horn II Trumpet I B trumpet piccolo trumpet Trumpet II B trumpet flugelhorn Trombone B Keyboard I Keyboard II Keyboard III Percussion Cello Guitar electric acoustic Electric upright bass DrumsCharacters EditMain article Jellicle cats Cats is an ensemble show with a large supporting cast and no leads 34 Featured Edit From left to right Old Deuteronomy Jemima Grizabella and Victoria during an event in Germany 2011 Characters who are featured singers and or dancers Asparagus Gus a k a the Theatre Cat A frail elderly cat who used to be a famous stage actor 35 Bombalurina A flirty and confident red queen she is best friends with Demeter and the two share an intense hatred for Macavity 36 Bustopher Jones a k a the Cat About Town A fat upper class cat with a fastidious black coat and white spats Respected by all he is a man of leisure who frequents gentlemen s clubs for their fine dining 37 In most productions the actor playing Gus also plays Bustopher though in early productions the part was handled by the actor playing Old Deuteronomy Demeter A troubled and skittish queen she is best friends with Bombalurina and the two share an intense hatred for Macavity 36 Grizabella A former Glamour Cat ostracised by the Jellicles who has lost her sparkle and now only wants to be accepted 38 Jellylorum A motherly caretaker who watches out for the kittens and looks after Gus Jemima Sillabub The youngest kitten Idealistic and jovial she is sympathetic to Grizabella s plight 39 Jennyanydots a k a the Old Gumbie Cat She sits around all day and is seemingly very lazy but at night she becomes very active as she rules the mice and cockroaches forcing them to undertake helpful functions and creative projects to curb their naturally destructive habits 40 Macavity a k a the Mystery Cat A notorious criminal known as the Napoleon of Crime 41 Usually played by the actor playing Admetus Plato Mr Mistoffelees A young black and white tuxedo tom learning to control his magical powers 42 He is a featured dancer performing his signature Conjuring Turn twenty four consecutive fouettes en tournant during his number 43 Mistoffelees chorus identity is sometimes known as Quaxo Mungojerrie A mischievous troublemaker he is one half of a notorious duo of cat burglars along with Rumpleteazer 44 Munkustrap A grey tabby tomcat who is the storyteller and protector of the Jellicle tribe He is Old Deuteronomy s second in command and the show s main narrator 45 Old Deuteronomy The wise and benevolent elderly Jellicle leader who is beloved by his tribe 46 Rumpleteazer A mischievous troublemaker she is one half of a notorious duo of cat burglars along with Mungojerrie 44 Rum Tum Tugger A flashy and unappeasable cat who loves to be the centre of attention 47 Skimbleshanks a k a the Railway Cat An upbeat and active orange tabby cat who lives on the mail trains and acts as an unofficial chaperone to such an extent he is considered rather indispensable to the train and station employees 48 Victoria A demure and graceful white kitten She is a featured dancer opening with a ballet solo after The Naming of the Cats and is the first character to touch Grizabella 49 Others Edit Other characters who have appeared in multiple notable productions include Admetus Plato The chorus identity of Macavity He is a teenage ginger and white young tom and is typically paired with Victoria in a pas de deux during the Jellicle Ball 50 Alonzo A black and white tom He is vain insecure and full of bravado 51 Bill Bailey Tumblebrutus A playful tom kitten often performing acrobatics as well as being a strong dancer His costume consists of brown patches including a brown eye patch on a white base 52 Carbucketty Pouncival A playful and acrobatic brown and white tom kitten 53 Cassandra An elegant and aloof brown pointed queen 54 Coricopat and Tantomile Mysterious twin brother and sister with psychic abilities 55 Electra A reserved and solemn tortoiseshell kitten Her costume is brown red and black 56 Etcetera An exuberant and immature tabby kitten Her costume is white black and brown 57 Griddlebone Growltiger s lover in Growltiger s Last Stand in which she sings The Ballad of Billy M Caw or the mock Italian aria In Una Tepida Notte depending on production Usually played by the actress playing Jellylorum Growltiger A theatrical character Gus recalls playing in his youth and who appears in Gus memory during Growltiger s Last Stand 35 In some productions he is portrayed as a vicious pirate in others he is more comical Usually played by the actor playing Gus Rumpus Cat A spiky haired cat with glowing red eyes seen as a sort of superhero figure in The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles despite his ineptness Usually played by one of the male ensemble characters in the play within the musical 58 Notable cast EditRole Original London cast 1981 59 Original Broadway cast 1982 60 First London Revival cast 2014 61 Second London Revival cast 2015 62 Broadway revival cast 2016 32 Admetus Plato Steven Wayne Kenneth Ard Cameron Ball Javier Cid Daniel GaymonAlonzo Roland Alexander Hector Jaime Mercado Adam Lake Jack Butterworth Ahmad SimmonsAsparagus Gus Stephen Tate Stephen Hanan Paul F Monaghan Christopher GurrBill Bailey Tumblebrutus Peter Barry Robert Hoshour Adam Salter Jon Scott Clark Kolton KrouseBombalurina Geraldine Gardner Donna King Charlene Ford Emma Lee Clark Christine Cornish SmithBustopher Jones Brian Blessed Stephen Hanan Paul F Monaghan Christopher GurrCarbucketty Luke Baxter Steven Gelfer Joel Morris Luke Cinque White Giuseppe BausilioCassandra Seeta Indrani Rene Ceballos Cassie Clare Danielle Cato Emily PynenburgCoricopat Donald Waugh Rene Clemente Benjamin Mundy James Titchener Corey John SnideDemeter Sharon Lee Hill Wendy Edmead Zizi Strallen Anna Woodside Kim FaureElectra Anita Pashley Lili FroehlichEtcetera Julie Edmett Christine Langner George Pouncival John Chester Herman W Sebek Stevie Hutchinson Jordan Shaw Sharrod WilliamsGriddlebone Susan Jane Tanner Bonnie Simmons Clare Rickard Grizabella Elaine Paige Betty Buckley Nicole Scherzinger Beverley Knight Leona LewisGrowltiger Stephen Tate Stephen Hanan Paul F Monaghan Jellylorum Susan Jane Tanner Bonnie Simmons Clare Rickard Sara Jean FordJemima Sillabub Sarah Brightman Whitney Kershaw Natasha Mould Tarryn Gee Arianna RosarioJennyanydots Myra Sands Anna McNeeley Laurie Scarth Jane Quinn Eloise KroppMacavity John Thornton Kenneth Ard Cameron Ball Javier Cid Daniel GaymonMr Mistoffelees Wayne Sleep i Timothy Scott Joseph Poulton i Mark John Richardson i Ricky UbedaMungojerrie John Thornton Rene Clemente Benjamin Yates Harry Francis Jess LeProttoMunkustrap Jeff Shankley Harry Groener Callum Train Matt Krzan Andy Huntington JonesOld Deuteronomy Brian Blessed Ken Page Nicholas Pound Adam Linstead Quentin Earl Darrington ii Rum Tum Tugger Paul Nicholas Terrence Mann Antoine Murray Straughan Marcquelle Ward Tyler HanesRumpleteazer Bonnie Langford Christine Langner Dawn Williams Georgie Leatherland Shonica GoodenRumpus Cat Roland Alexander Kenneth Ard Adam Lake Jack Butterworth Christopher GurrSkimbleshanks Kenn Wells Reed Jones Ross Finnie Evan James Jeremy DavisTantomile Femi Taylor Janet Hubert Whitten Kathryn Barnes Gabrielle Cocca Emily TateVictoria Finola Hughes Cynthia Onrubia Hannah Kenna Thomas Georgina PazcoguinNotes a b c Also credited as Quaxo chorus cat Also credited as Victor chorus cat Notable replacements Edit Notable replacements from the musical s West End and Broadway runs West End Edit Admetus Macavity Richard Armitage 1994 1995 63 Alonzo Warren Carlyle 1992 Steven Houghton 1993 Jason Gardiner 1997 Chris Jarvis 2001 2002 63 64 Asparagus Growltiger Paul Bentley 1988 Mark Wynter 1990 1992 Peter Polycarpou 2001 2002 63 64 Bill Bailey Michael Sundin 1982 63 Bombalurina Femi Taylor 1984 1985 Janie Dee 1990 Donna King 1992 Heather Douglas 1999 63 Coricopat Danny John Jules 1983 63 Demeter Erin Lordan 1985 Louise Fribo 1994 1995 63 Electra Sarah Jane Honeywell 1993 1994 63 Etcetera Sarah Jane Honeywell 2001 2002 63 64 Grizabella Angela Richards 1982 Marti Webb 1983 Carol Nielsson 1984 1985 Anita Harris 1985 1986 Clare Burt 1993 Rosemarie Ford 1995 Diane Langton 1996 Stephanie Lawrence 1997 Sally Ann Triplett 1998 Chrissie Hammond 1999 2002 63 64 Kerry Ellis revival 2015 65 Madalena Alberto revival 2015 2016 66 Jellylorum Griddlebone Rebecca Lock 2000 2001 63 67 Jemima Ruthie Henshall 1987 1989 Louise Fribo 1996 Veerle Casteleyn 1998 1999 63 Jennyanydots Ann Emery 1983 1986 63 Mistoffelees Gen Horiuchi 1998 Louie Spence 1999 68 Jacob Brent 2001 63 Munkustrap David Burt 1982 Gary Martin 1987 1990 Steven Houghton 1994 63 Old Deuteronomy John Turner 1983 1985 John Rawnsley 1995 1997 Dave Willetts 2001 Junix Inocian 2001 2002 63 64 Rum Tum Tugger John Partridge 1995 2001 2002 64 Tommie Earl Jenkins 1997 1998 63 Rumpleteazer Anna Jane Casey 1988 1990 Jo Gibb 1996 1997 63 Skimbleshanks Neil Fitzwiliam 1984 1985 63 Victoria Phyllida Crowley Smith 1992 1993 63 Broadway Edit Alonzo Scott Wise 1984 69 Bustopher Jones Asparagus Growltiger Tim Jerome 1984 1986 Gregg Edelman 1986 69 Cassandra Charlotte d Amboise 1984 1985 69 Demeter Lena Hall 1999 2000 70 Grizabella Laurie Beechman 1984 1988 1997 Loni Ackerman 1988 1991 Lillias White 1991 1992 Liz Callaway 1993 1999 Linda Balgord 1999 2000 69 Jennyanydots Sharon Wheatley 1999 2000 69 Mistoffelees Gen Horiuchi 1991 1993 1995 1996 Jacob Brent 1996 1999 Christopher Gattelli 1999 69 Munkustrap Rob Marshall 1987 Bryan Batt 1991 1992 Michael Gruber 1996 1997 1999 Jeffry Denman 1999 2000 69 Old Deuteronomy Walter Charles u s Plato Macavity Rumpus Cat Scott Wise 1983 69 Pouncival Robert Montano 1985 1987 Christopher Gattelli 1996 1998 1999 2000 69 Rum Tum Tugger David Hibbard 1993 1996 1997 1999 Stephen Bienskie 1999 2000 69 Rumpleteazer Jennifer Cody 1994 69 Tumblebrutus Randy Bettis 1990 1991 1996 1998 69 Artistic elements EditMusical treatment Edit Andrew Lloyd WebberCats is completely told through music with no dialogue in between the songs 71 although there are occasions when the music accompanies spoken verse Lloyd Webber s compositions employ an eclectic range of musical styles so as to magnify the characters contrasting personalities 4 For example the rebellious Rum Tum Tugger is introduced with a rock song The Rum Tum Tugger the fallen Grizabella is accompanied by a dramatic operatic aria Grizabella The Glamour Cat Old Deuteronomy makes his grand entrance to a lullaby turned anthem Old Deuteronomy and Gus nostalgia for the past is reflected through an old fashioned music hall number Gus The Theatre Cat 16 Many of the songs are pastiches of their respective genres which Snelson attributes to the show s origins as a song cycle The original concept of a set of contrasting numbers without a dramatic narrative meant that each song needed to establish some sort of musical characterization independent of the others and develop a quick rapport with the audience Such a rapid familiarity and identification of purpose can be achieved through pastiche But it was only a musical starting point for the songs in Cats move beyond the straightforward Elvis pastiche of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat they are less pointed more the free workings within a range of chosen styles than direct copies of a specific performer or number The audience responds to the musical differences given an initial security provided by the familiarity of recognizable underlying stylistic generalities 72 Lloyd Webber also employs various techniques to help connect the pieces Namely the score relies heavily on recurring motifs as well as the use of preludes and reprises 73 For instance melodic fragments of Memory are sung by Grizabella and Jemima at several points in the show before the song is sung in full 39 serving to characterise Grizabella and foreshadow her final number 74 75 Similarly Lloyd Webber introduces a fugue in the overture and variations of this theme are then repeated throughout the musical until it is finally resolved as Grizabella ascends to the Heaviside Layer 76 The musical also features an unusual amount of group description numbers According to musicologist Jessica Sternfeld such numbers are usually relegated to the prologue and nothing more as seen in Another Op nin Another Show from Kiss Me Kate and Tradition from Fiddler on the Roof Cats on the other hand features four Jellicle defining songs Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats The Naming of Cats The Jellicle Ball and The Ad Dressing of Cats These numbers allow the cats to celebrate their tribe and species as a whole in between the ones that celebrate individual members 77 Choreography Edit Gillian LynneRegarded as one of the most challenging shows to dance in musical theatre history 78 dance plays a major role in Cats as the original creative team had specifically set out to create England s first dance musical 79 Before Cats the industry wide belief was that British dancers were inferior to their Broadway counterparts The risky hiring of a British choreographer Lynne for a British dance musical was described by one historian as a vivid and marvellous gesture of transatlantic defiance 80 Making Lynne s job more challenging was the fact that the music in Cats is unceasing and the majority of the cast remains on stage throughout nearly the entire show 80 Lynne choreographed the original London production with a dance crew consisting of her assistant Lindsay Dolan the dance captain Jo Anne Robinson and cast members Finola Hughes and John Thornton 79 The resulting choreography blends ballet modern dance jazz and tap interspersed with acrobatic displays 16 Lynne also trained the cast to evoke the movement physicality and behaviour of actual cats 81 These feline traits were incorporated into the movement and choreography so as to create an anthropomorphic illusion 16 Lynne considered the 13 minute Jellicle Ball dance to be the crux of the show noting that in order to work as a dance driven musical Cats had to succeed there or die 79 82 She recalled the difficulty she faced in persuading Lloyd Webber to add the extended dance break culminating in her and her dance crew having to dance all the parts in the Jellicle Ball to convince him 79 82 Staging Edit The original staging of Cats at the New London Theatre was considered revolutionary 83 and one of the first truly immersive theatrical experiences 34 Instead of a conventional proscenium the theatre was quasi in the round with a central revolving stage 15 84 Nunn and Napier had sought to create an environment rather than a set 17 and around 900 000 was spent remodelling the New London in preparation for the show 9 This included mounting sections of the stalls onto the theatre s 60 ft 18 m 85 revolve such that the audience moved along with the stage 16 When the show was brought to Broadway the Winter Garden Theatre was given a similar 2 million makeover 86 its proscenium stage was converted into a thrust and a part of its roof was torn through to allow for the effects of Grizabella s ascension to the Heaviside Layer 87 Nunn was also adamant that the orchestra for Cats be hidden backstage out of the audience s view so as not to break the immersion 88 Adding to the experience the show usually includes a lot of audience interaction such as during the overture when the cast don flashing green eyes as they make their way through the audience in the darkened theatre 77 89 In the original Broadway production catwalks were built to connect the stage to the boxes and balcony so as to give the cast access to the entire auditorium during the show 90 Set and costume design Edit Napier began designing the set in November 1980 wanting a place where cats might congregate together which also included maximum room for dancing 91 The set of Cats consists of a junkyard filled with oversized props to give the illusion that the cast are the size of actual cats 92 it remains the same throughout the show without any scene changes Over 2 500 of these scaled up props were used to fill the whole auditorium in the original Broadway production 16 93 Napier also designed the costumes combining cat and human features based on hints given in Eliot s poems while ensuring that they did not impede the dancers movements 91 The costumes generally consist of a unitard a wig that is fashioned to suggest the presence of feline ears patches resembling body fur and arm and leg warmers to give the performers hands and feet a more paw like appearance As with the contrasting music and dance styles the costumes and make up are used to bring out each character s distinct personality For example the costume for the flirtatious Bombalurina is designed to accentuate her sensuality while the markings on the costume for Jemima the youngest of the tribe resemble crayon scribbles 24 Every character s design motif is custom painted by hand onto a plain unitard to line up with their performer s individual body In order to reproduce the hand drawn aesthetic of Napier s original design sketches costume painters in the original Broadway production used squeeze bottles to apply the paint Due to the amount of dancing in Cats most of the costumes did not last longer than a few months 94 Productions EditCats has been translated into over 15 languages and produced professionally in more than 30 countries 95 London Edit Cats at the New London Theatre 1999 Cats premiered in the West End at the New London Theatre on 11 May 1981 The musical was produced by Mackintosh and Lloyd Webber s Really Useful Group with direction by Nunn choreography by Lynne who also served as the associate director set and costume design by Napier lighting design by David Hersey sound design by Abe Jacob and music direction by Harry Rabinowitz 96 It played a total of 8 949 performances before closing on its 21st anniversary 11 May 2002 The final performance was broadcast live on a large outdoor screen in Covent Garden for fans who could not acquire a ticket 97 Cats held the record as London s longest running musical from 1989 when it surpassed Jesus Christ Superstar 98 until 8 October 2006 when it was surpassed by Les Miserables The musical returned to the West End in 2014 for a planned 12 week limited run at the London Palladium Beginning on 6 December the revival starred Nicole Scherzinger as Grizabella and featured the original creative team with direction from Nunn choreography by Lynne and design by Napier 61 Lloyd Webber was also involved and rewrote The Rum Tum Tugger for the revival 99 The run was later extended through April 2015 and an additional 100 000 tickets were released with Kerry Ellis replacing Scherzinger as Grizabella 65 The musical returned once again to the London Palladium for another limited run lasting from 23 October 2015 to 2 January 2016 starring Beverley Knight as Grizabella 100 Broadway Edit Broadway revival of Cats at the Neil Simon TheatreCats debuted on Broadway on 7 October 1982 at the Winter Garden Theatre with a record breaking 6 2 million in ticket pre sales 27 The musical was co produced by the original London production team along with David Geffen and The Shubert Organization 60 Most of the original creative team remained with Martin Levan replacing Jacob as the sound designer and Stanley Lebowsky replacing Rabinowitz as music director It was the most expensive Broadway show ever mounted at the time with a production cost of 5 5 million 101 though it recouped its investment in less than 10 months 98 On 19 June 1997 Cats overtook A Chorus Line to become the longest running show in Broadway history with 6 138 performances 102 At the time the musical was found to have had an economic impact of 3 12 billion on New York City and had generated the most theatrical jobs of any single entity in Broadway history 93 In early 2000 the show s closing was scheduled for June but it was subsequently pushed back after a resulting surge in ticket sales 103 The show closed on 10 September 2000 after a total of 15 previews and 7 485 performances 60 One actress Marlene Danielle performed in the Broadway production for its entire 18 year run 69 Its Broadway run record was surpassed on 9 January 2006 by The Phantom of the Opera and Cats remains Broadway s fifth longest running show of all time Overall the original Broadway production grossed approximately 388 million in ticket sales 104 Encouraged by the reception to the first West End revival producers began looking to bring Cats back to Broadway in early 2015 105 The Broadway revival opened on 31 July 2016 at the Neil Simon Theatre 32 It featured new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler with Nunn and Napier from the original creative team returning to direct and design respectively 106 Scherzinger who played Grizabella in the 2014 West End revival had originally agreed to reprise the role on Broadway but later withdrew 107 Leona Lewis was cast as Grizabella instead 108 and was succeeded by Mamie Parris three months later in October 2016 109 The Broadway revival closed on 30 December 2017 after 16 previews and 593 performances 32 Planned Off Broadway Production 2024 Edit It was announced on June 14 2023 that the show would make its Off Broadway debut at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in summer 2024 It was also announced that the show to be directed by Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch will be set in the 1980 s world of Ballroom culture with new choreography by Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles Josephine Kearns will serve as the production s dramaturg as well as gender consultant 110 This will be the show s first major production to depart stylistically from the original 111 North America Edit Following its Broadway debut Cats has been staged extensively across North America The first US national tour Cats National I launched at the Shubert Theatre in Boston in December 1983 and closed in November 1987 The opening night cast included Laurie Beechman playing Grizabella and Charlotte d Amboise playing Cassandra later replacements included Victoria Clark and Jessica Molaskey both playing Jellylorum Griddlebone This production was a slow tour that had lengthy engagements lasting for several months in each of the nine cities it visited 112 113 Cats National II a separate sit down production at the Los Angeles Shubert Theatre ran from January 1985 to November 1986 and starred Kim Criswell and George de la Pena in the roles of Grizabella and Mistoffelees respectively 114 115 A third US touring company Cats National III ran for two years from September 1986 to September 1988 Notable performers in the third tour included Jonathan Cerullo as Skimbleshanks 1986 and Bill Nolte as Old Deuteronomy 1987 116 The fourth national company Cats National IV toured the United States for 13 years from March 1987 to December 1999 117 It overtook the first national tour of Oklahoma in November 1997 to become the longest running tour in theatre history and played its 5 000th performance in July 1999 118 Notable performers in the fourth tour included Amelia Marshall as Sillabub 1988 Jan Horvath as Grizabella 1990 Bryan Batt as Munkustrap 1991 1992 Jennifer Cody as Rumpleteazer 1992 David Hibbard as Rum Tum Tugger 1992 1993 Natalie Toro as Grizabella 1992 1997 Christopher Gattelli as Mistoffelees 1993 John Treacy Egan as Old Deuteronomy 1993 1994 J Robert Spencer as Rum Tum Tugger 1995 Bart Shatto as Bustopher Jones Gus Growltiger 1996 Linda Balgord as Grizabella 1998 Andy Karl as Rum Tum Tugger 1998 and Lena Hall as Demeter 1998 117 By June 1997 the North American touring companies had grossed over 400 million 86 After the show s closure on Broadway in 2000 Troika Entertainment obtained the touring rights for Cats and launched the show s first non Equity national company 119 After a try out at Harrah s Atlantic City in July 2001 the production toured North America for 11 years from August 2001 to June 2012 120 121 122 Performers in the non Equity tour included Julie Garnye as Jennyanydots 2001 123 and Dee Roscioli as Grizabella 2002 124 125 In January 2019 a new North American Equity tour based on the 2016 Broadway revival opened at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Rhode Island and was originally scheduled to run through June 2020 126 However due to the COVID 19 pandemic performances of this tour were suspended on 13 March 2020 The tour re launched as a non Equity production on 21 September 2021 Meanwhile the first Canadian national production premiered in March 1985 at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres in Toronto Ontario It moved to Montreal two years later and then toured other parts of Canada By the time the production closed in August 1989 it had become the most successful Canadian stage production of all time with a box office of 78 million from nearly 2 million tickets 118 127 A second All Canadian company began at Toronto s former Panasonic Theatre in May 2013 and ran for four months amp 128 performances 28 years after the original production 128 The musical first played in Mexico from April 1991 to November 1992 120 the Spanish language production performed over 400 shows and starred Maria del Sol as Grizabella 129 Manuel Landeta as Munkustrap 130 Susana Zabaleta as Jellylorum Maru Duenas as Sillabub and Ariel Lopez Padilla as Macavity 131 A revival premiered at the Teatro San Rafael in May 2013 with an opening night cast that included Filippa Giordano as Grizabella Landeta and Maru Duenas 132 After a total of 350 performances the show closed at the Teatro San Rafael in June 2014 133 and then toured over 36 cities in Mexico until December 2014 134 135 Other performers who later joined the production included Lisset 136 Rocio Banquells 137 Lila Deneken and Myriam Montemayor Cruz all of whom played Grizabella 138 Another Mexican revival was launched at the Coyoacan Centennial Theater in October 2018 with Yuri as Grizabella and Landeta as Old Deuteronomy 130 139 The revival marked its 200th performance in May 2019 140 United Kingdom Edit The first UK and Ireland tour opened in May 1989 at the Opera House Theatre in Blackpool The cast for this tour included Marti Webb as Grizabella Rosemarie Ford as Bombalurina and John Partridge as Alonzo 120 Following a six month engagement in Blackpool that broke the theatre s box office record and was seen by around 450 000 people 141 the production moved to the Edinburgh Playhouse for three months before closing in May 1990 after another two months at the Point Theatre in Dublin 120 A second national tour launched in June 1993 at the Bristol Hippodrome 142 featuring Rosemarie Ford as Grizabella Robin Cousins as Munkustrap Simon Rice as Mistoffelees and Tony Monopoly as Old Deuteronomy 143 The tour closed at the Manchester Opera House in December 1995 144 Following the closure of the original West End production a nationwide tour embarked in 2003 with Chrissie Hammond starring as Grizabella 145 146 until Dianne Pilkington took over the role in 2006 147 Hammond reprised the role on tour again from 2007 to 2008 148 149 A UK and Ireland tour of Cats launched in February 2013 at the Edinburgh Playhouse with Joanna Ampil as Grizabella 150 151 Susan McFadden took over the role from Ampil during the tour s three week stop in Dublin 152 The production ran through 2014 before transferring to the West End 153 In between its limited West End runs the musical returned to the Blackpool Opera House Theatre in 2015 this time starring Jane McDonald as Grizabella 154 155 After the second West End revival the production toured the UK in 2016 with Anita Louise Combe as Grizabella and Marcquelle Ward as Rum Tum Tugger 156 157 Japan Edit The CATS Theatre in Shinagawa Tokyo 2008 The Japanese language production of Cats by the Shiki Theatre Company has been playing continuously since it premiered in Shinjuku Tokyo in November 1983 This production is a slow tour with engagements lasting for several years in each of the nine cities it has visited 158 159 An initial investment of 800 million US 3 4 million in 1983 was required to bring Cats to Japan including 300 million for the construction of a purpose built theatre tailored to the needs of the musical This was a big financial risk for the Shiki Theatre Company as it meant that a long run was needed to turn a profit however stage productions in Japan ran on a monthly basis at the time and open ended runs were unheard of 160 The resulting success of this production led to what the local media termed a musical boom in the 1980s with other Broadway musicals quickly following suit and opening in Japan 161 As of 2019 update the show is performed at the purpose built CATS Theatre in Tokyo 158 162 The production has played over 10 000 performances to over 10 million audience members 163 Similar to the original London staging the set of the 1 200 capacity CATS Theatre is built on a revolving stage floor such that during the overture the stage and sections of the stalls revolve approximately 180 degrees into place 164 165 In 1998 the Japanese production underwent major revisions to the choreography staging and costume designs 166 Following further revisions in 2018 167 the current incarnation features 27 named cats including both Jemima and Sillabub who have evolved into two separate characters and an original character named Gilbert 168 There have been numerous notable performers in the Japanese production including Shintarō Sonooka as Munkustrap original 1983 cast 169 Kanji Ishimaru as Skimbleshanks 1992 170 Masachika Ichimura and Mayo Kawasaki 171 Yoshiko Hattori ja 服部良子 holds the production s record for the longest appearing cast member she played Jennyanydots in the original 1983 cast and remained in the role for 20 years with a final performance tally of 4 251 171 Vienna Edit Under the direction of Peter Weck the first German language production of Cats opened in September 1983 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna Austria In 1988 the show transferred to the newly renovated Ronacher Theatre where it ran for another two years before closing on its seventh anniversary in September 1990 112 172 The Vienna production played a total of 2 040 performances to more than 2 3 million audience members 173 The original Viennese cast included Ute Lemper who played Bombalurina Steve Barton who played Munkustrap Robert Montano who played Pouncival 112 and Angelika Milster who played Grizabella 174 Pia Douwes was also a member of the cast from 1987 to 1989 covering several different characters including Grizabella 175 The Vienna production also performed limited runs at the Komische Oper Berlin in East Germany in 1987 176 and at the Moscow Operetta Theatre in the Soviet Union in 1988 177 An ongoing revival by the Vereinigte Buhnen Wien production company opened at the Ronacher Theatre in September 2019 178 Germany Edit The Operettenhaus where Cats played for 15 yearsInfluenced by the show s success in Vienna a German production by Stella Entertainment premiered in April 1986 at the newly renovated Operettenhaus in Hamburg 172 179 It closed in January 2001 after 15 years having played over 6 100 performances to 6 2 million audiences 179 180 Cats was the first stage production in the country to be mounted without public funding and was also the first to run for multiple years its success established the medium as a profitable venture in Germany 180 The musical was also a huge boost for tourism in Hamburg particularly the subdivision of St Pauli where it accounted for 30 of all tourists The number of overnight visitors to the city increased by over one million per year within the first five years of the show s premiere 179 Cats redefined musical theatre in the German speaking part of the world turning an industry which consisted of repertory theatre at the time towards privately funded commercial productions The success of the Vienna and Hamburg productions sparked a musical boom in the region that saw numerous musicals being launched not just in Germany but also in Switzerland 172 180 It also led to a construction boom in Germany as new theatrical venues such as the Schmidt Theater were enacted all around the country 180 181 Germany has since grown to become the third largest musical market after the US and UK with Hamburg as its musical capital 172 180 After Hamburg the German production transferred to Stuttgart where it played from 2001 to 2002 182 183 Stage Entertainment took over the production mid 2002 and moved the show to Berlin 2002 2004 184 185 and later Dusseldorf 2004 2005 186 before touring other cities until 2006 187 188 Mehr Entertainment launched a separate tour of Cats that ran from December 2010 to June 2013 performing in a travelling purpose built tent theatre 180 Besides Germany this company also made stops in cities in Luxembourg Switzerland and Austria 189 Europe Edit Beyond the UK Vienna and Germany Cats is also produced frequently in the rest of Europe 1980s and 1990s Edit The first non English production of Cats premiered in March 1983 at the Madach Theatre in Budapest Hungary with direction by Tamas Szirtes and choreography by Laszlo Seregi 190 Since then the Hungarian language production has continued to be staged intermittently as part of the Madach Theatre s repertoire and as of 2017 has been performed nearly 1 500 times 191 192 November 1985 saw the premiere of a Norwegian language production at Det Norske Teatret in Oslo It closed in January 1987 and included performers such as Oivind Blunck Brit Elisabeth Haagensli and Oystein Wiik 118 193 Jorma Uotinen directed and choreographed a Finnish production at the Helsinki City Theatre that ran for over two years from September 1986 to December 1988 and featured Monica Aspelund as Grizabella Heikki Kinnunen as Gus and Kristiina Elstela as Jennyanydots Griddlebone 194 A Swedish version of the musical opened in 1987 at the Chinateatern in Stockholm The production was seen by 326 000 audiences before it transferred to the Scandinavium in Gothenburg two years later 195 Meanwhile the Carre Theatre in Amsterdam Netherlands staged the musical in 1987 with Ruth Jacott as Grizabella 196 1988 and from 1992 to 1993 197 Cats made its French debut at the Theatre de Paris from February 1989 to April 1990 120 with an original cast that included Gilles Ramade as Old Deuteronomy 198 The show was also produced in Zurich at the ABB Musical Theatre from 1991 to 1993 199 while a production by Joop van den Ende and the Royal Ballet of Flanders was staged at the Stadsschouwburg Antwerpen in Belgium in 1996 200 An English German language Eurotour production also toured the region from May 1994 to December 1995 173 21st century Edit The first non replica production of Cats was staged at the Teatr Muzyczny Roma in Warsaw Poland 2007 The show was staged at the Det Ny Teater in Copenhagen Denmark in the 2002 2003 season 201 This Danish production was translated by Adam Price and was one of the largest theatrical productions ever mounted in the country at the time with 100 performers musicians and stagehands 202 The first non replica production of Cats was approved for a Polish production at the Teatr Muzyczny Roma in Warsaw 203 Set in an abandoned film studio instead of a junkyard the Polish version opened in January 2004 and closed in 2010 204 205 206 The Gothenburg opera house staged a production with a Swedish language script by Ingela Forsman this version was reimagined to take place in an abandoned fairground and played from September 2006 to February 2007 207 Other productions were also staged at the Divadlo Milenium in Prague from 2004 to 2005 188 and a Norwegian revival at the Chat Noir in Oslo in 2009 208 The first Italian language production began touring Italy in 2009 209 The Dutch live entertainment company Stage Entertainment has been responsible for several European productions of Cats The company produced the musical at the Coliseum Theatre in Madrid from December 2003 to January 2005 with a cast that included Victor Ullate Roche as Mistoffelees 210 211 They then staged a Russian language production at the Moscow Palace of Youth from 2005 to 2006 with a cast that included Ivan Ozhogin as Munkustrap 212 213 A Dutch production under the same company toured the Netherlands and Belgium from 2006 to 2007 205 214 featuring several performers in the role of Grizabella including Pia Douwes and Anita Meyer 215 216 A Paris revival by Stage Entertainment ran at the Theatre Mogador from October 2015 to July 2016 This production was based on the 2014 London revival and also featured a new song written especially for the French show by Lloyd Webber 217 218 English language touring companies have also toured the European region extensively International tours in the early to late 2000s included stops in Sweden Norway 219 Finland 220 Greece 188 Portugal 221 Germany 222 and Italy 223 The 2013 2014 UK tour visited cities in Belgium 214 224 Greece Italy 225 Monaco and Portugal 153 Most recently a UK production played in numerous European cities from 2016 to 2019 with tour stops in Switzerland Croatia Belgium Poland Bulgaria Germany Norway Sweden Finland Denmark Netherlands and Luxembourg 226 These European tours have featured several notable performers in the role of Grizabella including Pernilla Wahlgren Sweden 2003 227 Katarina Hasprova Slovakia 2016 228 and Jenna Lee James Netherlands 2018 2019 229 Oceania Edit The first Australian production ran from July 1985 to August 1987 at the Theatre Royal in Sydney The original cast included Debra Byrne as Grizabella John Wood as Old Deuteronomy Marina Prior as Jellylorum Jeff Phillips as Rum Tum Tugger David Atkins as Mistoffelees and Anita Louise Combe as Sillabub 118 230 The Sydney production cost 3 million to mount and grossed a record 28 million It was credited with revitalising the then stagnant musical genre in Australia After closing in Sydney an additional 1 8 million was spent transferring the production to Melbourne including 725 000 to refurbish the old Her Majesty s Theatre 231 The Melbourne run played from October 1987 to December 1988 with an opening night cast that included Megan Williams as Grizabella Wood as Old Deuteronomy Phillips as Rum Tum Tugger Linda Hartley Clark as Demeter Femi Taylor as Bombalurina Rachael Beck as Rumpleteazer and Sean Martin Hingston as Plato Macavity 118 232 From 1989 to 1990 the company toured the Festival Theatre in Adelaide 233 His Majesty s Theatre in Perth 234 Civic Theatre in Newcastle Lyric Theatre in Brisbane and the Aotea Centre in Auckland 118 This was followed by a second national tour from 1993 to 1996 235 during which Delia Hannah made her debut as Grizabella in 1994 236 A professional circus adaptation of Cats titled Cats Run Away to the Circus had a national tent tour from 1999 to 2001 with Hannah once again starring as Grizabella 237 238 Hannah reprised her role for another production that toured Australia and Asia in 2009 and 2010 239 In July 2014 Australia s Harvest Rain Theatre Company staged the biggest production of Cats in the Southern Hemisphere with over 700 performers Produced by Tim O Connor the production was performed at the Brisbane Convention amp Exhibition Centre Callum Mansfield directed and choreographed it and its cast included Marina Prior as Grizabella and Steven Tandy as Bustopher Jones and Gus 240 241 From October 2015 to May 2016 a revival toured Australia with stops in Sydney Hobart Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide and Perth 242 243 The revival featured singer songwriter Delta Goodrem as Grizabella 244 before Delia Hannah took over the role during the Adelaide and Perth seasons 236 245 The musical played in Auckland from 1989 to 1990 246 and for a limited run in 2015 247 A New Zealand national tour played across 16 cities in 2019 with a reimagined setting in a derelict Victorian theatre that was inspired by post earthquake Christchurch 248 Asia Edit Besides Japan Cats is also produced regularly in other parts of Asia The region has hosted numerous English language productions of the musical beginning with a tour from 1993 to 1994 when it played in Singapore with local actress Jacintha Abisheganaden as Grizabella 249 Hong Kong and South Korea 250 Cats returned to Asia from 2002 to 2004 when an international touring company performed in Malaysia 251 South Korea 252 Shanghai 253 Taipei and Beijing 254 255 256 the 2004 cast included Slindile Nodangala in the role of Grizabella 255 A touring company visited Asia again between 2007 and 2010 including stops in the region of Taiwan 205 Macau and Thailand in 2007 257 South Korea from 2007 to 2008 258 China in 2008 259 Singapore and Hong Kong in 2009 with Delia Hannah playing Grizabella 239 260 261 and Manila in 2010 with Lea Salonga as Grizabella 262 Cats toured Asia again from 2014 to 2015 making stops in South Korea Singapore and Macau 263 Two years later another Asian tour was launched and is scheduled to run through 2020 with visits to South Korea from 2017 to 2018 264 Hong Kong 265 and Taiwan in 2018 266 China in 2018 with Joanna Ampil as Grizabella and 2019 267 and planned stops in the Philippines and Singapore in 2019 and Malaysia in 2020 267 Cats was China s highest grossing musical in 2018 accounting for over 20 of the total grosses from all musicals staged in the country that year 268 The musical has also been translated and staged nationally in Asia From September 2008 to May 2009 a Korean language production toured South Korea with Shin Youngsook and Ock Joo hyun alternating as Grizabella Kim Jin woo and Daesung alternating as Rum Tum Tugger and Kim Bo kyung as Rumpleteazer 269 This production was revived and toured South Korea from 2011 to 2012 with Insooni and Park Hae mi taking turns to portray Grizabella 270 The first Chinese language production began touring various cities in China in 2012 271 Others Edit Spanish and Portuguese language productions of Cats have been staged in South America with productions in Argentina in 1993 with Mexican actress Olivia Bucio as Grizabella 177 in Chile in 2006 at the Arena Santiago 272 and 2014 273 in Colombia in 2009 274 and in Brazil in 2010 with Paula Lima as Grizabella 275 Other countries that the musical has been performed in include South Africa 2001 2002 251 Lebanon 2002 276 Qatar 2003 2017 277 278 Turkey 2013 279 Israel 2014 280 and the United Arab Emirates 2017 281 A full length production of Cats has been performed regularly for guests aboard Royal Caribbean International s cruise ship Oasis of the Seas 282 starting in autumn 2014 with a cast rotating every nine months 282 283 Regional and amateur Edit A school production of Cats in Bangalore India 2014 Cats has been produced by various professional regional theatre companies Broadway Sacramento staged the musical in 2003 and 2009 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Both productions featured Ken Page reprising his role as Old Deuteronomy from the original Broadway production along with Jacquelyn Piro Donovan as Grizabella and Jeffry Denman as Munkustrap 284 285 A 2010 amphitheatre production at The Muny starred Page as Old Deuteronomy Stephanie J Block as Grizabella and Lara Teeter as Munkustrap 286 The La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts staged the musical in 2014 with a cast that included Todrick Hall as Rum Tum Tugger 287 Nick Winston directed and choreographed a production at the Kilworth House Theatre in 2019 with a cast that included Emma Hatton and Helen Anker Set in a dilapidated London Underground station during World War II this production was given a 5 star review by The Stage for its radical reimagining of Cats 288 The musical is also available for school and amateur licensing through The Musical Company 289 On 24 March 2013 the largest ever staging of Cats was performed by 3 000 students from Stagecoach Theatre Arts schools at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham UK 290 Film adaptations EditFurther information Cats 1998 film and Cats 2019 film Steven Spielberg s former animation studio Amblimation had planned an animated adaptation of the musical in the 1990s 291 The film was to be set in war torn London during World War II but the project was abandoned with the studio s closure in 1997 292 The following year a direct to video film was released The film was directed by David Mallet and was shot at the Adelphi Theatre in London It starred Elaine Paige as Grizabella John Mills as Gus Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy and Michael Gruber as Munkustrap 293 A film adaptation directed by Tom Hooper for Universal Pictures Amblin Entertainment and Working Title Films was released on 20 December 2019 The film starred James Corden as Bustopher Jones Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy Jason Derulo as Rum Tum Tugger Idris Elba as Macavity Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella Ian McKellen as Gus Taylor Swift as Bombalurina Rebel Wilson as Jennyanydots and Francesca Hayward as Victoria 294 Swift collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber for a new song called Beautiful Ghosts 295 The movie was poorly received by both critics and audiences and was also a massive flop at the box office Andrew Lloyd Webber disowned the film claiming that it convinced him to get a therapy dog 296 Reception EditBox office Edit Cats is a commercial blockbuster Its worldwide box office gross of over US 2 billion by 1994 made it the highest grossing musical in history at the time 297 In 2012 the New York Post reported that the musical s grosses had reached 3 5 billion 298 Critical reception Edit London Edit The original London production received mostly rave reviews with critics hailing it as a watershed moment in British musical theatre 299 Michael Billington of The Guardian lauded Cats as an exhilarating piece of total theatre Billington praised the show s strong framework and the ease in which the poems were integrated He was also very impressed by Lloyd Webber s fitting compositions Napier s environmental set Lynne s effective and at times brilliant choreography and Nunn s dazzling staging that makes use of the entire auditorium 300 The show received similarly glowing reviews from The Sunday Times Derek Jewell and The Stage s Peter Hepple Jewell proclaimed it to be among the most exhilarating and innovative musicals ever staged 299 while Hepple declared that with Cats the British musical has taken a giant leap forward surpassing in ingenuity and invention anything Broadway has sent us 301 There were a few lukewarm reviews most notably from Irving Wardle of The Times Wardle enjoyed Lloyd Webber s compositions but found the visual spectacle too overwhelming 299 Robert Cushman s review for The Observer concluded that Cats was flawed but unmissable 302 The reviews for the 2014 and 2015 London revivals were positive as well with critics giving both productions an average of 4 out of 5 stars 303 304 Critics generally found the revivals to be enjoyable and invigorating though Mark Shenton was disappointed that the new staging lacked the immersiveness of the original 303 305 Broadway Edit Reactions to the original Broadway production were mixed 306 In his review for The New York Times Frank Rich noted that the main draw of the show was that it transports the audience into a complete fantasy world that could only exist in the theater He attributed much of this wondrous spectacle to Nunn s direction Napier s set and costume designs as well as the talented cast Rich found many of Lloyd Webber s songs to be cleverly and appropriately pastiche and was impressed with how Lynne and Nunn distinguished each character through personalised movement However he panned Lynne s choreography and felt that the musical failed in its vague attempt to tell a story Overall he wished that the show had more feeling to go with its most inventive stagecraft 307 Clive Barnes of the New York Post concluded his review saying Its importance lies in its wholeheartedness It is a statement of musical theater that cannot be ignored should prove controversial and will never be forgotten 308 The 2016 Broadway revival received a similarly mixed review by Charles Isherwood of The New York Times Isherwood concluded that the revival was fundamentally the Cats you knew and loved when you were first bit by the musical theater bug Or it s the Cats you knew and snickered at when you first encountered it 309 Awards and nominations Edit Main article List of awards and nominations for the musical Cats Cats has received many international awards and nominations The original London production was nominated for six Laurence Olivier Awards in 1981 winning two awards including Best New Musical 310 Two years later the original Broadway production won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical out of eleven nominations 311 The London and Broadway cast recordings were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album which the latter won 312 313 In 2015 the London revival was nominated for but did not win two Olivier Awards including Best Musical Revival 314 Cultural impact and legacy EditThis is how they divide history BC Before Cats and AD Andrew Dominant Mark Steyn on the history of musical theatre 315 Despite mixed reviews when Cats opened in New York in 1982 critics agreed that it was innovative and visually spectacular in ways that Broadway had never seen before 308 The musical became a cultural phenomenon and has had a profound influence on the medium 316 Cats established musical theatre as a global commodity 317 318 marking the beginning of a new era in the industry that is characterised by huge global stakes for potentially even huger global profits 317 It led the shift in the Broadway market towards big budget blockbusters and shows that appeal to families and tourists 86 319 which in turn left smaller productions struggling to compete 318 Cats also ushered in a golden age of British musicals which saw West End exports dominate the industry for nearly two decades 320 321 Musical theatre historian Vagelis Siropoulos asserted that in terms of impact the seminal Broadway opening of Cats was comparable only to Rodgers and Hammerstein s Oklahoma thirty nine years ago 317 Ultimately critics are polarized on whether Cats has changed musical theatre for the better or for the worse William Grimes wrote of its detractors There are more than a few who see the Cats phenomenon as the theatrical equivalent of the rise of the megabudget Hollywood action film For them Cats is a soulless money machine 308 Influence and innovations Edit As the first true megamusical 322 Cats pioneered a genre of musical theatre that is produced on a grand and global scale It paved the way for later megamusicals including Les Miserables 1985 The Phantom of the Opera 1986 and Miss Saigon 1989 that have dominated the industry since 323 Siropoulos explained Cats is considered the quintessential megamusical because it reconceived like no other show before theatrical space as an immense affective encompasser that transforms the viewing experience into a hypercharged thrill ride and the spectator into an explorer of new and challenging aural and visual sensations Its unprecedented success paved the way for even bolder hyperspatial configurations made the set designer a proper environment builder and raised light and sound design into the status of art in their own right It also paved the way for the constant revolutionization of stage technology 324 The cat s eyes logo and the now and forever slogan were used to advertise the musical at the New London Theatre 1999 Cats introduced a marketing strategy that set the template for subsequent megamusicals Early advertisements for the musical did not feature traditional pull quotes despite many positive reviews or any of the cast instead branding the show itself as the star It did this by adopting and then aggressively promoting a single recognisable image the cat s eyes logo as the face of the show 325 The cat s eyes logo was the first globally marketed logo in musical theatre history 86 and was paired with a tagline now and forever to create what The Daily Telegraph called one of musical theatre s greatest posters 326 Such branding emblems proved equally effective for later megamusicals as seen with the waif Cosette for Les Miserables and the Phantom s mask for The Phantom of the Opera This advertising method had the additional effect of diminishing the importance of critical reviews popularising the so called critic proof status of megamusicals 325 Additionally Cats was the first Broadway and West End show to capitalise on merchandising as a major revenue stream Stalls were set up in the theatre lobbies to sell souvenirs ranging from toys and watches to coffee mugs all of which were emblazoned with the cat s eyes logo The official Cats t shirt became the second best selling t shirt in the world in the 1980s second only to the Hard Rock Cafe t shirt Merchandising has since become an important source of income for the industry 317 327 Beyond the megamusical Cats also led the Broadway trend for musicals aimed at families and tourists which later took the form of the Disney Theatrical Productions and jukebox musicals 319 328 The marketing campaigns for the musical targeted family audiences at a time when this demographic was not a consideration in the industry 328 Composer Joe Raposo said of family musicals in 1986 Cats is a wonderful proof of what an audience is out there untapped People do want a theatrical experience for their children 329 Thanks to its easily accessible spectacle the original Broadway production also tapped into the then burgeoning tourist boom in New York and its audience shifted increasingly towards foreign visitors in its later years 318 325 Billington also specifically traces the rise of the jukebox musical genre back to Cats citing the latter s disregard for dramatic text in favour of an all encompassing theatrical experience 330 Radio microphones have become the norm in live theatre since Cats 331 The musical s fantasy setting and disregard for verisimilitude allowed for groundbreaking experimentations in lighting and audio technology The original London and Broadway productions featured David Hersey s pioneering use of automated lighting to produce kaleidoscopic landscapes and complicated optical effects Hersey also used light in an architectural manner with fast changing configurations to spotlight different performers in rapid succession This dynamic shifting of the audience s perspective created an effect similar to that of fast cutting in film editing 16 The original London production of Cats was also the first known instance in which an entire cast was individually outfitted with radio microphones 331 The departure from shared ambient microphones meant that the show did not have to depend on the acoustics and architectural design of the theatrical venue and enabled the sound designer to achieve cinematic levels of sound amplification and studio quality audio in live theatre 332 This practice transformed sound design and has since become the norm in live theatre 331 Cats opened new regional touring and international markets that the industry continues to capitalise on 318 Recognising the global potential of his show Mackintosh replicated the original production worldwide with an unprecedented degree of standardisation 317 Paraphrasing theatre historian Alan Filewod Marla Carlson wrote Cats began the progressive transformation of Broadway from a specific location into a delocalized moment of reception that can be experienced anywhere and everywhere even while continuing to depend upon the stamp of approval that box office success in an actual Broadway theater bestows 333 In the 1980s the success of local productions of Cats in Tokyo 161 Sydney 334 Vienna Hamburg 172 and Toronto were turning points that established these cities and their respective countries as major commercial markets in the global theatrical circuit 335 The musical was also a boon for the Broadway touring industry In 1997 The New York Times credited the regional and touring productions of Cats with almost single handedly reviv ing the sagging road business 336 Cats revolutionised the touring business by introducing the now commonplace practice of extended touring engagements that can last several weeks or months in a single city as opposed to the typical one week or ten day tour stop Mackintosh s insistence that all touring productions of Cats replicate the Broadway production also resulted in the expansion and upgrading of regional theatre venues to accommodate the musical s demanding logistical requirements as local theatre owners did not want to miss out on the opportunity to host the lucrative show 337 Memory Edit Main article Memory Cats song Memory is the standout hit song from Cats By 2002 the song had been played over two million times on radio and television stations in the US 97 It was the most requested song at piano bars and lounges in the 1980s and was an equally popular choice at weddings concerts and other gatherings As of 2006 the song had been recorded around 600 times by artists such as Barbra Streisand Barry Manilow Judy Collins and Johnny Mathis in covers ranging from easy listening to techno 338 According to Sternfeld it is by some estimations the most successful song ever from a musical 322 Creators Edit Cats was the ground breaking show for all of us The success of it gave us all the freedom to go on and do other shows Mackintosh 320 Despite moderate hits with Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita Lloyd Webber was still relatively unknown to the general public before Cats especially in the US With Cats he became a big celebrity in his own right 322 The musical also established the theatrical careers of the original creative and production team Following Cats they collaborated on other global blockbusters including Starlight Express composed by Lloyd Webber directed by Nunn and designed by Napier Les Miserables directed by Nunn designed by Napier and produced by Mackintosh and The Phantom of the Opera composed by Lloyd Webber choreographed by Lynne and produced by Mackintosh 1 339 The New London Theatre where the original London production of Cats played for 21 years was officially renamed the Gillian Lynne Theatre in 2018 This made Lynne the first non royal woman to have a West End theatre named after her 340 By 2012 the royalty payments from Cats to the Eliot estate had totalled an estimated 100 million 298 Valerie Eliot used a portion of this money to establish the literary charity Old Possum s Practical Trust and to set up the T S Eliot Prize which has since become the most coveted award in poetry 341 342 Cats also turned things around for the independent British publishing house Faber and Faber As the publisher of Old Possum s Book of Practical Cats royalties of up to 1 million annually 320 kept the then struggling Faber afloat during the 1980s 343 Moreover the musical led to a surge in the sales of Eliot s book 1 The success of Cats led Faber to turn another of their literary properties Ted Hughes The Iron Man into a 1989 musical of the same name 344 In popular culture Edit Cats has been referenced many times on screen from the films Six Degrees of Separation 297 and Team America World Police 345 to the sketch comedy Saturday Night Live and animated series like Family Guy The Simpsons and BoJack Horseman 346 as well as live action comedies including The Golden Girls Caroline in the City Glee and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt 347 348 An episode of the musical television series Crazy Ex Girlfriend titled I Need Some Balance parodied Cats by having all the songs sung by anthropomorphic cats who introduce themselves over 80s Broadway beats 349 Stage parodies of the musical have also been mounted in the West End and Off Broadway CAT THE PLAY a one man show written by Jamie Beamish and Richard Hardwick is a dark comedy about the fictitious life of Dave a cat who was fired from the original London production of Cats on opening night Starring Gerard McCarthy as Dave and with choreography by Arlene Phillips the musical premiered at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Festival 350 it performed at various regional venues before making its West End debut at the Ambassadors Theatre in April 2017 351 Katdashians Break the Musical a parody mashup of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Cats by Bob and Tobly McSmith premiered Off Broadway at the Elektra Theatre in June 2016 352 All the song parodies of Cats were later removed after accusations of copyright infringement from Lloyd Webber s representatives who claimed the songs were being used to parody another subject matter entirely 353 Other stage shows that satirise Cats include Six Degrees of Separation 348 Angels in America 297 and The Musical of Musicals The Musical 354 Madame Tussauds New York features wax figures of several characters from the musical including one of Grizabella that sings Memory through the use of projection mapping technology 355 Similarly a wax figure of Rumpleteazer is displayed at the Panoptikum wax museum in Hamburg Germany 356 A Cats postage stamp was issued by the United States Postal Service in 2000 as part of its Celebrate the Century series The musical was chosen as one of fifteen outstanding artifacts events and activities from the 1980s to be commemorated with its own stamp design 357 Beginning in March 2019 the Rinkai Line in Tokyo Japan uses two songs from the musical for its train departure melodies at the Ōimachi Station the train to Ōsaki Station uses a jingle of Memory while the train to Shin Kiba Station uses a jingle of Skimbleshanks The Railway Cat 358 The visual effects of the 2019 film adaptation were mocked in the 2022 Disney film Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers in a scene where the titular characters notice two alley cats resembling the ones in the film as they venture through an uncanny valley part of town 359 Recordings and music video EditCast recordings Edit List of cast recordings with selected chart positions sales figures and certifications Cast Album details Peak chart positions Sales CertificationsUS 360 361 AUS 362 AUT 363 GER 364 JPN 365 NED 366 NZ 367 UK 368 Original London cast Released 1 July 1981 UK 369 July 1982 US 370 Label PolyGram UK 369 Geffen Records US 370 Formats LP cassette 2 disc CD 371 86 44 7 21 6 UK Silver 1981 369 Gold 1993 372 SWI Platinum 373 Original Broadway cast Released 26 January 1983 US 374 375 Label Geffen Records US 375 Formats LP cassette CD 131 5 17 WW gt 2 000 000 93 US Platinum 374 375 Original Viennese cast Released 1983 Label Polydor Records 376 Formats CD 1 24 AUT Platinum 377 SWI Platinum 373 GER Gold 378 Original Australian cast Released 1985 379 Label EMI Formats CD 19Original Japanese cast Released 21 April 1985 169 380 Label Pony Canyon Formats CD Live recording Original Hamburg cast Released 6 October 1986 381 Label Polydor Records Formats LP 382 CD Live recording 12Original Dutch cast Released 1987 383 Label Mercury Records Formats CD Live recording 72Original London cast Highlights from Cats Released 1989 384 Label Polydor Records Formats CD UK Silver 1993 385 SWI Gold 373 Japanese cast Released 8 February 1989 169 386 Label Pony Canyon Formats CD Original French cast Released 1989 198 Label Polydor Records Formats LP cassette CD Live recording Original Mexican cast Released 1991 387 Label Polydor Records Formats CD Original Polish cast Released 12 January 2004 388 Label Universal Music Polska Formats CD Dutch cast Released December 2006 389 Label Universal Music Formats CD Highlights Original Italian cast Released 26 January 2010 390 Label Compagnia della Rancia Formats CD Live recording Japanese cast Released 24 April 2019 169 Label Universal Music Japan 391 Formats CD 13Film cast Released 20 December 2019 Label Universal Music Formats CD Music video Edit Title Year Director s Details Ref The Rum Tum Tugger 1985 Jeff Lee Starring original Broadway cast member Terrence Mann as Rum Tum Tugger the musical number was re arranged and re staged for a music video It was the first music video created to promote a Broadway show 392 393 Revisions and cut material EditThe stage production of Cats has undergone several revisions since its London opening When the show transferred to Broadway several cuts and rewrites were made with the intention of appealing more to an American audience 394 Additionally a song entitled Cat Morgan Introduces Himself was cut during initial development Lloyd Webber performed this song at the show s 6 138th Broadway performance when it broke the record to become the longest running Broadway show 102 Growltiger s Last Stand Edit The Growltiger s Last Stand sequence has been changed multiple times over the course of the show s history In the original London production the last duet for Growltiger and Griddlebone was a setting for an unpublished Eliot poem The Ballad of Billy M Caw For the original Broadway production the Ballad was replaced with In Una Tepida Notte a parody of Italian opera with more slapstick humour 93 395 This new version was eventually incorporated into all other productions of Cats 93 Growltiger s Last Stand has been criticised as being racially offensive The original lyrics taken directly from the Eliot poem it is based on included the ethnic slur Chinks and this was later replaced with the word Siamese 31 The number also originally involved the cast putting on Asian accents to portray the Siamese cats 309 In the 1998 video version the entire scene featuring Growltiger was cut 396 By 2016 Growltiger s Last Stand had been removed completely from the US and UK productions of the show 31 The 2019 Vienna Revival included the song but since its closing in June 2022 Growltiger s Last Stand is now not present in any replica production of Cats Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer Edit In the original London production Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were characters in their own right and sang their eponymous song themselves as a singsong style duet When the show transferred to Broadway the song was instead sung in the third person with Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer as puppets being magically controlled by Mr Mistoffelees Their number was also rewritten to be faster and more upbeat alternating between vaudeville style verses and a manic patter section Eventually the Broadway version of the song was rewritten to allow Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer to once again sing their own song as full characters 397 Rum Tum Tugger Edit The 2014 London revival introduced several modernisations to the show Rum Tum Tugger was reworked from a ladies man rockstar to a breakdancing street cat His eponymous musical number was also turned into a rap 398 399 The 2015 Australian tour and 2015 Paris production also used the new version of the character however the 2016 Broadway revival did not Choreography Edit The 2016 Broadway revival featured new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler who introduced more hip hop and cool jazz elements to the movements and dances 55 Blankenbuehler s choreography for the ensemble numbers did not differ too much from the original by Lynne but significant changes were made in several solo numbers including The Rum Tum Tugger and Mr Mistoffelees 309 References Edit a b c d e f Sternfeld 2006 pp 117 118 Riefe Jordan 28 February 2019 Cats Theater Review The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on 20 May 2019 Retrieved 12 April 2019 Everett amp Laird 2015 p 5 a b Snelson 2004 p 31 The Story catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 17 April 2019 Retrieved 17 April 2019 Sternfeld 2006 p 115 Snelson 2004 p 129 a b Eliot et al 1983 p 9 a b c Christiansen Richard 13 September 1981 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Landeta returns to meow Pasala in Spanish Retrieved 25 March 2019 via PressReader Cruz Itai 18 July 2016 CATS regresa a Broadway tras 16 anos de haber cerrado el telon CATS returns to Broadway 16 years after closing the curtain Cartelera de Teatro CDMX in Spanish Retrieved 20 April 2019 Gerardo Quiroz graduates with premiere of Cats El Universal in Spanish 10 May 2013 Archived from the original on 3 June 2019 Retrieved 3 June 2019 El musical Cats concluira su temporada en el DF Excelsior in Spanish 11 June 2014 Archived from the original on 3 June 2019 Retrieved 3 June 2019 A un paso del record con Cats El Informador in Spanish 24 October 2014 Archived from the original on 3 June 2019 Retrieved 3 June 2019 Musical cats volvera este 2015 con el mismo elenco Mexico Nueva Era in Spanish 21 January 2015 Archived from the original on 3 June 2019 Retrieved 3 June 2019 Mendoza Escamilla Viridiana 16 May 2014 Cats teatro mexicano con talla de Broadway Forbes Mexico in Spanish Archived from the original on 3 June 2019 Retrieved 3 June 2019 Rocio Banquells cumple su sueno de participar en Cats El Informador in Spanish 20 July 2014 Archived from the original on 3 June 2019 Retrieved 3 June 2019 Landeta asegura que elenco de Cats supera al de 1991 Landeta ensures that cast of Cats exceeds 1991 Vanguardia MX in Spanish 6 May 2013 Archived from the original on 25 March 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2019 Yuri dara vida a Grizabella en el musical Cats Yuri will play Grizabella in the musical Cats El Sol De Mexico in Spanish 22 August 2018 Archived from the original on 25 March 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2019 Casarreal Paola 29 May 2019 El musical Cats llega a sus 200 representaciones Revista Escenarios in Spanish Archived from the original on 3 June 2019 Retrieved 3 June 2019 Cats breaks Blackpool record The Stage 23 November 1989 p 4 Retrieved 28 May 2019 via British Newspaper Archive Brien Jeremy 29 April 1993 Bristol gets the cream The Stage p 14 Retrieved 25 May 2019 via British Newspaper Archive Brien Jeremy 29 July 1993 Bristol Cats The Stage p 13 Retrieved 25 May 2019 via British Newspaper Archive Production news The UK tour of Cats The Stage 22 June 1995 p 51 Retrieved 25 May 2019 via British Newspaper Archive A purr fect role but I m turning into a cat Lancashire Telegraph 29 July 2003 Archived from the original on 8 April 2019 Retrieved 9 April 2019 Cast lists UK tour 2004 2005 Really Useful Group Archived from the original on 27 May 2011 Retrieved 26 March 2019 Cast lists UK Tour 2006 Really Useful Group Archived from the original on 5 February 2010 Retrieved 26 March 2019 Flood Tony 4 May 2007 Cool Cat Chrissie had me purring Croydon Guardian Newsquest Archived from the original on 8 April 2019 Retrieved 9 April 2019 Wolfisz Francine 18 April 2008 Giving glamour to Grizabella Bucks Free Press Archived from the original on 8 April 2019 Retrieved 9 April 2019 The Memory Lives On A New Cats Tour in 2013 catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 14 January 2013 Retrieved 3 March 2013 Cast Lists UK Europe tour 2013 catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 25 May 2013 Retrieved 9 April 2019 Rabbitte Eimear 11 July 2013 Susan lands glamourpuss role for Cats Dublin run The Herald Retrieved 7 August 2019 a b UK Europe Tour 2014 Tour catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 25 August 2014 Retrieved 11 April 2019 Jane McDonald Heads Cast in Blackpool catsthemusical com official website 14 April 2015 Archived from the original on 8 April 2019 Retrieved 9 April 2019 Finbow Katy 3 June 2015 Jane McDonald on playing Grizabella in Cats I didn t think for one minute I d get the part Digital Spy Retrieved 18 May 2019 Wells Georgina 30 January 2016 Cats Andrew Lloyd Webber Opera House Manchester 30 January to 13 February 2016 The British Theatre Guide Archived from the original on 25 March 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2019 Tour of Cats Musical Theatre News Archived from the original on 26 March 2019 Retrieved 26 March 2019 a b キャッツ ワールド をつくりあげる キャッツ シアター Cats Theatre to create Cats World in Japanese Shiki Theatre Company Archived from the original on 7 April 2019 Retrieved 7 April 2019 キャッツ 日本公演1万回達成 特別カーテンコール Sankei Shimbun in Japanese 12 March 2019 Archived from the original on 12 May 2019 Retrieved 12 May 2019 Kawamata 1998 p 57 a b Atsuko 1991 p 320 Cats Introduction Shiki Theatre Company Archived from the original on 6 April 2019 Retrieved 6 April 2019 キャッツ 1万回 初演から35年4カ月で大台 Nikkan Sports in Japanese 12 March 2019 Archived from the original on 12 May 2019 Retrieved 12 May 2019 劇団四季 キャッツ 新たな専用劇場をお披露目 キャッツ シアターは思い出を辿る場所 SPICE in Japanese 11 July 2018 Retrieved 15 May 2019 キャッツ シアター建設レポート Cats Theater Construction Report in Japanese Shiki Theatre Company Archived from the original on 4 May 2019 Retrieved 29 May 2019 劇団四季ミュージカル キャッツ 製作発表 gekinavi jp in Japanese 17 December 2013 Archived from the original on 29 May 2019 Retrieved 29 May 2019 劇団四季 キャッツ 大井町の専用劇場で8月開幕 pia jp in Japanese 12 July 2018 Retrieved 29 May 2019 Character in Japanese Shiki Theatre Company Retrieved 12 May 2019 a b c d 劇団四季 CD Cats キャッツ Gekidan Shiki CD Cats in Japanese Shiki Theatre Company Archived from the original on 25 March 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2019 Kanji Ishimaru biography theater ishimaru kanji com in Japanese Archived from the original on 22 June 2019 Retrieved 22 June 2019 a b キャッツ 生の幸せ享受できるのは日本だけ Nikkan Sports in Japanese 23 March 2019 Retrieved 22 June 2019 a b c d e Menze 2018 pp 23 25 a b Cats in Wien Cats in Vienna Wiener Zeitung in German 24 September 2018 Retrieved 16 April 2019 Angelika Milster Theater Dortmund Retrieved 18 August 2021 Curriculum Vitae piadouwes com Retrieved 17 April 2019 Berliner Chronik Das Musical Cats gastiert in der Komischen Oper 5 August 1987 Der Tagesspiegel 5 August 2012 Archived from the original on 3 June 2019 Retrieved 3 June 2019 a b Falcone Daniel 8 October 2017 CATS cumple 35 anos desde su estreno CATS celebrates 35 years since its premiere Musicales Baires in Spanish Archived from the original on 19 April 2019 Retrieved 20 April 2019 Schmidt Vierthaler Rosa 21 September 2019 Cats im Ronacher Bruchige Erinnerungen an bessere Zeiten Die Presse in German Retrieved 21 September 2019 a b c Bombeck Nataly Burgmayer Andreas Below Corinna 27 January 2001 Das letzte Make up Und tschus Hamburger Abendblatt in German Archived from the original on 29 May 2019 Retrieved 29 May 2019 a b c d e f Vor 25 Jahren begann mit Cats in Deutschland die Ara der Musicals 25 years ago the era of musicals began with Cats in Germany Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung in German 17 April 2011 Retrieved 3 August 2019 Poppenhager 2000 p 44 Arns Lisa 29 January 2001 Cats Abschied ohne Katzenjammer Spiegel Online in German Archived from the original on 11 May 2019 Retrieved 29 May 2019 Stuttgart March 2001 Really Useful Group Archived from the original on 23 December 2009 Retrieved 9 April 2019 Meza Ed 1 July 2002 Germany s Stage expands its holdings Variety Retrieved 18 April 2019 Cats 2002 Berlin Stage Entertainment Archived from the original on 16 September 2019 Retrieved 18 April 2019 Cats 2004 Dusseldorf Stage Entertainment Archived from the original on 16 September 2019 Retrieved 18 April 2019 Cats Tour 2004 06 Musicalzentrale in German Retrieved 18 April 2019 a b c Cats Buy Tickets 2005 Really Useful Group Archived from the original on 7 April 2005 Retrieved 15 April 2019 Cats Tour 2011 13 Musicalzentrale in German Retrieved 18 April 2019 Cats Madach Szinhaz Retrieved 17 April 2019 Macskak 30 eve Cats 30 years Cultura Magazin in Hungarian 25 March 2013 Retrieved 17 April 2019 A macskak cimu musical eloadasan elszabadult egy kutya A Dog Was Released During the Presentation of the Cats Musical Szinhaz org in Hungarian 7 December 2017 Teppefall Dagbladet in Norwegian 16 January 2002 Retrieved 17 April 2019 Cats Helsinki Production 1986 Ovrtur Retrieved 17 April 2019 Malmstedt Kalle 13 January 2006 Cats nasta pa Goteborgsoperan Cats next at the Gothenburg Opera Goteborgs Posten in Swedish Retrieved 17 April 2019 English Version of West End Musical Cats Still Popular Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre 20 June 2018 Archived from the original on 25 March 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2019 van Gelder Henk 17 September 1991 Carre verbouwt en brengt ondertussen weer musical Cats NRC Handelsblad in Dutch Retrieved 18 April 2019 a b Cats version francaise integrale WorldCat OCLC 41144006 Wagner Reinmar Cats in Basel Musik und Theater Retrieved 18 April 2019 van den Hanenberg Patrick 5 June 1996 Cats moet Vlaamse musical wakker schudden Cats must wake up the Flemish musical de Volkskrant in Dutch Retrieved 18 April 2019 Cats lobet i gang Politiken in Danish 1 August 2002 Retrieved 18 April 2019 Cats Om forestilllingen Det Ny Teater Archived from the original on 18 April 2019 Retrieved 18 April 2019 Wyzynska Dorota 26 November 2003 Koty w Teatrze Muzycznym Roma Gazeta Wyborcza in Polish Archived from the original on 2 June 2019 Retrieved 2 June 2019 Koty Opis Cats Description in Polish Teatr Roma Archived from the original on 18 April 2019 Retrieved 18 April 2019 a b c Cats Buy Tickets 2006 Really Useful Group Archived from the original on 17 October 2006 Retrieved 15 April 2019 Cats Buy Tickets 2008 Really Useful Group Archived from the original on 8 February 2008 Retrieved 20 April 2019 Cats Gothenburg opera house Retrieved 17 April 2019 Baden Torkil Olav 17 September 2009 Tamme katter Tame cats in Norwegian NRK Retrieved 19 April 2019 CATS To Speak Italian Set For Compagnia della Rancia 2009 2010 Season BroadwayWorld 31 March 2009 Retrieved 18 April 2019 Cats 2003 Madrid Stage Entertainment Archived from the original on 16 September 2019 Retrieved 18 April 2019 Cats 2003 Red Teatral in Spanish Retrieved 2 June 2019 Cats 2005 Moscow Stage Entertainment Archived from the original on 28 September 2019 Retrieved 18 April 2019 Kishkovsky Sophia 19 March 2005 Can Cats win over Russians The New York Times Archived from the original on 8 April 2019 Retrieved 9 April 2019 a b New UK Tour of CATS to Cross the Channel and Play Belgium in 2013 BroadwayWorld 25 September 2012 Retrieved 18 April 2019 Cats 2006 Rotterdam Stage Entertainment Archived from the original on 28 September 2019 Retrieved 18 April 2019 Cast in Dutch Stage Entertainment Archived from the original on 1 October 2006 Retrieved 18 April 2019 Cats 2015 Paris Stage Entertainment Archived from the original on 16 September 2019 Retrieved 18 April 2019 The Cast of Cats Paris is Announced catsthemusical com official website 15 September 2015 Archived from the original on 26 March 2019 Retrieved 26 March 2019 Katter med spenst Verdens Gang in Norwegian 6 November 2003 Retrieved 2 June 2019 Cats nahdaan Helsingissa in Finnish MTV Uutiset 17 March 2003 Retrieved 2 June 2019 Cats Mais Tempo em Lisboa More Cats in Lisbon Correio da Manha in Portuguese 11 July 2004 Retrieved 18 April 2019 Cats the musical returns to Portugal Archived 18 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine Portugal Resident 23 August 2006 Retrieved 18 April 2019 Cats Tour 2008 09 Musicalzentrale in German 17 November 2008 Retrieved 18 April 2019 E finalmente arriva Cats Allo stabile regionale prima Italiana del tour del musical piu amato della storia Politeama Rossetti 26 May 2008 Retrieved 2 June 2019 2013 UK Europe Tour catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 22 May 2013 Retrieved 11 April 2019 2014 UK Europe Tour catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 20 February 2014 Retrieved 9 April 2019 Tour Dates as of 12 April 2016 catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 12 April 2016 Retrieved 15 April 2019 Tour Dates as of 24 March 2017 catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 24 March 2017 Retrieved 15 April 2019 Tour Dates as of 14 December 2018 catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 14 December 2018 Retrieved 15 April 2019 Sperling Fredrik 28 August 2003 Efter 20 ar nu far Pernilla sjunga Memory i Cats Aftonbladet Retrieved 6 August 2019 Muzikalova diva Katarina Hasprova Pravda o rivalstve so Sklovskou Musical Diva Katarina Hasprova The Truth About Rivalry with Sklovska Novy cas in Slovak 28 March 2016 Archived from the original on 25 March 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2019 Hoofdrol voor Jenna Lee James in Nederlandse Cats De Telegraaf 19 November 2018 Retrieved 15 May 2019 Cats Theatre Royal Sydney NSW 26 July 1985 AusStage Archived from the original on 25 March 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2019 Cochrane Peter 1 August 1987 Cats pack up their wigs and whiskers The Sydney Morning Herald p 50 via Newspapers com Cats Her Majesty s Theatre Melbourne VIC 10 October 1987 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats Festival Theatre Adelaide SA 24 February 1989 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats His Majesty s Theatre Perth WA 6 May 1989 AusStage Retrieved 29 April 2019 Cats Princess Theatre 1886 Melbourne VIC 28 August 1993 6 November 1993 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats Lyric Theatre South Brisbane QLD 28 July 1994 3 September 1994 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats Newcastle Civic Theatre Newcastle NSW 10 September 1994 1 October 1994 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats Her Majesty s Theatre 1973 2001 Sydney NSW 31 December 1994 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats Festival Theatre Adelaide SA 30 December 1995 27 January 1996 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 a b Edwards Matt 17 January 2016 CATS news Delia Hannah confirmed to play Grizabella in Adelaide amp Perth AussieTheatre Archived from the original on 25 March 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2019 Cast lists Australian Tent tour February 2001 Really Useful Group Archived from the original on 25 September 2009 Retrieved 26 March 2019 Cats Run Away to the Circus Australia Australia 11 December 1999 24 February 2001 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats Run Away to the Circus Samuel Sherlock Reserve Frankston VIC 3 January 2001 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats Run Away to the Circus Amphitheatre Gateway Island Wodonga VIC 10 January 2001 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats Run Away to the Circus Bolton Park Wagga Wagga NSW 17 January 2001 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats Run Away to the Circus Aerodrome Ovals Mildura VIC 24 January 2001 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats Run Away to the Circus Weroona Oval Bendigo VIC 31 January 2001 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats Run Away to the Circus North Gardens Ballarat VIC 7 February 2001 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats Run Away to the Circus Vansittart Park Mt Gambier SA 14 February 2001 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 Cats Run Away to the Circus Harris Street Reserve Warrnambool VIC 21 February 2001 AusStage Retrieved 14 April 2019 a b Cast lists Asia Pacific Australian tour 2009 2010 Really Useful Group Archived from the original on 30 March 2010 Retrieved 26 March 2019 Cats Harvest Rain Theatre Company Musical Theatre Brisbane Theatre Retrieved 7 June 2015 Dionysius Bobbi Lea 5 July 2014 CATS Harvest Rain Breaks Records AussieTheatre Archived from the original on 25 March 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2019 Cast Announced for the All Australian Production of Andrew Lloyd Webber s Cats catsthemusical com official website 8 July 2015 Archived from the original on 26 March 2019 Retrieved 26 March 2019 Whitton Rebecca 3 November 2015 Cats The Musical Australian Stage Online Archived from the original on 26 March 2019 Retrieved 26 March 2019 Delta Goodrem Plays Grizabella in Australian Production of CATS Beginning Tonight in Sydney BroadwayWorld 30 October 2015 Archived from the original on 25 March 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2019 Delia Hannah to Play Grizabella in Adelaide amp Pertha catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 18 April 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2019 Auckland 1989 1990 catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 27 June 2013 Retrieved 9 April 2019 SOPHIA RAGAVELAS TO STAR IN THE NEW PRODUCTION OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER S CATS NEW ZEALAND catsthemusical com official website 8 July 2015 Archived from the original on 9 April 2019 Retrieved 9 April 2019 Roberts Sandra 29 March 2019 Cats The Musical Spectacular TransTasman Cast Announced Scoop Retrieved 4 May 2019 Ting Lisabel 13 August 2014 Keep Kallang Theatre AsiaOne Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 Cats 1994 02 24 1994 03 13 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 a b SA Cats going to Malaysia News24 27 March 2002 Archived from the original on 19 April 2019 Retrieved 20 April 2019 캣츠 Cats 2003 01 29 2003 03 02 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 CATS 2003 12 02 2004 01 04 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 Shanghai 2003 catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 16 January 2013 Retrieved 9 April 2019 CATS Taipei details Really Useful Group Archived from the original on 3 June 2004 Retrieved 19 April 2019 a b Cast lists Beijing 2004 Really Useful Group Archived from the original on 13 April 2010 Retrieved 26 March 2019 Cats Buy Tickets 2004 Really Useful Group Archived from the original on 3 June 2004 Retrieved 15 April 2019 Cats Buy Tickets 2007 Really Useful Group Archived from the original on 11 October 2007 Retrieved 15 April 2019 캣츠 대구 CATS 2007 05 31 2007 07 01 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 CATS 2007 07 06 2007 09 02 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 Cats 2008 05 30 2008 08 31 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 대구 Cats 2008 09 05 2008 09 21 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 부산 Cats 2008 09 27 2008 10 26 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 Musical Cats moves to Xi an China Internet Information Center 9 April 2008 Retrieved 16 April 2019 Tickets Cats 2009 Really Useful Group Archived from the original on 18 February 2009 Retrieved 20 April 2010 Cats HK Ticketing Archived from the original on 9 March 2009 Retrieved 19 April 2019 Oliveros Oliver 24 July 2010 Lea Salonga Plays Grizabella the Philippines 7 24 BroadwayWorld Philippines Archived from the original on 25 March 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2019 Singh Bryna 14 January 2015 Musical review Not enough meat in the high energy visually spectacular Cats The Straits Times Retrieved 14 April 2019 캣츠 CATS 2017 07 09 2017 09 10 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 울산 CATS 2017 10 13 2017 10 15 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 인천 CATS 2017 10 20 2017 10 22 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 성남 2017 11 24 2017 11 26 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 CATS 2018 01 27 2018 02 18 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 Cox Karly 13 September 2017 Andrew Lloyd Webber s musical Cats one of the longest running shows on London s West End coming to Hong Kong in 2018 South China Morning Post Retrieved 19 April 2019 Classic musicals Cats and Evita to tour Taiwan Taipei Times 9 March 2018 Retrieved 19 April 2019 a b Tour Dates 2019 p 1 catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 15 April 2019 Retrieved on 15 April 2019 Tour Dates 2019 p 2 catsthemusical com official website Archived from the original on 19 June 2019 Retrieved on 20 June 2019 Xia Snow 18 September 2019 From Cats to Chicago China is loving Western musicals but what of its own South China Morning Post Retrieved 18 September 2019 캣츠 CATS 2008 09 19 2009 01 18 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 CATS 2009 02 06 2009 02 15 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 전주 CATS 2009 02 20 2009 02 22 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 수원 CATS 2009 03 07 2009 03 15 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 고양 CATS 2009 04 03 2009 04 12 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 광주 CATS 2009 04 21 2009 04 26 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 대구 CATS 2009 05 01 2009 05 10 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 이천 CATS 2011 08 26 2011 08 28 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 캣츠 전주 CATS 2011 09 02 2011 09 04 in Korean 플레이 DB Retrieved 19 April 2019 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que viene a Santiago cuenta con un artista chileno en su elenco Musical Cats that comes to Santiago has a Chilean artist in its cast in Spanish Radio Cooperativa 19 September 2006 Retrieved 20 April 2019 Achurra Tomas 15 March 2014 Musical Cats llega por primera vez a Chile con elenco nacional Musical Cats arrives for the first time in Chile with a national cast 24 Horas in Spanish Retrieved 20 April 2019 Cats llega a Colombia Cats arrives in Colombia El Espectador in Spanish 1 September 2009 Retrieved 20 April 2019 Pelogia Gustavo 25 March 2010 Pensei muito se eu realmente daria conta diz Paula Lima sobre Cats I thought a lot if I really would says Paula Lima about Cats in Portuguese Terra Brazil Archived from the original on 25 March 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2019 Festival de Beiteddine Grand opening avec Cats mercredi 3 juillet Six soirees consecutives pour le grand succes d Andrew Lloyd Webber photo L Orient Le Jour in French 29 June 2002 Archived from the original on 3 June 2019 Retrieved 3 June 2019 Cats all set to purr in Doha Travel and Tourism News Worldwide November 2003 Retrieved 20 April 2019 Hit musical show Cats comes to Qatar Gulf Times 30 January 2017 Retrieved 20 April 2019 Cats musical meets Istanbul audience Hurriyet Daily News 26 December 2013 Retrieved 18 April 2019 Steinberg Jessica 12 October 2014 Cats comes to Israel The Times of Israel Retrieved 18 April 2019 Garratt Rob 18 January 2017 Review Cats at Dubai Opera is as purr fect as it is timeless The National Retrieved 16 May 2019 a, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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