Cats (play)
"Cats" is a groundbreaking musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, first premiering in the early 1980s. Based on T.S. Eliot's *Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats*, the show features an entirely anthropomorphic cat cast, a concept that was innovative for its time. The narrative unfolds during the Jellicle Ball, where various cats vie for the chance to ascend to the heaviside layer for reincarnation. The musical is characterized by its unique staging, set in a giant garbage dump, and its immersive experience, with performers engaging with the audience directly.
One of the pivotal elements of the show is the character Grizabella, an old and marginalized cat whose poignant story highlights themes of societal ostracism and redemption. Her emotional anthem, "Memory," has become one of the most iconic songs in musical theater. "Cats" received significant acclaim, winning eight Tony Awards in 1983 and reshaping Broadway's approach to musical production with its emphasis on spectacle and elaborate staging. When it closed in 2000, it held the record for the longest-running show in Broadway history, reflecting its cultural impact and enduring popularity. The musical's influence extended beyond the theater, inspiring numerous parodies and references in popular culture throughout the 1980s and beyond.
Cats (play)
Identification Broadway musical
Authors Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; lyrics by T. S. Eliot, Trevor Nunn, and Richard Stilgoe
Director Trevor Nunn
Date Premiered on Broadway on October 7, 1982
One of the most successful musicals in history, Cats ran on Broadway for a total of 7,485 performances. The success in the United States of a British musical with no book to speak of redefined Broadway and influenced musicals throughout the 1980’s and beyond.
Key Figures
Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948- ), composer ofCat’s T. S. Eliot (1888–1965), poet whoseOpossum’s Book of Practical Cats provided the lyrical basis for the musicalTrevor Nunn (1940- ), lyricist and directorRichard Stilgoe (1943- ), lyricist
By the early 1980’s, Andrew Lloyd Webber had a reputation for hit musicals that defied theatrical conventions, and Cats broke several molds. The show was based on a collection of children’s verse, T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (1939), and while many previous musicals had been based upon children’s literature, the concept of an entire cast made up to resemble anthropomorphic cats was radical for its day.
Told entirely in song and dance, the show exemplified Lloyd Webber’s love for spectacle. The set was a giant garbage dump. Props and wings of the stage were distributed throughout the theater, and cast members would variously appear and dance among the audience, giving them the illusion of entering a different world and being involved in the show.
The story of Cats is simple. Eliot’s book is a set of short narrative poems, which the play strings together, using some of Eliot’s unpublished ideas as well, to form a longer narrative. The play takes place on the night of the Jellicle Ball, where different cats are nominated for the honor of going up to the heaviside layer to be reincarnated.
Lloyd Webber’s experiment succeeded in part because of an unpublished poem. “Grizabella the Glamour Cat” tells of an old and disgraced beauty queen, and Eliot felt that the story was too depressing for children. However, in the midst of a fun and seemingly frivolous show, Lloyd Webber used Grizabella to illustrate one of his favorite themes: Those society marginalizes are often the most worthy of respect. For her anthem, Lloyd Webber used a melody he had written as a tribute to Puccini. Trevor Nunn, the show’s director, wrote a lyric based upon Eliot’s Prufrock and Other Observations (1917). The result was one of Lloyd Webber’s most famous songs, “Memory.” After singing the song, Grizabella ascends to the heaviside layer to be reborn.
Impact
Cats received eight Tony Awards in 1983. It changed the way Broadway musicals were conceptualized, as shows throughout the 1980’s would use bigger sets, special effects, and fanciful concepts. Cats and its signature song achieved a level of popularity unusual for musical theater and inspired many references, parodies, and imitations in popular culture throughout the decade. When it closed in 2000, it was the longest-running show in Broadway history. “Memory,” meanwhile, was both a popular hit and an instant standard. It is said that, at any moment in the United States during the mid-1980’s, “Memory” was playing on a radio station somewhere, and it was one of the decade’s most requested songs.
Bibliography
Eliot, T. S. The Complete Poems and Plays: 1909-1950. New York: Harcourt, 1952.
Snelson, John. Andrew Lloyd Webber. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2004.