When the doors of the Winter Garden Theatre opened on September 23, 1982, no one could have predicted that the show having its first preview would then go on to run until September 10, 2000. With 7,485 performances by the time the run concluded, Cats had entered the record books by becoming the then longest-running show in Broadway history. A revival in 2016 would not, of course, measure up to the first run’s success. That revival is now touring and has now found its way to the Pantages Theatre where it will run through March 24th.
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber took the writing of T.S. Eliot (from Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats) as the source of his musical. The show was directed by Trevor Nunn who contributed lyrics to two of the show’s songs. Perhaps best known is the one song that has become a standard, Memory (performed by Betty Buckley who won a Tony Award for her portrayal of “Grizabella.”)
Nunn returns to direct this revival as does scenic and costume designer John Napier. New for this production is the lighting design by Natasha Katz. Most intriguing is the new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler. He is a three-time Tony Award winner for his work on Bandstand, In the Heights and a little show called Hamilton. His work here is based on the original landmark choreography by Gillian Lynne.
The story revolves around the selection of one cat to be reborn. But it isn’t the story that has compelled audiences around the world. It is the entire look and feel of the show. Cats won 7 Tony Awards for the original production.
Cats will also play the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa for one week beginning April 9th.
Production photo by Matthew Murhpy/Courtesy of the Pantages Theatre