Conversation so far:
What was cats?
Lloyd Webber's most notable female characters, creating the role of Grizabella in the original production of Cats from 11 May 1981 to 13 February 1982.
Was Cats a song?
CANNOTANSWER.
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
In 1993, Paige signed up for a year as French chanteuse Edith Piaf in Pam Gems' musical play, Piaf, to critical acclaim.

Question: What happened in 1981?
Self-contained rewrite: What happened in 1981 during the original production of Cats?