Broadway Musical Home - Cats Broadway Musical Home Who starred in the original cast? Where can I buy the music? What’s the buzz on Broadway? Find out at Broadway Musical Home Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber , T.S. Elliot, Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe Now Playing on Broadway Buy Tickets About the Musical Based the T.S. Eliot’s 1939 collection of poems, “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,” this 1983 Tony Award-winner for Best Musical features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Story: It is the night of the Jellicle Ball, during which Old Deuteronomy will select the cat to go to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn to a new Jellicle life. Over the course of the evening, the cats of the tribe step forward to introduce themselves and audition for the chance to be selected.

T.S Eliot and the inspiration behind Cats | Really Useful Group T.S Eliot and the inspiration behind Cats A note from Andrew Lloyd Webber I began setting Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats to music late in 1977, partly because it is a book I remember with affection from my childhood and partly because I wanted to set existing verse to music. In my associations with lyricists it has tended to be the case that once a dramatic story line had been agreed, the lyrics are written to music I compose. I was very curious to see whether I could work the other way round. Very luckily Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats contains verses that are extraordinarily musical; they have rhythms that are very much their own, like the “Rum Tum Tugger” or “Old Deuteronomy” and although clearly they dictate to some degree the music that will accompany them, they are frequently of irregular and exciting metre and are very challenging to a composer. I wrote some settings in late 1977 which I began performing at the piano for friends, but I never progressed the idea seriously until after I had composed Tell Me On A Sunday.

This was performed on BBC TV in the early part of 1980 and I began to think of Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats as a possible concert anthology that could also be performed on television. With this in mind, some of my settings were performed in the summer of 1980 at the Sydmonton Festival. Valerie Eliot fortunately came to the concert and with her brought various unpublished pieces of verse by her husband; one of these was “Grizabella the Glamour Cat”. The musical and dramatic images that this created for me made me feel that there was very much more to the project and 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. Thus in the late summer I had my first meeting with Trevor Nunn. Soon after Valerie Eliot produced various other uncollected poems, three of which we have incorporated into Cats in their entirety. She also gave us a fascinating rough draft of an opening poem for what appears to have been conceived as a longer book about cats and dogs.

This poem was not appropriate for the stage but it inspired us to write a lyric with the same intention of celebrating the supremacy of Jellicle cats. We have been able to include lines from the end of Eliot’s draft poem which now introduce “The Naming of Cats”. But what was most thrilling was to find a reference in one of Eliot’s letters to a coherent, albeit incomplete structure for an evening; he proposed that eventually the cats were to go “Up up up past the Russell Hotel, up up up to the Heaviside Layer”. Trevor Nunn, who I discovered has a taste for tackling theatrical problems that most people consider insoluble, set to work immediately with me in combing Eliot’s works and we were reminded of the many references to cats in the main body of his writing. I have enjoyed working on Cats as much as on any show on which I have worked. My gratitude will be undying to Valerie Eliot, without whose encouragement the musical could never have taken its present form. Andrew Lloyd Webber Cats (Lyrics) - Broadway musical Synopsis One of the brightest diamonds among the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote the music for this musical.

One of the songs, Memory, became a hit and brightly known far beyond the borders of musicals world. Over time, this song has become a standard not only for this musical, but also marked the bar for all musicals songs at all. And those who did not reach it, cannot be considered successful since 1981 – the first performance of Cats. Trevor Nunn was director & together with choreographer Gillian Lynne, they did the premiere, which was first staged in the West End, and a year later stepped over the ocean and played on Broadway, in 1982. In the current day, this play is in the TOP-4 of most long-play musicals of the world, giving a total of 7485 representations in the USA before closing in 2000. However, this figure is not complete since it displays only official shows on Broadway, but there were also other ones, adding number to the total figure, so it increases. Even right now in 2015, this musical has visited 5 different locations (Paris, Bahrain, West End, Blackpool, Australia) and should be continued in 2016.

All that time it received 7 Tonies, 3 Drama Desk & 1 Grammy – all these awards for the period of 1993 – 1994. In contrast to the TOP-3 of musicals, which still run in the theaters, this does not run anymore on a regular basis on Broadway, reviving only for individual productions year from year. For example, it visited Paris for the first time in 1989, then it was Berlin in 2002, Madrid in 2003. After 7 years, it was a national tour in Australia, and in 2014, it was presented in the West End again as revival and in South Korea too. These are only few mentions of its total plays around the globe & a tiny number of countries it had visited for the whole time. One of the actresses, M. Danielle, has devoted 18 years of her life, playing throughout all musical productions in the United States since 1982 and till the very year of its official closure, 2000. A musical staged in England even further, 21 years.

Release date: 1981 Andrew Lloyd Webber - Biography - IMDb Andrew Lloyd Webber Jump to: Overview (2) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (3) | Trivia (29) | Personal Quotes (11) Overview (2) 5' 9¼" (1.76 m) Mini Bio (1) Andrew Lloyd Webber is arguably the most successful composer of our time. He is best known for stage and film adaptations of his musicals Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Cats (1994), Evita (1996), and The Phantom of the Opera (2004). He was born on March 22, 1948, in South Kensington in London, England, the first of two sons of William Lloyd Webber, an organist and composer. His mother, Jean Johnstone, was a pianist and violinist. Young Andrew Lloyd Webber learned to play various musical instruments at home and began composing at an early age. He continued his music studies at Westminster School, where his father was an organist. At the age of 9, young Andrew was able to play the organ and assisted his father during performances.

In 1964 he went to Oxford University as a Queens Scholar of history. In 1965 he met lyricist Tim Rice and dropped out of school to compose musicals and pop songs. In 1968 he had his first success with the West End production of 'Joseph and the Amasing Techicolor Dreamcoat'. From the 1960s to 2000s Lloyd Webber has been constantly updating his style as an eclectic blend of musical genres ranging from classical to rock, pop, and jazz, and with inclusion of electro-acoustic music and choral-like numbers in his musicals. Andrew Lloyd Webber shot to fame in 1971 with the opening of his rock opera 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. His next successful collaboration with Tim Rice was the musical biopic 'Evita', based on the true story of Eva Peron of Argentina. Andrew Lloyd Webber has been constantly updating the genre of musical theatre. In 1981 he delivered 'Cats', based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and other poems by T.S. Eliot .

It was produced at New London Theatre, where stage was designed as a giant junkyard with large-scale bottles and cans scattered around a huge tire representing a playground for cats dressed in exotic costumes who would come and go through the aisles. The record-breaking production of 'Cats' was on stage for 21 seasons, from 1981 - 2002, and became one of the most popular musicals of all time. It played the total of 8,949 performances in London and 7,485 in New York. In 1986 Andrew Lloyd Webber released his most successful musical, 'The Phantom of the Opera', based on the eponymous book by Gaston Leroux with the English lyrics by Charles Hart . 'The Phantom of the Opera' became the highest grossing entertainment event of all time, with total worldwide gross of 3,3 billion dollars and attendance of 80 million. It is also the longest running Broadway musical of all time and the most financially successful Broadway show in history.

'The Phantom of the Opera' was translated into several languages and was produced in more than twenty countries as "clones" of the original production, using similar staging, direction, costumes concept and sets design. He was knighted Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1992, and was created an honorary life peer in 1997 as Baron Lloyd-Webber, of Syndmonton in the County of Hampshire. He won the 1996 Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song for Evita (1996), and received two more Oscar nominations. Among his other awards are seven Tonys and three Grammys, including his 1986 Grammy Award for Requiem in the category of best classical composition. In 2006 Andrew Lloyd Webber was Awarded Kennedy Center Honors. He owns seven London theatres, which he also restored. Outside of his entertainment career he developed a passion for collecting Pre-Raphaelite paintings and Victorian art. He was married three times and has five children. He is residing in England. Andrew Lloyd Webber is currently working on his new opera titled 'Master and Margarita' based on the eponymous novel by Mikhail A. Bulgakov .

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Shelokhonov Spouse (3) ( 24 July 1972 - 14 November 1983) (divorced) (2 children) Trivia (29) He was awarded Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 1992 Queen's Honours List and awarded Life-Peerage in the 1997 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to Music. Since 1997, he has been Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and can sit in the House of Lords in Parliament in London, England. He sits on the Conservative Party benches and is a longstanding supporter of the party. Started playing the violin aged three. Had written nine musicals by the time he had left school. Has owned a race horse.

He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2001 (2000 season) for Best New Musical for "The Beautiful Game." He was nominated for a 2004 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Outstanding Musical Production of 2003 for both "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and "Tell Me on A Sunday," both performed in London's West End. He was awarded the 2000 London Critics Circle Theatre Award for Best New Musical for "The Beautiful Game" with Ben Elton at the Cambridge Theatre. Shares birthday with legendary composer Stephen Sondheim . Has won Broadway's Tony Award three times: in 1980, as Best Score (Musical), his music with lyrics by Tim Rice , for "Evita;" in 1983, as Best Score, his music with lyrics by T.S.

Eliot , for "Cats;" and in 1995, as Best Original Musical Score, his music with lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton , for "Sunset Boulevard." He was Tony-nominated eight other times: in 1972, as Best Score, him as Composer and Rice as Lyricist, for "Jesus Christ Superstar;" in 1982, as Best Score, his music with Rice's lyrics, for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat;" in 1986, as Best Score, with collaborators Black and Richard Maltby Jr.

, for "Song & Dance;" in 1987, as Best Score, his music with lyrics by Richard Stilgoe for "Starlight Express;" in 1988, as Best Book (Musical) with collaborator Stilgoe and Best Score (Musical), with collaborators Stilgoe and Charles Hart for "The Phantom of the Opera;" and in 1990, as Best Score (Musical), his music with lyrics by Black and Hart, and Best Book (Musicl) for "Aspects of Love." Wrote song "It's Easy For You," recorded by Elvis Presley during his last session in October 29, 1976. It was released in Elvis' last album "Moody Blue" in 1977. Awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 2006, with Dolly Parton , Smokey Robinson , Steven Spielberg , and Zubin Mehta . Father, from his first marriage, of Nick Lloyd Webber and author Imogen Lloyd Webber .

Father, from his third marriage, of Alastair Adam (born May 3, 1992), William Richard (born August 24, 1993) and Isabella Aurora (born April 30, 1996). Has written the music for the two longest running Broadway shows in history, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. Older brother of Julian Lloyd Webber . Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1995. Ranked #5 in the 2008 Telegraph's list "the 100 most powerful people in British culture". He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Live Theatre at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. Webber's 1986 musical "Phantom of the Opera" was inspired by Ken Hill 's 1976 musical version of the same name. Hill's version is credited as the first Phantom musical and was a success. Sarah Brightman , who later created the role of Christine in Webber's version, was famously asked to play the role of Christine in Hill's 1984 revival but turned down the offer.

Webber, who was then married to Brightman, had actually seen Hill's show and asked Hill to collaborate Phantom on a larger scale for the Victoria Palace Theatre in the West End; eventually Webber pursued the musical without Hill. Hill and Webber had previously worked together on a revival of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat". The Sunday Times List estimated his net worth at $1.2 billion. [2009] His musical, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Marriott Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2009 Joseph Jefferson Award for Production of a Musical-Large. His musical, "Cats" at the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for the 2011 Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Production of a Musical. His musical "Cats" was the West End's longest-running musical until "Les Misérables" broke its record in 2006. He was so nervous about the premiere of "The Phantom of the Opera" that he didn't attend the show. Producer Cameron Mackintosh had to find him and bring him back to the theater for the curtain calls.

He considers the crashing of the chandelier in "The Phantom of the Opera" to be the most theatrical moment he's ever conceived. Between 1980 and 1995, four of his musicals - "Evita", "Cats", "The Phantom of the Opera", and "Sunset Boulevard" - won the Tony Award for Best Musical. His musical, "Cats" at the Marriott Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2003 Joseph Jefferson Equity Award for Musical Production. His musical, "Jesus Christ Superstar," at the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2015 Joseph Jefferson Non-Equity Award for Musical Production. Attended the wedding of media mogul Rupert Murdoch to former model Jerry Hall in 2016. "The Phantom of the Opera" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California was awarded the 2004 Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Award for Touring Production. Personal Quotes (11) There is a recommendation that schools spend a certain amount of time teaching music but it really depends on whether the teachers believe in it.

In some primary and secondary schools there is no musical provision at all but other well-resourced schools have plenty. In reference to singer/actress Emmy Rossum : "She is a wonderfully pure soprano, with an exceptional range. But more than this she also brings real character into the voice - so rare for her age." If you're a composer you do want to know how people are reacting to it but at the same time, of course, the performer is the most important thing. I'm a composer and therefore I know when I've written a good tune. When you've written a good song is when you know that the lyric is completely coalesced with the song. Sometimes I think I've written melodies that may have got a bit buried because maybe the lyric hasn't worked with the song. Sometimes, actually, it's the other way around. When you're writing for musical theatre the story comes first. If the story's right then the songs will probably come right. You're the luckiest person in the entire world if you know what you really want to do, which I was lucky enough to know when I was very young. And you're the luckiest person in the world if you can then make a living out of it.

I have lived and worked in Britain all my life. Not even in the dark days of penal Labour taxation in the Seventies did I have any intention of leaving the country of my birth. Despite a rumour put around some years back, I have never contemplated leaving Britain for tax reasons. More than ever before we need to keep high-flying professionals in the UK. We can't, as we have done in the past, dump on them through penal personal taxation. Of course we know that there have been some shocking excesses in the City of London. But for years we have also had drummed into us that the City of London proudly took over from manufacturing as the UK's main source of income. New Labour rejoiced in the fruits of the excesses of the bankers. Of course, with hindsight, their bonuses were obscene. But New Labour gratefully taxed them. The regrets in the theatre have always been the shows that you know ought to have worked, but for one reason of another haven't. I suppose if I had one regret it's that I would have loved to have had a long-term partner like Rodgers had with either Hart or Hammerstein.

I was really hoping that the Tim Rice relationship would have gone on, but I'm obsessed with theatre and for Tim it's something that he does enjoy doing, is very good at, but it isn't his whole life as it is with me. What strikes me is that there's a very fine line between success and failure. Just one ingredient can make the difference. A really good example of that is design and 'Love Never Lies'. The London production didn't have any consistency of style, so it would go from say, art nouveau to art deco, to straightforward, old-fashioned showbiz. The Australian production had its own language. It was at one with the piece. [on composing songs] I've sometimes found that they've taken a while, but then you get the ones where it's so obvious that you think 'that must have been done before', so you go through agonies and get musicologists and people to look at them. [observation, 2013] In the last few years, everything seems to have gone slightly away from music and more toward the comedy musicals, the 'Hairsprays' and 'The Book of Mormons'.

I just don't know if there's a public for something now which is much more serious and is old-fashioned, in the sense that it is melodic. See also Andrew Lloyd Webber | The Stars | Broadway: The American Musical | PBS Composers, Lyricists & Writers Andrew Lloyd Webber Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has written some of the most commercially successful musicals of the last quarter of the 20th century. Among his most popular shows are “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” (1967), “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1971), “Evita” (1974), “Cats” (1981), “The Phantom of the Opera” (1986), and “Sunset Boulevard” (1993). Lloyd Webber’s gift for melody has spawned such classic musical theater songs as “Memory” and “Music of the Night.” Lloyd Webber was born in London on March 22, 1948. His father was a faculty member at the Royal College of Music and his mother was a piano teacher.

Andrew showed musical aptitude at a very young age, and, while still a youth, composed short musical entertainments for his family. His first musical was “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” (1967). With lyricist Tim Rice, Lloyd Webber created an eclectic score to accompany the Old Testament story of Joseph and his brothers. Musical numbers ranged in style from Elvis-style rock to calypso and soft rock ballads. Joseph’s two big songs, “Any Dream Will Do” and “Close Every Door,” became hit singles. “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1971), another collaboration with Rice, began life as a double album. Concert tours of the “rock opera” followed, and ultimately, a stage version emerged. “Superstar,” the story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Pontius Pilate, garnered seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Score. Mary Magdalene’s song “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” became a pop standard. The 1973 film version starred Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson.

Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera." “Evita” (1974), based on the life of Eva Peron, also began as a concept album. Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin starred in the Broadway version. The show received numerous Tony Awards, including Best Actress (LuPone). For the 1996 film which starred Madonna and Antonio Banderas, Lloyd Webber wrote a new song, “You Must Love Me.” The song earned an Academy Award for the composer. “Cats” (1981), based on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical “Cats,” is Lloyd Webber’s longest-running show in both London’s West End and on Broadway. … Like “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Cats” contains songs written in a variety of musical styles. “Memory,” the show’s climactic number, is a sentimental ballad, which has been championed by singers Elaine Paige and Barbra Streisand, among others.

“Song and Dance” (1982) consisted of two parts: “Tell Me on a Sunday,” a one-woman show, and “Variations,” a set of variations on Paganini’s famous caprice for cello and rock band. Variations was written for Andrew’s cello-playing brother Julian. “Starlight Express” (1984), a train epic with music, followed. The cast of the high-tech fantasy dash around the ramp-enhanced theater on roller skates. Rock, blues, and country elements are apparent in the amplified score. A 90-minute version of “Starlight Express” opened in 1993 at the Las Vegas Hilton, the first major legitimate stage production to play in the famed gambling city. Andrew Lloyd Webber "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" "The Phantom of the Opera" "Starlight Express" Ben Vereen Robin Wagner “The Phantom of the Opera” (1986) is perhaps Lloyd Webber’s best-known work.

Based on Gaston Leroux’s novel, the musical included the songs “Music of the Night,” “All I Ask of You,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” and “Think of Me.” Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, then Lloyd Webber’s wife, starred in the original production. “Phantom” is indicative of a trend in the late 1980s toward a “sung-through” musical — one in which spoken dialogue is limited and often replaced by operatic recitative (speech-singing). The lavish sets, impressive special effects, and hauntingly beautiful musical score have made the show one of the most popular musicals worldwide. His first musical was “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. “Aspects of Love” (1989) launched the career of its male lead, Michael Ball. The sung-through musical was an adaptation of David Garnett’s tale of intergenerational love and included the ballad “Love Changes Everything.” The show played for over three years in London, but its 1990 Broadway run lasted only 377 performances. “Sunset Boulevard” (1993), based on the film of the same name, included some spectacularly romantic music.

Two songs, “With One Look” and “As if We Never Said Goodbye,” both of which are sung by the lead character Norma Desmond, have entered the repertories of singers as diverse as Kiri TeKenawa and Barbra Streisand. As with “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Sunset Boulevard” includes elaborate and impressive sets. John Napier’s grandiose staircase is as much a character in the musical as are any of the humans. The London production starred Patti LuPone, while the Los Angeles and New York productions featured Glenn Close. Betty Buckley succeeded both LuPone and Close in their respective runs. “Whistle Down the Wind” (1998), inspired by the film of the same name, is set in Louisiana in 1959. A collaboration with Jim Steinman, the score includes typically romantic love songs and explosive rock music. In addition to his musical theater works, Lloyd Webber has also written concert works. “Variations” also exists in a version for cello and orchestra.

“Requiem” (1985), written for Lloyd Webber’s father, included the memorable duet “Pie Jesu.” With his impressive array of commercially and artistically successful shows, Lloyd Webber is one of the most important composers for the musical theater in the last decades of the 20th century. Both his innate gift for melody and his ability to create music, which live up to the dazzling special effects characteristic of so many of his shows, have contributed immensely to his worldwide success. Source: Excerpted from ST. JAMES ENCYCLOPEDIA OF POPULAR CULTURE. 5 VOLS., St. James Press, © 2000 St. James Press. Reprinted by permission of The Gale Group. Photo credits: Photofest Cats Musical - Memory - YouTube Cats Musical - Memory Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Uploaded on Jul 22, 2007 Cats is an award-winning musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and other poems by T. S. Eliot. The show has been performed around the world in numerous productions and has been translated into more than 20 languages. Category CATS: The Musical | Cats Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Share Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. It introduced the song standard "Memory". It is currently the 2nd longest-running show in Broadway history and the 4th longest-running show in musical theatre history. The musical first opened in the West End in 1981 and then on Broadway in 1982. Each time directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, it won numerous awards, including both the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for Best Musical. The London production ran for twenty one years and the Broadway production ran for eighteen years, both setting long-run records. Actresses Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley became particularly associated with the musical.

One actress, Marlene Danielle, performed in the Broadway production for its entire run (from 1982until 2000). Cats has been performed around the world many times and has been translated into more than 20 languages. In 1998 it was also made into a television video. Production history Cats is based on Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939), which the composer recalled as having been a childhood favourite. The songs of the musical comprise Eliot's verse set to music by the composer, the principal exception being the most famous song from the musical, "Memory", for which the lyrics were written by Trevor Nunn after an Eliot poem entitled "Rhapsody on a Windy Night". Also, a brief song entitled "The Moments of Happiness" was taken from a passage in Eliot's Four Quartets. An unusual musical in terms of its construction, the overture incorporates a fugue and there are occasions when the music accompanies spoken verse. The set, consisting of an oversized junk yard, remains the same throughout the show without any scene changes.

Lloyd Webber's eclecticism is very strong here; musical genres range from classical to pop, music hall, jazz, rock and electro -acoustic music as well as hymnal songs such as "The Addressing of Cats". Cats premiered in the West End at the New London Theatre on 11 May 1981. There was trouble initially as Judi Dench, cast in the role of Grizabella, snapped a tendon during rehearsals prior to the London opening. The role of Grizabella was subsequently taken over by Elaine Paige. The role was beefed up for Paige and the song "Memory" (originally to be sung by Geraldine Gardner in the role of the red cat Bombalurina) was given to Paige. The musical was produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group, directed by Trevor Nunn, with associate director and choreography by Gillian Lynne, design by John Napier and lighting by David Hersey. It played a total of 8,949 performances in London.

Its final performance in London's West End was on its 21st birthday, 11 May 2002, and broadcast on a large screen in Covent Garden to the delight of fans who could not acquire a ticket for the final performance. It held the record as London's longest running musical until 8 October 2006, when it was surpassed by Les Misérables. The original 1981 London cast of Cats.The show made its debut on Broadway on 7 October 1982, at the Winter Garden Theatre with the same production team. On 19 June 1997, Cats became the longest-running musical in Broadway history with 6,138 performances. It closed on 10 September 2000, after a total of 7,485 performances. Its Broadway record was surpassed on 9 January 2006 by The Phantom of the Opera. It remains Broadway's second longest-running show in history.

Lloyd Webber stated that when the original show was produced, it cost £900,000, but on Broadway, it cost $5,000,000.[1] In 1998, Lloyd Webber produced a video version of Cats, based upon the stage version, starring Elaine Paige, who originated the role of Grizabella in London; Ken Page, who originated Old Deuteronomy on Broadway; Sir John Mills as Gus; Michael Gruber as Munkustrap; John Partridge as The Rum Tum Tugger; Jo Gibb as Rumpelteazer with many of the dancers and singers drawn largely from various stage productions of the show.[2] It was directed by David Mallet, with choreography and musical staging by the show's respected original creator Gillian Lynne in London's Adelphi Theatre, and was released on VHS and DVD, as well as broadcast on television worldwide.

Beyond the productions in Britain, the U.S., Canada and Australia, the musical has been produced professionally in Hungary, Austria and Japan, 1983; Sydney and Toronto, 1985; Germany, 1986; France, 1989; Mexico, 1991; Netherlands, 1992; Argentina, 1993; Hong Kong, 1994; Spain, 2003; Poland and Czech Republic, 2004; Russia and Estonia, 2005; Israel, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, China and Finland, 2007; Singapore, Hong Kong, Dominican Republic, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, China, Italy, Bulgaria and Japan, 2009; and Brazil and the Philippines, 2010. Cats has been translated into over 20 languages Detailed synopsis Act I — When Cats are Maddened by the Midnight Dance After the overture, the Cats gather on stage and explain the Jellicle tribe and their purpose ('Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats').

The Cats spot the human audience and explain how the different Cats of the tribe are named ('The Naming of Cats'). This is followed by a dance from Victoria the White Cat that signals the beginning of the Jellicle Ball and Munkustrap tells us that tonight is the night when Old Deuteronomy will choose a cat to be reborn into a new life on the Heaviside Layer. Munkustrap appears and introduces Jennyanydots ('The Old Gumbie Cat'), a large tabby cat. She "sits and sits and sits" all day, while at night she rules over the mice and cockroaches, teaching various activities to them. Jennyanydots finishes, greets the other cats, but is interrupted. The music instantly changes, and The Rum Tum Tugger makes an extravagant entrance ('The Rum Tum Tugger'). The Tugger is a Tom with a wild mane and leopard spots on his chest. He is very fickle and unappeasable, "for he will do as he do do and there's no doing anything about it". A shabby old grey cat stumbles out and looks around. It is Grizabella. All the cats back away.

The cats sing of her saddened, unfortunate state ('Grizabella: The Glamour Cat'). Grizabella leaves and the music changes to a cheerful upbeat. Bustopher Jones, a fat cat in "a coat of fastidious black", appears ('Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town'). Bustopher Jones is among the elite of the cats, and visits prestigious gentleman's clubs. A loud crash startles the tribe. Could this be Macavity? The cats run off the stage in fright. Hushed giggling signals the entrance of Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer, a pair of near-identical cats. They are petty burglars, very mischievous, and they enjoy causing trouble for human families ('Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer'). Finally, the Jellicle patriarch, Old Deuteronomy, shows up ('Old Deuteronomy'). He is a large old Cat that “has lived many lives” and “buried nine wives (And more, I am tempted to say – ninety-nine)”. He is the one who will choose which Jellicle cat will go to the Heaviside Layer.

In most productions, at this point, the cats perform a song ('The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles') for Old Deuteronomy. It is a story about two dog tribes clashing in the street and subsequently being scared away by the Great Rumpus Cat, a cat with flashing red eyes. After a few words from Old Deuteronomy on the destiny of Jellicle Cats and Pollicle Dogs, a second loud crash, presumably from Macavity, sends the alarmed cats scurrying. But Old Deuteronomy calls them back and the main celebration begins ('The Jellicle Ball'), in which the cats sing, dance and display their "terpsichorean powers". After the Ball, Grizabella reappears, refusing to be left out of the festivities. Once again, she is shunned by the other cats, but that does not stop her from singing a short version of 'Memory'. Act II — Why Will the Summer Day Delay — When Will Time Flow Away? After the Jellicle Ball, Old Deuteronomy sings of “what happiness is”, referring to Grizabella.

This message naturally goes over everyone's heads, so he sends the message again and Jemima (or Sillabub, depending on the production) sings it for everyone to hear, ('The Moments of Happiness'). Gus — short for Asparagus — shuffles forward ('Gus: The Theatre Cat'). He is the cat that once was a famous actor but now he is old and “suffers from palsy which makes his paws shake”. He is accompanied by Jellylorum, who tells of his exploits. Gus then remembers how he once played the infamous Growltiger, Terror of the Thames ('Growltiger's Last Stand'). He tells the story about the pirate's romance with Griddlebone and how he was overtaken by the Siamese and forced to walk the plank. Back in the present, after Gus exits, Skimbleshanks is sleeping in the corner ('Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat'), a cat who is unofficially in charge of the night train to Glasgow. He is very clever and very important because if he is gone “the train can’t start”. With a third crash and an evil laugh, the "most wanted" cat, Macavity appears.

He is a “master criminal” and never is found at the scene of the crime. He is a horrifying looking cat and a “villain” of the Jellicle Tribe. Macavity shows up and captures Old Deuteronomy. As the other cats try to follow him, Demeter and Bombalurina sing what they know about Macavity, as they have had some sort of past with him ('Macavity: The Mystery Cat'). When they are finished, Macavity returns disguised as Old Deuteronomy. When revealed by Demeter, he fights with Munkustrap and Alonzo. Rum Tum Tugger suggests that the cats find Mr. Mistoffelees ('Magical Mr. Mistoffelees'). Mr. Mistoffelees is black and small and can perform many feats of magic that no other cat can do. The magical cat succeeds in bringing back Old Deuteronomy. He is praised by all the cats. The Jellicle choice can now be made. Old Deuteronomy sits down and Grizabella appears for the final time. Old Deuteronomy allows her to have a chance to address the cats.

Her faded appearance and lonely disposition have little effect on her song ('Memory'). With encouragement from Jemima and Victoria accepting her always, the appeal succeeds and she is chosen to be the one ('Journey to the Heaviside Layer'). A large tyre rises up with Old Deuteronomy and Grizabella. Once at the top Grizabella finishes the journey herself. Old Deuteronomy gives his closing speech to the human audience ('The Ad-dressing of Cats') and the show comes to a close. Revisions to the show Andrew Lloyd Webber revised the Growltiger's Last Stand sequence for the Broadway production of Cats. In the original London show, the duet for Growltiger and Griddlebone was a setting of an unpublished T.S. Eliot poem, "The Ballad of Billy M'Caw". For Broadway, he replaced the Ballad with a pastiche of Italian aria (reminiscent of Puccini's Madama Butterfly).

This new version was subsequently incorporated into most productions of Cats worldwide (A notable exception was the Hungarian production at the Madách Színház in Budapest which opened in 1983 and is still running in repertory as of early 2008 celebrating its 25th anniversary on 25 March 2008, as the longest running musical in Hungarian theatre history. Production in Helsinki and Prague also used the original version.) The Ballad remained in the London production until some time in the early 1990s when it was replaced with the Italian aria pastiche. It was re-instated for the UK Tours, following the show's closure in London. Lloyd Webber has said that he is pleased with the reinstatement of The Ballad of Billy M'Caw as he didn't care for the "Italian aria" version.[8] In the video version, the entire scene featuring Growltiger was cut out, due to John Mills' (Gus) old age. The song "Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer" has had three different versions in the past.

In the original London production, Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer sang their song in 12/8 time to a jazzy accompaniment. Andrew Lloyd Webber later wrote a new melody for the Broadway production, for Mr. Mistoffelees (also called Quaxo) to sing about Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer in the third person. The point of the scene on Broadway was to entertain Bustopher Jones. Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer were puppets being magically controlled by Mr. Mistoffelees/Quaxo. The tempo remained upbeat (now in 4/4 time, switching to 7/8 in the middle section) and the mood of the song was similar to the original version. Lloyd Webber's new version was used for all subsequent productions of Cats, although Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer now sing their number themselves (making the Broadway and London productions identical). In the 1998 film, one stanza was cut out. In recent productions, a lyric in "Growltiger's Last Stand" was changed in order to remove any racially insensitive language.

"With a frightful burst of fireworks the Chinks they swarmed aboard!" became "with a frightful burst of fireworks, the Siamese swarmed aboard!", although the lyric "Heathen Chinese" remains in the tale of the Pekes and the Pollicles. In the original London production Munkustrap and the Tugger sing an extra verse in Old Deuteronomy's song. This second verse was later cut in subsequent productions Jellylorum was named after T.S Eliot's own cat

Question: Who wrote the music for the musical Cats?
Answer: Andrew Lloyd Webber