Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats is a show I thought I never needed to see again, but a new take on the musical shifts the action into the queer ballroom scene – and it looks amazing.
Back in the mid‑1980s, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical adaptation of the poems of T.S. Eliot was a sensation. That might be hard to believe in the wake of the dubious movie version, but at the time there was nothing cooler than Cats.
Having seen the stage production multiple times over the years, though, with each viewing – and with the passage of time – it becomes less impressive. While a giant set that made the performers appear the size of cats was remarkable in the 80s, as the decades pass it becomes less of a wonder.
Since then we’ve seen a helicopter land on stage in Miss Saigon, the cast of Mary Poppins dance upside down, rain fall on stage in Singin’ in the Rain, and a man walk through a wall in Ghost. A really big trash can just isn’t cutting it anymore.
When I was invited to see the 40th‑anniversary production last year, I declined. I simply didn’t need to see Cats again. But now I’m dying to see a new version of the production that has just made its way to Broadway.
Cats: The Jellicle Ball uses the same book and songs from the original production but reimagines the action within the queer ballroom scene.
The show had a successful off‑Broadway run in 2024, and now it’s set to open on Broadway tonight. Its preview run has been hugely successful, and the season has already been extended through to early September.
It’s directed by OBIE Award winners Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, while ballroom legends Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons choreograph the production. The show has been described as more than a revival – it’s a transformation.
The production features an impressive ensemble led by Tony and Grammy Award winner André De Shields as Old Deuteronomy. The 80‑year‑old performer has previously starred in The Wiz, The Full Monty, Hadestown and Ain’t Misbehavin’. He’s also a prominent advocate for long‑term survivors of HIV; De Shields was diagnosed in 1991.
Reflecting the queer ballroom scene, most of the performers in the Broadway production are people of colour, and Cats’ story of a late‑night ballroom gathering filled with bold, loud and diverse characters is a perfect fit. Let’s hope there’s an Australian producer rushing to secure the rights to this production.
