Cats (musical)

Cats is a sung-through musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on T.

Cats is a sung-through musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on T. S. Eliot’s 1939 poetry collection *Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats*. It follows the Jellicle cats as they gather for the annual “Jellicle choice,” in which one cat is selected to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn. The show premiered in London in 1981 and later became a major hit on Broadway and in the West End.

Development and source material

*Cats* was adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber from T. S. Eliot’s poetry collection *Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats*. The production combines music, dance, and verse, and is structured as a sung-through musical rather than a traditional book musical.

Plot

The musical takes place over one night, when the Jellicle cats gather and each presents itself before Old Deuteronomy. The winner of the Jellicle choice is chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and begin a new life.

Productions and reception

The original production premiered in London in 1981 and began its Broadway run in 1982. It became one of the longest-running musicals in both the West End and on Broadway, and won major awards in both London and New York.

Music and songs

The score includes some of Lloyd Webber’s best-known material, especially “Memory,” which became closely associated with the show. The music has helped make *Cats* one of the most recognisable stage musicals internationally.

In Canada

*Cats* has been performed in Canada as part of its international stage history, and it remains familiar to Canadian audiences through major theatre productions and revivals.