Cats: A new classic?

Possibly the best known of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals, “Cats”, has surpassed even the longest running Broadway show, “A Chorus Line”, with almost 18 years of performances. Webber, a household name to musical theatre affectionados, has created many well-known and long running shows like, “Phantom of the Opera”, “Starlight Express”, and “Sunset Boulevard” to name just a few.

“Cats” opened in London (New London Theatre) on May 11, 1981 and in New York on October 7, 1982 (Winter Garden Theatre). Webber did not originally envision using the poems of T.S.Elliot in a full scale musical, but rather, was interested in creating a series of pieces for a concert anthology. He was intrigued with the task of setting existing verse to music and chose Elliot’s poetry because he had enjoyed it as a child. (As a prologue to the vocal selections music book, Webber writes that he enjoyed the challenge of having to compose his music to fit existing text rather than being able to work together with his lyricist, a method he often preferred.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and his London colleagues saw “Cats” as a musical theatre production that would rely heavily on dance. This collection of poems does not contain a plot as such. If there is a story to the production, it would be that selected cats are all waiting for the return of Old Deuteronomy who is to pick the cat whose life will be reborn. Grizabella, the tattered and worn glamour cat, is finally selected. It was Trevor Nunn who aided Webber in the dramatic structure of “Cats”.

The most famous song from this musical, oddly enough, is not even from T.S.Elliot’s collection. It is lyricist, Tim Rice, who provides Webber with the wonderful text. Memory, sung by the Grizabella character, has become one of Broadway’s most notable pieces. Sung by Betty Buckley on the original NY cast album and theatre superstar, Elaine Page; even pop diva, Barbra Streisand recorded her own version of this wonderful piece. From an evening of musical theatre classics to a salute to Andrew Lloyd Webber himself, what Broadway concert would be complete without Memory?

Other cat characters dancing and singing their way into audiences’ hearts in this musical include, Magical Mr. Mistoffoles, Rum Tum Tugger, Old Gumbie Cat, Macavity, Gus the theatre cat, Mungojerri and Rumpelteaser and Skimbleshanks the Railway cat. Dancers and singers, through the aid of some of theatre’s most incredible make-up and costumes, are transformed from young, exuberant entertainers into sleek, skulking, playful cats.

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