Cats (musical)

Cats is a famous musical that uses song and dance to tell a story.

It is a "sung-through" musical, which means there is little to no spoken dialogue. Instead, the music carries the entire performance. The show is based on the 1939 poetry collection *Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats* by T. S. Eliot. The plot follows a tribe of cats called the Jellicles. They gather for an annual ritual known as the Jellicle Ball. During this event, the cats must make a "Jellicle choice." They decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer, which is their version of heaven, to be reborn into a new life.

The musical uses a unique structure that differs from traditional plays. Musicologists William Everett and Paul Laird describe it as a combination of a "revue" and a "concept musical." A revue is a collection of short acts, while a concept musical focuses on a central theme rather than a strict plot.

Most of the show consists of introducing different cat characters through song. These characters are presented by themselves or by other cats in the tribe. To create a cohesive story, director Trevor Nunn used the idea of the Jellicle Ball to give the characters a reason to gather. He also added the concept of rebirth to play on the idea that cats have nine lives.

The creation of the show involved many different artists and unexpected turns. Andrew Lloyd Webber began composing the songs in late 1977 as a personal exercise. He wanted to see if he could set Eliot's rhythmic poetry to music.

In 1980, the songs were first presented as a song cycle at the Sydmonton Festival. Producer Cameron Mackintosh then recruited Trevor Nunn to direct and Gillian Lynne to choreograph. The team worked to turn isolated poems into a complete narrative. They even used analog synthesizers in the orchestrations to create a unique electronic soundscape for the show.

Developing the lyrics required extra work from the creative team. While most lyrics came from Eliot's book, some were taken from unpublished poems. For example, the song "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat" used a poem that Eliot had once thought was too sad for children.

The famous song "Memory" was also a special addition. Director Trevor Nunn insisted the song serve as the "emotional centre" of the show. He wrote the lyrics himself after an earlier version by Tim Rice was rejected for being too depressing.

Building the production was a difficult and risky process. Many investors were skeptical of the unusual premise and refused to provide money.

To cover the costs, Lloyd Webber took out a second mortgage on his house. He also relied on small investments from 220 different people who responded to newspaper advertisements. Even during rehearsals, problems arose. The actress Judi Dench, who was meant to play Grizabella, snapped her Achilles tendon. This forced her understudy, Myra Sands, to take over the role of Jennyanydots, while Elaine Paige became the new Grizabella.

Despite these early struggles, *Cats* became an unprecedented commercial success. It has had incredibly long runs in major theatre districts around the world.

The London production ran for 21 years with 8,949 performances. The Broadway production in New York ran for 18 years with 7,485 performances. By 2012, the musical had earned a worldwide gross of US$3.5 billion. In Japan, a production in a purpose-built theatre has played over 10,000 performances since it opened in 1983.

The influence of *Cats* reaches far beyond the stage. It helped start the "megamusical" phenomenon, which changed how the theatre industry works. It shifted the focus toward big-budget blockbusters that are friendly to families and tourists.

The show also changed the technology used in live performances. For instance, the use of radio microphones became a standard practice in musical theatre after *Cats*. The show has also been adapted into a direct-to-video film in 1998 and a feature film in 2019.