Cats: The Jellicle Ball Is a Dazzling Ballroom Reinvention
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical crowd-pleaser purrs with queer joy and vogues its way to a spiritual rebirth on Broadway.
There is the theatrical revival that merely dusts off previously produced material, has polish and shine thrust upon it, tweaks made to the script, and is remounted to new glory. There are others that take existing material and transform it into something transcendent — much like the old-time gospel sort with hands raised, fans waved, and God praised.
Cats: The Jellicle Ball undeniably falls into the latter category. It is fitting to liken it to a spiritual awakening since directors Zhailon Livingston and Bill Rauch have taken Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, based on T.S. Eliot’s poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and have swapped an old junkyard for a new runway where community is celebrated and ferocity reigns supreme.
For unaware kittens, Cats is the record-breaking musical that dominated West End and Broadway box offices through the eighties and beyond. In New York, it ran for 18 years. London surpassed it by 3 years. Both cities have seen revivals. One would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t at least heard the show’s most notable tune “Memory.”
And let’s not forget the abysmal 2019 screen treatment. Lloyd Webber hated it so much that he told Mo Rocca on CBS Sunday morning, “I went out and bought myself a little Havanese puppy. It’s my therapy dog on planes. I just write a note to the airline telling them that the reason is the Cats movie, and they come back with ‘No doctor certificate required’.”
Lloyd Webber can breathe a deep sigh of relief and Eliot can smile from beyond — their creation has landed on solid footing at Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre. After a limited sold-out 2024 engagement downtown at the Perelman Performing Arts Center, rumors circulated that it might slink its way to the main stem.
Framed as a queer ball competition like those recorded in the documentary Paris is Burning and FX’s Pose, these beautiful beings display their prowess in individual vignettes to determine which among them will advance to the Heaviside Layer — that is, “Cat Heaven” — and be reborn.
Sure, the plot is thin and often doesn’t make much sense, but Cats has never been known for its strong narrative. This isn’t to minimize the source material, but the show is more beloved for its clever choreography and catchy melodies.
Lloyd Webber’s score remains fully intact, but has been infused it with new orchestrations, replacing synthesizers heard in the original productions with contemporary techno and disco. Musical supervisor and director William Waldrop conducts the orchestra, which elevates the pageant to stratospheric levels.
Choreographers Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons have given the cast a variety of thrilling, Harlem-born vogue moves, including dips, spins, catwalks, and splits, all of which are performed on Rachel Hauck’s immersive set that includes stage seating, bar stools directly beside the runway, and a wildly impressive reveal in the second act.
The runway was longer in the downtown iteration, as the space was malleable and cavernous. The modifications made here, however, give the proceedings a more intimate feel, creating connection and community between the audience and the performers.
Qween Jean is the genius behind the nearly 500 costumes seen on the stage, and her budget has obviously been increased from the PAC NYC production. Visually appealing sequins, faux furs and boas, polka dots, and enviable handbags adorn the players.
Ultimately, it is this flawless troupe that elevates Cats: The Jellicle Ball to new proportions. Many are making their Broadway debuts and are giving the show fresh excitement and vitality, while others, including Tony-winning stage stalwart André De Shields (Old Deuteronomy), Ballroom pioneer Junior LaBeija (Gus), and Ken Ard (DJ Griddlebone), who originated the role of Macavity on Broadway in 1982, ground the production in reverence and royalty. To witness the onstage synergy between these generations is truly profound.
Grizzabella, the faded “glamour cat” who sings “Memory,” is played here by “Tempress” Chastity Moore, a black transgender actor. The legendary Betty Buckley, who portrayed the character in the original Broadway production, told the New York Times, “Broadway grows and stays relevant when it listens to the culture outside. It has the power to introduce new audiences to forms of expression they knew nothing about, and to provide stages for performers who deserve the spotlight.”
Despite the negative forces currently surrounding the LGBTQ community, Broadway appears not only to be listening, but it is clawing back, preening proudly, and declaring that our community not only belongs, but is something to behold.
Cats: The Jellicle Ball (★★★★★) runs through Sept. 6 at the Broadhurst Theatre, 235 West 44th St., in New York City. For tickets, visit catsthejellicleball.com.
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