Cats on Broadway Show
The musical that once took Broadway by storm is set to return. According to the original creator, he got the idea after reading a poem written by T.S. Eliot in a book titled “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’. As soon as he got off the plane that day, he set pen to paper and created one of the most famous acts on Broadway. The musical ceased production after eighteen successful years. At the time, it had clocked in 7,485 performances, for those that can’t venture to Broadway to see it, there’s even a DVD of the show available.
This performance art musical centers around a group of cats known as Jellicles. On a special, they make “The Jellicle Choice’. This is when they determine which cat will get to go to Heaviside Layer. This is a type of heaven for the cats. After that, the cat comes back, with a new life.
The musical begins with all the cat characters dressed in cat costumes. They then proceed to act out “The Naming of Cats’. At this point, the audience begins to learn about each cat and its special characters. All the cats have a unique trait that makes them stand out. A special cat to watch out for is Grizabella “The Glamour Cat’. This cat helps to propel the entire story forward. The rest of the tribe members shun him despite him being a Jellicle Cat.
Grizabella was not in the original version of the production. The cat was only added after T.S. Eliot’s wife gave some unpublished materials to the creators of the musical. After studying the unpublished material, Andrew Lloyd Webber recreated the final masterpiece with Grizabella. T.S. Eliot had written the poem “Grizabella’ for his grandchildren. However, he felt that it was too sad a story and decided not to tell it.
Elaine Paige almost never made it to the musical. Her stroke of luck only came after Judi Dench got injured and they had to look for a replacement for her. The actor went on to produce a top ten recording of the song “Memory’ featured in this musical. The song “Memory’ has gone on to be recorded by more than 150 renowned artists the world over.
During the original show, it was the longest running production on Broadway. However, it has been surpassed by another musical also by Webber. The show is so beloved worldwide that it is now available on cruise ships. The cruise ship Oasis of the Seas intends to offer a full production of cats.
In the final scenes, the human Old Deuteronomy has to come up with a Jellicle choice. It is at this time that Grizabelle makes an appearance. She sings the now famous “Memory’ song. It is a recollection of a glorious past before things took a turn for the worst.
The other cats accept her back and give the Jellicle Choice to her. She gets the chance to go to Heaviside layer. Before the show ends, Old Deuteronomy will address the humans watching the entire event. The show has a happy conclusion and the audience leaves in high spirits. It is one of the highlights of performance art show in the last few decades.