Cats: The Jellicle Ball at Broadhurst Theatre

The Jellicle Cats are coming out! A sizzling new reimagined version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic sung-through smash-hit musical that became the fifth-longest-running production on Broadway is about to pounce onto the stage, with a whole lot of dazzle, glitter, extravagance, and exhilaration – and it will leave you purring!

That’s right – the global phenomenon based on T.S. Eliot’s poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats has swapped their fur coats, tails, and ears for something shinier, something more eleganza extravaganza, and something a tad bit more snatched, and gurl, are they werking it! 

It’s the very same script, characters, and songs you’ve fallen in love with – from The Rum Tum Tugger and Gus: The Theatre Cat to The Magical Mr. Mistoffelees and, of course, Memory, but set in a world of LGBTQ+ ballroom culture, with a generous injection of voguing, dazzling queer artistry, modelling, dancing  – and even a ‘catwalk’! It’s vibrantly queer-centric, gloriously dance-heavy, wonderfully captivating, stunningly refreshing, and oozing with heaps of fun! And now, coming hot off its insanely successful and extended off-Broadway premiere at the Perelman Performing Arts Centre, Cats: The Jellicle Ball is making its Broadway debut at the iconic Broadhurst Theatre this season! 

Cats: The Jellicle Ball Tickets

“Run, don’t walk to see this ethereal show filled with mystery, magic, sassiness, outrageous talent, and, of course, joy.” – Medium

SYNOPSIS

In Andrew Lloyd Webber’s original smash-hit musical Cats the felines are coming out to the Jellicle Ball to choose the cat who will ascend the Heaviside Layer and be reborn – but in Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch’s buzzy reimagined revival, the word “cats” refer to the competing houses in the real-life queer ballroom communities, with each ‘cat’ strutting their stuff, voguing for their life, flashing the fashion, and performing as though there’s no tomorrow with the eye on the ultimate prize: to ascend the Heaviside Layer and be reborn. 

Get ready to meet the Cats and choose the one you’ll be rooting for to be reborn! Will it be the extravagant rock star Rum Tum Tugger, the exceptionally magical Mr Mistoffelees, or the beautifully graceful Victoria? How about the posh Bustopher Jones, Macavity the master criminal, or the shunned glamour girl who is just looking for acceptance, Grizabella?

Cats: The Jellicle Ball is the perfect bridge between old-school musical theatre and the underground ballroom scene, making it fresh, relevant, and current. And the heart of it all – just as with the original Cats: shared stories, an exploration of identity, a sense of community, transformation, acceptance, and hope. 

“…the most exhilarating fun that can be had in the theatre.” – The Washington Post

CREATIVE TEAM

The electrifying ballroom revival Cats: The Jellicle Ball is the brainchild of directors Zhailon Levingston (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical; Chicken & Biscuits) and Bill Rauch (Off The Rails; Othello; Oklahoma!; The Pirates of Penzance; The Music Man). To date, Zhailon Levingston has received a Drama Desk Award nomination, a Drama League nomination, and an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination, while Bill Rauch received the inaugural Guiding Star Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, and a Margo Jones Award among others. 

The music for Cats: The Jellicle Ball is composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, like in the original production, but adapted and infused with the rhythms and beats associated with ballroom culture by the majority of the creative team under the guidance of musical supervisor and director William Waldrop.

The world-renowned creative team also includes the talents of choreographers Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, scenic designer Rachel Hauck, costume designer Qween Jean, lighting designer Adam Honoré, sound designer Kai Harada, projection designer Brittany Bland, and associate directors Cooper Howell and N’yomi Allure Stewart. 

“The directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch cross Andrew Lloyd Webber’s juggernaut musical with queer ballroom culture to electrifying effect.” – The New Yorker

CAST

The original cast of Cats: The Jellicle Ball is slated to reprise their roles in the Broadway premiere at the Broadhurst Theatre this season. Audiences can look forward to experience the talents of Tony Award-winner André De Shields as Old Deuteronomy, “Tempress” Chasity Moore as Grizabella, Sydney James Harcourt as Rum Tum Tugger, Jonathan Burke as Mungojerrie, Dava Huesca as Rumpleteazer, Robert “Silk” Mason as Mr. Mistoffelees, Junior LeBeija as Gus, Baby Byrne as Victoria, Xavier Reyes as Jennyanydots, Nora Schell as Bustopher Jones, and Primo Thee Ballerino as Tumblebrutus, among others. 

“A sexy celebration of love and resilience!” – New York Daily News

HISTORY & LEGACY

Andrew Lloyd Webber first presented Cats, based upon T.S. Eliot’s collection of poems Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, in 1980 as a song cycle. Alongside producer Cameron Mackintosh, director Trevor Nunn, and choreographer Gillian Lynne, Cats was developed into a full-blown musical, with its premiere in 1981 in the West End at the New London Theatre, and its Broadway premiere in 1982 at the Winter Garden Theatre. The original London production ran for a total of 21 years with 8,949 performances, and the New York production for 18 years with 7,485 performances. Since its premiere, the global phenomenon has been revived in the West End twice, and once on Broadway. Cats kickstarted the worldwide megamusical phenomenon, has been translated to many languages, and is regularly produced around the world. 

To date, Cats has received a magnitude of accolades, including two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards, a Grammy Award, three Drama Desk Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Award, seven Tony Awards, and a Chita Rivera Award.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball is like a breath of fresh air – still the same much adored music, script, and characters, but radically infused with ballroom elements. The production premiered off-Broadway at the Perelman Performing Arts Centre in 2024 to massive critical acclaim, receiving two Outer Critics Circle Awards, OBIE Awards, three Dorian Theatre Awards, a Chita Rivera Award, and a New York Drama Critics Circle Special Citation among others.

“It’s impressive, it’s exhilarating, and perhaps most striking of all.” – Vulture

THE BROADHURST THEATRE

The Jellicle Cats are sharpening their claws for their Broadway debut at the iconic Broadhurst Theatre this season! The theatre, located at 235 West 44th Street in the Theatre District of Midtown Manhattan, New York City, has been welcoming the best of the best in the industry to its stage for over a century. The iconic neoclassical facade and auditorium, decorated in the Greek and Adam styles, are both New York City landmarks. 

The stunning Broadhurst Theatre ticks all the boxes for an unparalleled experience at the theatre – from top-tier sound and lighting systems to pin-drop acoustics, from fantastic sight-lines to great modern amenities. The venue boasts luxurious seating for up to 1,218 patrons spread across an orchestra floor divided into three sections, a mezzanine, and boxes. 

So New York, are you ready? The Jellicle moon is shining bright, so come to the Jellicle ball!