Musical Monday

Happy Musical Monday and welcome to what may be the first week of summer for some people out there. No better way to spend a summer free from school than to go see shows and cool off in a theater. This week’s musical does not need much introduction. It boggles my mind that once in a while a show that personifies an animal and has little to no plot at all can be so successful and loved by so many. However, the tour of it I saw caused me to enjoy it too so I’m guilty. Enjoy!

Musical Monday date: 6/18/2012

Musical: Cats

Book, Music, and Lyrics: None, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and T.S. Eliot

Broadway Run: October 7, 1982 - September 10, 2000

Awards Won: Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Betty Buckley), Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Direction of a Musical (Trevor Nunn)/Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music, Outstanding Costume Design, Outstanding Lighting Design

Other: Was filmed for video and dvd in 1998; showing those who could not see the show what the staging of Cats looked like with it’s choreography, set, costumes, lighting and music.

Fun Fact: Cats holds the mark of 2nd longest Broadway show of all-time, behind the still running The Phantom of the Opera. 

So there is a summary of how Andrew Lloyd Webber can make an animal like a cat one of the most successful musicals ever created. Plus, it was the jump start to several big Broadway names such as Terrence Mann, Betty Buckley, Elaine Paige, and a few others. So next time you see a cat, go pet it, sing a little bit of Memory or call it Mr. Mistoffolees and do your part to spread the wonderful world of theatre. Oh yeah, and go see a show!