65-1091: Nolte is a surname that may refer to: Bill Nolte (born 1953), U.S. singer and stage actor Carl Nolte (born c. 1933), U.S. journalist Charles Nolte (1923–2010), U.S. actor and educator Claudia Nolte (born 1966), German politician Dorothy Nolte (1924–2005), U.S. writer and family counselor Edwin Nolte , (1885–1940), U.S. politician and Missouri senator Eric Nolte (born 1964), U.S. baseball pitcher Ernst Ferdinand Nolte (1791–1875), German botanist Ernst Nolte (1923–2016), German historian and philosopher Georg Nolte (born 1959), German jurist Harry Nolte (born 1961), German Olympic sprint canoer Jan Nolte (born 1988), German politician Jerry Nolte (born 1955), U.S. politician, educator, and commercial artist Jürgen Nolte (born 1959), German Olympic fencer Kay Nolte Smith (1932–1993), U.S. writer Nick Nolte (born 1941), U.S. actor Pierre Nolte (born 1965), South African singer and songwriter known by
130-421: A chamber piece for five actors and two pianos, which he felt would reflect "Eliot's charming, slightly offbeat, mildly satiric view of late-1930s London". However, he relented to Lloyd Webber's more ambitious vision for the musical. Nunn was also convinced that for the musical to have the wide commercial appeal that the producers desired, it could not remain as a series of isolated numbers but instead had to have
195-471: A lullaby -turned- anthem ("Old Deuteronomy"); and Gus' nostalgia for the past is reflected through an old-fashioned music hall number ("Gus: The Theatre Cat"). Many of the songs are pastiches of their respective genres, which Snelson attributes to the show's origins as a song cycle: The original concept of a set of contrasting numbers, without a dramatic narrative, meant that each song needed to establish some sort of musical characterization independent of
260-451: A British dance musical was described by one historian as "a vivid and marvellous gesture of transatlantic defiance". Making Lynne's job more challenging was the fact that the music in Cats is unceasing and the majority of the cast remains on-stage throughout nearly the entire show. Lynne choreographed the original London production with a dance crew consisting of her assistant Lindsay Dolan,
325-424: A dance solo and uses them to restore the lights and bring back Old Deuteronomy. Now, the "Jellicle choice" can be made. Before Old Deuteronomy can make his decision, Grizabella returns to the junkyard and he allows her to address the gathering. Her faded appearance and lonely disposition have little effect on her song (" Memory "). With acceptance and encouragement from Jemima and Victoria, her appeal succeeds and she
390-516: A false alarm and summons the cats back as the main celebration begins ("The Jellicle Ball"), in which the cats sing and display their " Terpsichorean powers". During the Ball, Grizabella reappears and tries to dance along, but her age and decrepit condition prevent her from doing so ("Grizabella: The Glamour Cat (Reprise)"). As a result, she is once again shunned by the other cats, but that does not stop her from vowing to return for another chance to be in
455-443: A full-blown musical. He explained: The musical and dramatic images that this created for me made me feel that there was very much more to the project than I had realised. I immediately decided that I needed the support of another to encourage me to re-work my settings and to see if a dramatic whole could be woven from the delightful verse that I was now to be allowed to develop. Lloyd Webber thus decided to turn Practical Cats into
520-597: A musical, co-produced by Mackintosh and the Really Useful Group 's Brian Brolly . Shortly after the Sydmonton Festival, Lloyd Webber began setting the unpublished poems he had been given to music, a few of which were later added into the show. He also composed the overture and "The Jellicle Ball", incorporating analog synthesizers into these orchestrations to try to create a unique electronic soundscape . Meanwhile, Mackintosh recruited Nunn,
585-579: A musicologist, wrote of the poems: [They] provided excellent material for musicalization, as Eliot's style in this collection is reminiscent of a popular lyricist. The poet uses repeated catch phrases, strong hooks, steady rhythm and outrageous, attention-grabbing, witty rhymes, which are the ingredients of every well-crafted popular lyric. Most of the lyrics in Cats were taken from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats with very minor alterations. Supplementary verses from unpublished poems by Eliot were adapted for "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat" and "The Journey to
650-473: A narrative through line . He was therefore tasked with piecing the self-contained poems together into a story. Nunn wrote about the significance "Grizabella the Glamour Cat" had on the construction of the narrative: Here in eight lines Eliot was describing an intensely recognizable character with powerful human resonances, while introducing the themes of mortality, and the past, which occur repeatedly in
715-506: A new life. The bulk of the musical consists of the different contenders being introduced, either by themselves or by other cats. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats is a collection of light poetry about cats that Eliot had originally written for his godchildren in the 1930s. Due to the rhythmic nature of Eliot's work, there had been previous attempts before Cats at setting his poems to music, though none of these attempts had been met with much critical or commercial success. John Snelson,
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#1732782645391780-500: A pair of near-identical cats. They are mischievous petty burglars who enjoy causing trouble around their human neighbourhood ("Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer"). After they finish, they are caught off-guard and confronted by the rest of the cats. Finally, the Jellicle patriarch, Old Deuteronomy, arrives before the tribe ("Old Deuteronomy"). He is a wise old cat who "has lived many lives" and is tasked with choosing which Jellicle will go to
845-494: A pair of yellow feline eyes (with dancing silhouettes for the pupils ) set against a black backdrop. The producers and the creative team loved the design but felt that the title — Practical Cats — looked out of place when paired with the image of the cat's eyes. The musical's title was thus shortened to just Cats . The musical was scheduled to open on 30 April 1981, with previews starting on 22 April. Shortly before tickets went on sale in mid-February, Nunn revealed to
910-587: A performance by his dance troupe, one of the many dance showcases they saw in preparation for the musical. Casting for the other roles began in November 1980, with auditions held across the UK for dancers who could also sing and act. There was an initial disagreement over the casting of Paul Nicholas as Rum Tum Tugger ; Nunn had misgivings about the actor's easy-going attitude but eventually yielded to Lloyd Webber, Mackintosh and Lynne, all of whom were keen on Nicholas for
975-457: A play on the idea that cats have nine lives. One of Nunn's stipulations for agreeing to direct Practical Cats was that actress Judi Dench would be cast in the musical. Lloyd Webber was happy to oblige given her credentials and so Dench joined the company in the dual roles of Grizabella and Jennyanydots . Former Royal Ballet principal dancer Wayne Sleep was offered the part of Mr. Mistoffelees after Lloyd Webber and Mackintosh attended
1040-468: A specific performer or number. The audience responds to the musical differences, given an initial security provided by the familiarity of recognizable, underlying stylistic generalities. Lloyd Webber also employs various techniques to help connect the pieces. Namely, the score relies heavily on recurring motifs as well as the use of preludes and reprises . For instance, melodic fragments of "Memory" are sung by Grizabella and Jemima at several points in
1105-537: A worldwide gross of US$ 3.5 billion by 2012. The London production ran for 21 years and 8,949 performances, while the Broadway production ran for 18 years and 7,485 performances, making Cats the longest-running musical in both theatre districts for a number of years. Cats has since been revived in the West End twice and on Broadway once. It has also been translated into multiple languages and performed around
1170-504: Is blown by Demeter and he ends up getting beaten by Munkustrap and Alonzo. Macavity holds his own for a time, but as the rest of the tribe begin to gang up and surround him, he shorts out the stage lights and escapes in the resulting confusion. After the fight, Rum Tum Tugger calls upon the magician Mr. Mistoffelees for help ("Magical Mr. Mistoffelees"). Known as the "original conjuring cat", Mr. Mistoffelees can perform feats of magic that no other cat can do. He displays his magical powers in
1235-497: Is chosen to be the one to go to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a new Jellicle life ("The Journey to the Heaviside Layer"). A tyre rises from the piles of junk, carrying Grizabella and Old Deuteronomy partway towards the sky; Grizabella then completes the journey on her own. Finally, Old Deuteronomy closes the show by giving his final speech to the audience ("The Ad-dressing of Cats"). Notes : Based on
1300-768: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles Bill Nolte Bill Nolte (born June 4 in Toledo, Ohio ) is a singer and Broadway actor. He was raised in Genoa, Ohio and attended Genoa Area High School , graduating in 1971. He graduated from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in 1976, with a degree in Opera and Musical Theater and a minor in Musical Theater. Bill made his Broadway debut in 1985, Old Deuteronomy in
1365-661: The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats . Subsequently, he's appeared on Broadway in Me and My Girl , Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1993–1994), 1776 (1997–1998), King David as Golliath, Jane Eyre , and Amour , as well as the original album for Jekyll & Hyde alongside Anthony Warlow . Beginning in 2005, he performed the role of Franz Liebkind in the Broadway musical adaptation of The Producers after playing
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#17327826453911430-554: The New London Theatre was considered revolutionary and "one of the first truly immersive theatrical experiences". Instead of a conventional proscenium , the theatre was quasi- in-the-round with a central revolving stage . Nunn and Napier had sought to create "an environment rather than a set", and around $ 900,000 was spent remodelling the New London in preparation for the show. This included mounting sections of
1495-411: The down payment of the theatre. He later recalled that if Cats had been a commercial failure, it would have left him in financial ruin. The remaining capital was eventually raised by small investments procured from 220 individuals through newspaper advertisements. After the musical became a massive hit, the rate of return for these investors was estimated to have exceeded 3,500 per cent. After
1560-461: The prologue and nothing more, as seen in " Another Op'nin', Another Show " from Kiss Me, Kate and " Tradition " from Fiddler on the Roof . Cats on the other hand features four Jellicle-defining songs: "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats", "The Naming of Cats", "The Jellicle Ball" and "The Ad-Dressing of Cats". These numbers allow the cats to celebrate their tribe and species as a whole, in between
1625-476: The stalls onto the theatre's 60 ft (18 m) revolve such that the audience moved along with the stage. When the show was brought to Broadway, the Winter Garden Theatre was given a similar $ 2 million makeover; its proscenium stage was converted into a thrust , and a part of its roof was torn through to allow for the effects of Grizabella's ascension to the Heaviside Layer. Nunn
1690-439: The surname Nolte . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nolte&oldid=1183280021 " Categories : Surnames German-language surnames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description
1755-464: The "Jellicle choice" by deciding which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. As of 2024, Cats remains the fifth-longest-running Broadway show and the eighth-longest-running West End show . Lloyd Webber began setting Eliot's poems to music in 1977, and the compositions were first presented as a song cycle in 1980. Producer Cameron Mackintosh then recruited director Trevor Nunn and choreographer Gillian Lynne to turn
1820-403: The 13-minute "Jellicle Ball" dance to be the crux of the show, noting that in order to work as a dance-driven musical, Cats "had to succeed there or die". She recalled the difficulty she faced in persuading Lloyd Webber to add the extended dance break, culminating in her and her dance crew having to dance all the parts in the "Jellicle Ball" to convince him. The original staging of Cats at
1885-402: The 1980 summer Sydmonton Festival . The concert was performed by Gemma Craven , Gary Bond and Paul Nicholas . Eliot's widow and literary executor , Valerie , was in attendance and brought along various unpublished cat-themed poems by Eliot. One of these was "Grizabella the Glamour Cat" which, although rejected from Eliot's book for being "too sad for children", gave Lloyd Webber the idea for
1950-625: The Heaviside Layer every year. The cats put on a play for Old Deuteronomy (" The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles "), telling a story about two dog tribes clashing in the street and subsequently being scared away by the Great Rumpus Cat . A moral from Old Deuteronomy is interrupted by a second loud crash, presumably from Macavity , which sends the alarmed cats scurrying. After a quick patrol for Macavity, Old Deuteronomy deems it
2015-528: The Heaviside Layer", while the song "The Moments of Happiness" was taken from a passage in Eliot's The Dry Salvages . Cats director Trevor Nunn and lyricist Richard Stilgoe provided the remaining lyrics, namely for the opening number "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" and the most famous song from the musical: " Memory ". The former was written by Nunn and Stilgoe and was modelled after an unpublished poem by Eliot titled "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats", while
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2080-522: The Jellicles", while a cat version of heaven known as the Heaviside Layer was mentioned in one of his unpublished poems. Nunn expanded on these concepts by conceiving the Jellicle Ball as an annual ritual in which the cats vie to be chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer, thus giving the characters a reason to gather and sing about themselves in the musical. He also added the element of rebirth as
2145-541: The VON FREEMAN AFTERPARTY with Shirley Jordan. In 2018, he joined the Broadway cast of Waitress as Old Joe. Cats (musical) Cats is a sung-through musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber . It is based on the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot . The musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make
2210-421: The aesthetic, technology, and marketing of the medium. Cats was adapted into a direct-to-video film in 1998 and a feature film in 2019. Cats is based on T. S. Eliot 's 1939 poetry book Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats , and the songs in the musical consist of Eliot's verse set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber . The musical is unusual in its construction; along with Eliot's poems, music and dance are
2275-486: The alarmed producers that he was struggling to write the script for the musical. Despite still having no established book or score, rehearsals began on 9 March 1981 in a church hall in Chiswick , London. The situation improved later that day when Lloyd Webber, Mackintosh and Nunn met with Richard Stilgoe , a musician known for his ability to improvise lyrics on the spot, in hopes that Stilgoe could write an opening song for
2340-767: The artistic name Valiant Swart Richard Nolte (1920–2007), U.S. diplomat and analyst Roeland J. M. Nolte (born 1944), Dutch chemist Vincent Otto Nolte , author of Fifty Years in Both Hemispheres, or Reminiscences of the Life of a Former Merchant (1854, translated from the German) Zelda Nolte (1929–2003), South African-British sculptor See also [ edit ] Nolte State Park , U.S. park in Cumberland, Washington state [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with
2405-598: The beginning of the Jellicle Ball ("The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball"). At this moment, Munkustrap , the show's main narrator, explains that tonight the Jellicle patriarch Old Deuteronomy will make an appearance and choose one of the cats to be reborn into a new life on the Heaviside Layer. Munkustrap introduces the first contender Jennyanydots ("The Old Gumbie Cat"), a large tabby cat who lazes around all day, but come nighttime, she becomes active, teaching mice and cockroaches various activities to curb their naturally destructive habits. Just as Jennyanydots finishes her song,
2470-504: The dance captain Jo-Anne Robinson, and cast members Finola Hughes and John Thornton. The resulting choreography blends ballet , modern dance , jazz and tap , interspersed with acrobatic displays. Lynne also trained the cast to evoke the movement, physicality and behaviour of actual cats. These feline traits were incorporated into the movement and choreography so as to create an " anthropomorphic illusion". Lynne considered
2535-412: The definitive 16-piece licensed version. Cats is an ensemble show with a large supporting cast and no leads . Characters who are featured singers and/or dancers: Other characters who have appeared in multiple notable productions include: Notes : Notable replacements from the musical's West End and Broadway runs: Cats is completely told through music with no dialogue in between
2600-430: The first preview. Shortly after this, the original music director, Chris Walker, also had to leave the production for medical reasons and was replaced by the film conductor Harry Rabinowitz . Dench's understudy Myra Sands replaced her as Jennyanydots, while Elaine Paige agreed to take over the role of Grizabella. Opening night was pushed back to 11 May, but Mackintosh refused to postpone the previews as he wanted to dispel
2665-482: The industry rumours that the production was an impending debacle. The development of Cats was also plagued by financial troubles. Mackintosh struggled to raise the £450,000 (US$ 1.16 million ) needed to stage the musical in the West End as major investors were sceptical of the show's premise and refused to back it. Lloyd Webber personally underwrote the musical and took out a second mortgage on his house for
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2730-484: The junkyard. With a third crash and an evil laugh, the "most wanted" cat Macavity appears. He is the so-called "Napoleon of Crime" who always manages to evade the authorities. Macavity's henchmen capture Old Deuteronomy and take off with the patriarch in tow. As Munkustrap and his troop give chase, Demeter and Bombalurina explain what they know about Macavity ("Macavity: The Mystery Cat"). When they are finished, Macavity returns disguised as Old Deuteronomy, but his cover
2795-411: The latter was written by Nunn based on another Eliot poem titled "Rhapsody on a Windy Night". Lloyd Webber began composing the songs in late 1977 as a songwriting exercise, partly because Eliot's book had been a childhood favourite and partly to see if he could write music to predetermined lyrics. The compositions were performed privately for friends but Lloyd Webber had no further intentions for them at
2860-427: The main focus of the show at the expense of a traditional narrative structure. Musicologists William Everett and Paul Laird described Cats as "combining elements of the revue and concept musical ". The plot centres on a tribe of cats called the Jellicles , as they come together at the annual Jellicle Ball to decide which one of them will ascend to the Heaviside Layer (their version of heaven) and be reborn into
2925-416: The major poems. We decided that if Eliot had thought of being serious, touching, almost tragic in his presentation of a feline character, then we had to be doing a show which could contain that material, and the implications of it. Furthermore, we would have to achieve the sense of progression through themes more than incidents. An event called the Jellicle Ball was referenced by Eliot in the poem "The Song of
2990-492: The music changes suddenly and Rum Tum Tugger makes his extravagant entrance in front of the tribe ("The Rum Tum Tugger"). He is very fickle and unappeasable, "for he will do as he do do, and there's no doing anything about it". Then, as Rum Tum Tugger's song fades, a shabby old grey cat stumbles out wanting to be reconciled; it is Grizabella . All the cats back away from her in fear and disgust and explain her unfortunate state ("Grizabella: The Glamour Cat"). Grizabella leaves and
3055-424: The music changes to a cheerful upbeat number as Bustopher Jones , a fat cat in "a coat of fastidious black", is brought to the stage ("Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town"). Bustopher Jones is among the elite of the cats, and visits prestigious gentlemen's clubs . Suddenly, a loud crash startles the tribe and the cats run offstage in fright. Hushed giggling sounds signal the entrance of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer ,
3120-483: The musical. By the next evening, Stilgoe had produced a draft for "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats". However, "Memory", an 11 o'clock number for Grizabella that Nunn insisted the show needed as its "emotional centre", still had no lyrics at this point. Lloyd Webber's former writing partner Tim Rice was brought in to write a lyric for the song, but his version was rejected by Nunn for being too depressing. The lyrics for "Memory" were not completed by Nunn until well into
3185-405: The next cat to be introduced ("Gus: The Theatre Cat"). He was once a famous actor but is now old and "suffers from palsy which makes his paws shake". He is accompanied by Jellylorum , his caretaker, who tells of his exploits. Gus then remembers how he once played the infamous pirate captain, Growltiger ("Growltiger's Last Stand"). He tells of Growltiger's romance with Lady Griddlebone, leading to
3250-433: The ones that celebrate individual members. Regarded as "one of the most challenging shows to dance in musical theatre history", dance plays a major role in Cats as the original creative team had specifically set out to create "England's first dance musical". Before Cats , the industry-wide belief was that British dancers were inferior to their Broadway counterparts. The risky hiring of a British choreographer, Lynne, for
3315-416: The others and develop a quick rapport with the audience. Such a rapid familiarity and identification of purpose can be achieved through pastiche. But it was only a musical starting point, for the songs in Cats move beyond the straightforward " Elvis " pastiche of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ; they are less pointed, more the free workings within a range of chosen styles than direct copies of
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#17327826453913380-435: The overture, a tribe of cats known as the Jellicles gather on stage and describe themselves and their purpose ("Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats"). The cats (who break the fourth wall throughout the show) then notice that they are being watched by a human audience, and proceed to explain how the different cats of the tribe are named (" The Naming of Cats "). This is followed by a ballet solo performed by Victoria to signal
3445-425: The pirate's capture by a horde of Siamese cats and his execution by walking the plank . Back in the present, after Gus exits, Skimbleshanks is seen sleeping in the corner ("Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat"). He is the cat who is unofficially in charge of the nightly train from London to Gallowgate , and it will not depart unless he is aboard. Within his song, a whole steam train engine is assembled out of objects in
3510-511: The previews. Many of the ensemble characters were created by the original cast through extensive improvisation sessions held during the rehearsal process. Said Nunn: "[O]n day one of rehearsals what we had was 15 poems set to music and five weeks later we had a show with characters, relationships and stories running from beginning to end." The production faced a last minute mishap when Dench snapped her Achilles tendon during rehearsals for "The Old Gumbie Cat" and had to pull out one week before
3575-1457: The role for 2 years on tour. Nolte played Tabarro in the 2010–11 Broadway revival of La Cage aux Folles . Mansour in The Road to Qatar – 2011, at the York Theatre Benjamin Prick in The Little Pricks – 2012, with The Gold Dust Orphans in Boston, MA Fuzz in HARMONY, KANSAS – 2012, at the Diversionary Theatre in San Diego, CA. WORLD PREMIERE. Tony in THE MOST HAPPY FELLA – 2012, Lyric Stage in Irving, TX. Starring as Tony in Goodspeed Opera House's (CT.) new production of The Most Happy Fella – 2013 He has performed his solo cabaret acts: IS NOTHING SACRED, BILLSVILLE, TOGETHER AT LAST, ALL OF ME and ON BROADWAY in venues like BIRDLAND, TRIAD, SEABOURNE SPIRIT CRUISES, LAS VEGAS PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY and recently at IRIDIUM in NY at
3640-432: The role. Sarah Brightman , who had already made a name for herself with the chart hit " I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper ", arranged a private audition and was cast in an as-then undecided role. By December, the full cast had been assembled. Meanwhile, Mackintosh engaged the advertising agency Dewynters to design a poster for the musical. After much back-and-forth, the agency presented a minimalist poster consisting of
3705-481: The show before the song is sung in full, serving to characterise Grizabella and foreshadow her final number. Similarly, Lloyd Webber introduces a fugue in the overture, and variations of this theme are then repeated throughout the musical until it is finally resolved as Grizabella ascends to the Heaviside Layer. The musical also features an unusual amount of "group-description" numbers. According to musicologist Jessica Sternfeld, such numbers are usually relegated to
3770-498: The songs into a complete musical. Cats opened to positive reviews at the New London Theatre in the West End in 1981 and then to mixed reviews at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway in 1982. It won numerous awards including Best Musical at both the Laurence Olivier and Tony Awards . Despite its unusual premise that deterred investors initially, the musical turned out to be an unprecedented commercial success, with
3835-457: The songs, although there are occasions when the music accompanies spoken verse. Lloyd Webber's compositions employ an eclectic range of musical styles so as to magnify the characters' contrasting personalities. For example, the rebellious Rum Tum Tugger is introduced with a rock song ("The Rum Tum Tugger"); the fallen Grizabella is accompanied by a dramatic operatic aria ("Grizabella: The Glamour Cat"); Old Deuteronomy makes his grand entrance to
3900-437: The spotlight while a guilty Old Deuteronomy looks on ("Memory (Prelude)"). After the Jellicle Ball, Old Deuteronomy gathers his tribe to contemplate the nature of happiness. Jemima (also known as Sillabub), the youngest of all Jellicles, understands the patriarch is referring to Grizabella, and passes the message on to the rest of the tribe ("The Moments of Happiness"). Gus – short for Asparagus – shuffles forward as
3965-410: The stage to the boxes and balcony so as to give the cast access to the entire auditorium during the show. Napier began designing the set in November 1980, wanting "a place where cats might congregate together, which also included maximum room for dancing". The set of Cats consists of a junkyard filled with oversized props to give the illusion that the cast are the size of actual cats; it remains
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#17327826453914030-572: The then artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), to direct Practical Cats . Nunn was an unusual choice as he was considered "too high-brow" for musical theatre, but Mackintosh felt that a "pedigree" director was needed to ensure Valerie Eliot's approval of the project. After much persuasion, Nunn came on board and was joined by his RSC colleagues, choreographer Gillian Lynne and set and costume designer John Napier . Nunn initially envisioned Practical Cats as
4095-448: The time. After his song cycle Tell Me on a Sunday was televised by the BBC in early 1980, Lloyd Webber began to consider using his musicalization of Eliot's poems in the same vein for a televised concert anthology. He approached producer Cameron Mackintosh to explore possible avenues for the songs. Practical Cats , as the show was then called, was first presented as a song cycle at
4160-715: The world many times. Long-running foreign productions include a 15-year run at the Operettenhaus in Hamburg that played over 6,100 performances, as well as an ongoing run in a purpose-built theatre in Japan that has played over 10,000 performances since it opened in 1983. Cats started the megamusical phenomenon, establishing a global market for musical theatre and directing the industry's focus to big-budget blockbusters , as well as family- and tourist-friendly shows. The musical's profound but polarising influence also reshaped
4225-434: Was also adamant that the orchestra for Cats be hidden backstage — out of the audience's view — so as not to break the immersion. Adding to the experience, the show usually includes a lot of audience interaction, such as during the overture when the cast don flashing "green eyes" as they make their way through the audience in the darkened theatre. In the original Broadway production, catwalks were built to connect
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