Broadway Revival of CATS Headed to the Heaviside Layer This Winter; National Tour to Kick Off in Providence!

Producers The Shubert Organization and The Nederlander Organization announced today that the first-ever Broadway revival of Cats will play its final performance at 8 PM on Saturday, December 30, 2017 at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 W 52nd Street) after 16 previews and 593 regular performances.

Preview performances of Cats began Thursday, July 14, 2016 followed by a Sunday, July 31, 2016 opening night.

The Cats National Tour will officially open at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, in January 2019 before traveling to additional cities throughout the country, including Chicago, Durham, and Los Angeles. The full tour schedule and other information will be announced shortly.

The creative team for the new Broadway production of Cats includes John Napier (Scenic & Costume Design), Natasha Katz (Lighting Design), Mick Potter (Sound Design), choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, based on the original choreography by Gillian Lynne, and direction by Trevor Nunn.

Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," the original Broadway production opened in 1982 at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre (currently home to Lloyd Webber's newest hit, School of Rock - The Musical), where it ran for 7,485 performances and 18 years. Cats was originally produced on Broadway by Cameron Mackintosh, The Really Useful Company Limited, David Geffen, and The Shubert Organization.

The current cast of Cats includes, Ahmad Simmons as "Alonzo," Tyler Hanes as "Rum Tum Tugger," Christine Cornish Smith as "Bombalurina," Jakob Karr as "Carbuckety," Emily Pynenburg as "Cassandra," Ron Todorowski as "Coricopat," Kim Fauré as "Demeter," Lili Froehlich as "Electra," Mamie Parris as "Grizabella," Sarah Jane Shanks as "Jellylorum," Eloise Kropp as "Jennyanydots," Ricky Ubeda as "Mistoffelees," Zachary Daniel Jones as "Mungojerrie," Andy Huntington Jones as "Munkustrap," Christopher Gurr as "Gus / Bustopher Jones," Daniel Gaymon as "Macavity," Sharrod Williams as "Pouncival," Haley Fish as "Rumpelteazer," Jessica Cohen as "Sillabub," Aaron J. Albano as "Skimbleshanks," Emily Tate as "Tantomile," Andrew Wilson as "Tumblebrutus," Quentin Earl Darringtonas "Old Deuteronomy," Claire Rathbun as "Victoria," along with Richard Todd Adams, Jessica Hendy,Madison Mitchell, Nathan Patrick Morgan, Megan Ort, Corey John Snide, Callan Bergmann, Maria Briggs, Francesca Granell, Harris Milgrim, Jonalyn Saxer and Tanner Ray Wilson.

Since its world premiere, Cats has been presented in over 30 countries, has been translated into 15 languages, and has been seen by more than 73 million people worldwide. Originally directed by TrevorNunn with choreography and associate direction by Gillian Lynne, scenic and costume design by John Napier, lighting design by David Hersey, and sound design by Abe Jacob, Cats opened in the West End in 1981. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1982 where it won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album.CATS hit song "Memory" has been recorded by over 150 artists from Barbra Streisand and Johnny Mathis to Liberace and Barry Manilow. The Tony Award-winning Best Musical held the title of longest-running musical in Broadway history until it was surpassed in 2006 by Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. The original Broadway production closed on September 10, 2000 and is currently the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history. This marks the first New York revival of the beloved musical.

This new production of Cats is licensed by The Really Useful Group and produced by The Shubert Organization, The Nederlander Organization, The Really Useful Group and Cameron Mackintosh, along with Roy Furman, John Gore, Stella La Rue, Grove Entertainment, Burnt Umber Productions, Independent Presenters Network and Peter May. Nina Lannan serves as Executive Producer.

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

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