The Tonys happened over the weekend, and the revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats got to strut its stuff on the stage with “The Jellicle Ball.” Cats has always been a divisive show, especially after the poorly received film adaptation, so expectations for the revival were low, but directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch reimagined the musical in such a creative and inventive way — by setting it in queer ballroom culture.
The original Cats production ran on Broadway for an astounding 18 years and won 7 Tony awards such as “Best Musical,” “Best Original Score,” and “Best Costume Design.” Kyle Turner says in a New York Theatre Guide article: “Elaborate stagecraft and melodramatic plots and songs characterized this era of theatre history. While previous Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita had traces of these elements, Cats truly launched the megamusical movement.”
While the title still remains Cats, there are no singing cats in this revival production. Instead, it uses the characteristics of cats as a metaphor for the characters. Playbill has said, “The reimagined revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical transforms its Jellicle cats into drag ball contestants walking sickening looks down the runway.” And you can see for yourself here (with amazing choreography from Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons):
The Music Behind “The Jellicle Ball”
The Tony’s version of “The Jellicle Ball” is shortened for time, but the original piece is over 9 minutes of unbroken dance. A truly amazing feat of strength and energy for any performer on that stage, especially when you factor in 8 shows a week. The song acts as a melting pot, combining different songs from the show into one show-stopping performance to tie everything together into the emotional climax of Act I. When listening to the song you can also hear what is probably Lloyd Webber’s favorite musical technique: leitmotifs. Past themes are combined into a bigger orchestration for everyone, while smaller sections use variations of those themes. However, the only character melody I could identify is Old Deuteronomy’s as he presides over the ball.
How Cats Is Highlighting Queer Communities
Adam Feldman for Timeout wrote: “What’s most impressive about this production, however, is how well the concept complements the musical. Levingston and Rauch’s vision fits Cats like a long sequined glove. No chance is missed to tease out potential queer meanings.” With Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons winning the Tony for “Best Choreography,” Cats is showing that ballroom culture is something everyone can enjoy. Additionally, the whole production highlights queer and trans performers at a level unmatched on Broadway.
In the previous New York Theatre Guide article, Turner argues that the author of the book Cats is based off of, T. S. Eliot, “derived a lot of the wordplay in Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats from Black vernacular, so it is meaningful that Cats: The Jellicle Ball largely showcases queer and transgender artists of color. As creatives and performers, they are reclaiming the show’s language on their own terms.” I can only hope that Broadway continues to highlight these performers and stories at the next Tony awards.
