Cats -- National Tour
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
500 Fayetteville St. Mall
Raleigh Convention and Conference Center
Raleigh, NC 27601
919-831-6060
If there was ever a quintessential Broadway musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Cats' is it. The musical first premiered in London's West End in 1981. Two decades later, it's the longest-running musical in the history of British theater, and after ending its record-breaking 18-year run on Broadway, the show has become the longest-running Broadway musical ever. What other show could boast such endurance? Four tours of 'Cats' have run in 300-plus cities worldwide, and the script has been translated into 10 languages. This show deserves its place among theater classics. After all, more than 150 artists, from Barbra Streisand to Barry Manilow, have recorded its signature song, 'Memory.'
'Cats' is based on a series of poems by T.S. Eliot, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The show is set at 'Midnight' when the fuzzy, lithe felines begin to stir, emerging from the junkyard they call home. One by one, as they warm up to the audience, they introduce themselves. This is more than an opening number; this is the one night of the year that serves as a Jellicle Cat reunion. The felines await their leader, Old Deuteronomy, and their lives are to be discovered.
The 2001-02 touring cast stars Jarrett Ali Boyd as Old Deuteronomy and Gretchen Goldsworthy as Grizabella. -- Jennifer Shapira
Tip: If you plan on seeing the production with your kids, purchase a soundtrack CD before you go. It will not ruin the story line and will allow them to become familiar with the tunes. The songs are catchy, so be prepared for a sing-along.
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