Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Reimagined ’80s Musical Wins Rave Reviews

Cats: The Jellicle Ball has transitioned to the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway, positioning the production as a primary contender for the Best Musical Revival category at the 2026 Tony Awards.

The production is a reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s original musical, transforming the narrative into a feline fantasia set within New York’s queer ballroom scene.

Reconceived by Bill Rauch and Zhailon Levingston, this version shifts the setting from a junkyard to a competitive ballroom environment. In this new framing, a group of contestants compete for golden trophies and a place in ballroom history, moving away from the original premise of ascending to the Heaviside Layer.

The production draws significant inspiration from the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning and the FX series Pose, utilizing the ballroom culture to tell a story about an ostracized community finding redemption and belonging through art.

A Departure from the Original Legacy

The original Cats musical is a sung-through production based on T.S. Eliot’s 1939 poetry collection, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. Andrew Lloyd Webber began setting these poems to music in 1977, first presenting them as a song cycle in 1980 before producer Cameron Mackintosh, director Trevor Nunn, and choreographer Gillian Lynne developed them into a full musical.

Cats premiered on May 11, 1981, at the New London Theatre in the West End and opened on Broadway in 1982. The production achieved massive commercial success, grossing US$3.5 billion by 2012. It remains the fifth-longest-running Broadway show and the eighth-longest-running West End show.

Despite its commercial dominance and awards, including the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical, the property has been polarizing. Critics and audiences have historically been divided, with further detraction following the 2019 big-screen adaptation.

Critical Reception of the Broadway Transfer

The Broadway transfer of The Jellicle Ball follows a successful run off-Broadway. Critics have praised the production for its ability to modernize the source material while maintaining the energy of the original compositions.

In a review published on April 7, 2026, USA Today described the show as a galvanic, gag-worthy production that dares to think outside the litter box, suggesting the reimagining could convert even the most ardent critics of the original musical.

Entertainment Weekly noted that the ballroom-infused revival innovates, astonishes, and exceeds expectations, mirroring the impact the original production had when it first arrived on Broadway in 1982.

Time Out New York further characterized the production as one of the best revivals in recent memory, describing it as one of the best parties on Broadway.

The production at the Broadhurst Theatre continues to feature the high-energy choreography and aesthetic of the ballroom scene, utilizing kitten heels and feather boas to redefine the visual identity of the Jellicle cats.