Cats: The Jellicle Ball Review

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s polarizing musical Cats has undergone a radical transformation in a new production titled Cats: The Jellicle Ball. The production, which recently moved from an off-Broadway run to the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway, reimagines the original story as a feline fantasia rooted in New York City’s queer ballroom scene.

The reimagining is the work of Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch. By shifting the setting to the ballroom culture—a community immortalized in the FX series Pose and the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning—the production provides a new framing device for the original narrative. In this version, the cats do not merely compete for a spot in the Heaviside Layer, but instead spin, strut, and duckwalk to win golden trophies and a place in ballroom history.

A New Perspective on a Divisive Classic

The original Cats, based on T.S. Eliot’s 1939 poems, has long been viewed as a nonsensical story about junkyard cats. This reputation, combined with a poorly received 2019 film adaptation, left the musical with a significant number of detractors. However, critics suggest that The Jellicle Ball manages to convert even the most ardent haters of the original property.

By grounding the spectacle in the queer ballroom scene, the production transforms the show into a story about an ostracized community finding redemption and belonging through art. The result is described as a galvanic and radiant reinvention that allows the ethos of the original show to finally click into place for the audience.

It’s not a takeoff or a satire… No, it’s actually being able to be this thing.

Dorian Corey in Paris Is Burning, as cited by Vulture

This concept of realness is central to the production. Rather than acting as a satire of ballroom culture, The Jellicle Ball aims to embody the spirit of the community it represents, utilizing feather boas and kitten heels to elevate the spectacle.

Critical Reception and Production Details

Following its opening on Broadway, the production has received widespread praise from major publications. The New York Times described the revival as fanciful and fabulous, while USA Today called it a spectacularly reimagined version of the hit musical. Other outlets, including The Guardian and Deadline, have highlighted the production as an ingenious and radiant reinvention.

TheaterMania has characterized the show as the party of the Broadway season, noting its energy and visual appeal. The production is noted for its ability to maintain the waggish earworms of Webber’s score while completely altering the visual and emotional context of the performance.

The move to the Broadhurst Theatre follows a successful off-Broadway run that began nearly two years prior to April 2026. While the Broadway runway is slightly shorter than the previous venue, the production remains a high-energy event that encourages the audience to think outside the litter box.

The production’s success is attributed to its ability to bridge the gap between a confusing original plot and a poignant, modern social context, turning a loose narrative about cats into a meaningful exploration of identity and art.