Home / Arts and Entertainment / Harlem Ballroom Cats Broadway Revival Closes Aug. 8
Harlem Ballroom Cats Broadway Revival Closes Aug. 8
13 Jul
Summary
- Cats: The Jellicle Ball ends its Broadway run August 8.
- The revival reimagined the classic in a Harlem ballroom style.
- The show struggled with high running costs despite high attendance.
Cats: The Jellicle Ball, a Broadway revival that infused the classic musical with the energy of the Harlem ballroom scene, is set to close its doors on August 8. The production, which began its Broadway engagement on April 7 at the Broadhurst Theatre after a successful Off-Broadway run, will conclude after approximately five months.
Despite receiving Tony Awards for direction, choreography, and costume design, and maintaining relatively high attendance, the musical's weekly box office earnings of around $1 million were insufficient to offset its significant running costs. The production was capitalized for up to $18 million.
The reimagined show presented feline competitors as human contestants vying for supremacy on the runway, incorporating elements like voguing and beauty categories. The creative team and cast comprised individuals from both the ballroom and traditional theater worlds, offering a fresh perspective on the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.
The production will be preserved for posterity when it is filmed by the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts later this month. Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch directed the musical, featuring choreography by Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons.
