Timeline of Cats

A timeline of the musical Cats. This page is still a work-in-progress.

1930s

 * T S Eliot writes various whimsical poems about cats in letters to his godchildren.
 * On 5 October 1939, the poems are published by Faber & Faber in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.

1970s
1977
 * Andrew Lloyd Webber begins setting Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats to music.

1980s
1980
 * Cameron Mackintosh persuades Lloyd Webber to consider making a Practical Cats musical with him as the producer.
 * They recruit Gillian Lynne to choreograph.
 * Lloyd Webber meets with Eliot's widow, Valerie, to get the rights to make the musical. Valerie tells him that Eliot turned down a Disney adaptation of his book because he did not want his cats turned into cartoon cats (he apparently hated Fantasia).
 * The first concert performance of Practical Cats was held at the Sydmonton Festival that summer. Nine songs are performed by Gemma Craven, Gary Bond and Paul Nicholas. Valerie Eliot attends and gives Lloyd Webber some of Eliot's unpublished drafts and writings, most notably the poem "Grizabella, the Glamour Cat". Lloyd Webber says that it was this poem that convinced him to go ahead with the musical.
 * After the Festival, Lloyd Webber begins composing the "Overture" and "The Jellicle Ball", as well as setting Eliot's unpublished work to music. Demos of the songs are recorded.


 * Trevor Nunn agrees to direct but only if his colleague John Napier is hired as the designer and his friend/colleague Judi Dench is cast in the musical.
 * Judi Dench is offered the roles of Grizabella and Jennyanydots, while Wayne Sleep is offered the role of Mistoffelees. Auditions are held across the UK in November and December for the rest of the cast.
 * A recording of "Magical Mr. Mistoffelees" by Paul Nicholas is released as a single by PolyGram. This recording was later reused in the original London cast recording.

1981
 * An instrumental version of "Memory" performed by guitarist Gary Moore is released in early 1981 by MCA Records. Although it doesn't do well commercially, it was hearing this song on the radio that later convinced Elaine Paige to replace Judi Dench as Grizabella.
 * Mackintosh hires the advertising agency Dewynters to design a poster for the musical. The agency comes up with the iconic poster consisting of a pair of yellow cat's eyes with silhouette dancers for the pupils, set against a black background. The title of the musical is shortened from Practical Cats to just Cats to suit the minimalism of the poster.
 * Rehearsals began on 9 March 1981 in a church hall in Chiswick, London.
 * Previews are scheduled to start on 22 April 1981, with the musical scheduled to open on 30 April 1981.
 * Cameron Mackintosh struggles to raise the £450,000 needed to stage the musical in the West End. He asks the cast to invest their own money in the show; most do not. The funds are eventually acquired from Lloyd Webber and 220 small investors. Those who invested are later estimated to have made over 3500% in profits off the musical.
 * Judi Dench snaps her Achilles Tendon while rehearsing "The Old Gumbie Cat" with Wayne Sleep. She is hospitalised and eventually pulls out of the musical.
 * Elaine Paige agrees to take over the role of Grizabella a few days before the first preview. The opening date of the musical is postponed.
 * Cats opens in the West End at the New London Theatre on 11 May 1981.

1982
 * Cats opens on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on 7 October 1982. With a production cost of US$5.5 million, it is the most expensive Broadway show ever produced.

1983
 * Cats is translated into Japanese and opens in Tokyo on 11 November 1983, produced by the Shiki Theatre Company for a production cost of ¥800 million. It is performed in a purpose-built tent-style Cats Theatre.

1989
 * On 12 May 1989, Cats overtakes Jesus Christ Superstar (another Lloyd Webber musical) to become the longest running musical in West End history.

1990s

 * An animated film goes into pre-production in the mid 1990s, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation studio.

1997
 * Amblimation closes in 1997 and the animated film is cancelled.
 * On 19 June 1997, Cats overtakes A Chorus Line to become the longest-running show in Broadway history with 6,138 performances.
 * A live action film meant to mimic the stage show is recorded in August and September of 1997.

1998
 * The film is released on video and television broadcast in October 1998.

2000s
2000
 * The original Broadway production closes on 10 September 2000 after 7,485 performances and 15 previews. It was originally scheduled to close in June but a surge in ticket sales delayed the closing.

2002
 * The original London production closes on 11 May 2002 after 8,949 performances. The final performance is broadcast live in Covent Garden, London.

2010s
2016
 * The first Broadway revival of Cats opens at the Neil Simon Theatre on 31 July 2016, with previews starting from 14 July 2016.

2019
 * A cinematic film adaptation of the musical premieres on 16 December 2019.