April 2026 – Theater District, NYC:
It was opening night at the Broadhurst Theater on a chilly Sporing night but the energy overtook the weather – Cats has always been stuffed with history. Upon its London premiere in 1981, Gillian Lynne’s original choreography made Cats a groundbreaking dance musical, and the original NYC production became the fifth-longest-running Broadway show of all time.
Now, after more than four decades, the reimagined revival Cats: The Jellicle Ball brings a new look, new energy and dance moves that even impress Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Cats: The Jellicle Ball brilliantly expands and recontextualizes the show’s history, particularly through the choreography by Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles. Directed by Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, this production is set in the world of vogue balls, which originated among LGBTQ+ people of color as safe spaces for competition, community, and self-expression through dance and fashion.
NYC VIBE was on the yellow carpet to talk with the cast, directors and stars and celebrities on hand to enjoy this new interpretation.
The original Cats set its action at a “Jellicle Ball,” in which one cat is chosen to ascend to a new life. Cats: The Jellicle Ball explicitly frames this event as a community gathering and shows how dance is a form of both self-expression and survival. The cats in this revival aren’t literal cats, but a small society of people there to both compete for a fresh start and protect each other’s lives as they are.
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