Everything you need to know about 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' on Broadway

Cats: The Jellicle Ball is a vibrantly reimagined, queer-centric adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Olivier- and Tony Award-winning Best Musical Cats. The show was originally based on T. S. Eliot’s 1939 poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and follows a group of felines competing for the chance at a new life.

Setting this contest in the underground ballroom scene rooted in New York City, Cats: The Jellicle Ball blends the world of the old-school Cats with the extravagant grooves and moves of house culture. Through various dance, fashion, and performance battles, the characters share their stories and explore identity, chosen family, and transformation.

Beginning March 18, 2026, Cats: The Jellicle Ball plays at the Broadhurst Theatre, located at 235 W. 44th St. between Broadway and Eighth Avenue.

Opened in 1917, the theatre was named for British-American theatrical producer George Broadhurst. Broadway productions that have recently run at the 1,186-seat venue include Rob Lake Magic with Special Guests the Muppets, BOOP! The Musical, and The Hills of California.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball runs 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission; this was the run time of its Off-Broadway run at PAC NYC. The typical length of a Broadway musical is between 90 minutes and 3 hours, and longer shows often include a 15-minute intermission.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball plays Tuesday through Sunday, with two performances on Wednesdays and Saturdays and no performances on Mondays. This is a typical Broadway performance schedule, though it is subject to one-off changes during early performances and around holidays.

Please visit our Cats: The Jellicle Ball page for a complete performance calendar.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball premiered off Broadway in June 2024 at PAC NYC. It is a revival of Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical that premiered in 1981. Discover a full timeline of the Cats musical below.

• 1939: T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, a collection of poems about feline behavior and personalities, is released. The Cats musical is based on these poems.
• 1981: The Cats musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by T.S. Eliot, premieres in London. It won an Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
• 1982: Cats premieres on Broadway. It won a Tony Award for Best Musical and ran for 18 years, making it the longest-running Broadway musical in history for a while.
• 1998: A direct-to-video capture of Cats is shot at the London's Adelphi Theatre, featuring Elaine Page and Ken Page.
• 2019: A Cats movie musical directed by Tom Hooper was released with James Corden, Judi Dench, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, and more.
• 2024: Cats: The Jellicle Ball premieres off Broadway at PAC NYC. This queer ballroom adaptation marks the first significant departure from the original production’s groundwork.
• 2026: Cats: The Jellicle Ball transfers to Broadway in March.

Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the music for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and T.S. Eliot is credited with lyrics, as he wrote the poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats that serves as the musical's source material.

The pair's 43-year-old writing remains intact for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, even as directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, and choreographers Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles, crafted a bold, reimagined experience that honors the spirit of both Cats and ballroom culture.

The characters in Cats: The Jellicle Ball are people competing on catwalks and runways, unlike in the original version of Cats, in which the actors all portray real cats. What remains the same from the original is that each cat has a distinct look and personality. Learn about the major characters below.

• Grizabella: A shunned glamour girl who seeks acceptance.
• Old Deuteronomy: A kind leader who imparts words of wisdom — and rocks a head-turning wig. He is the judge of the Jellicle Ball and decides who will get a new life.
• Rum Tum Tugger: A flamboyant, rebellious rockstar who’s adored for his swagger.
• Mr. Mistoffelees: A magical, mysterious conjurer.
• Macavity: An elusive master criminal who keeps everyone on their toes.
• Munkustrap: A loyal narrator and protector who’s Old Deuteronomy’s trusted second-in-command.
• Jennyanydots: A nurturing presence who keeps order with no-nonsense discipline.
• Bustopher Jones: A posh figure known for impeccable attire and refined dining habits.
• Skimbleshanks: An energetic railway expert who ensures every train runs like clockwork.
• Demeter: Bombalurina’s BFF who’s got a troubled past involving Macavity.
• Bombalurina: Demeter’s bestie who’s bold and flirtatious.
• Victoria: A vision of grace and innocence who shines in the spotlight.

The cast of Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway in 2026 includes Hadestown Tony and Grammy Award winner André De Shields as Old Deuteronomy, Jonathan Burke as Mungojerrie, Baby Byrne as Victoria, Sydney James Harcourt as Rum Tum Tugger, Dava Huesca as Rumpleteazer, Dudney Joseph Jr. as Munkustrap, Junior LaBeija as Gus, Robert “Silk” Mason as Magical Mister Mistoffelees, “Tempress” Chasity Moore as Grizabella, Primo as Tumblebrutus, Xavier Reyes as Jennyanydots, Nora Schell as Bustopher Jones, Bebe Nicole Simpson as Demeter, Emma Sofia as Cassandra/Skimbleshanks, Garnet Williams as Bombalurina, Teddy Wilson, Jr. as Sillabub, and Tara Lashan Clinkscales as an ensemble member.

All reprise their roles from the 2024 Off-Broadway premiere, and the group includes both Broadway and ballroom performers. Additional casting has yet to be named, so stay tuned!

Cats: The Jellicle Ball keeps Andrew Lloyd Webber and T.S. Eliot's songs from the original Cats, but it gives them a ballroom beat and recontextualizes them into runway categories. Below is a list of all the songs in the Cats musical.

Act I

• “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats”
• “The Naming of Cats”
• “The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball”
• “The Old Gumbie Cat”
• “The Rum Tum Tugger”
• “Grizabella: The Glamour Cat”
• “Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town”
• “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer”
• “Old Deuteronomy”
• “The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles”
• “The Song of the Jellicles”
• “The Jellicle Ball”
• “Grizabella: The Glamour Cat (Reprise)”
• “Memory (Prelude)”

Act II

• “The Moments of Happiness”
• “Gus: The Theatre Cat”
• “Growltiger’s Last Stand”
• “Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat”
• “Macavity: The Mystery Cat”
• “Mr. Mistoffelees”
• “Memory”
• “The Journey to the Heaviside Layer”
• “The Ad-Dressing of Cats”

Cats: The Jellicle Ball is the latest new revival, but it’s preceded by many major productions of the original Cats that made the show a musical-theatre blockbuster.

• 1981: The Cats musical premiered in London on May 11 at the New London Theatre and ran for 21 years. At the time, that was a West End record. The venue is now called the Gillian Lynne Theatre, after Cats's original choreographer.
• 1982: The U.S. premiere of Cats opened on Broadway in October at the Winter Garden Theatre. It made Betty Buckley, a Tony winner for playing Grizabella, a star and ran for 18 years. It still remains Broadway’s fifth-longest-running show ever.
• 2014: The first West End revival of Cats began a four-month run in December at the London Palladium with Nicole Scherzinger as Grizabella. After touring the U.K., the show returned to the venue in winter 2015.
• 2016: The first Cats Broadway revival opened at the Neil Simon Theatre, where it ran until December 2017.
• 2024: Cats: The Jellicle Ball premieres off Broadway at PAC NYC, running from June to September. The reimagined revival was the first to significantly depart from director Trevor Nunn's original staging from 43 years earlier.
• 2026: Cats: The Jellicle Ball premieres on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre in March.

Since its 1981 premiere, Cats has been honored with a number of prestigious awards and nominations, including multiple for Cats: The Jellicle Ball.

• Tony Awards: The 1982 production was nominated for 11 Tonys and won seven: Best Musical, Best Book, Best Original Score, Best Featured Actress (Betty Buckley), Best Direction, Best Costumes, and Best Lighting.
• Drama Desk Awards: The original Broadway production was nominated for five awards and won for music, costumes, and lighting. The Broadway revival later earned a nod for Best Sound Design in 2017, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball earned seven nominations in 2025, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical.
• Grammy Awards: The original West End cast recording was nominated for a 1983 Best Musical Theater Album. A year later, the original Broadway cast recording won the prize.
• Olivier Awards: The 1981 West End premiere was nominated for six prizes and won two: Best Musical and Outstanding Achievement in a Musical (for choreographer Gillian Lynne). The 2014 London revival was nominated for Best Musical Revival and Best Supporting Actress (for Nicole Scherzinger).
• Obie Awards: In 2025, Cats: The Jellicle Ball won awards for outstanding direction, choreography, and ensemble performance.
• Outer Critics Circle Awards: Cats: The Jellicle Ball was nominated for four awards, winning Outstanding Revival of a Musical and Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical (André De Shields).

Yes, Cats has two movie musical adaptations. In 1998, a direct-to-video screen version was shot at the Adelphi Theatre in London, featuring Elaine Page as Grizabella and Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy. In 2019, Tom Hooper directed a feature film with a starry cast including James Corden, Judi Dench, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Jason Derulo, Rebel Wilson, and Taylor Swift.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball has not specifically received a screen adaptation.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway has yet to specify an age recommendation. This version of the show contains brief suggestive content, but Cats has historically been suitable for all ages.

The musical's Off-Broadway content advisory read: "Contains depictions of radical acceptance, magic, Ballroom legends, flashing lights, audience interaction, detainment by police, holstered theatrical firearms, glitter, full splits, burlesque, dance battles, loud music, and purr…a lot of purr."

Learn more fun facts about Cats: The Jellicle Ball's ballroom roots, the vibrant setting, and what makes the story growl and meow below.

• Ballroom, or ball, culture as depicted in the show originated in NYC in the 1970s within the LGBTQ+ community, particularly among Black and Latino individuals excluded from earlier drag balls and other queer spaces. "Houses" of people act as chosen family units, and the ballroom scene is still thriving today.
• Alongside Broadway veterans, the Off-Broadway production featured performers from NYC's ballroom scene, like Junior LaBeija of the historic House of LaBeija.
• Both choreographers hail from the ballroom scene as well: Arturo Lyons from the House of Miyake Mugler and Omari Wiles from the House of Oricci.
• Instead of in a junkyard as in past productions, this Jellicle Ball takes place at a full-on vogue ball, complete with runways, categories, and judges.
• True to both Cats and the ballroom format, the focus is less on a linear plot and more on self-expression, competition, and performance from individuals.
• Fans of TV’s RuPaul’s Drag Race, Pose, and the documentary Paris Is Burning will be in their comfort zone at this show.

In Cats: The Jellicle Ball, performers aren’t just seeking another one of their nine lives up in the Heaviside Layer. They’re chasing something down-to-earth and divine: being seen, accepted, and celebrated. That makes for joyful theatre purr-fection!

Check back for information on Cats: The Jellicle Ball tickets on New York Theatre Guide.