A Purrrfect Opening Night for Leona Lewis and the Cast of Cats on Broadway
(© David Gordon)
The new Broadway revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats celebrated its opening night on July 31 at the Neil Simon Theatre.
The principal company is led by Quentin Earl Darrington (Ragtime) as Old Deuteronomy, Eloise Kropp (Dames at Sea) as Jennyanydots/Gumbie, pop star Leona Lewis as Grizabella, Ricky Ubeda (On the Town) as Mr. Mistoffelees, and Tyler Hanes (A Bed and a Chair) as Rum Tum Tugger.
The company includes Giuseppe Bausilio (Aladdin) as Carbucketty, Jeremy Davis (The Last Ship) as Skimbleshanks, Kim Faure (Bullets Over Broadway) as Demeter, Sara Jean Ford (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) as Jellylorum, Lili Froehlich as Electra, Daniel Gaymon as Macavity, Shonica Gooden as Rumpleteazer, Christopher Gurr (All the Way) as Gus/Bustopher Jones, and Andy Huntington Jones (Bullets Over Broadway) as Munkustrap.
Kolton Krouse as Tumblebrutus, Jess LeProtto (On the Town) as Mungojerrie, Georgina Pazcoguin (On the Town) as Victoria, Emily Pynenburg (Gigi) as Cassandra, Arianna Rosario (On the Town) as Sillabub, Ahmad Simmons as Alonzo, Christine Cornish Smith as Bombalurina, Corey Snide (13) as Coricopat, Emily Tate as Tantomile, and Sharrod Williams as Pouncival, Richard Todd Adams, Aaron Albano, Callan Bergmann, Claire Camp, Francesca Granell, Jessica Hendy, Harris Milgrim, Madison Mitchell, Nathan Patrick Morgan, and Megan Ort complete the cast.
Check out photos from the opening-night festivities below.
The musical's original West End and Broadway director Trevor Nunn helms the production, with choreography by Hamilton's Andy Blankenbuehler, based on the original choreography by Gillian Lynne, and with associate direction by Lynne. The creative team for the new Broadway production includes sound design by Mick Potter, lighting design by Natasha Katz, and scenic and costume design by John Napier.
Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, the original Broadway production of Cats opened in 1982 at the Winter Garden Theatre, currently home to Webber's School of Rock. The production ran for a record-breaking 18 years and 7,485 performances and earned six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score.
