MasterCard Broadway Series Houston

Presents

The Musical with Many Lives is Back!




Old Deuteronomy (Craig A. Benham, center) surrounded by his tribe of felines. CATS, the international award-winning musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats." Directed by Trevor Nunn, CATS is the longest-running musical on Broadway and on the road.


Andrew Lloyd Webber's Musical MegaHit
Returns to Houston's Jones Hall

November 3 - 8, 1998



CATS, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony Award-winning musical megahit, makes its triumphant return to Houston's Jones Hall November 3 - 8, 1998 as a non-subscription offering of the 1998 - 1999 MasterCard Broadway Series. Audiences will be seeing not only a spectacular Broadway musical, but a theatrical phenomenon unparalleled in the history of musical theatre.

Tickets for the Houston engagement of CATS are on sale now and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster ticket centers or charge-by phone at 713-629-3700. Prices range from $22.50 - $45.00.

This Broadway production has more lives than most cats could ever dream of! Not only has the Broadway production outlived all of its competitors to become the longest running musical in Broadway history (June 19, 1997), but the Fourth National Touring Company of CATS passed the record set by OKLAHOMA! to become the longest running touring production in company history (November 1997).

The first National Touring Company opened December 21, 1983 in Boston. The tours have played a total of 208 cities in the United States (every U.S. state but Vermont and New Hampshire) and Canada, for 800 engagements. With touring audience attendance reaching to 10 million, CATS has been seen by over 47 million worldwide!



Female feline trio of (left to right) Parisa Ross, Jeanne Montano and Celina Carvajal


In 1989 the original production of CATS in London, which opened on May 11, 1981, became the longest-running musical in the history of the British Theatre, when it surpassed JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR'S record run of 3,357 performances. On January 29, 1996, the London Company also surpassed the U.S. long running record set by A CHORUS LINE. Today, CATS still holds the record for longest running Broadway musical in London's West End.

One of the secrets of CATS success is its adaptability. John Napier's oversized junkyard setting has seen many configurations, beginning with its original home in London. The New London Theatre was considered the West End's white elephant until Napier used its round shape to create an environment for CATS. On Broadway, the Winter Garden was extensively remodeled to provide a rooftop exit for Grizabella's ascension to the heaviside layer.



The Company in CATS, the international award-winning musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats." Directed by Trevor Nunn, CATS is the longest-running musical on Broadway and on the road. Photo by Carol Rosegg.


While touring in a large, black circus tent in Japan, a round theatre in London, an ice hockey stadium in Newfoundland or on a traditional, proscenium-framed stage, CATS has delighted and entranced the world over with Andrew Lloyd Webber's soaring melody, "MEMORY", the touching and heroic antics of the many cats, and the non-stop singing and dancing of the performers.

Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, CATS is based on the poems of T.S. Eliot in his book, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. An unforgettable evening of theatrical magic, the tale unfolds amidst a huge garbage dump, containing rusted trunks, old fish bones, empty food cans and old magazine covers. Gathering at the full moon for the annual Jellicle Ball, the tribe of felines related their stories and the memories of their lives.

Presented by Cameron Mackintosh, The Really Useful Company, Ltd., David Geffen and the Shubert Organization, CATS is directed by Trevor Nunn, with Gillian Lynne serving as associate director and choreographer. Sets and costumes are by John Napier, and lighting is designed by David Hersey. For the touring company, lighting design is reproduced by Rick Belzer, scenic design reproduced by Raymond Huessy, choreography reproduced by T. Michael Reed and Richard Stafford, and direction is reproduced by David Taylor.

Tickets for the Houston engagement of CATS are on sale now and can be purchased at all TicketMaster ticket centers. To charge-by-phone, call 713-629-3700; for groups of 20 or more, call 713-693-2692 or toll free at 1-800-889-8457. Prices range from $22.50 - $45.00 depending upon performance time, date and seat location. Showtimes: Tuesday - Saturday at 8:00pm, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00pm and Sunday evenings at 7:30pm.

Please note that the 2:00 matinee on Saturday, November 7 will be captioned for the hearing impaired. The TDD# for tickets is 1-800-755-6244.