For over four decades, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats was widely treated as both a commercial juggernaut and a bizarre theatrical punchline. It was a show defined by literal spandex leotards, painted whiskers, and actors slinking down aisles pretending to lap milk. Yet, walking into the Broadhurst Theatre in May 2026, those traditional feline ghosts have been completely exorcised.
For us fans of the show Legendary, to quote the unapologetic Law Roach, “The Creative Team did what needed to be done!”
Under the audacious direction of Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, the newly transferred Jellicle Ball has transformed this eighties spectacle into a radical, queer-centric masterwork. By shifting the action from a literal junkyard into the historic, underground world of New York City’s ballroom scene, the production has achieved something truly historic. It strips away the literalism of the original and replaces it with the high-stakes reality of competitive drag balls, where “houses” compete for trophies, recognition, and survival.
Originally debuting in 2024 at the PAC, this production has officially re-inhabited Broadway as an uncompromised triumph. With stunning choreography by ballroom icons Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles, the show is no longer an abstract fantasy about alley cats. Instead, it is a glorious, heartbeat-pounding celebration of chosen families, resilience, and the historical power of self-expression.
For theatergoers lucky enough to witness this Broadway run, The Jellicle Ball isn’t just a revival; it is a vital, boundary-pushing event that establishes a bold new blueprint for 21st-century musical theater. It exhibits through and through a word from my German upbringing – “Lebensfreude” – that does not quite translate. “Zest of Life” probably comes closest.
The Jellicle Choice Reimagined
The narrative core of the show still traces back to T.S. Eliot’s 1939 poetry collection, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. However, dramaturg and gender consultant Josephine Kearns has brilliantly recontextualized Eliot’s whimsy into the structure of Harlem drag balls. Instead of literal stray felines, the competitors are human drag artists, vogueres, and queer outcasts belonging to fictional ballroom groups like the “Haus of Dots”, led by Xavier Reyes’s Jennyanydots, the “House of Macavity” associated with high-status labels that he “disappears” and the “House of Glamour.”
They gather under the watchful, regal eye of Old Deuteronomy, played by the peerless Broadway legend André De Shields, to make the ultimate “Jellicle Choice” – determining who will ascend to the Heaviside Layer, which is re-envisioned here as attaining legendary ballroom status.
The emotional anchor of this journey is Grizabella, the “Glamour Cat,” portrayed by ballroom icon “Tempress” Chasity Moore. Rather than a tattered stray, she is a fading house mother who has been ostracized by her community, reflecting the devastating real-world isolation faced by aging queer elders.
What elevates this storytelling is a daring thematic shift in Act Two. When Old Deuteronomy suddenly disappears, the production rejects the original’s magical kidnapping subplot. Instead of Macavity kidnapping him, the character’s absence is staged as a police encounter in which Deuteronomy protects Macavity. A backdrop slideshow of historical photos of sirens and drag queens being arrested has opened Act 2 – together with honoring ballroom legends like Crystal LaBeija and Paris Dupree – so this reference to the systemic oppression faced by trans and queer people of color during ballroom’s golden era instantly grounds the narrative. By replacing cartoonish villains with the threat of police brutality, the Jellicle Ball becomes an urgent sanctuary of mutual defense, turning a nonsensical parade of cats into a deeply moving battle for collective survival.
The Beats of the Runway
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic score, which originally combined analog synthesizers with traditional Broadway orchestrations, has been completely revitalized by music supervisor William Waldrop and beats arranger Trevor Holder.
Infused with pulsing house music and thumping ballroom beats, the new arrangements make it breathlessly clear how much of the original score’s rock, R&B, and club textures were fundamentally indebted to Black musical traditions. More importantly, the production seamlessly maps each musical number directly onto a specific competitive ballroom category.
The night begins with the “LSS” (Legends, Statements, and Stars) opening sequence, establishing the ballroom hierarchy. From there, individual songs function as distinct competitive categories. Jennyanydots’ “The Old Gumbie Cat” becomes an “OTA Virgin Vogue” showcase for runway newcomers. Sydney James Harcourt’s rebellious, crowd-pleasing “The Rum Tum Tugger” competes in “Pretty Boy Realness,” ditching feline gestures to blend hip-hop and street dance.
I guess, the adults with the six-year old next to me that clearly expected people as cats have some explaining to do.
Bustopher Jones, played by Nora Schell, completely flips the traditional narrative of overeating into a body-positive runway display celebrating diverse shapes under the “Body” category, representing everything from Model to Luscious bodies.
In Act Two, the choreography hits its peak. “Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat” is re-envisioned as an energetic “Old Way vs. New Way” voguing battle set within a New York subway transit theme. Following the terrifying police raid, “Magical Mister Mistoffelees,” danced with hypnotic grace by Robert “Silk” Mason, is transformed into a triumphant, defiant anthem of community solidarity.
This builds directly to Grizabella’s show-stopping performance of “Memory,” where she tentatively retraces her youthful voguing steps before delivering a powerful, soul-stirring plea for acceptance. It is a stunning translation of a classic showtune into a transcendent, history-honoring aria of survival and respect.
From Lower Manhattan to West 44th Street
Reconfiguring a traditional proscenium house like the Broadhurst to match the intimate, sweat-slicked environment of its original Off-Broadway run was no small feat. Scenic designer Rachel Hauck brilliantly transformed the theater, removing several rows of front orchestra seating to construct a sleek runway that projects out into the audience. Behind this runway, Hauck installed eighty on-stage stadium seats, putting spectators face-to-face with the performers. Directors Levingston and Rauch leverage this intimacy by placing cast members throughout the orchestra and mezzanine, keeping the house partially illuminated through Adam Honoré’s masterfully warm lighting to ensure the audience feels like active participants.
The visual core of this staging is Qween Jean’s jaw-dropping costume design, which serves as a direct, high-camp critique of John Napier’s original 1981 feline suits. Where Napier utilized bulky fur coats, leg warmers, and painted whiskers, Qween Jean delivers pure runway elegance. André De Shields’s Old Deuteronomy reigns supreme in a royal purple velvet military jacket and rhinestone rings, crowned with a towering, purple-tipped sculpted wig by hair designer Nikiya Mathis.
Xavier Reyes’s Jennyanydots walks the runway in a massive polka-dot outfit paired with a circular headpiece spelling out “SHADE”. Junior LaBeija’s legendary Gus the Theatre Cat is draped in a shimmering copper robe and a vibrant pink feather boa. Even Grizabella shines in a glistening silver gown with a dramatic thigh-high slit. It is a brilliant, fashion-forward design language that successfully trades literal whiskers for authentic ballroom glamour.
A Categorical Broadway Triumph
Since transferring to West 44th Street, the production has been met with universal critical adulation, widely regarded as one of the most successful Broadway transfers in recent history. Helen Shaw of The New York Times labeled it a coveted “Critic’s Pick,” praising its youthful, fabulous, and utterly relentless energy. Frank Rizzo of Variety celebrated the way the ballroom framing finally lends dramatic weight to a musical that previously felt abstract and lightweight, noting that the production beautifully expands the traditional aperture of commercial theater.
The response inside the theater is nothing short of electric. The “Cone one Come All” fans become an audience rhythmic support instrument and some of the performances get instant standing ovations. The Broadhurst has been transformed into a nightly celebration, with audiences cheering, shouting, and loudly clacking fans bought at the merchandise stand.
It’s probably the closest thing you’ll ever get to feel like being in the audience at a “Legendary” taping, if you missed that.
This visceral connection of Jellical Ball has particularly resonated with LGBTQ+ theatergoers, who find their own histories of chosen family celebrated on a mainstream stage. The theater industry has taken note of this cultural phenomenon; the original Perelman PAC run won major Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding Revival and Outstanding Featured Performer.
Following its Broadway transfer, the production captured nine Tony Award nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Direction, and Best Choreography for Lyons and Wiles. Critics and audiences alike agree that this is not just a standard revival, but a legendary Broadway event that theatergoers will boast about having seen for years to come.
The Final Runway Walk
Ultimately, Cats: The Jellicle Ball represents a monumental triumph for commercial theater, demonstrating how a polarizing classic can be completely revitalized through inclusive, culturally authentic casting and staging.
By placing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic melodies into the hands of ballroom legends like Junior LaBeija alongside Broadway icons like André De Shields, the creative team has built a vital bridge between mainstream art and the queer subcultures that have long shaped it.
The production strips away the triviality of literal cats to reveal a deeply human story about resilience, community, and the search for acceptance. For anyone visiting New York City, the Jellicle choice is absolute: this breathtaking, glitter-drenched masterpiece is a mandatory theatrical experience, proving that these legendary old cats still have a spectacular, boundary-breaking new life in them.
