Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical *Cats* stands as a landmark in theatrical history, yet its journey from a collection of T. S. Eliot's poems to a global stage phenomenon was marked by unique creative challenges and financial gambles. The musical's unusual construction, which prioritizes music and dance over a traditional narrative, emerged from a songwriting exercise that evolved into a full-blown theatrical production, defying initial skepticism and ultimately
captivating audiences worldwide.
The foundation of *Cats* lies in T. S. Eliot's 1939 poetry book, *Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats*. Andrew Lloyd Webber began setting these verses to music in late 1977, initially viewing it as a personal songwriting exercise. Eliot's book had been a childhood favorite, and Webber was intrigued by the challenge of composing music for predetermined lyrics. These early compositions were shared privately among friends, with no immediate plans for a larger production. However, after his song cycle *Tell Me on a Sunday* was televised by the BBC in early 1980, Webber began to consider a similar televised concert anthology for his musicalizations of Eliot's poems. This idea led him to approach producer Cameron Mackintosh to explore potential avenues for the songs.
The project, then known as *Practical Cats*, was first presented as a song cycle at the 1980 summer Sydmonton Festival. Performers included Gemma Craven, Gary Bond, and Paul Nicholas. A pivotal moment occurred at this festival when Eliot's widow and literary executor, Valerie, attended and brought with her various unpublished cat-themed poems by Eliot. Among these was "Grizabella the Glamour Cat," a poem Eliot had excluded from his book for being "too sad for children." This particular poem sparked Lloyd Webber's imagination, giving him the idea that a full-blown musical could be developed from the material.
Shortly after the Sydmonton Festival, Lloyd Webber began composing music for the newly acquired unpublished poems, some of which were later integrated into the show. He also created the overture and "The Jellicle Ball," incorporating analog synthesizers to forge a distinctive electronic soundscape. Meanwhile, Mackintosh recruited Trevor Nunn, then the artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), to direct *Practical Cats*. Nunn was an unconventional choice, considered "too high-brow" for musical theater, but Mackintosh believed a director with his "pedigree" was essential to secure Valerie Eliot's approval. After considerable persuasion, Nunn joined the team, bringing with him RSC colleagues Gillian Lynne as choreographer and John Napier for set and costume design.
Nunn initially envisioned *Practical Cats* as a more intimate chamber piece, featuring five actors and two pianos, believing this would capture Eliot's "charming, slightly offbeat, mildly satiric view of late-1930s London." However, he ultimately deferred to Lloyd Webber's more ambitious vision for the musical. Nunn also recognized that for the show to achieve broad commercial appeal, it needed a cohesive narrative rather than remaining a series of isolated numbers. He was tasked with weaving the self-contained poems into a story. The poem "Grizabella the Glamour Cat" proved crucial to this endeavor, as Nunn noted it described "an intensely recognizable character with powerful human resonances," introducing themes of mortality and the past that resonated with Eliot's major works. This realization led the team to conclude that the musical needed to accommodate such serious, touching, and almost tragic material, achieving progression through themes rather than incidents.
Further narrative elements were drawn from Eliot's work. The Jellicle Ball, referenced in "The Song of the Jellicles," and the cat version of heaven, the Heaviside Layer, mentioned in an unpublished poem, were expanded upon by Nunn. He conceived the Jellicle Ball as an annual ritual where cats compete to be chosen for ascension to the Heaviside Layer, thus providing a reason for the characters to gather and sing about themselves. The concept of rebirth, playing on the idea that cats have nine lives, was also added.
Casting began in November 1980, with auditions across the UK for dancers who could also sing and act. Judi Dench was a stipulated choice by Nunn for the roles of Grizabella and Jennyanydots, a request Lloyd Webber readily granted due to her credentials. Wayne Sleep, a former Royal Ballet principal dancer, was cast as Mr. Mistoffelees after Webber and Mackintosh observed his dance troupe. Sarah Brightman, already known for her chart hit "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper," secured an undecided role through a private audition. By December, the full cast was assembled, though there was initial disagreement over Paul Nicholas as Rum Tum Tugger, with Nunn eventually yielding to the preferences of Lloyd Webber, Mackintosh, and Lynne.
As the production progressed, the title itself underwent a change. Mackintosh engaged the advertising agency Dewynters to design a poster. The agency created a minimalist design featuring a pair of yellow feline eyes with dancing silhouettes for pupils against a black background. While the producers and creative team loved the design, they felt the original title, *Practical Cats*, seemed out of place when paired with the cat's eyes imagery. Consequently, the musical's title was shortened to simply *Cats*.
Despite the creative momentum, the production faced significant hurdles. The musical was scheduled to open on April 30, 1981, with previews starting on April 22. Just before tickets went on sale in mid-February, Nunn revealed to the producers that he was struggling to write the script. Rehearsals began on March 9, 1981, in a church hall in Chiswick, London, despite the absence of an established book or complete score. The situation improved when Richard Stilgoe, known for his ability to improvise lyrics, was brought in to write an opening song, producing a draft for "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" by the next evening. However, the lyrics for "Memory," an "11 o'clock number" for Grizabella that Nunn deemed essential as the show's "emotional center," remained unfinished. Lloyd Webber's former writing partner Tim Rice's version was rejected by Nunn for being too depressing, and Nunn himself did not complete the lyrics until well into the previews.
Further challenges arose during rehearsals. Many ensemble characters were developed through extensive improvisation sessions with the original cast. Nunn noted that the process transformed "15 poems set to music" into a show with characters, relationships, and a coherent story. A last-minute mishap occurred when Judi Dench snapped her Achilles tendon during rehearsals for "The Old Gumbie Cat," forcing her to withdraw a week before the first preview. Her understudy, Myra Sands, took over Jennyanydots, while Elaine Paige agreed to step into the role of Grizabella. The opening night was postponed to May 11, but Mackintosh insisted on proceeding with previews to counter industry rumors of an impending debacle.
Financial difficulties also plagued the development of *Cats*. Mackintosh struggled to raise the £450,000 (approximately US$1.16 million at the time) needed for the West End production, as major investors were skeptical of the show's premise. Andrew Lloyd Webber personally underwrote the musical, taking out a second mortgage on his house for the theater's down payment, later recalling that a commercial failure would have led to his financial ruin. The remaining capital was eventually secured through small investments from 220 individuals, solicited via newspaper advertisements. The musical's eventual massive success led to an estimated return rate exceeding 3,500 percent for these early investors, solidifying *Cats*' place as a testament to creative vision overcoming significant initial obstacles.
