Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. It revolves around the Jellicle cat tribe during an important night, in which one cat is to be chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. The musical was produced by Cameron Mackintosh, directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynne.
Cats premiered at the New London Theatre in the West End in 1981, and ran for 21 years and almost 9,000 performances. The musical garnered six Laurence Olivier Awards nominations, winning two awards: Best New Musical and Outstanding Achievement in a Musical (Gillian Lynne).
In 1982, Cats opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway where it played for 18 years and 7,485 performances. This production received eleven Tony Award nominations, out of which it won seven: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical (T. S. Eliot), Best Original Score (Andrew Lloyd Webber and T. S. Eliot), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Betty Buckley), Best Direction of a Musical (Trevor Nunn), Best Costume Design (John Napier), and Best Lighting Design (David Hersey). At the 1983 Drama Desk Awards, the musical was nominated for five awards. It won three, including Outstanding Costume Design, Outstanding Lighting Design and Outstanding Music. The Washington, D.C. production received three Helen Hayes nominations in 1985, winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Touring Production for Diane Fratantoni. The Toronto production was nominated for seven Dora Mavor Moore Award and won all of them. In Paris, the French production of Cats won one Molière Award.
The London and Broadway cast recordings were both nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, which the latter won. The 2014 London revival was nominated for two Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best Musical Revival but won none. The 2016 Broadway revival starring Leona Lewis received six Chita Rivera nominations, one Drama Desk nomination as well as one Drama League nomination.
Original West End production Year Award Category Nominee Result 1981 Evening Standard Theatre Awards Best Musical Laurence Olivier Award Best New Musical Actor of the Year in a Musical Brian Blessed Wayne Sleep Director of the Year Trevor Nunn Designer of the Year John Napier Outstanding Achievement in a Musical Gillian Lynne 1982 Ivor Novello Awards Best British Musical Best Song Musically and Lyrically "Memory" 1983 Grammy Award Best Cast Show Album
Original Broadway production Year Award Category Nominee Result 1983 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Betty Buckley Outstanding Costume Design John Napier Outstanding Lighting Design David Hersey Outstanding Lyrics T. S. Eliot Outstanding Music Andrew Lloyd Webber Outer Critics Circle Award Best Broadway Musical Tony Award Best Musical Best Book of a Musical T. S. Eliot Best Original Score Andrew Lloyd Webber and T. S. Eliot Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Harry Groener Stephen Hanan Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Betty Buckley Best Direction of a Musical Trevor Nunn Best Choreography Gillian Lynne Best Scenic Design John Napier Best Costume Design Best Lighting Design David Hersey 1984 Grammy Award Best Cast Show Album
North American productions Year Award Category Nominee Result 1985 Helen Hayes Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Touring Production Diane Fratantoni Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Touring Production Sal Mistretta Outstanding Touring Production National Theatre 1985 Dora Mavor Moore Award Outstanding Choreography T. Michael Reed Outstanding Costume Design John Napier Outstanding Direction David Taylor Outstanding Lighting Design David Hersey Outstanding Musical Direction Stanley Lebowsky Outstanding Production M.T.E. Productions Outstanding Set Design John Napier 1990 Carbonell Awards Supporting Actor, Road Show Joey Pizzi 1993 Carbonell Awards Supporting Actor, Road Show Jimmy Lockett 2003 Jeff Award Outstanding Production of a Musical Marriott Theatre Outstanding Choreography Marc Robin Outstanding Ensemble Outstanding Costume Design Nancy Missimi Outstanding Lighting Design Diane Ferry Williams Outstanding Music Direction Shawn Stengel Outstanding Direction of a Musical Marc Robin 2005 Helen Hayes Award Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production Toby's Dinner Theatre 2014 Jeff Award Outstanding Lighting Design – Large Jesse Klug Outstanding Choreography Marc Robin 2014 Dora Mavor Moore Award Outstanding Performance – Ensemble Outstanding Performance – Female Ma-Anne Dionisio
Australian productions Year Award Category Nominee Result 2010 Helpmann Awards Best Female Actor in a Musical Delia Hannah Green Room Awards Female Actor in a Leading Role Delia Hannah Male Actor in a Featured Role Michael-John Hurney Female Actor in a Featured Role Lisa Marie Parker Ensemble Performance
Paris productions Year Award Category Nominee Result 1989 Molière Award Best Musical 2016 Best Musical
South African productions Year Award Category Nominee Result 2001 Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards Best Performance in a Musical or Revue Warren Kimmel Best Technical Contribution to Theatre for Technical Management Keith Anderson
2014 West End revival Year Award Category Nominee Result Laurence Olivier Award Best Musical Revival Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical Nicole Scherzinger
2016 Broadway revival Year Award Category Nominee Result2017Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Sound Design of a MusicalMick Potter Drama League AwardOutstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical Chita Rivera AwardsOutstanding Ensemble in a Broadway ShowOutstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway ShowTyler HanesRicky UbedaOutstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway ShowEloise KroppGeorgina PazcoguinChristine Cornish Smith
2024 off-Broadway revival Year Award Category Nominee Result 2025Chita Rivera Awards Special Recognition Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Revival of a Musical Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical André De Shields Outstanding Director of a Musical Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch Outstanding Choreography Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical Qween Jean Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical Adam Honoré Outstanding Wig and Hair Nikiya Mathis Drama League AwardOutstanding Revival of a Musical Outstanding Direction of a Musical Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch Distinguished Performance André De Shields New York Drama Critics' Circle AwardsSpecial Citation Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Revival of a Musical Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical André De Shields Outstanding Direction of a Musical Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch Outstanding Costume Design Qween Jean Dorian AwardOutstanding Off-Broadway ProductionOutstanding LGBTQ Off-Broadway ProductionLGBTQ Theater TrailblazerAndré De ShieldsOutstanding Featured Performance in an Off-Broadway ProductionSydney James Harcourt“Tempress” Chastity Moore
2026 Broadway revival YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.2026Drama League AwardsOutstanding Revival of a MusicalOutstanding Direction of a MusicalZhailon Levingston and Bill RauchDistinguished PerformanceAndré De Shields New York Drama Critics Circle Special Citation Qween Jean Tony AwardsBest Revival of a MusicalBest Featured Actor in a MusicalAndré de ShieldsBest Scenic Design in a MusicalRachel HauckBest Costume Design of a MusicalQween JeanBest Lighting Design of a MusicalAdam HonoréBest Sound Design of a MusicalKai HaradaBest Direction of a MusicalZhailon Levingston and Bill RauchBest ChoreographyOmari Wiles and Arturo LyonsBest OrchestrationsAndrew Lloyd Webber, David Wilson, Trevor Holder, and Doug SchadtDorian AwardOutstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway MusicalLeiomyLGBTQ Theater Trailblazer Junior LaBeja Outstanding Design of a Broadway ProductionBroadway Showstopper Award" Memory", "Tempress" Chasity Moore"Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat", Emma Sofia"Songs of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball", Company
Cats: The Jellicle Ball YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef. 2026 Queerties Awards Next Big Thing
References