Cats (Great performances) (TV)

A legendary musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" by T. S. Eliot. The plot follows the life of a community of common cats, once a year, at night, escaping from their homes and gather in the trash in the neighborhood to await the arrival of their leader, Old Deuteronomy the elderly. This cat is the father and grandfather of many cats Jellicles and who every year gives the name of the cat is going to move to a new life in the Heaviside Layer, a paradise for cats. But while giving the name of the lucky cat a clan member realizes that there is a human face looking and listening with surprise to the cats, and for that reason, we propose to clarify who the Jellicles through the presentation of cats most characteristic of this particular family. Cats first opened in the West End in 1981 and then on Broadway in 1982, each time directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynne; it won numerous awards, including both the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for Best Musical. The London production ran for twenty one years and the Broadway production ran for eighteen years, both setting long-run records. Actresses Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley became particularly associated with the musical. One actress, Marlene Danielle, performed in the Broadway production for its entire run (from 1982 until 2000). Cats is the second longest-running show in Broadway history (after "The Phantom of the Opera"), and the fourth longest-running West End musical. It has been performed around the world many times and has been translated into more than 20 languages. In 1998 Cats was turned into a made-for-television film.