Lloyd Webber sanctioned the non-equity tour that features the original direction, choreography, scenic, lighting and costume design from the London and Broadway productions. Richard Stafford re-created Trevor Nunn's direction and Gillian Lynne's choreography for the tour. John Napier designed the original physical production, which had lighting by David Hersey.
Based on T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats," the musical became an international phenomenon and has continuously toured the U.S. for 30 years in various union and non-union productions. In 1991 Cats became the longest-running continuous tour in U.S. history. Cats produced the stand-out single "Memory."
Cats opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre Oct. 7, 1982, where it ran for 7,485 performances before closing Sept. 10, 2000. It held the title of Broadway's longest-running musical, but was surpassed by Lloyd Webber's other hit, The Phantom of the Opera, which currently holds the title. Cats won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Lighting and Best Costumes.
The current 28-stop tour also incorporates the characters of Coricopat and Tantomile, the "psychic twin" cats, which were last represented on stage in the Broadway production.
The cast includes Felipe Barbosa Bombonato, Ashley Chasteen, Molly Emerson, Erica Leigh Hansen, Amanda Lamotte, Madison Mitchell, Hillary Porter, Daniel J. Self, Chris Stevens, Brad Trump, Rachel Boone, Craig Donnelly, Blayne Gregg-Miller, Katharine Heaton, Larry A. Lozier, Jr., Nathan Morgan, Kristen Quartarone, Clinton James Sherwood, Daniel Switzer, Robert Burke, Jordan Dunlap, Melissa Grohowski, Jamie Joseph, Candace Lyn Luther, Louie Napoleon, Elizabeth Ruff, Christopher E. Sidoli, Lucas Thompson and Chaz Wolcott. J. Michael Duff is musical director for the tour. Kristen Blodgette is musical supervisor. Original orchestrations are by Lloyd Webber and David Cullen.
The current tour schedule for Cats follows:
Dec. 27-Jan. 1, 2012 (San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, San Jose, CA)
Jan. 10-15, 2012 (Civic Theatre, San Diego, CA)
Jan. 17-22, 2012 (Segestrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa, CA)
Jan. 31-Feb. 5, 2012 (Majestic Theatre, San Antonio, TX)
Feb. 13, 2012 (Heymann Performing Arts Center, Lafayette, LA)
Feb. 15, 2012 (Historic Fox Theatre, Hutchinson, KS)
Feb. 17-19, 2012 (Orpheum Theatre, Omaha, NE)
Feb. 22-26, 2012 (Northern Alberta Jubilee, Edmonton, AB)
Mar. 5, 2012 (Wicomico Center, Salisbury, MD)
Mar. 6, 2012 (Colonial Theatre, Keene, NH)
Mar. 8, 2012 (Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center, Johnstown, PA)
Mar. 9-10, 2012 (American Musical Theatre, Lancaster, PA)
Mar. 11, 2012 (Forum Theatre, Binghamton, NY)
Mar. 13-14, 2012 (Living Arts Centre, Mississauga, ON)
Mar. 16-18, 2012 (Overture Center, Madison, WI)
Mar. 19, 2012 (Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet, IL)
Mar. 21, 2012 (Eisenhower Theatre, State College, PA)
Mar. 24-25, 2012 (TCU Place, Saskatoon, SK)
Mar. 27-29, 2012 (Conexus Arts Centre, Regina, SK)
Mar. 30-Mar. 31, 2012 (Centennial Centre, Winnipeg, MB)
Apr. 10-15, 2012 (Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, BC)
Apr. 17-22, 2012 (Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA)
May 1-6,2012 (Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago, IL)
May 9-10, 2012 (Hamilton Place Theatre, Hamilton, ON)
May 13, 2012 (Southern Kentucky PAC, Bowling Green, KY)
Jun. 15-17, 2012 (DeVos Hall, Grand Rapids, MI)
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