Andrew Lloyd Webber mourned the premature closing of “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” on Saturday, while urging his fellow members of the Broadway community to get real about the current state of live theater.
“I’m gutted that the wonderful Broadway production of ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’ is closing today,” he wrote on Instagram. “I’m immensely proud to have been a part of an incredibly daring production whose cast and creative team broke new ground on Broadway and gave 17 actors their Broadway debut.”
“Maybe the show’s closing just might be remembered as the moment that caused everyone involved with Broadway to come to their senses and address the unsustainable cost of producing and running any new show on The Great White Way, let alone daring new work,” Webber continued. “My undying thanks to the producers and investors and everyone who believed in Jellicle Cats. I won’t forget you.”
The ballroom culture-inspired revival first opened Off-Broadway in June 2024 and was twice extended before eventually transferring to the Broadhurst Theatre in April. It then won three Tonys at the 2026 Tony Awards in June, out of nine nominations — Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch for Best Direction of a Musical, Qween Jean for Best Costume Design of a Musical, and Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles for Best Choreography.
Webber’s original “Cats” debuted in the West End in 1981 before hitting New York a year later. The composer himself has won seven Tonys throughout his career — in addition to a 2018 Lifetime Achievement award — for shows such as “Evita,” “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Sunset Boulevard,” just to name a few.
It is currently unclear what show will replace “Cats: The Jellicle Ball.”