The cast of Cats.
The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
By the end of the twentieth century, Cats had lived up to its billing of "Now and Forever," as it became the longest-running Andrew Lloyd Webber musical in both London and New York. The tuneful score, inspired by T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, includes songs in a wide variety of styles. John Napier's elaborate set transforms the entire theater into a garbage dump upon which the feline cast learn which one of them will gain an extra life at the Jellicle Ball. Various cats tell their tales through song, but the winner is Grizabella, the glamour cat who became an outcast. Grizabella's number, "Memory," is one of Lloyd Webber's most famous songs; by 1992, it had been recorded in no fewer than 150 different versions. Cats opened in London in 1981 and in New York the following year. The innovative costumes and choreography coupled with the eclectic musical score which culminates in "Memory" account for its continued popularity. A video version of Cats, filmed during a London performance, was released in 1998.
The cast of Cats.
Lloyd Webber, Andrew. Cats: The Book of the Musical. London, Faber & Faber, 1981; San Diego, Harcourt, Brace, and Jovanovich, 1983.
Richmond, Keith. The Musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber. London, Virgin, 1995.