Since Cats the musical opened on the West End stage in 1981 it has become one of the world’s best known and best loved musicals. Originally directed by Trevor Nunn, the show has since been presented in over 20 countries and in around 250 cities, including diverse destinations such as Buenos Aires, Seoul, Helsinki and Singapore, and has been translated into 10 languages for audiences all over the world. The show has translated into Japanese, German, (three versions for Germany, Austria and Switzerland), Hungarian, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Swedish, French, Spanish (two versions for Mexico and Argentina) and Italian, with the Swiss production requiring a bilingual cast who performed in German and English on alternate nights
The original production opened at the New London Theatre in the West End on 11 May 1981: eight years later it celebrated its first important milestone and became the longest running musical in the history of the British theatre after 3,358 performances. Within two and half years of the London opening there were productions in New York, Tokyo, Budapest and Vienna, and the first of tour US touring productions had begun. Cats opened on Broadway in 1982 and ran until 2000, with 1997 seeing the show become the longest running musical on Broadway and 1991 marking Cats as the longest, continuously touring show in American theatre history.
In addition to the incredible dance and staging of the iconic production, the musical numbers of the show have also been hugely popular. “Memory” has been recorded by over 150 artists ranging from Barbra Streisand to Johnny Mathis, with Barry Manilow’s rendition was a top-40 hit in the U.S. The Original London Cast Recording of Cats also won the 1982 Grammy Award for Best Cast Album, in addition to a number of other awards over the years, and the following year the Original Broadway Cast Recording won the same award.
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