1980's
"Cats"
1982 | Andrew Lloyd Webber
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Story
It is the night of the Jellicle Ball, during which Old Deuteronomy will select the cat to go to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn to a new Jellicle life. Over the course of the evening, the cats of the tribe step forward to introduce themselves and audition for the chance to be selected.
Andrew Lloyd Webber was inspired to write this musical from a poems book by T.S. Eliot that was named The Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. He asked to Valerie Eliot (the poet's widow) if he could work on this book and he started to write the musics of the show.
Andrew Lloyd Webber was inspired to write this musical from a poems book by T.S. Eliot that was named The Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. He asked to Valerie Eliot (the poet's widow) if he could work on this book and he started to write the musics of the show.
Broadway Production
Cats first opened on Broadway in 1982. It won numerous awards, including Best Musical at the Tony Awards. The London production ran for twenty-one years and the Broadway production ran for eighteen years, both setting new 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 on Broadway: 2017 TV Commercial |
Tony Awards | Original Broadway Cast |
Behind the Scenes |
Becoming a Cat! |
Songs
Medley with Leona Lewis
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"Jellicle Cats" |
Mr. Mistoffelees |
"Big River"
1985 | Roger Miller
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Story
Though trying to stay "respectable," Huckleberry Finn, runs into trouble when his father, Pap, returns to town. Huck is forced to fake his own death to escape and joins up with another on the run - Jim, a slave in the search for freedom. As they head down the river, they get sucked into scams involving two "aristocrats," one of which lands Jim in chains once again and Huck and Tom Sawyer join together to free him.
Broadway Production
Based on Mark Twain's classic 1884 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it features music in the bluegrass and country styles in keeping with the setting of the novel. The 1985 Broadway production ran for more than 1,000 performances and it remained one of the few very successful American musicals in the mid-1980s among the emerging successes coming from Great Britain.
1985 Tony Award Performance
Deaf West Production
A critically acclaimed revival, directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun, opened on Broadway on July 24, 2003 at the American Airlines Theatre, where it ran for 67 performances. This production, produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company and Deaf West Theatre, was notable in that it featured both deaf and hearing actors performing together. About half the characters, including the leading role of Huck, were played by deaf or hard-of-hearing performers. All dialogue and lyrics in the production were both spoken or sung and signed, making the production equally accessible to hearing and deaf audiences. The character of Mark Twain (portrayed by Daniel H. Jenkins, who portrayed the role of Huck in the original Broadway cast) was expanded, so that that actor also provided the voice of Huck, portrayed by Tyrone Giordano, who is deaf.
2004 Deaf West Tony Awards Performance
Songs
Medley
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Other Popular Musicals from the 1980's
Phantom of the Opera (see this musical with a parent)
It is 1881, and the backdrop in the notoriously haunted Opéra Populaire has just mysteriously fallen during rehearsal, frightening the star performer from continuing with the show and forcing young Christine to be recast in the role. After opening the production, the Phantom abducts Christine and brings her to his lair and reveals his love for her. When the Phantom discovers that Christine is already in love with Raoul, he vows to destroy him - a promise that leads both him and Christine to a dramatic discovery of the true power of music and love.
Les Miserables (see this musical with a parent)
Jean Valjean, a French peasant and convicted thief, is freed from jail by a kind bishop and makes the most of the opportunity, changing his name and eventually becoming a factory owner and Mayor. When Valjean’s criminal past is resurrected and the Chief of Police, Javert, vows to bring him to justice, Valjean is forced to give up everything he has worked for and flee. Before doing so, he promises Fantine, a former worker on her death-bed, that he’ll find and care for her daughter Cosette. Years later, Valjean has cared for Cosette as a father, Javert seeks him still, and the city of Paris is torn by revolutionaries. Political and personal stories become intertwined, and all are called to question their devotion to freedom, love, and justice.
It is 1881, and the backdrop in the notoriously haunted Opéra Populaire has just mysteriously fallen during rehearsal, frightening the star performer from continuing with the show and forcing young Christine to be recast in the role. After opening the production, the Phantom abducts Christine and brings her to his lair and reveals his love for her. When the Phantom discovers that Christine is already in love with Raoul, he vows to destroy him - a promise that leads both him and Christine to a dramatic discovery of the true power of music and love.
Les Miserables (see this musical with a parent)
Jean Valjean, a French peasant and convicted thief, is freed from jail by a kind bishop and makes the most of the opportunity, changing his name and eventually becoming a factory owner and Mayor. When Valjean’s criminal past is resurrected and the Chief of Police, Javert, vows to bring him to justice, Valjean is forced to give up everything he has worked for and flee. Before doing so, he promises Fantine, a former worker on her death-bed, that he’ll find and care for her daughter Cosette. Years later, Valjean has cared for Cosette as a father, Javert seeks him still, and the city of Paris is torn by revolutionaries. Political and personal stories become intertwined, and all are called to question their devotion to freedom, love, and justice.
