Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. It revolves around the Jellicle cat tribe during an important night, in which one cat is to be chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. The musical was produced by Cameron Mackintosh, directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynne.[1]
Cats premiered at the New London Theatre in the West End in 1981, and ran for 21 years and almost 9,000 performances.[2] The musical garnered six Laurence Olivier Awards nominations, winning two awards: Best New Musical and Outstanding Achievement in a Musical (Gillian Lynne).
In 1982, Cats opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway where it played for 18 years and 7,485 performances.[3] This production received eleven Tony Award nominations, out of which it won seven: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical (T. S. Eliot), Best Original Score (Andrew Lloyd Webber and T. S. Eliot), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Betty Buckley), Best Direction of a Musical (Trevor Nunn), Best Costume Design (John Napier), and Best Lighting Design (David Hersey). At the 1983 Drama Desk Awards, the musical was nominated for five awards. It won three, including Outstanding Costume Design, Outstanding Lighting Design and Outstanding Music. The Washington D.C production received three Helen Hayes nominations in 1985, winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Touring Production for Diane Fratantoni. The Toronto production was nominated for seven Dora Mavor Moore Award and won all of them. In Paris, the French production of Cats won one Molière Award.
The London and Broadway cast recordings were both nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, which the latter won.[4] [5] The 2014 London revival was nominated for 2 Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best Musical Revival but won none.[6] The 2016 Broadway revival starring Leona Lewis received six Chita Rivera nominations, one Drama Desk nomination as well as one Drama League nomination.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Evening Standard Theatre Awards[7] | Best Musical | |||
| Laurence Olivier Award[8] | Actor of the Year in a Musical | Brian Blessed | |||
| Wayne Sleep | |||||
| Best New Musical | |||||
| Designer of the Year | John Napier | ||||
| Director of the Year | Trevor Nunn | ||||
| Outstanding Achievement in a Musical | Gillian Lynne | ||||
| 1982 | Ivor Novello Awards[9] | Best British Musical | |||
| Best Song Musically and Lyrically | "Memory" | ||||
| 1983 | Grammy Award[10] [11] | Best Cast Show Album | |||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Drama Desk Award[12] | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Betty Buckley | ||
| Outstanding Costume Design | John Napier | ||||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | David Hersey | ||||
| Outstanding Lyrics | T. S. Eliot | ||||
| Outstanding Music | Andrew Lloyd Webber | ||||
| Outer Critics Circle Award[13] [14] | Best Broadway Musical | ||||
| Tony Award[15] | Best Musical | ||||
| Best Book of a Musical | T. S. Eliot | ||||
| Best Original Score | Andrew Lloyd Webber and T. S. Eliot | ||||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Harry Groener | ||||
| Stephen Hanan | |||||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Betty Buckley | ||||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Trevor Nunn | ||||
| Best Choreography | Gillian Lynne | ||||
| Best Scenic Design | John Napier | ||||
| Best Costume Design | |||||
| Best Lighting Design | David Hersey | ||||
| 1984 | Grammy Award[16] | Best Cast Show Album | |||
| width=5% | Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Helen Hayes Award[17] [18] | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Touring Production | Diane Fratantoni | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Touring Production | Sal Mistretta | ||||
| Outstanding Touring Production | National Theatre | ||||
| 1985 | Dora Mavor Moore Award[19] [20] | Outstanding Choreography | T. Michael Reed | ||
| Outstanding Costume Design | John Napier | ||||
| Outstanding Direction | David Taylor | ||||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | David Hersey | ||||
| Outstanding Musical Direction | Stanley Lebowsky | ||||
| Outstanding Production | M.T.E. Productions | ||||
| Outstanding Set Design | John Napier | ||||
| 1990 | Carbonell Awards[21] | Supporting Actor, Road Show | Joey Pizzi | ||
| 1993 | Carbonell Awards[22] | Supporting Actor, Road Show | Jimmy Lockett | ||
| 2003 | Jeff Award[23] | Outstanding Production of a Musical | Marriott Theatre | ||
| Outstanding Choreography | Marc Robin | ||||
| Outstanding Ensemble | |||||
| Outstanding Costume Design | Nancy Missimi | ||||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Diane Ferry Williams | ||||
| Outstanding Music Direction | Shawn Stengel | ||||
| Outstanding Direction of a Musical | Marc Robin | ||||
| 2005 | Helen Hayes Award[24] | Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production | Toby's Dinner Theatre | ||
| 2014 | Jeff Award[25] | Outstanding Lighting Design – Large | Jesse Klug | ||
| Outstanding Choreography | Marc Robin | ||||
| 2014 | Dora Mavor Moore Award | Outstanding Performance – Ensemble | |||
| Outstanding Performance – Female | Ma-Anne Dionisio | ||||
| width=5% | Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Helpmann Awards[26] | Best Female Actor in a Musical | Delia Hannah | ||
| Green Room Awards[27] [28] | Female Actor in a Leading Role | Delia Hannah | |||
| Male Actor in a Featured Role | Michael-John Hurney | ||||
| Female Actor in a Featured Role | Lisa Marie Parker | ||||
| Ensemble Performance | |||||
| width=5% | Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Molière Award[29] [30] | Best Musical | |||
| 2016 | Best Musical | ||||
| width=5% | Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards[31] [32] [33] [34] | Best Performance in a Musical or Revue | Warren Kimmel | ||
| Best Technical Contribution to Theatre for Technical Management | Keith Anderson |
| width=5% | Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurence Olivier Award[35] [36] | Best Musical Revival | ||||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Nicole Scherzinger | ||||
| width=5% | Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017[37] | Drama Desk Award[38] [39] | Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical | Mick Potter | ||
| Drama League Award[40] | Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | ||||
| Chita Rivera Awards[41] | Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show | ||||
| Outstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway Show | Tyler Hanes | ||||
| Ricky Ubeda | |||||
| Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show | Eloise Kropp | ||||
| Georgina Pazcoguin | |||||
| Christine Cornish Smith | |||||