CBS Sunday Morning just ran a piece today on Cats: The Jellicle Ball — a reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic through the lens of New York’s underground ballroom scene.
I subbed for Bill Lanham on the 2016 revival. Like most shows I sub on, I watched it from the house first. I'd heard about Cats my whole life but never saw it — and I couldn't figure out how that show ran 18 years at the Winter Garden. Didn't make sense to me. Saw the movie too. My kids laughed through the whole thing, but not in a good way.
So when I got the call for this version before we opened at the Perelman Arts Center in 2024, I did some homework. I watched Paris Is Burning — the 1990 documentary that goes deep inside New York’s ballroom culture. If you’ve never seen it, it documents the ballroom scene of the late 80s, the houses, the competitions, the voguing. It gave me real context for what this world actually was. That’s also where I came to understand why Junior LaBeija is so revered. He was one of the central figures in that scene — a founder of the House of LaBeija and someone who carried real dignity and defiance in a world that had no space for people like him.
The thing that I remember most about Paris Is Burning was watching people who simply wanted to be seen, respected, and celebrated for who they were. The outside world didn't make room for them, so they built their own. Many of the people in that film died from AIDS-related illness, violence, or other terrible circumstances. To me, it gives the whole thing a bittersweet feeling, knowing how much they contributed culturally and how long it took for that world to be recognized.
I feel this production is part of that. They’re finally getting their shine — on Broadway, at the Broadhurst, in front of sold-out houses, and I think it’s really nice to see.
To be honest, when I first got the call to be a part of the downtown production, I thought this could either be the biggest flop in theater history or something really special. It turned out to be a massive hit at the Perelman, and that success brought us to Broadway.
This version is way better than what was done downtown. I’m in ‘the pit’ every night, and we’re still shaping it in real time. It’s interesting to watch coverage like this from the outside while we’re living it on the inside.
If you haven't seen it yet, I think you'll be surprised — even if you weren't a fan of the original Cats.