Cats: The Jellicle Ball roars into Broadway

The opening night set for 7 April 2026

Broadway is about to unleash a bold new vision of a beloved classic. Cats: The Jellicle Ball—a reimagined revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats—will begin preview performances at the Broadhurst Theatre on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, with its official opening night slated for 7 April 2026.

This isn't just a restaging—it’s a full-scale reinvention. The new production places the familiar Jellicle cats squarely within the vibrant world of ballroom culture. Think drag, fashion, runway energy, ballroom competition, and club rhythms. It draws heavily from Black, Latinx, queer, and trans community traditions.

Directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch lead this update, while choreographers Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles bring voguing and runway style to the movement. The show preserves Lloyd Webber’s original score—songs like “Memory” remain—but the rhythms and staging are refreshed to match the new context.

Many cast members from the acclaimed 2024 Off-Broadway run at PAC NYC will reprise their roles, including André De Shields as Old Deuteronomy, Jonathan Burke as Mungojerrie, Baby Byrne as Victoria, Sydney James Harcourt as Rum Tum Tugger, and “Tempress” Chasity Moore as Grizabella. Also returning are members from New York’s ballroom scene, bringing authenticity and energy to the reimagined ensemble.

The Broadhurst Theatre, at 235 W. 44th Street in Manhattan, will host Cats: The Jellicle Ball. Preview runs begin 18 March, and tickets will be made available to the public ahead of that date.

This revival promises to re-examine Cats through a lens of identity, competition, and community, making the Jellicle Ball not only a spectacle, but a celebration of lives, stories, and belonging. It may be familiar in name and foundation—but in its heart and how it moves, Cats: The Jellicle Ball looks to be something entirely new.