HOLLYWOOD - "Cats," the family favorite described as helping "revolutionize musical theater," will return to the Pantages Theatre for a two-week engagement beginning March 9.The national tour of "Cats" is the only production in North America sanctioned by Andrew Lloyd Webber. "Cats" recently celebrated its 27th anniversary season, holding its place as the longest continuously touring Broadway musical in history. "Cats" opened on May 11, 1981 at the New London Theatre in the West End. Eight years later it celebrated its first important milestone: after 3,358 performances, "Cats" became the longest-running musical in the history of British theater. "Cats" opened on Broadway in 1982 at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City and continued to live up to its motto "Now and Forever." On June 19, 1997, "Cats" became the longest-running musical on Broadway. It ended its 18-year run on Sept. 10, 2000 with 7,485 performances. That record was broken by "The Phantom of the Opera" on Jan. 9, 2006 when "Phantom" celebrated its 7,486th curtain. Based on T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," and with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, "Cats" won seven 1983 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Lighting and Best Costume. In 1991, after performances in five continents, 26 countries and before 8.5 million audience members, "Cats" became the longest continuously touring show in American theater history. Tickets to see "Cats" at the Pantages Theatre start at $25 and are available at the Pantages box office, online at www.BroadwayLA.org or by calling (800) 982-ARTS.

********** Published: January 22, 2010 - Volume 8 - Issue 40