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CATS: The Jellicle Ball poster
OverallTony nomination: Best Revival of a Musical5C

CATS: The Jellicle Ball

Broadway

Jul 18, 2026

Broadhurst Theatre

I think if you're in the right spot looking for the type of performance that this is (closer to a drag show than typical theatre), you'll love it. I wasn't quite in that space, the clacking of fans (highly encouraged at the show) can trigger a bit of a misophonia reaction, though at least here it was often in tune to music, which as a bit more palatable.

This did introduce me to some information about drag, and the definition of Ballroom (I thought this was going to be more like "Ballroom Dance", but here it refers to a Harlem-based drag subculture). And the ideas behind Cats itself are still as preposterous as ever.

Score breakdown

Book3DLyrics5CMusicTony nomination: Best Orchestrations6BDirectionTony win: Best Direction of a Musical5CSetTony nomination: Best Scenic Design of a Musical5CCostumeTony win: Best Costume Design of a Musical7BChoreoTony win: Best Choreography5CLightingTony nomination: Best Lighting Design of a Musical5CSound5C

About the show

COME ONE, COME ALL – The Jellicle Cats are having a BALL. Based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s worldwide phenomenon CATS is reimagined in a production that smashed records, won awards and left New York City purring. And now CATS: The Jellicle Ball ascends to Broadway in a kaleidoscope of glittering spectacle, iconic music and electrifying ballroom choreography that The New York Times calls “a lightning strike that sets joy free!”

Broadway meets Runway in the fiercest event of the season, directed by Obie Award winners Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, with choreography by Obie Award winners and New York City Ballroom icons Omari Wiles (House of NiNa Oricci) and Arturo Lyons (House of Miyake-Mugler). Don’t miss this “sexy celebration of love and resilience” (New York Daily News) and “the most exhilarating fun that can be had in the theater” (The Washington Post).

Awards

2026 Drama Desk Awards: Outstanding Choreography (win)2026 Drama Desk Awards: Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical (win)2026 Drama Desk Awards: Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical (nomination)2026 Drama Desk Awards: Outstanding Wig and Hair Design (win)2026 Drama League Awards: OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL (nomination)2026 Drama League Awards: OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL (nomination)2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards: Outstanding Lighting Design (nomination)2026 Tony Awards: Best Choreography (win)2026 Tony Awards: Best Costume Design of a Musical (win)2026 Tony Awards: Best Direction of a Musical (win)2026 Tony Awards: Best Lighting Design of a Musical (nomination)2026 Tony Awards: Best Orchestrations (nomination)2026 Tony Awards: Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical (nomination)2026 Tony Awards: Best Revival of a Musical (nomination)2026 Tony Awards: Best Scenic Design of a Musical (nomination)