Patrick Yeboah

ITS 9:30 AM
March 21, 2016
First Step
Cats
The 1980s were a time of exponential growth for all things in the United States.
Theatrically speaking, it was a time of growth for Broadway and the theatre in general. The
decade brought some of the longest-running, most well-known shows into light. These included
Dreamgirls (1981), Joseph and the Amazing technicolor Dreamcoat (1981), La Cage aux Folles
(1984), Les Miserables (1987), Into the Woods (1988), The Phantom of the Opera (1988), and
many others. But, among these shows, one seems to stand out the most to me, Cats (1982). The
musical itself is outlandish and perfectly exemplary of the time period that it opened in. After the
war in Vietnam and the devastation that it brought to the United States, Cats was the musical that
this country needed. Andrew Lloyd-Webbers work during the 1980s and 90s was unparalled by
any other artist in musical theatre. Cats first opened in the West End in 1981 and then with the
same creative team on Broadway in 1982. It won and incredible amount of awards, including
Best Musical at both the Laurence Olivier Awards and the Tony Awards. As of 2015, Cats is the
fourth longest-running show in Broadway history, and was the longest running Broadway show
in history from 1987 to 2006, when surpassed by The Phantom of the Opera.

Secondary Sources
"Great Performances: Cats." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.
Walsh, Michael. "History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian." History, Travel,
Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian. The Smithsonian, Oct. 2007. Web. 21 Mar.
2016.
Norman, Neil. "Theatre Review: Cats at the London Palladium." Express. Northern and Shell
Media Publications, 30 Oct. 2015. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.