'Cats' to return to Broadway after 16-year hiatus

Broadway fans may want to free up your summer, staring right meow: Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats" is returning to the stage in August after a 16-year hiatus.

Preview performances will begin on July 14; the official opening is set for Aug. 2. The Winter Garden Theatre classic is moving to the Neil Simon Theatre.

The new run of "Cats" will be produced by The Shubert Organization and The Nederlander Organization.

"In 1982, the arrival of 'Cats' took Broadway by storm," they said in a joint statement. "The show went on to dazzle audiences at the Winter Garden for the next 18 years, becoming one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history. We are delighted to join together to bring Andrew Lloyd Webber's phenomenal musical back to Broadway."

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When the show opens, it will mean that Webber once-again has three musicals running simultaneously on Broadway, as "Cats" will join "The Phantom of the Opera" and "School of Rock – The Musical." The Jack Black movie adaptation is currently taking up the stage at Winter Garden, if you were wondering.

"Cats," originally produced on Broadway by Cameron Mackintosh, The Really Useful Company Limited, David Geffen, and The Shubert Organization, ran for 7,485 performances and 18 years. The Webber-composed play is based on T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats."

The creative team for the new "Cats" includes Mick Potter (Sound Design), Natasha Katz (Lighting Design), John Napier (Scenic & Costume Design), choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, based on the original choreography and associate direction by Gillian Lynne, and direction by Trevor Nunn.

This new production of "Cats" is licensed by The Really Useful Group. Nina Lannan serves as executive producer.

Check out another Broadway hit, "The Lion King" in the gallery below!

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