If you’ve been meaning to see CATS this summer and haven’t locked it in yet, this is your last call.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS, one of the most successful and recognisable musicals of all time, has just two weeks left in Melbourne, wrapping up its season at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, before heading north to Brisbane as part of its 40th Anniversary Australian tour.
This fresh production has been pulling packed houses and glowing reviews, proving that four decades on, CATS still knows how to command a stage.
Official show site & tickets:
https://catsthemusical.com.au
“CATS is pure spectacle… let the memory live again” — The Age
★★★★★ “Inexplicably magical” — First Class Magazine
★★★★½ “Truly an unmissable experience” — Theatre Matters
A Cultural Moment On and Off the Stage
In a crossover moment that feels peak Melbourne, Gabriyel Thomas, who plays Grizabella, will perform the iconic Memory on centre court at the Australian Open on 22 January, ahead of the evening match.
Australian Open:
https://ausopen.com
It’s an unexpected but fitting pairing, world-class sport meeting one of the most recognisable songs in musical theatre history.
On stage, the cast blends Australian theatre royalty with standout contemporary performers. Todd McKenney takes on the dual roles of Bustopher Jones and Asparagus the Theatre Cat, while Mark Vincent brings gravitas to Old Deuteronomy. Lucy Maunder plays Jellylorum, Des Flanagan is the ever-rebellious Rum Tum Tugger, and Jarrod Draper anchors the show as Munkustrap.
Why CATS Still Works, 40 Years On
Based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, CATS first premiered in London in 1981 and promptly rewrote the rules for what a musical could be.
📖 About the original poems:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/145900/old-possums-book-of-practical-cats
It ran for 21 years in the West End, 18 years on Broadway, won multiple Olivier and Tony Awards, and has since been staged in over 50 countries and 23 languages, seen by more than 81 million people worldwide.
And then there’s Memory — a song that has fully escaped the theatre world and entered pop culture, recorded by Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Nicole Scherzinger, Barry Manilow and many more.
Final Shows — Don’t Sleep on This One
If you’re after a big, glossy summer night out, or you’ve never actually seen CATS live and want to understand why it became a phenomenon, this is your window.
Venue info:
https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/venues/hamer-hall
Melbourne Season
📍 Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne
🗓️ Now until 31 January
🎟️ Tickets from $69.90 (fees apply)
Book now:
https://catsthemusical.com.au
