Cats
"The Jellicle Ball"
Choreographed by Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles
Directed by Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch
Inspired by the Musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot
A radical reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic dance musical based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.
Inspired by the Ballroom culture that roared out of New York City over 50 years ago and still rages on runways around the world. Staged as a spectacularly immersive competition by Zhailon Levingston (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Chicken & Biscuits) and PAC NYC Artistic Director Bill Rauch (All the Way), with all new Ballroom and club beats, runway ready choreography, and an edgy eleganza makeover that moves the action from junkyard to runway. Come one, come all, and celebrate the joyous transformation of self at the heart of Cats and Ballroom culture itself.
By arrangement with The Really Useful Group.
A PAC NYC Production.
Photos by Jai Lennard. Model, Jodi Mugler.
Cats remains a theatrical milestone that speaks to the transformative power of imagination.
—The New York Times
The Ballroom scene is a culture of freedom, expression, and creativity that has always been about pushing boundaries and breaking down barriers. It is a living, breathing, evolving art form that continues to inspire and empower people all over the world.
—Jack Mizrahi, founder of the House of Mizrahi
Josephine Kearns
Josephine Kearns (she/her) is a dramaturg, theatre creative, and gender consultant who tells stories of queer and trans affirmation and joy.
Zhailon Levingston
Zhailon Levingston is a Louisiana-raised storyteller, director, and activist. He is a Board Member for the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, which he co-created, and teaches the Theatre of Change course at Columbia University.
Arturo Lyons
Arturo Lyons (aka NY Father Icon Arturo Miyake-Mugler) is a choreographer based in New York. Finding dance in school at a young age, he’s studied Hip Hop, Vogue, Reggae and Street Jazz, and combined them to form his own signature style as well as learning music as a DJ and creating dance tracks of his own.
The Really Useful Group
The Really Useful Group is wholly owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber and exists to produce, licence and promote his shows and music around the globe, including some of the world’s longest running and most successful musicals including The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Sunset Boulevard and School of Rock – The Musical. The Really Useful Group works across theatre, film and television, producing and developing new projects and partnerships worldwide, alongside ongoing work in education, amateur licensing and music publishing. Each year, across markets in every corner of the world, The Really Useful Group’s content reaches and is shared by hundreds of millions of people.
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber has composed the scores of some of the world’s most famous musicals. From Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1969) to Bad Cinderella (2023). Lloyd Webber has had shows running continually in the West End for 50 years and on Broadway for 43.
Omari Wiles
Ousmane “Omari” Wiles is an African American West African and Vogue dancer. Wiles is best known as, legendary Omari NiNa Oricci, founder of The House of Nina Oricci [est. OCT. 2019] and Creative Director of LES BALLET AFRIK dance company.
