Cats The Musical extends its Hong Kong run to 13 September — and yes, the show will go on

Whiskers, cat ears, and fantastical music numbers. Eight years later, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS returns to Hong Kong. After a successful opening weekend at the Grand Theatre in the Xiqu Centre of the West Kowloon Cultural District, the production has extended its run through 13 September.

“CATS is one of those shows that I think once you’ve done it, and you’ve had a good time, you’ll just keep coming back,” says Peter McCarthy, the Musical Supervisor, who first conducted CATS in the West End nearly 30 years ago. 

The show starts as the lights dim and the music plays. Suddenly, feline cats the size of humans begin to emerge from the back of the theatre, curiously creeping through the aisles before rushing towards the stage one by one. Audiences both old and new gasp as they spot actors and actresses in mischievous costumes, paired with a dangling tail and a wig that blends seamlessly into fluffy cat ears. 

“It’s a show that people will bring their children to see,” McCarthy says. “For a lot of children, it may be the first thing that they ever see in the theatre, and that can have a massive impact.”

It is the night of the annual Jellicle Ball. The night when the Jellicle Moon will rise again and a tribe of cats will gather together in the local scrapyard to dance and sing and compete for the possibility of a new life — a chance at rebirth and redemption.

“Each number is very representative of whatever character it’s about or whatever the situation is,” he says. “The score is so varied, which I think is why it also appeals to such a wide range of audiences, because there are just so many different styles within the show.” 

Composed by the theatrical legend Andrew Lloyd Webber, CATS The Musical was based on T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” and was originally produced at the New London Theatre in 1981. Since its world premiere, it has been translated into 27 languages and performed in over 54 countries for an audience of more than 77 million people worldwide. 

The international cast of this Hong Kong production features Cindy-Ann Abrahams, who recently won the prestigious Cape Town Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Musical (CATS), alongside Dylan Janse van Rensburg as Rum Tum Tugger, King B as Old Deuteronomy, and Cassiel Eatock-Winnik as Victoria. 

“The only way I know how to make you understand is if you feel what I’m feeling,” says Cindy-Ann Abrahams, who plays Grizabella the Glamour Cat.

“You have to tell the truth — that’s what Grizabella demands,” she says. “And fortunately for me, I have experienced a lot of tragedy in my life, so I draw from my own experiences. It’s about finding an amalgamation of my truth and hers and then putting it together. ” 

Despite its whimsical appearances, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS follows a grave premise and is one of the most successful and beloved musicals in theatrical history. 

“No two productions are exactly the same, because every cast brings something new to it,” McCarthy says. “And I think that’s why the show has continued for such a long time, because we’re constantly looking at how to keep it fresh.” 

For McCarthy, CATS is personal. He led one of the only musical theatre productions in the world that continued performing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The entire cast quarantined for two weeks, in fear of an infection contracted through breathing — and yet, they concluded, the show must go on. 

“I remember people saying, you know, we’ve just had three months of being afraid to breathe,” he says. “To actually, then, go the other direction and really open up and breathe, to be able to sing and act… is just a privilege, really.” 

During its last run in Hong Kong, CATS The Musical became a “must-see” spectacle. Now, the “Jellicle Ball” returns after eight years to invite a new generation of theatregoers to experience the breathtaking choreography, stunning set design, and timeless magic of hit songs like “Memory” live on stage. 

“It’s just exciting to come to a place that actually knows the show,” McCarthy says. “You know that there’s going to be full seats, and I think that’s exciting.”

“As a performer, you want that. We rely on the audience’s energy,” he adds.