‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’ Ending Broadway Run in August
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- 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' will end its Broadway run on August 8, 2026, at the Broadhurst Theatre, closing after roughly five months of performances that began March 18, 2026.
- Zhailon Levington and Bill Rauch received the Tony Award for best direction of a musical, recognized for reimagining Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 'Cats' through the lens of 1980s ballroom culture.
- Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons won a Tony Award for choreography, while Qween Jean became the first openly trans woman to win a Tony for costume design.
- Producers Michael Harrison and Mike Bosner stated that Levington and Rauch began reimagining 'Cats' three years ago, fusing ballroom dance and theater into a new artistic vision.
- 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' grossed between $900,000 and $1 million weekly before the Tony Awards but saw sales decline after losing best revival to 'Ragtime'.
- Theatre on Film and Tape Archive will film the production later in August 2026 for preservation in the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts collection.
Why it matters: Even with nine Tony nominations and three wins—including a historic first for an openly trans woman—'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' couldn’t overcome the financial strain of high operating costs and a large cast, showing that critical success and cultural milestones don’t always translate to sustainable box office returns on Broadway.
