program notes by composition > C > Songs from the Musical "Cats"

Songs from the Musical Cats

Andrew Lloyd Webber / arr. Johan de Meij

Songs from the Musical Cats Based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, the musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make what is known as "the Jellicle choice" and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. The first performance was in 1981 and it became one of the longest-running shows ever on Broadway. Memory (incorrectly "Memories"), is the climax of the musical, and by far its most popular and well-known song.

Andrew Lloyd Webber (b. 1948) is a hugely successful contemporary English composer and impresario of musical theater. He has composed over a dozen musicals. His many honors include an Emmy, three Grammys, an Academy Award (Oscar), six Tonys (“EGOT”), a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a knighthood.

Last updated on November 17, 2022 by Palatine Concert Band