Cats

Cats was first shown in London's West End, at the New London Theatre, on May 11, 1981. It was originally produced onstage by Cameron Mackintosh and Lloyd Webber's The Really Useful Theatre Company. It was directed by Trevor Nunn, associate director and choreographer Gillian Lynne, designed by John Napier with lighting by David Hersey. The show then made its debut on Broadway on October 7, 1982 at the Winter Garden Theatre with the same production team. On June 19, 1997, Cats became the longest running musical in Broadway history with 6,138 performances. It played a total of 8,949 performances in London and 7,485 in New York. Its New York record was surpassed on January 9, 2006, by The Phantom of the Opera, which was also composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Cats' final performance on Broadway was on September 10, 2000. Its final performance in London's West End was on its 21st birthday, May 11, 2002 and broadcast on a large screen in Covent Garden to the delight of fans who could not acquire a ticket for the final performance. It held the record as the world's longest running musical until 8 October 2006, when it was surpassed by Les Miserables.
In 1998, Andrew Lloyd Webber produced a video version of Cats, based upon the stage performance augmented for the medium of film, starring Elaine Paige, who originated the role of Grizabella in London; Ken Page, who originated Old Deuteronomy on Broadway; Sir John Mills as Gus; Michael Gruber as Munkustrap; John Partridge as The Rum Tum Tugger; and many other dancers and singers drawn largely from stage productions of the show. It was directed for film by David Mallet, with choreography and musical staging by the show's respected original creator Gillian Lynne in London's Adelphi Theatre, and was released on VHS and DVD, as well as broadcast on Television worldwide.