Andrew Lloyd Webber used the closing day of Cats: The Jellicle Ball to call on the Broadway community to confront what he described as the unsustainable cost of producing live theater.
The production closed Saturday at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it had been running since April. Webber posted a statement on Instagram marking the occasion with a mixture of pride and frustration. "I'm gutted that the wonderful Broadway production of 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' is closing today," he wrote. "I'm immensely proud to have been a part of an incredibly daring production whose cast and creative team broke new ground on Broadway and gave 17 actors their Broadway debut."
He then turned to the broader issue. "Maybe the show's closing just might be remembered as the moment that caused everyone involved with Broadway to come to their senses and address the unsustainable cost of producing and running any new show on The Great White Way, let alone daring new work," Webber continued. "My undying thanks to the producers and investors and everyone who believed in Jellicle Cats. I won't forget you."
The Wrap reported that the ballroom culture-inspired revival first opened Off-Broadway in June 2024. It was extended twice before transferring to Broadway. At the 2026 Tony Awards in June, the production won three awards out of nine nominations. Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch took Best Direction of a Musical. Qween Jean won Best Costume Design of a Musical. Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles won Best Choreography.
Webber's original Cats debuted in the West End in 1981 and moved to New York a year later. Over his career, Webber has won seven Tony Awards, plus a Lifetime Achievement honor in 2018, for productions including Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, and Sunset Boulevard.
It is currently unclear what production will replace Cats: The Jellicle Ball at the Broadhurst Theatre.
