CATS Jellicle Ball - Studio 54?

[mitchern]

Posted: 2/6/25 at 10:08am

I've heard this will be the next show in there, as another rental... Maybe this summer? 

 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 2/6/25 at 3:27pm

I thought folks on here said it was going to Winter Garden?

[FolliesCabaret]

Posted: 2/6/25 at 3:59pm

Nah, it's Studio 54. You heard right Mitchern!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 2/6/25 at 4:23pm

Might they take a while to transform this theater into what's needed for the show. Like a 6 month overall of the theater? And then CATS would open in the Fall?

[Kad]

Posted: 2/6/25 at 4:31pm

I don’t think they would need extensive renovation. They just need to create the catwalk stage out into the house and then handle seating on either side. 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 2/6/25 at 5:02pm

Kad said: "I don’t think they would need extensive renovation. They just need to create the catwalk stage out into the house and then handle seating on either side."

Although I don't think the runway will be able to stick out very far into the Orchestra section otherwise the audience in the Mezz won't be able to see it. 

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 2/6/25 at 5:09pm

Would they close the mezzanine to make the same use of the runway as they did off-Broadway? Or just charge less for partial view?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 2/6/25 at 5:19pm

Sweaty O was alleging that this would involve a big overhaul of Studio 54, but I find that hard to believe.

Think it would totally work if the current stage is converted to the runway (+ some onstage seating), maybe extending past the current apron. Not a COMET or HLL-style renovation. But hey, it's not my money!

[Kad]

Posted: 2/6/25 at 5:19pm

Closing the mezz would eliminate a huge chunk of tickets that can be sold, which would drive up the price to a likely very unsustainable point.

I would imagine, since they don't need a lot of backstage space for this, the runway would start on the current stage with seating there, too, then extend into the house to someplace before the mezz overhang point.

None of the proscenium houses on Broadway are really ideal for this, frankly. Circle in the Square would be the best option, imo, since it's the closest to the 3-sided thrust arrangement at PAC, but it doesn't seem to be in play if rumors are to be trusted.

Updated On: 2/6/25 at 05:19 PM

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 2/6/25 at 7:39pm

mitchern said: "I've heard this will be the next show in there, as another rental... Maybe this summer?

 

This is fake news. They don't have this theater yet. 

[theatreguy]

Posted: 2/6/25 at 7:51pm

Fake news or not, Studio 54 is the best of the Broadway houses for this production. 

First, because Roundabout put a modular seating arrangement in the orchestra which can easily be broken down and replaced with the table seating they used for Cabaret. Cabaret's set design included a thrust stage that was visible from the entire mezzanine - no reason the runway couldn't extend out into the orchestra the same distance.

Second, every show at Studio 54 has to build a stage. The floor is flat from the orchestra all the way to the back of the proscenium and into the wings. For Cats, they could just simply forgo building a stage and have the only raised section be the catwalk. They can also put in risers with seating on the sides where the first row would be at floor level. Any other theater they would have to build the runway on top of the stage and as it extends out into the audience it would be several feet above the heads of the first few rows of the orchestra.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 2/6/25 at 8:56pm

theatreguy said: "every show at Studio 54 has to build a stage. The floor is flat from the orchestra all the way to the back of the proscenium and into the wings. For Cats, they could just simply forgo building a stage and have the only raised section be the catwalk. They can also put in risers with seating on the sides where the first row would be at floor level. Any other theater they would have to build the runway on top of the stage and as it extends out into the audience it would be several feet above the heads of the first few rows of the orchestra."

Is this true?? If so, I didn't know that about 54 and that is quite unusual!

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 2/7/25 at 12:28am

theatreguy said: "Fake news or not, Studio 54 is the best of the Broadway houses for this production.

First, because Roundabout put a modular seating arrangement in the orchestra which can easily be broken down and replaced with the table seatingthey used for Cabaret. Cabaret's set design included a thrust stage that was visible from the entire mezzanine - no reason the runway couldn't extend out into the orchestra the same distance.

Second, every show at Studio 54 has to build a stage. The floor is flat from the orchestra all the way to the back of the proscenium and into the wings. For Cats, they could just simply forgo building a stage and have the only raised section be the catwalk. They can also put in risers with seating on the sides where the first row would be at floor level. Any other theater they would have to build the runway on top of the stage and as it extends out into the audience it would be several feet above the heads of the first few rows of the orchestra."

I'm sorry, I thought we were discussing things that are actually happening, not just pipe dreams. Yes, Studio 54 would be great for Cats, but I know people attached to the show and they don't have a theater yet.