CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Previews — Page 9

Betty Buckley gives a full throated endorsement to The Jellicle Ball in a Guest Essay for the NY Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/04/opinion/cats-musical-ballroom-culture-broadway.html

That Buckley article was a very lovely tribute and I hope people read it. She was the original, and so she knows her character best - and to give such an endorsement may actually help the fuddy-duddy purists a chance to try something new.

I was at the show today and the judges were the House Mother of Allure and Icon and Overall Father Stan from the House of Elle. I will say that the energy of this matinee crowd was…barely there. A few of us were hype in the audience, but it almost felt like everyone was asleep.

The show is in great shape and they’ve already frozen everything for opening. ALW was in attendance today too.

Tonight's (Sat) evening show's judges were Trammell Tillman (Severance) and Jelani Alladin.

Energy was amazing... hate hearing the matinee crowd was a dud. :-(

House right Box F 1-3 seats were a blast! Might not have liked them as much with a traditionally staged show or non-musical, but for this they were epic; felt right in the middle but also kinda "peeking in." Was cool, and a bonus was they're well priced.

I was at the matinee today as well, TDF put me in mezz row F on the left side, which was a pretty good seat as I had a good line of sight to the DJ and could see pretty much the whole runway (just missed some of the actors walking in front of it so I wouldn't say I really missed anything and never found myself leaning to try to catch anything).

I thought the crowd was better than what quizking perceived. It was definitely a bit tentative in the beginning, unsure of whether they could cheer and applaud mid-song (I think Victoria's solo was a bit of a sticking point since that music is more balletic), but it seemed to have dialed up by the time we got to Tugger and was a decent level for the rest of the show. A LOT of people came back from intermission with fans and it seems like they sold out about halfway through intermission, so it seems like people really leaned into it once they got into the swing of things. It still feels different from when it was at the PAC (or perhaps I was also sitting in a seat that was very different from where I sat before), but I though the level of crowd engagement was fairly encouraging, and I think it'll only grow as the run goes on.

Overall, I'm glad the show transferred as intact as it is. Some upgraded costumes, minor adjustments in the staging, different interactions with the audience--they all added up to a fantastic experience. I took a Cats skeptic (he had never actually seen Cats and I don't think he would've liked a traditional staging of it) who came out raving about it, and I've already seen at least one social media post where someone who hadn't been planning on seeing it started considering it after the Betty Buckley article so I'm optimistic it'll really find its audience.

For those that might be sensitive to volume, I found the overture extremely loud and wishing I had brought my earplugs. The levels came down a bit after that but I'd say it's still on the louder side of Broadway shows. I'm sure they're still fiddling with the sound design overall though, as I found the harmonies in Gumbie Cat hard to understand, and the vocals on Rum Tum Tugger seemed mixed a bit too low (though Sydney James Harcourt sounded fine by the time of his solo in Mistoffeles). Also, did the DJ ever leave the booth off Broadway? I don't know if I just wasn't paying attention but I was pleasantly surprised how much Ken Ard was involved in the proceedings and now just isolated in the box.

I have a hard time imagining anything else will beat out this show for choreography and costumes, and yes, revival as well. I know everyone's talking about Andre de Shields but I'd love to see nominations for Sydney James Harcourt, Emma Sofia, and Dudney Joseph Jr (who I think isn't really given enough credit for holding the evening together). But there are SO MANY people who don't necessarily have a showy role but still add a lot with their mere presence, and I hope they get recognized at some point for that (does anyone happen to know why the Chita Riveras didn't do performer awards for off Broadway? I went to check and the choreographers got an award but no awards were given to individuals).

this show doesn't appeal to the typical matinee audience(older people, school groups, etc.). I've wondered if they considered doing later times on Saturdays(3:30 & 9:30?)?

ACL2006 said: "this show doesn't appeal to the typical matinee audience(older people, school groups, etc.). I've wondered if they considered doing later times on Saturdays(3:30 & 9:30?)?"

Keep in mind, the show is 2:45. A 9:30 start would mean that the audience would get out after midnight and good luck with transportation at that hour.

I do think bucking the Wednesday matinee and pushing it to Sunday night would be the right move, but this is a bear of a show to do twice in one day. I do think at least one non traditional showtime can benefit the show greatly but the proof of the current model hasn’t yielded enough data

ACL2006 said: "this show doesn't appeal to the typical matinee audience(older people, school groups, etc.). I've wondered if they considered doing later times on Saturdays(3:30 & 9:30?)?"

I feel like this would be more detrimental to them overall, it's not like the show isn't selling they're just not as boisterous.

Jordan Catalano said: "Tonight’s guest judges were J. Harrison Ghee and Dominique Jackson. When she appeared onstage I almost dropped dead, the bitch is STUNNING and I love her so damn much."

I was there tonight, in one of the box seats right above Dominique, It was so lovely so see people react to her and give her so much love. Not knowing the show, I had no idea she and Ghee would be judges!

I also spotted Michael Musto...not judge-worthy.

The damn show still makes no sense, but I had the absolute best time and gonna buy tickets before opening night.

Judges don't sit with Andre?! I loved that at PAC. When I saw it there, Peppermint was a judge and she was so gagged by a moment in the show that she got up walked out and walked back in. It was hilarious.

JudyDenmark said: "
I will say that there was one point when I thought I saw two cast members sort of roll their eyes ateach other in a "can you believe this audience is so dead" way, and I got a little offended. We were all having a greattime, you don't need to chastise us from the stage for not being what you think is a perfectball audience. It really took me out of it for a moment, and they need to recognize - especially as the show goes on and you get a less in-the-know crowd - that at the end of the day it's a Broadway show and not an actual ball, and any other musical would bethrilledto get the kind of cheering and excitement that our audience was absolutely giving."

Its called a character choice. You're at a Ball, competitors respond to their audience, they're catty, they're shady. This is a lot over two people rolling their eyes... there's no reason to take it personally.

JudyDenmark said: "TheatreFan4 said: "JudyDenmark said: "
I will say that there was one point when I thought I saw two cast members sort of roll their eyes ateach other in a "can you believe this audience is so dead" way, and I got a little offended. We were all having a greattime, you don't need to chastise us from the stage for not being what you think is a perfectball audience. It really took me out of it for a moment, and they need to recognize - especially as the show goes on and you get a less in-the-know crowd - that at the end of the day it's a Broadway show and not an actual ball, and any other musical would bethrilledto get the kind of cheering and excitement that our audience was absolutely giving."

Its called a character choice. You're at a Ball, competitors respond to their audience, they're catty, they're shady. This is a lot over two people rolling their eyes... there's no reason to take it personally."

It wasn't shade directed at the audience - that would've been a totally fitting choice. It was a subtle moment between two actors."



Again, in your own words, "there was one point when I thought I saw two cast members sort of roll their eyes at each other in a "can you believe this audience is so dead" way, and I got a little offended. So you thought you might have maybe seen 2 performers possibly make some sort of eye gesture to one another --- and THAT was all it took to offend you?? Okey doke.

Jordan Catalano said: "Tonight’s guest judges were J. Harrison Ghee and Dominique Jackson. When she appeared onstage I almost dropped dead, the bitch is STUNNING and I love her so damn much."

I would have almost dropped dead too! LOVE her! I still pull up the "She Shed" moment in that House Hunters episode she did to brighten my day sometimes!

Heading to L5Y tonight, but if the world ends this evening, would MUCH rather be at the Jellicle Ball tonight! Toi, toi, toi, to all involved!!