CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL Reviews- Page 2

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/7/26 at 11:00pm

Genuinely curious...is anyone surprised it got raves? Wasn't this expected after the raves for the 2024 production?

For comparison, the PAC reviews (which BWW calculated to 85%)

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-CATS-THE-JELLICLE-BALL-Opens-Off-Broadway-20240620

[Voter]

Posted: 4/7/26 at 11:05pm

would someone plz be kind enough to share a gift link to the nytimes review? thanks so much

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/7/26 at 11:06pm

MemorableUserName said: "Genuinely curious...is anyone surprised it got raves? Wasn't this expected after the raves for the 2024 production?

For comparison, the PAC reviews (which BWW calculated to 85%)

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-CATS-THE-JELLICLE-BALL-Opens-Off-Broadway-20240620"

More than anything, is everyone still hating on Cats? Or have they admitted the material wasn't the issue?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 4/7/26 at 11:10pm

blaxx said: "
More than anything, is everyone still hating on Cats? Or have they admitted the material wasn't the issue?"

No, some people are still asses and act like this is the only way the story could have ever been told. Still some of that elitism there, but that's about them and not the show so I just roll my eyes and it let it be. I know my truth. 

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 4/7/26 at 11:13pm

More than anything, is everyone still hating on Cats? Or have they admitted the material wasn't the issue?"

Let’s be clear: the material is, now and always, gonna be ****. But this production elevated the material in the same way a great regie-director elevates La bohème, Tosca, or any Handel opera.  

The production is the show: not the music. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/7/26 at 11:14pm

blaxx said: "MemorableUserName said: "Genuinely curious...is anyone surprised it got raves? Wasn't this expected after the raves for the 2024 production?

For comparison, the PAC reviews (which BWW calculated to 85%)

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-CATS-THE-JELLICLE-BALL-Opens-Off-Broadway-20240620"

More than anything, is everyone still hating on Cats? Or have they admitted the material wasn't the issue?"

I think Feldman said it best in his review that the original production, material and all, was at best magically ridiculous and, at worst, just ridiculous, especially with subsequent stagings being increasingly uninspired.

This took a huge risk in not changing the text and songs, and opted to build the space around it. The general consensus will always be the infamous “Hal, it’s about cats”, but adding some bass, putting glitter on its ta-tas, and voguing like life depended on it made 80s kitsch into a queer reckoning by way of celebratory camp.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/7/26 at 11:22pm

Voter said: "would someone plz be kind enough to share a gift link to the nytimes review? thanks so much"

Here you go...

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/theater/cats-jellicle-ball-review-broadway.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZVA.pZqp.whazNc_v3J3t&smid=url-share

 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 4/7/26 at 11:49pm

MemorableUserName said: "Genuinely curious...is anyone surprised it got raves? Wasn't this expected after the raves for the 2024 production?

For comparison, the PAC reviews (which BWW calculated to 85%)

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-CATS-THE-JELLICLE-BALL-Opens-Off-Broadway-20240620"

I think there was a lot of speculation around whether it would be able to maintain the same energy in the transfer (or even the momentum, given that it's been a year and a half).  Especially when they chose a proscenium theater and didn't do a full build out to make it completely immersive.  But even so, it's still gratifying to see that such a big swing can land so well.

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 12:03am

Play Esq. said: "More than anything, is everyone still hating on Cats? Or have they admitted the material wasn't the issue?"

Let’s be clear: the material is, now and always, gonna be ****. But this production elevated the material in the same way a great regie-director elevates La bohème, Tosca, or any Handel opera.

The production is the show: not the music."

Oh, agree to disagree. The music soars in its own right, and the evening would still be half baked if the score was not good. 

[broadfan327]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 12:14am

blaxx said: "Play Esq. said: "More than anything, is everyone still hating on Cats? Or have they admitted the material wasn't the issue?"

Let’s be clear: the material is, now and always, gonna be ****. But this production elevated the material in the same way a great regie-director elevates La bohème, Tosca, or any Handel opera.

The production is the show: not the music."

Oh, agree to disagree. The music soars in its own right, and the evening would still be half baked if the score was not good."

I was never a fan of Cats, this production made me forget I was watching Cats during much of it.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 1:48am

broadfan327 said: "
I was never a fan of Cats, this production made me forget I was watching Cats during much of it."

Says more about you than it does about the show because this is all very much STILL Cats. 

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 1:56am

TheatreFan4 said: "broadfan327 said: "
I was never a fan of Cats, this production made me forget I was watching Cats during much of it."

Says more about you than it does about the show because this is all very much STILL Cats."

Exactly, it's ok for people to admit they were wrong about the source material.