Cats: The Jellicle Ball to Broadway- Page 9

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 12:51am

If it's half as good as downtown it wins Best Revival, Best Direction, Best Choreography (unless schmigadoon amazes) and likely Supporting Actor in a musical for one (with several nominated). 

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 9:44am

CoffeeBreak said: "If it's half as good as downtown it wins Best Revival, Best Direction, Best Choreography (unless schmigadoon amazes) and likely Supporting Actor ina musical for one (with several nominated)."

I would also venture to say costume design. Qween Jean is sparing no expense on these looks. (And this would also be a great year to allow hair/wig designers to be jointly considered with costume designers)

[Kad]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 9:58am

I mean… the Skimbleshanks wig alone is award-worthy.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 11:39am

The way Jellicle Ball is going to be THEE Halloween costume this year in NYC pleases me greatly. Drag Queens already did Skimble and Victoria last year.

[hannhannham]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 12:23pm

Does anyone have any info on a RUSH policy for this show? I've messaged them on instagram with no response and haven't gotten a chance to get to the box office yet... 

I saw this at PAC and imo, you want those stage seats to be filled by rushers, folks who LOVE the show and LOVE the cast and give it the energy we had at PAC! someone who is walking into this show for the first time and paid $300 is likely not going to give the energy it needs 

[Ensemble17591322022]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 12:30pm

hannhannham said: "Does anyone have any info on a RUSH policy for this show? I've messaged them on instagram with no response and haven't gotten a chance to get to the box office yet...

I saw this at PAC and imo, you want those stage seats to be filled by rushers, folks who LOVE the show and LOVE the cast and give it the energy we had at PAC! someone who is walking into this show for the first time and paid $300 is likely not going to give the energy it needs"

It’s wonderful when a crowd is into it, but it’s the job of the show to give to the audience, not the other way around. I think their approach is that if the expensive ticket buyers have a great time in great seats, they’ll tell their friends about it, who will also buy great seats. 

And we should want them to buy, so the show runs. 

[Ensemble1665759202]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 1:49pm

CoffeeBreak said: "If it's half as good as downtown it wins Best Revival, Best Direction, Best Choreography (unless schmigadoon amazes) and likely Supporting Actor ina musical for one (with several nominated)."

Interesting. I actually think things might be split a bunch this year, and would guess at Ragtime for Best Revival, The Lost Boys for Best Direction, Cats for Best Choreography and supporting actor I have no clue at all lol.

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 2:19pm

I don’t disagree on split, but I think C:TJB is actually more likely to win revival because it fits most the spirit of the category and follows the trend of recent shows that got a massive overhaul in vision and direction and improved on the source material in some ways. That category is the one to award for big swings that work.

Ragtime doesn’t reinvent anything. It’s the same show as it always was with just a new cast. The only compelling argument for its existence is that it “speaks to now”, which is weak, as CATS also arguably speaks to now because of how it allows a space for people to be unabashedly queer in a world away from the one that treats them with hostility. It has the GYPSY problem - great central performance (Joshua Henry), but a production otherwise on autopilot.

LOST BOYS pulling direction is a wild guess because nobody has seen the show yet, and Arden likely has to atone for QUEEN OF VERSAILLES. He also just won last year, so recency bias plays against him.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 2:41pm

Jellicle Ball also manages to carry even more sociopolitical potency than Ragtime does right now. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 2:46pm

Kad said: "Jellicle Ball also manages to carry even more sociopolitical potency than Ragtime does right now."

 

I was just thinking exactly that last night. Both are very deserving of the Tony.

[malcs98]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 3:05pm

quizking101 said: "Ragtime doesn’t reinvent anything. It’s the same show as it always was with just a new cast. The only compelling argument for its existence is that it “speaks to now”, which is weak, as CATS also arguably speaks to now because of how it allows a space for people to be unabashedly queer in a world away from the one that treats them with hostility. It has the GYPSY problem - great central performance (Joshua Henry), but a production otherwise on autopilot.

100% agree. In fact I’d say the only real competition that CATS has for Best Revival (depending on how the first reactions are) is ROCKY HORROR and even then I still think CATS will still find ways to come out victorious. 

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 3:14pm

Wish we know how partial the partial view seats in the orchestra will be. Thinking about attending the first preview but am nervous about those seats. I’d imagine its only just the judge’s table that would be obscured. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 3:27pm

malcs98 said: "100% agree. In fact I’d say the only real competition that CATS has for Best Revival (depending on how the first reactions are) is ROCKY HORROR and even then I still think CATS will still find ways to come out victorious."

I honestly think the only close competition for CATS is CHESS. Love Pinkleton but RH is a show that is strictly in his bag in terms of being a subversive musical with downtown energy and nostalgic appeal. His bigger goal should likely be ensuring he can create a coherent production that keeps the audience fully engaged and hitting the nostalgia button just enough for the old guard who are protective of the property. 

CHESS is being considered for many more categories than the average revival because it’s a “revisal”, including Book and Orchestrations. I don’t think it stands against CATS head to head, but enough to get in the nomination pool

 

[malcs98]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 3:44pm

quizking101 said: "I honestly think the only close competition for CATS is CHESS. Love Pinkleton but RH is a show that is strictly in his bag in terms of being a subversive musical with downtown energy and nostalgic appeal. His bigger goal should likely be ensuring he can create a coherent production that keeps the audience fully engaged and hitting the nostalgia button just enough for the old guard who are protective of the property.

CHESS is being considered for many more categories than the average revival because it’s a “revisal”, including Book and Orchestrations. I don’t think it stands against CATS head to head, but enough to get in the nomination pool

You know when you put it like that…it makes so much more sense. Another thing to consider regarding CHESS is that this revival has been 37 years in the making and while a lot of people have taken issue with the new book I personally didn’t take that much issue with it (and this is coming from a massive fan of this score). Don’t get me wrong, I still think RH will still be nominated along side Jellicle Ball, Chess and Ragtime. But yeah, even though Jellicle Ball is still the front runner, it’s gotta watch out for Chess. (and if I’m completely honest, as much as I love Joshua Henry, I believe Nicholas Christopher is the front-runner for leading actor in a musical) 

 

Updated On: 3/11/26 at 03:44 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 4:03pm

Rocky Horror is a bit of an open question right now and the thing working against it, from an awards standpoint, is that the material itself is deeply unserious. It is arguably not even a particularly "good" musical in the conventional sense- meaning has been imbued to it over time thanks to its cult following. Although the score is wall-to-wall bangers, the book barely hangs together, particularly in the back half when things just kind of happen without a lot of motivation or explanation.  This production will need to be really killer for it to become competitive for awards. Cats is sort of similar here, at least in a lot of people's opinions, but the wildly successful concept of Jellicle Ball gives it so much power that it actually makes the original material look even better. 

I think revival still comes down to Ragtime- a conventional, stately production of a well-loved show anchored by strong performances- and Cats. Chess is an undeniable hit but weighed down by the fact that it was never a particularly cohesive show and the revised book does it absolutely no favors. It is not the redemption arc of Merrily We Roll Along and it is not the transformative lens of Jellicle Ball, it's a well-performed score saddled with some of the hackiest jokes on Broadway. 

[malcs98]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 4:34pm

Kad said: "Rocky Horror is a bit of an open question right now and the thing working against it, from an awards standpoint, is that the material itself is deeply unserious. It is arguably not even a particularly "good" musical in the conventional sense- meaning has been imbued to it over time thanks to its cult following. Although the score is wall-to-wall bangers, the book barely hangs together, particularly in the back half when things just kind of happen without a lot of motivation or explanation. This production will need to be really killer for it to become competitive for awards. Cats is sort of similar here, at least in a lot of people's opinions, but the wildly successful concept of Jellicle Ball gives it so much power that it actually makes the original material look even better." 

Agree, Rocky Horror is definitely an open question mark, but the way I see it, it's really all going to depend on how Sam Pinkleton approaches this material. If you look at his previous work as director (outside of Oh Mary of course), he's very well known for completely stripping away the visual iconography of well known shows in order to force the audience to look at it in a new light. Case in point: his production of La Cage Aux Folles at Pasadena Playhouse as well as his production of The Wizard of Oz at ACT in San Francisco. 

Updated On: 3/11/26 at 04:34 PM

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 10:19pm

There are only 3 guaranteed nominations for revival (unless the vote is close enough to get a fourth slot), and in my mind that's pretty firmly going to be Cats, Ragtime, and Rocky Horror.  Probably my own bias as well, but while Chess is doing box office success, I think there's enough split over the book/concert format that it would only get in as a fourth unless Rocky Horror really ****s the bed.  Cats is also the indisputable winner to me unless on the flip side Rocky Horror manages to somehow completely astound, but I find it hard to believe that something could turn a show as much on its head and still work the way Cats does.  Ragtime is a lovely musical with fantastic performances that will be awarded in at least one category, but I found the production itself rather boring and the direction listless, so it might still be my personal bias speaking but I just can't see it winning over something as exciting as Cats.

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 3/11/26 at 11:01pm

I too think Cats will win Best Revival, but note: it did not dominate award season last year when it was nominated for a lot of things. Nothing’s promised. Will be a fun Tony season.