The full cast for “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” is here, and this production means business. The reimagined Broadway staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical begins previews at the Broadhurst Theatre on March 18, with an official opening night set for April 7.
Newly added to the company is Leiomy Maldonado as Mavacity, alongside Kya Azeen as Etcetera and Bryson Battle as Jellylorum. In a genuinely remarkable piece of casting, Ken Ard, who originated the role of Macavity in the 1982 Broadway premiere of “Cats,” joins the production in the newly conceived role of DJ Griddlebone. That kind of full-circle casting is rare, and it lands with real weight.
Much of the returning Off-Broadway ensemble from Perelman Performing Arts Center comes back for Broadway, anchored by Tony Award winner André De Shields as Old Deuteronomy, Chasity Moore as Grizabella, Junior LaBeija as Gus, and Sydney James Harcourt as Rum Tum Tugger. The continuity between the Off-Broadway and Broadway runs gives this production a cohesion that serves it well.
“Cats: The Jellicle Ball” is co-directed by Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, with choreography by Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons. The full Off-Broadway creative team returns for the Broadway engagement. Casting is by Victor Vazquez and Sujotta R. Pace of X Casting.