We are excited to announce the release of our New Cats Backing Tracks for both Abridged and Full length editions of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS!

- The Full Length Edition - Corresponds with the full West End 16 Piece orchestration of CATS and is 120 minutes in length.
- The Abridged Edition – 75 minutes in length, this is a shortened version of the show to suit Jellicle Cats of a junior age.

The CATS Backing Tracks are comprised of:

- A backing track with vocals for rehearsal purposes, using children’s vocals as a guide for learning.
» Preview Medley WITH Vocals

- A backing track without vocals featuring the music of the show without vocals for performance use.
» Preview Medley WITHOUT Vocals

Performed by: Carmel Thomas Youth Singers
Produced by: Julian Hepple

Licensed groups can hire the new backing tracks from the Faber Music Hire Library as part of a CATS Backing Tracks Package which includes the backing tracks, a corresponding piano vocal score and libretto.

CATS is available to:

- Schools, Colleges and Universities
- Youth Groups
- Performing Arts Schools

Find out more on the Really Useful Group’s official website »

Easter has come around once again and as always there is some spectacular TV lined up for you!

Our pick of the bunch has to be ITV’s Easter Special “Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years”, which celebrates an unbroken run of 40 years of shows in the West End.

Stars including Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberley Walsh, Melanie C, Myleene Klass, Il Divo, Tim Minchin and Samantha Barks, will perform special versions of some of Andrew’s greatest hits, including songs from Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar and Tell Me On A Sunday.

Andrew says: “I was flattered when ITV approached me about a 90-minute special, but I said I would only do it if it wasn’t some po-faced tribute to a bloke who’s about to collect his bus pass. I also said it must include the wet sari number from Bombay Dreams! I still don’t know what I’m letting myself in for, especially as Simon Cowell has filmed an interview for the show.”

The special will also feature an eagerly-anticipated world first performance of a track from Andrew’s forthcoming musical, Stephen Ward, by classical guitarist Miloš. This will be an exclusive opportunity for fans to hear new music from Andrew and learn more about his next West End production.

Throughout the show, Andrew will share anecdotes and discuss the evolution and influences behind his biggest music masterpieces – just how did he turn biblical figures, domestic pets and roller-skating trains into global entertainment spectacles? And where did Andrew develop his instinct for spotting star talent?

Cameras will go behind the scenes to provide a glimpse into Andrew’s working life, while speaking to some of his closest friends and colleagues, including Michael Caine and Alex Ferguson.

For the show’s finale Love Changes Everything will be sung by Michael Ball accompanied by a chorus of pupils from London’s Highbury Grove School.

Andrew visited Highbury Grove School last year to commend the once-failing school for putting music at the core of its curriculum and inspiring a new generation to fulfil their potential and enjoy the arts.

John Kaye Cooper, Controller of Entertainment for ITV, said: “Andrew’s contribution to musical theatre is unrivalled and we are delighted to be celebrating his four decades in the West End with an evening that promises some spectacular performances and a deeper insight into the man himself.”

ITV1 at 6:30pm on Sunday 31st March

3,000 young performers, aged 6-18 years, are set to take part in Britain’s largest ever performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats.

To purchase tickets please visit The Ticket Factory

Part-time theatre school network Stagecoach Theatre Arts is celebrating its 25th anniversary with an epic performance of the world-renowned musical at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham on Sunday 24th March. Exclusive permission has been given by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group for the extensive arena production, with thousands of performers from Stagecoach schools nationally and internationally taking part.

The main cast will comprise 50 specially selected dancers and 500 singers in a grand choir from 13 Stagecoach schools. An additional 2500 young performers from a further 47 schools throughout the UK, Malta, Germany and Ireland have been allocated a selection of the Cats score to bring their own individual creative dances to life within the vast arena. These students will be supported by a virtual choir of international students from Stagecoach schools in Canada, Germany, Gibraltar, Ireland, South Africa, Spain and USA, visible on large screens. An orchestra will play the famous score under the direction of world renowned conductor, Paul Leddington Wright.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that so many young people will be able to take part in this very special performance of Cats. Happy 25th Birthday Stagecoach and thank you for giving your students the opportunity to perform the show in such a spectacular way.”

Since Cats received its world premiere in London in 1981, it has been seen by millions of people all over the world and translated into many languages including German, Hungarian, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Swedish, French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Korean and Mandarin.

Veronica Bennetts, Director of Education for Stagecoach, says: “We are honoured to have been allowed to perform Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical and are hugely excited to celebrate our quarter-century anniversary in this way. To bring together so many students from across the UK, and globally, has truly been team work on a vast scale and the final outcome will be something to remember forever.

T.S. Eliot’s poetry combined with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music has been inspirational and the students have been in their element in rehearsals singing, dancing and acting. As it has not been feasible for many of our international schools to physically be at the performance they have submitted clips which are being made into a video collage to be played at the live event.”

Stagecoach, founded in 1988 with three schools in Surrey now has almost 600 centres throughout the UK with a further 72 overseas in Australia, Canada, Germany, Gibraltar, Ireland, Malta, Spain and the USA. It offers quality training in drama, dance and singing to young performers from 4-18 at weekends and is designed to build confidence and develop communication through performance skills.

To purchase tickets please visit The Ticket Factory or telephone 0844 5814962

I made a rod for my own back, because every time she had a bad dream… that song came in handy

thanks for the memories

Saw a set of Cats in Stockholm. In autumn 2009, and loved every minute of it is not the last time I see it … Cats.
This classic-rock-jazz-opera “ Musical ‘… Cats.
I hope you will make a tour in Sweden, with the English “CATS”

Sincerely, Oliver, a big fan of Cats The Musical

The show I went was on May 11th, at War Memorial Auditorium in Greensboro. Very funny that it wasn’t widely advertised through the state so when I saw the flyer online, bought the ticket in a heart beat just hours before the show. I guess it’s just really our luck that CATS decided stopping in Greensboro, I couldn’t find it on the tour schedule.

So I got off from work and drove hour and half with 5 traffic EVERYWHERE, arrived late, ran fast as I could and meanwhile clearly heard cats started singing Jellicle songs for Jellicle Cats (Jellicle ball started without me !? D: oh noes!)

After that, waited till the doors open for late comers, sit in the wrong seat until being called to switch to the correct seat, lady’s loudly chewing gum next to me, someone’s head is so tall I could only see half of the stage sometimes…….but none of that mattered, I was there to see all my favorite cats on stage LIVE!

I had to held on to myself not to start sing along. Most of everything was expected to be from the DVD, and even more!! Had most awesome time ever in my life. I was proudly in my NY CATS shirt walking out of the show, seeing no one had a matching shirt like mine.

Really looking forward to return to the junkyard, to the Jellicle Ball next time. Thank you all the kittys and production team!

Wish I wasn’t so shy and walked away from my chance to ask for kittys to sign my play bill

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S CATS TO TOUR FROM FEBRUARY 2013

One of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, CATS will begin a new tour in 2013. Premiering at the Edinburgh Playhouse on 9th February 2013 the show will also visit Aberdeen, Wolverhampton, Manchester, Bradford, Hull, Sunderland, Southampton, Milton Keynes, Woking, Ostend and Dublin. Further dates and venues to be announced.

Based on T.S Eliot’s  ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record- breaking adaptation CATS is directed by Trevor Nunn, with choreography by Gillian Lynne  and set and costume design by John Napier. Re-creating the direction and choreography for the tour is Chrissie Cartwright. Including one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most memorable musical scores, spectacular set design, extraordinary costumes and stunning choreography, CATS is a uniquely magical musical.

On just one special night of the year, all Jellicle cats meet at the Jellicle Ball where Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, makes the Jellicle choice and announces which of them will go up to the heaviside layer and be reborn into a whole new Jellicle life.

Music, dance and verse fuse together in an enchanting blend of fantasy, drama and romance.

CATS opened at the New London Theatre on 11 May 1981 and played almost 9,000 performances. It closed on 11 May 2002 having celebrated 21 record-breaking years and winning an Olivier Award for Best Musical (1981). On Broadway it was the winner of 7 Tony Awards (including Best Musical and Best Director) and ran for an amazing 18 years making it second only to “THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA” as Broadway’s longest running musical.

CATS continues to be a worldwide musical phenomenon;  to date CATS remains one of the world’s longest running musicals and has been seen by over 50 million people. It has enchanted audiences in over 300 cities in 26 countries around the world and has been performed in at least 10 different languages. CATS was last seen in the UK in 20o8 where it enjoyed a hugely successful tour playing to sell-out audiences across the country. Back by popular demand, the memory of CATS returns with the 2013 tour.

CATS has featured some of this country’s most famous stage performers including Elaine Paige (‘Grizabella’), Wayne Sleep (‘Mungojerrie’), Bonnie Langford (‘Rumpleteazer’), Paul Nicholas (‘Rum Tum Tugger’), Brian Blessed (‘Old Deuteronomy’), Sarah Brightman (‘Jemima‘) and Rosemarie Ford (‘Bombalurina’ & ‘Grizabella’).

The 2013 tour of the Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre production of CATS is again presented by David Ian.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW – Click HERE for more information

With thanks to Broadway.com

With thanks to Broadway.com.

With thanks to Broadway.com.

Look out for more backstage Cats tour footage, coming soon! With thanks to Broadway.com.

Ann J in Canada

Dawn

Epic

Anita

Ginger

Wolfspirat

Angel

Amy

Michaela

Amber

Hillary

Anna

Kathryn

Stephanie

I loved it so much. the variety of songs was just magnificant! I would definatly go and see it again!

Cosmic Kitten