CATS: the purr-fect musical for Reagan's America? (Don't miss today's Weekly Blast!)
T.S. Eliot's conservative worldview may help explain the show's early-'80s Broadway appeal
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Shalom!
This week, The Broadway Maven looks at CATS and Jewish Broadway hits and flops.
• On Sunday, March 26 at Noon ET and Monday, March 27 at Noon and 7 pm ET we’ll have a FREE class exploring Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash singing-and-dancing-felines hit. Register here.
• On Wednesday, March 29 at Noon ET the Jewish Broadway series will conclude with a presentation by Broadway expert Peter Filichia about the most — and least — successful Jewish Broadway shows. $5. Register here.
• This Weekly Blast includes:
A) an ESSAY about the ways CATS may have fit the conservative mood of the 1980s (included here FREE in this preview edition);
B) a GAME involving wordplay and the characters in CATS;
C) a YouTube GEM with a remarkably clear explanation of the oft-confusing plot of CATS;
D) a Broadway Maven YouTube GEM about the ways Leonard Bernstein and Jule Styne guided Sondheim’s early development as a composer; and
E) a LAST BLAST about Songs for a New World.
A YouTuber named Maggie Mae Fish posted a video essay two years ago that argued that T.S. Eliot’s right-wing politics are reflected in his Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and thus the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on them. Her essay is tendentious and over-the-top, but a nugget of truth remains: CATS was a musical well-suited to its times. The early 1980s marked the presidency of Ronald Reagan and the prime ministership of Margaret Thatcher. The mood of conservatism at that time is echoed in CATS in several ways:
The consumerism and materialism of the 1980s resonates with the spectacle of the set, the choreography, and the costumes.
Conservatism’s emphasis on individualism and merit lends itself well to a story about one cat being chosen each year to literally rise.
The advent of the religious right is reflected in the most esteemed character having a Biblical name (Old Deuteronomy) and supervising, well, a resurrection.
The backlash against feminism has echoes in lyrics like “So first your memory I’ll jog, and say a cat is not a dog.” A women’s lib advocate would say that “women are as good as men”; but an anti-feminist might reply “A woman is not a man.”
Certainly, Andrew Lloyd Webber did not set out to write a conservative musical. But the aspects of the show that lend themselves well to 1980s values may help explain the show’s phenomenal commercial success.
Next Classes:
Once the longest-running show in Broadway history, CATS is an unusual show for its origin, structure, and spectacle. We’ll look at the original poems the song is based on, a fascinating performance of “Memory” in ASL, some musical analysis of that song, and close studies at the central characters. We’ll look at the history of the show, its music, and its lyrics. We’ll also have a music theory presentation by music educator Mateo Chavez Lewis about the “Jellicle Cats” song and commentary by Broadway expert Peter Filichia.
CATS meets Sunday, March 26 at Noon ET and Monday, March 27 at Noon and 7 pm ET. FREE.
The Broadway Maven doesn’t know everything — even about Jewish Broadway. But Peter Filichia does. He’ll join us Wednesday, March 29 at Noon ET to discuss Jewish Broadway hits and flops. Shows to be discussed include Milk and Honey; Caroline, or Change; The Rothschilds; Soul Doctor; Rags; and more. Tuition $5.
Upcoming Homework:
For your CATS homework, watch the video below about “Old Deuteronomy” and the concept of the “wrong note.” Can you think of any wrong notes in musical theater? Explain your answer in the comments.
Note: links to register for ALL classes are ALWAYS available at TheBroadwayMaven.com.
• Sunday, March 26 CATS (Noon ET, FREE)
• Monday, March 27 CATS (Noon and 7 pm ET, FREE)
• Wednesday, March 29 Peter Filichia on Jewish Broadway hits and misses (Noon ET, $5)
Reminder: ALL-ACCESS Passholders do not need to sign up or pay for anything. Just show up!
LAST BLAST: Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World features a Kurt Weill parody, “Surabaya Santa,” in which a fed-up Mrs. Claus announces that she is leaving her neglectful husband. Yes, she's talking about Santa! During her mid-song monologue, a sharp-eared listener may get the sense that something sounds familiar, if slightly… off. That’s because Brown sneaks in a few bars of the Christmas carol “Jingle Bells” in the orchestration but changes the melody from major to minor, making it reflective of Mrs. Claus’ less-than-jolly state. (Karina Carr)
The Broadway Maven, David Benkof, helps students further their appreciation of musical theater through his classes, his YouTube Channel, and his Weekly Blast. Contact him at DavidBenkof@gmail.com.