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Dr. Judy Kuriansky:
Cats: The Jellicle
Ball |
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Dr. Judy Kuriansky |
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Black Tie International Magazine,: Cats:
The Jellicle Ball |
Secrets revealed
about the Broadway hit
Cats: The Jellicle Ball |
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The electrifying
Broadway musical, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, was feted
at a benefit for the Perelman Performing Arts Center on June 3, 2026, prior to the Tony Awards, where it won 3
and was nominated for 9. The production had premiered at PAC
NYC before being moved to Broadway. The pre-performance VIP
reception at the Edison Hotel rooftop, hosted by former New
York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, honored legendary
composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber who originated the music
for the original CATS Broadway hit in 1982 (that ran for 18
years), which is revived and reinvented in the current version that
opened April 7. |
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Dr. Judy Kuriansky
and Andrew Lloyd-Webber
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I told Lord Lloyd-Webber about being at the opening of his
other recent hit musical, Evita, which stormed
London’s West End on July 1 last year. Who can’t sing the
opening line of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”, the
song embodying the rise and fall of Eva Perón, born
into poverty and becoming the controversial First Lady of
Argentina. Coming to Broadway soon, Evita is bound to
be as big a hit! Also, at that opening night party, I met
the best friend of his wife, Mady Madeline, a former
champion equestrian, sharing the couples’ prominence in
thoroughbred breeding. |
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Former NYC Mayor
Michael Bloomberg, musical genius Andrew Lloyd-Webber and
Dr. Judy Kuriansky |
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Now, to the secrets
revealed about the production.
In his remarks at the reception, Lloyd-Webber – bestowed the
British title “Lord” which surpasses “Sir” – amused everyone
by relaying two unknown stories about the development of
CATS, based on the famous poet T.S. Eliot's “Old Possum's
Book of Practical Cats”. Eliot’s widow told Lloyd-Webber
that “Tom” (Eliot) turned down a large amount of money from
Disney who wanted a production follow-up to Fantasia,
with the cats as pussycats, because Lloyd-Webber insisted
the cats be street cats. Another little-known fun fact is
that T.S. Eliot had imagined the dogs and cats at an event
in a ballroom; thus, said Lloyd-Webber, the poet would have
been pleased since this version actually takes place in a
ballroom, therefore, “closer to what Tom wanted CATS to be”.
A further factor that would have pleased Eliot, Lloyd-Webber
added is that “the spiritual quality has come out.” Indeed,
the show’s message is to be your authentic self.
The second big revelation Lloyd-Webber shared (with a quirky
smile), is the origin of the word “Jellicle”, as a
mispronunciation by “posh English people in the 1930s” of
the words “dear little cats.” It’s those posh Brits, he
added, who also botched “poor little dogs” into “pollicle,”
There you have it: this is the true nside story of what’s on the
internet as a “childish corruption.” |
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In the original
production, a tribe of cats called Jellicles gather for
their annual ball to determine which one will be reborn into
elevated existence in the "Heaviside Layer”. In
the new-version, now human performers show off their
stunningly stylized moves (including duck-walking!) and
outrageous costumes at their annual ball to be chosen by
their over-the-top leader Old Deuteronomy (played by the
iconic André de Shields) similarly to ascend. |
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Jamie De Roy,
Yue-Sai Kan, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Andrew Lloyd-Webber
and Dr. Judy Kuriansky (Photo: Bloomberg Philanthropies) |
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Aligned with the
production’s message celebrating community, I brought my
good friends to share the exciting experience: 16-time TONY
award winning producer Jamie De Roy, whose resume includes
this show; Chinese-American cultural icon, TV host, author,
cosmetics mogul and entrepreneur Yue-Sai Kan, known as “most
famous woman in China”; my music partner, international
musician and composer Russell Daisey with whom I write and
perform original anthems about global issues; and British
media entrepreneur Michael Keating, CEO of Ink-Global, with
whom I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and for whose African
edition of Business Traveler magazine I do features, with
one upcoming about investing in Broadway. |
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Dr. Judy
Kuriansky and former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg |
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The two directors of the musical (who won this year’s Tony
Award for Best Direction of a Musical) brilliantly
re-imagined the setting from the junkyard to the catwalk,
transforming the original cats into ballroom dancers and
performers competing for awards in an underground drag
house. Bill Rauch serves as PAC NYC’s artistic director and
Zhailon Levingston is on the board of the Broadway Advocacy
Coalition. |
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Russell Daisey,
Yue-Sai Kan, CATS: The Jellicle Ball director Bill Rauch,
Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Jamie De Roy (Photo: Bloomberg
Philanthropies) |
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Bill Rauch and
Dr. Judy Kuriansky |
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Dave Archuleta, PAC
NYC’s Director of Development, with me and my friends,
Russell Daisey, Yue-Sai Kan, and Jamie De Roy. |
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PAC NYC’s Director of Development, Dave Archuleta --
sporting a stylish Scottish-inspired lapel pin (reflective
of his life approach of strength with gentleness) -- has
introduced me to many of their exciting projects. These
include “The
Unsinkable”,
the remarkable new play about the little-known Chinese
survivors of the Titanic who really floated on the famous
door to survive (see:
CBS News:
Titanic survivor's grandson shares little-known story of
Chinese passengers
). Also, in a preview at PAC NYC, I heard just two bars of a
new musical, “Giulia: The Poison Queen of Palermo,”
and thought, “This is a big hit”! Written by and
starring Grammy winner Jennifer Nettles – who was a guest
judge at the show this evening -- follows the story of a
17th-century Italian woman who started an underground poison
network to help women escape abusive marriages. The must-see
show runs at PAC NYC from June 28-July 28.
Of interest, my
friends and I all marveled over Dave’s lapel pin, especially
since men’s jewelry is trending (travelore.com). The
Thistle, symbol of Scottish heritage, suits his own
background and is native to his hometown Mendocino on the
northern California coast. |
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Dr. Judy and
Laurence Fishburne |
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The other celebrity
judge of this performance was Matrix and
Apocalypse Now actor Laurence Fishburne. The two judges
hold up paddles with the word “MEOW” when giving a
performance a “10.” |
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Dr Judy Kuriansky,
Jennifer Nettles, Jamie De Roy and Michael Keating |
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My friends with
Ben Vereen: Russell Daisey, Yue-Sai Kan, me, Jamie De Roy |
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A special celebrity
guest, Ben Vereen, got lots of attention, including from me,
for his suit with such unique slogans, which he told me that
he designed, as “brand ambassador” for the NY-based clothing
company, Real Snow Milk, LLC. |
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Ben Vereen’s suit |
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Mayor Bloomberg
on stage with directors Bill Rauch and Zhailon Levingston,
introducing the benefit show |
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The Perelman
Performing Arts Center is an “inclusive and equitable”
space for “emergent and established” arts – theatre, dance,
music, film -- that serves the community with entertainment,
education (fellowships), and dining.
Strategically situated in the heart of the World Trade
Center campus in Lower Manhattan near the 9/11 memorial, the
imposing building is named after the billionaire
businessman, banker and philanthropist Ronald O. Perelman,
perhaps best known for his cosmetics once-empire Revlon
(devastated due to COVID) who donated $75 million to
jump-start building the cultural project. Former New York
City Mayor Michael Bloomberg later donated $130 million and
became the largest overall contributor and public figure,
and Board Chair.
Cats: The Jellicle Ball was one of PAC NYC’s
boundary-breaking projects that ran to such great acclaim
and success, it was extended and gained quite a following.
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The PAC NYC
building (Photo: Perelman Performing Arts Center) |
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Inside the PAC
NYC Center (Photo: Perelman Performing Arts Center) |
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After the party,
celebrants were guided to the Broadhurst theatre, which
exploded with energy during the musical performance as the
massively enthusiastic audience sat spellbound or surged
into a standing ovation, clapped, gasped, or clacked the
custom-made fans at the right moments. |
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Entering the
theatre with Michael Keating |
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Michael Keating
clacking the CATS: The Jellicle Ball fan during the show |
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Micheal Keating
and Bill Rauch |
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Extreme clacking and cheering was on display by the two
young girls sitting in the row in front of us. It was
hysterical to realize that I had interviewed one of them,
Carly Baker, for my Black Tie column on the music-theatre
production of Night Side Songs, written by the
brilliant and talented Lazour brothers. See:
https://blacktiemagazine.com/Judy_Kuriansky/Night_Side_Songs.htm.
I loved their previous play, We Live in Cairo, about
the Arab Spring, to which I had brought many United Nations
Ambassadors, especially from the region, who all loved it.
Carly and her friend Sasha Denham knew every word and nuance
of the show since they were ushers when the
production played at PAC NYC before moving to Broadway. We
did the signature bow with crossed hands -- the show of
respect, to cats, as elaborated in the final tune of the
show. |
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Cats: The
Jellicle Ball was nominated for the Tony Award for Best
Revival of a Musical, though (disappointedly) didn’t win.
But, as PAC NYC’s Dave Archuletta said wisely, the
production “is more than a revival, it’s more like a
Parallel Universe”.
When you go – which you must - you’re encouraged to drop
inhibitions and align with the show’s mission: Express – and
be – your authentic self.
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Bookmark Dr. Judy's Column on Black Tie International
Magazine
https://blacktiemagazine.com/Judy_Kuriansky/Judy_Kuriansky_Main_page.htm
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