Cats became the longest running tour in American theatre history Nov. 18, 1997, surpassing Oklahoma!. Now the show reaches its 5,000th performance milestone July 7 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Cats became the longest running Broadway show June 19, 1997. Currently in its 17th season, the musical, which won 7 Tony Awards including Best Musical has been seen by over 8, 350,000 people.
Based on T.S. Eliot's poems, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, Cats has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and was directed by Trevor Nunn. Gillian Lynne choreographed the cast of 36 actor-singer-dancers who play exotically named felines from Grizabella, the Glamour Cat to the mysterious Mr. Mistofeles. Cats produced the hit song, "Memory."