Cats (musical)

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cats-musical

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the musical composer?Andrew Lloyd Webber
2. What is the original production duration (west end)?May 11, 1981 – May 11, 2002 (21 years)
3. What is the musical "Cats" about?It follows the Jellicle tribe of cats who gather each year to choose one cat that will ascend to the Heaviside Layer for a new life.
4. Who wrote the music for "Cats"?Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the music, using poems from T. S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats."

Sung-through musical: A theatrical genre where the majority of the narrative and character development is conveyed through song, with minimal spoken dialogue.
Jellicle Choice: The central narrative device in 'Cats,' referring to the annual selection of one cat to ascend to the Heaviside Layer for rebirth.
Megamusical: A term describing large-scale, commercially successful musicals characterized by elaborate staging, impressive technical elements, and global appeal, a trend significantly popularized by 'Cats'.
Heaviside Layer: A metaphorical celestial destination in the musical 'Cats,' representing a state of renewal or transcendence for the chosen Jellicle cat.