Cats Adds Leona Lewis to Its Many Lives

The Phantom of the Opera may currently be the longest-running musical in Broadway history, but that title was held for many years by another Andrew Lloyd Webber phenomenon, Cats.

Beloved by some and reviled by others, the show nonetheless became synonymous with Broadway for well over a decade — running from 1982 to 2000. Grizabella the glamour cat (who sings arguably the show’s most famous song, “Memory”) has previously been played by musical theater royalty such as Betty Buckley and Elaine Paige. However, the role recently inspired some offstage drama when Nicole Scherzinger (of Pussycat Dolls fame) dropped out of the production just as it began rehearsing for Broadway. Scherzinger may sound like an unusual choice for the role, but she was nominated for an Olivier award for her performance in the most recent West End revival of Cats. Instead, pop star Leona Lewis is slated to step into her paws when the show opens on July 31. Ironically, Scherzinger quit to become a judge on The X Factor — the very show that first catapulted Lewis to stardom. So, are you a Cats person? Visit metrosource.com now to let us know. catsthemusical.com