Leona Lewis will star in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.
The Shubert Organization and The Nederlander Organization announced May 26 that chart-topping British pop star Leona Lewis will play the role of Grizabella the Glamour Cat ? the role originally created in London by Elaine Paige and subsequently on Broadway by Betty Buckley ? in the upcoming Broadway revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber?s record-breaking musical Cats, which will begin previews July 14 prior to an official opening July 31 at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 W. 52nd Street).
"Leona has one of the greatest voices of her generation,? said Andrew Lloyd Webber. ?We are all hugely excited about working with her.?
?It is an incredible honor to be asked by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber to join the Cats family,? said Lewis. ?I will never forget seeing the show as a little girl and how blown away I was by the magical experience of it. I am beyond thrilled for my Broadway debut to be in such an iconic show. To work with a team as legendary as those on Cats is an experience I will cherish every moment of. I cannot wait to see the audiences out in NYC!?
Lewis has sold over 20 million records worldwide, reached #1 in over 35 countries, and is a three-time Grammy nominee, seven-time BRIT Award nominee and has also been nominated for MTV VMAs, EMAs, Billboard and, most recently, in 2016, a CMT award for her performance of "Girl Crush" with Adam Lambert.
In a recent interview with
radio.economist.com, composer Lloyd Webber revealed that Nicole Scherzinger, who had played the faded glamour cat Grizabella in the London revival of Cats and had agreed to repeat her performance in the Broadway revival, decided to return to her work as a judge on TV's X Factor, making her unavailable for the New York staging.
Lewis joins a company that will include Giuseppe Bausilio as Carbucketty, Quentin Earl Darrington as Old Deuteronomy, Jeremy Davis as Skimbleshanks, Kim Faure as Demeter, Sara Jean Ford as Jellylorum, Lili Froehlich as Electra, Daniel Gaymon as Macavity, Shonica Gooden as Rumpleteazer, Christopher Gurr as Gus/Bustopher Jones, Tyler Hanes as Rum Tum Tugger, Andy Huntington Jones as Munkustrap, Kolton Krouse as Tumblebrutus, Eloise Kropp as Jennyanydots / Gumbie, Jess LeProtto as Mungojerrie, Georgina Pazcoguin as Victoria, Emily Pynenburg as Cassandra, Arianna Rosario as Sillabub, Ahmad Simmons as Alonzo, Christine Cornish Smith Bombalurina, Corey Snide as Coricopat, Emily Tate as Tantomile, Ricky Ubeda as Mistoffelees, and Sharrod Williams as Pouncival,as well as Richard Todd Adams, Aaron Albano, Callan Bergmann, Claire Camp, Francesca Granell, Jessica Hendy, Harris Milgrim, Madison Mitchell, Nathan Patrick Morgan and Megan Ort.
Composed by Lloyd Webber and based on T.S. Eliot?s Old Possum?s Book of Practical Cats, the original Broadway production opened in 1982 at Broadway?s Winter Garden Theatre (currently home to Lloyd Webber?s School of Rock ? The Musical), where it ran for 7,485 performances and 18 years. The musical was originally produced on Broadway by Cameron Mackintosh, The Really Useful Company Limited, David Geffen and The Shubert Organization.
The creative team for the new Broadway production includes John Napier (scenic and costume design), Natasha Katz (lighting design) and Mick Potter (sound design), with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, based on the original choreography by Gillian Lynne, and direction by Trevor Nunn.
This new production of Cats is licensed by The Really Useful Group. Nina Lannan serves as executive producer.
