‘Cats’ Returns, Ditching the Junkyard for Queer Ballroom
Things seemed to change when the video came out. At the end of May, the Perelman Arts Center posted a clip on social media of “Jellicle Cats,” the catchy, effervescent opening number from the musical “Cats.” It showed a group of queer performers catwalking in a rehearsal room before breaking apart to freely dance and vogue.
One singer wore a cap winkingly topped with feline ears; another stared down the camera and twirled her ponytail with declarative swagger.
This was the first real glimpse of a new, ballroom-inspired revival of “Cats,” running through July 28 at PAC NYC, as the Perelman Center in Manhattan is known.
Since it was announced nearly a year earlier, the show had been a subject of skepticism and mocking humor: “Cats” was ridiculous enough, but ballroom?
