CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas’ Broadway Series will roar into 2011 with a sold-out performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical Cats, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, at the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall.
Cats, the second-longest-running show in Broadway history, won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
“There is a lot of excitement with this production,” said Jerry Biebesheimer, director of UCA Public Appearances. “You get a chance to see this show in Conway, which is a lot less expensive than trying to see it on Broadway.”
The production features 20 of Webber’s timeless melodies, including “Memory.”
“There will be a couple of songs that everybody knows,” Biebesheimer said, “but it really comes to life when you add the costumes and makeup to the performance.”
This national tour production is sanctioned by Webber and has toured five continents and 26 countries and been seen by more than 8.5 million people.
Cats is based on T.S. Eliot’s 1939 book, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.
“Cats has always been on the radar for us to bring here [to UCA],” Biebesheimer said. “When they were finally available, we jumped at it.”