I have to say that I've watched the video of CATS more than JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR or JOSEPH. With real dancers, it can be a fun if forgettable show. I just never understand why it was such a sensation or had such a long run.
Perhaps the runs are successful because it is a fun night at the theatre and a very family friendly show that encourages folks to go back again with some friends or relatives.
der Brucer
I saw it twice on successive trips to London
Exactly!
Cats was a dream show for group sales promoters. Because it essentially had no plot, it was a very easy sell to almost any group, domestic
and foreign(!). The "catchy" music, the costumes and makeup, and the dancing were enough to make it a safe bet for almost anyone. There was no "fear" of anyone coming to see the show and "not getting" what was happening on stage.
A good part of the continuing success of
Disney's The Lion King is the fact that it is a world-wide-known entity. If a group from, let's say Russia comes to the see the show, they will most likely already be familiar with the plot and songs - even if they don't understand all the English words. And it's still one of the three musicals - along with
Jersey Boys and
Mamma Mia! that make relatively rare appearance on the TKTS board. A good portion of the audiences for each of those shows is comprised of groups.
