If Cats: The Jellicle Ball Can’t Stay Open on Broadway, What Can?

Cats is heading to the Heaviside Layer. Despite winning multiple Tony Awards and garnering a devoted following, the reimagined revival Cats: The Jellicle Ball will close its Broadway run on Saturday, August 8, per an announcement made across the show’s social media accounts on Monday evening. “Come one, come all before our final Broadway performance,” the critically adored production wrote on Instagram, accompanied by a picture of Tony-winning Broadway legend André de Shields, nominated once again for this production, as Old Deuteronomy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cats: The Jellicle Ball (@catsjellicleball)The production began preview performances on March 18, 2026, and opened on April 7. Cats: The Jellicle Ball was first announced in August 2022 as the flagship production of the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center, a Lower Manhattan venue that hadn’t yet opened when Jellicle was announced. Originally billed as a reimagining of Cats set in the world of queer ballroom, the production opened in 2024 and featured a runway’s worth of talent from the queer ballroom scene, both on stage and behind the scenes, including choreographers Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, who would eventually win a Tony for their work when Jellicle Ball transferred to Broadway. Prior to the Ball opening its doors, video of the choreography went viral, sparking interest in the bold reimagining. While the version that ran Off-Broadway was chock-full of ballroom talent, the production was invigorated with even more star power when ballroom legend Leiomy, who was a judge on the beloved short-lived reality competition series Legendary, joined the Broadway production as the thieving Macavity. The announcement of Cats’ early closure was met with much sadness and anger from the community. “This is heartbreaking news, but we must make sure to fill the houses until Aug 8th with as much love and support and care for the cast and crew of @catsjellicleball that have given