The Fine Arts Association presents Cats

By Olivia Bloom

The Fine Arts Association (FAA) is proud to present Cats, the beloved, family-favorite musical that has captivated audiences since its premier more than 40 years ago. It opens Friday, February 16 and runs through Sunday, March 3, 2024.

Based on T.S. Eliot’s whimsical poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s popular musical brings together a tribe of Jellicle Cats on a moonlit evening who must make the “Jellicle choice” to decide which of them will ascend to the mysterious Heaviside Layer to be reborn.

Featuring such celebrated standards as the haunting “Memory,” Cats was an international phenomenon, and its original production is still the fourth-longest-running show on Broadway, having been revived in 2016. A magical, moving and often hilarious glimpse into the lives of others, Cats takes Eliot’s lyrical poetry and puts it into the mouths of a diverse company of singing, dancing felines.

“This is both an exciting educational and performance endeavor,” Roger and Anne Clapp Chair of Performing Arts David Malinowski says. “Our dance department has grown quite significantly at FAA over the past few years, and we have award-winning dance companies. This was the ideal production to give our dance department another way to shine, and for us to share more of the excellence in our programming.”

Performances—including a sensory-friendly performance designed for individuals who may have challenges to sudden shifts in light or loud sounds—are scheduled February 16 through March 3 at Corning Auditorium at the Fine Arts Association.

Guided by the values of equity, integrity, growth and community, the Fine Arts Association seeks to create and discover beauty to foster a community empowered by the arts.

The Fine Arts Association is located at 38660 Mentor Avenue in Willoughby. For more information, call 440-951-7500 or visit FineArtsAssociation.org.