I am truly excited that the Broadway musicale Cats will be staged here in Manila next year.  What a thrill it is to also know that Leah Salonga will play the role of Grizabella.  I attended the press conference held a few weeks ago.  The media were all a buzz as our very own Leah Salonga will kick off the tour in Manila in July 24, 2010.

Just a refresher, Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. It introduced the song standard “Memory.”

The musical first opened in the West End in 1981 and then on Broadway in 1982. Each time directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, it won numerous awards, including both the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for Best Musical. The London production ran for twenty one years and the Broadway production ran for eighteen years, both setting long-run records. Actresses Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley became particularly associated with the musical. One actress, Marlene Danielle, performed in the Broadway production for its entire run (from 1982 until 2000) Cats has been performed around the world many times and has been translated into more than 20 languages. In 1998 it was also made into a television video.

The Manila production of CATS is produced by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, David Atkins Enterprises, Concertus Inc., and All Youth Channels in association with The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific.    Tickets are available from PhP 750 to PhP 7,000 to the general public starting December 6, 2009. If you are a Citi client, you can get 10% discount on tickets until December 31, 2009.  Contact Ticketworld at (632) 891-9999 or visit for more information.

Here is a clip of Leah singing Memory during the press conference.  Watching her makes me truly proud to be Filipino.

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