Andrew Lloyd Webber's epic Cats takes its characters from
T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Though the book contains no narrative structure,
Webber has created one, although what drew audiences to the theater in droves was the charm of the feline characters, not the tale of what happens to them. The score is rather fetching but simple, with moments of elegance like the now-standard "Memory." The longest-running musical of its time, Cats is at times overrated, but as a whole it retains the charm that attracted audiences. This is the original Broadway cast album, with strong performances from
Betty Buckley and
Terrence Mann. A high-quality version, it's not quite as brilliant as the London rendition, but it comes close. ~ Sarah Erlewine