Les Misérables, colloquially known in English-speaking countries as Les Mis, is a sung-through musical based on the 1862 novel of the same name by French poet and novelist Victor Hugo. The musical premiered in Paris in 1980, and has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg and original French-language lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel. An English-language libretto was written by Herbert Kretzmer. The London production has run continuously since October 1985, making it the longest-running musical in the West End and the second longest-running musical in the world after the original Off-Broadway run of The Fantasticks.
Betty Lynn Buckley is an American actress and singer. She won the 1983 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Grizabella in the original Broadway production of Cats. She went on to play Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard (1994–96) in both London and New York, receiving a 1995 Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, and was nominated for the 1997 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Triumph of Love. Her other Broadway credits include 1776 (1969), Pippin (1973), and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1985). She is also a two-time Daytime Emmy Award nominee, a two-time Grammy Award nominee, and a 2012 American Theater Hall of Fame inductee.
A Chorus Line is a concept musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Centered on seventeen Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line, the musical is set on the bare stage of a Broadway theatre during an audition for a musical. A Chorus Line provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers.
Rum Tum Tugger is one of the many feline characters in the poetry book Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, published in 1939, and in the musical Cats, which premiered in 1981 and is based on Eliot's book. Rum Tum Tugger is a rebellious cat who loves to be the centre of attention.
Monty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy adapted from the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like the motion picture, it is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian legend, but it differs from the film in many ways. The original 2005 Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, received 14 Tony Awards nominations, winning in three categories, including Best Musical. During its initial run of 1,575 performances, it was seen by more than two million people and grossed over $175 million. It was one of eight UK musicals commemorated on Royal Mail stamps, issued in February 2011.
Grizabella a.k.a. the "Glamour Cat" is a main character in the musical Cats. Lonely and decrepit, Grizabella seeks acceptance from the other Jellicle cats, but is initially ostracised. She sings the most well-known song from the musical, "Memory". The role was originated by Elaine Paige in the original West End production in 1981, and by Betty Buckley in the original Broadway production in 1982. Buckley won the 1983 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her portrayal.
Wicked is a Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, itself a retelling of the classic 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film The Wizard of Oz (1939).
Old Deuteronomy is a character in T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and its musical adaptation, Cats. He is a wise and beloved elderly cat, further serving as the Jellicle patriarch in the musical. The role of Old Deuteronomy was originated by Brian Blessed in the West End in 1981, and by Ken Page on Broadway in 1982.
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are fictional characters in T. S. Eliot's book, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, which was adapted into the musical Cats. The duo are mischievous petty thieves who often cause trouble for their human family.
Munkustrap is a Jellicle cat, named in T. S. Eliot's poem "The Naming of Cats". He is a principal character in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats, in which he serves as the main narrator. In the musical, Munkustrap is a serious and responsible leader who protects the members of his tribe.
The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios' animated feature film of the same name with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, along with additional music and lyrics by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer. Directed by Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions.
Cats is a 1998 direct-to-video musical film based on the stage musical Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber, itself based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. Lloyd Webber oversaw orchestration for the film and called on Gillian Lynne, the original show's choreographer, to train the cast for the film. David Mallet served as the director of this production.
Growltiger is a fictional character appearing in both T.S. Elliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "Cats" which was based upon T.S Elliot's writing. He is described as a "bravo cat who lived upon a barge", one who scoured the Thames from Gravesend to Oxford, terrorizing the inhabitants along the river, including "cottagers", canaries, geese, hens, "pampered Pekinese", and the "bristly Bandicoot that lurks on foreign ships". Growltiger is usually envisioned as a pirate, although he is never explicitly described as such. He has lost one eye, and one of his ears is "somewhat missing" after an incident involving a Siamese cat.
Jemima is a principal character in the musical Cats, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on the poetry of T. S. Eliot. She is the youngest member of her tribe of Cats and becomes the first one to accept Grizabella when she sings a small duet with her in the song "Memory". The role was originated by Sarah Brightman in the original West End production in 1981.
Jacob 'Jazzy' Brent is an American stage actor who is most famous for his role as the Magical Mr. Mistoffelees in the video production of CATS which was filmed in 1998. He graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts in 1991. Jacob also worked with the ALICE workshop, a musical based on Alice in Wonderland as well as his own showcase at the Sadlers Wells Theatre. In 2002, he worked with choreography during the Elan Awards and the Dance with Dancers Millennium Gala for the New York City Ballet. Jacob now donates his time and talent to San Jose Children's Musical Theatre, where he is directing their 2008 production of Peter Pan as well as their 2009 Spring Production of Leonard Bernstein's Candide. He holds a Masters of Fine Arts from San Diego State University. In 2016, Brent was appointed Assistant Professor of Dance at Shenandoah University, where he teaches.
Jellylorum is one of the characters from the musical Cats. She is usually portrayed as a motherly adult female cat and is principally a vocalist. The musical is based upon a collection of poetry by T. S. Eliot from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, and Jellylorum is named after the poet's own cat. The character's name is believed to mean "lillie cat", "wisdom" or "tradition".
Andy Karl is an American actor and singer, best known for performing in musical theatre. He has appeared on Broadway in the original productions of Groundhog Day, Legally Blonde, 9 to 5, and Rocky the Musical, as well as appearing in Wicked, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Jersey Boys, On The Twentieth Century and And So It Goes.
Jellicle cats, or simply Jellicles, are a type of feline mentioned in T. S. Eliot's book Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, and in Cats, a stage musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on the book.
