The family-friendly appeal of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” has fed its success, making it a blockbuster musical in every possible way. Based on a modest book of poems by T.S. Eliot, “Cats” debuted 25 years ago on London’s West End and hasn’t faltered since.
It may not hold the title of longest-running show in Broadway history – that distinction goes to Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera” – but “Cats” has cemented its place in pop culture. Look at the numbers: 8.5 million audience members in 26 countries across five continents.
Much of that success is because of the genius of Webber, who’s personally responsible for nearly 22,000 Broadway performances since 1971. His bold, colorful brushstrokes never forsake emotion, grafting a timelessness onto his dramas that allows for decades-long runs.
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, “Cats” will visit the Buell Theatre Sept. 5-10. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Sunday. ($25-$62, or $125-$200 for Sept. 8 VIP night; 303-893-4100 or TicketsWest)
The Colorado Symphony Orchestra announced one of its more stylistically diverse seasons earlier this week when it revealed its 2006-2007 lineup. The season offers everything from masterwork concerts on Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn to pop programs. Infrequent symphony- goers will appreciate performances with Van Cliburn and Peter Cetera and shows like “The Music of The Chronicles of Narnia,” “Music of Motown,” and Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and Friends. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. today. (Various prices, 303-623-7876 or ColoradoSymphony.org)
A Tribe Called Quest is one of a growing number of musical acts climbing onto the sports- and video-game-sponsored tour bandwagon. The 2K Sports Bounce Tour “bridges hip-hop, sports culture and gaming culture in one complete and immersive entertainment experience,” a news release gushes. You’ll excuse us if we skip the hype and concentrate on Tribe’s blissfully clever hip- hop. Tickets for the Sept. 13 show go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($35, Ticketmaster)
Mastodon is used to playing bigger venues, its hardcore-metal blend drawing increasingly rabid audiences across the country. The Atlanta quartet stopped by the Fillmore on Wednesday with Slayer as part of the Unholy Alliance tour, but fans will get a chance to see the group up close and personal when it plays Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom on Sept. 19. Opening acts Converge and The Bronx are also riding high on new records for Epitaph and Island/Def Jam, respectively, so expect the show to be packed with sweaty, long-haired dudes. Tickets are on sale now. ($15-$18, all ages, TicketWeb)
