When people talk about Cats, a groundbreaking Broadway musical based on T.S. Eliot’s poems, known for its elaborate costumes, cat-like choreography, and iconic song "Memory". Also known as the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, it ran for over 18 years on Broadway and became one of the most recognizable stage productions in history. But Cats isn’t just a show—it’s a symbol of how animals, especially cats, have shaped entertainment. From Broadway to TikTok, cats show up not as pets, but as characters that carry emotion, humor, and mystery.
Cats influenced how theaters think about spectacle. After Cats, audiences started expecting more than just singing—they wanted costumes, movement, and world-building. That shift helped shows like The Phantom of the Opera, the longest-running Broadway show ever, with over 13,900 performances thrive. Both shows used visual storytelling over dialogue, proving you don’t need words to make people feel something. Even today, escape rooms and VR experiences borrow from that same idea: immersion through atmosphere, not just puzzles. And while Cats didn’t win every award, it won something bigger—memory. People still quote "Memory" at karaoke bars, cosplay as Rum Tum Tugger, and post cat memes that look like they’re straight out of the musical.
But cats in entertainment aren’t just about Broadway. They show up in comedy specials, Netflix shows, and even VR games. Think of how a cat’s unpredictable behavior mirrors stand-up comedy—sudden, surprising, and oddly relatable. That’s why comedians like Ali Wong and Richard Pryor often use cats as metaphors for chaos, freedom, or quiet rebellion. And when you see a kid wearing a cat ear headset in a VR game, or a family picking an "easiest escape room" with a cat-themed puzzle, you’re seeing the legacy of Cats live on—not as a relic, but as a mood, a vibe, a cultural shorthand.
What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t just a list of articles about theater. It’s a map of how one show, one animal, one idea, quietly rewired how we experience entertainment. Whether you’re wondering why a Broadway show lasts 3 hours, how VR affects kids, or which comedy show still rules Netflix, the thread is the same: people connect through stories that feel alive. And sometimes, that story has whiskers.
The big three musicals-Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, and Cats-changed theatre forever. Discover why these three shows still dominate stages worldwide decades after they debuted.