No. 10. “Memory” (Cats, 1982)

By Andrew Lloyd Weber (music), T.S. Eliot (lyrics). Based on OLD POSSUM’S BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS by T.S. Eliot. Additional Lyrics by Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe

Cats marked the hard launch of the British Megamusical. Often produced by Cameron Mackintosh, the Megamusical treated shows as brands and attractions. They arrived on Broadway as established international hits with bombastic prog-rock scores, iconic logos (and Catsgetting one of, if not the, best logo of all time), and buzz-worthy technical productions. Even though Cats has been a punchline since it opened, the energy, imagination, and infectious score kept audiences coming and redefined the scale of what a “hit” can mean, at least financially. While American theater faced an identity crisis with the passing of many golden age writers and HIV decimating the community, these British imports dominated the idea of what a contemporary musical could/should be worldwide throughout the 1980s. “Memory” became THE quintessential showtune of the era. If you were in a room with a singer and a baby grand, you’d hear “Memory” within the hour.

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