A classic stage production of “Cats” is available for free streaming now through 1 pm Sunday, May 16, 2021 as the musical celebrates its 40th anniversary.
A 1998 performance starring Elaine Paige and Sir John Mills was made available on Youtube at 1 pm Friday, May 14 and will remain available until 1 pm Sunday, May 16, 2021.
You can view a preview now and view the full version starting Friday at:
The show is described as follows:
“Join us this on The Shows Must Go On! for a special 40th anniversary celebration of CATS, with the full show streaming on Friday May 14th! Available for 24hrs in the UK and 48hrs elsewhere. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS, the most famous musical of all time, first exploded onto the West End stage in 1981.
“Using the latest technology, all the excitement, thrill, romance and intimacy of this theatrical legend has been captured on screen. Breathtaking visuals and full digital sound (that has been completely re-recorded with a seventy piece orchestra) will leave you deep into the mysterious world of CATS as you’ve never seen it before — more intoxicating and magical than you could possibly imagine. With a star cast including Elaine Paige and Sir John Mills.”
The creator of “Cats,” Andrew Lloyd Webber, discusses the origins of his classic musical in this Youtube video:
The Shows Must Go On Announcements
Since the Coronavirus pandemic began, Universal has been periodically airing free full-length recordings of musicals on its YouTube channel The Shows Must Go On.
The free shows included CATS, Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies.
Each performance usually begins at 2 pm ET on a Friday and is then removed 48 hours later.
You can find clips of many past performances (although not the full shows) at The Shows Must Go On.