The Nine Lives of 'Cats' (June 5)

A quote from Charles Dickens comes to mind when speaking of the Broadway musical Cats: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…” Beginning in 1981, the theatre show has been beloved by fans for decades. But then there was that 2019 movie misfire that ruined everything.

1983 – ‘Cats’ Wins Tony for Best Musical

The cast from the Broadway show, "Cats" — The cast of *Cats. (TVDB)*

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats is one of those shows where you either love it or hate it. Having its start in the West End in London in 1981, the production debuted on Broadway on October 7, 1982. On this day in 1983, Cats won the Tony Award for best musical. Based on a collection of poems from Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, Cats ran on Broadway through 2000 with Betty Buckley and Elaine Page in notable roles. One actress, Marlene Danielle, performed during the entire run of the show! In 2015, Broadway welcomed the felines back for a new, two-year run at the Neil Simon Theatre with new choreography.

Cats has the distinction of being the fifth-longest running Broadway show. It has toured around the country for many years and has been translated into more than 20 languages. (How many ways can you say “meow”?) In 1998 the show aired as a made-for-television film. But the one production that possibly took the kitties’ nine lives was the 2019 movie.

The cast from "Cats" the movie — The cast from *Cats* the movie. *(TVDB)*

The film had a deadline to be completed and in theaters in time for the Christmas season. Directed by Tom Hooper, the star-studded affair starred James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson and Francesca Hayward. However, unlike the stage musical, it did not do well at the box office.

Instead of traditional costumes or straight animation, this Cats movie was a hybrid computer animated motion picture which looked strange and unfinished to the people who went to see it. The film got terrible reviews, and it is estimated that the film lost $71 million after ancillary costs.

1851 – ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ Serial Story is Published in Newspaper

Illustration from the first edition of "Uncle Tom's Cabin". A woman is holding a baby talking to a couple outside of their home. — Hammatt Billing’s illustration from the first edition of *Uncle Tom’s Cabin*, 1852. *(Wikipedia)*

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s famous anti-slavery story, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (or Life Among the Lowly) was first published as a 40-week serial in The National Era an abolitionist periodical beginning on this day.

The story depicted the realities of slavery while also promoting the ideal that Christian love could overcome it. It is credited for helping start the beginning of the Civil War.

The story was to only run for a few weeks, but Stowe ended up expanding the story a lot because it was so popular.

Later, Publisher John P. Jewett approached Stowe about the possibility of printing the whole story as a book. She wasn’t convinced that anyone would read it in book form, but the published book came out on March 20, 1852. 3,000 copies were sold on that day alone.

Later, 300,000 copies of the book were sold during the first year. Following the Bible, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was the second best-selling book in the 19th Century. Upon meeting Stowe, Abraham Lincoln described her as “the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war.”

Later, 300,000 copies of the book were sold during the first year. Upon meeting Stowe, Abraham Lincoln described her as “the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war.”

1956: Elvis Presley Shocks Fans and Upsets Critics

After appearing on several episodes of CBS’s Stage Show, Elvis Presley then appeared on The Milton Berle Show on NBC on April 3 while on deck of the USS Hancock in San Diego. His performance was a real hit with the sailors but his next appearance on the show received raised eyebrows.

Berle asked Elvis to leave his guitar backstage saying, Let ‘em see you, son.” Well, he did. During the song “Hound Dog,” Elvis stopped part way through to show off his grinding skills and gyration talent which did not go unnoticed.

Some critics claimed that he had no singing ability while others started referring to the singer as “Elvis the Pelvis,” something he was not fond of. Presley statet that it was “one of the most childish expressions I ever heard comin’ from an adult.”

Ed Sullivan hated Elvis’ performances and declared that the crooner was “unfit for family viewing.” However, he softened when Presley later made an appearance on The Steve Allen Show and the episode beat Sullivan’s in the ratings for the first time. And so, Sullivan welcomed Elvis to perform on his stage on September 9 of the same year.