'Cats' musical to return to Korea for first time in three years in December

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “Cats” will return to Korea this December, marking its first run in Korea in three years.

The production, which will be performed in English, is part of an international tour that has already played multiple cities in South Africa, as well as Mumbai, India; Hong Kong; and Singapore. 

For its Korea run, the musical will open at Keimyung Art Center in Daegu on Dec. 18 and run through Jan. 3, 2027, before heading to Busan, Sejong and Seoul. The specific dates, venues and cast for those later stops have not yet been announced.

“Cats” was first staged in Korea in 1994 and drew a cumulative domestic audience of more than 2 million by 2017, becoming the first musical in the country to reach that milestone.

Since its premiere in London in 1981, “Cats” has been staged in more than 300 cities across 54 countries in 23 languages and drawn a cumulative audience of 77 million people. It was the first musical to hold simultaneous long-running records on Broadway and the West End and has won seven Tony Awards, along with two Olivier Awards, three Drama Desk Awards and an Outer Critics Circle Award.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]