How to Watch Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Cats’ Musical For Free This Weekend

Before Judi Dench was given questionable CGI fur in the Cats film, stage actors in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s original “Cats” musical were transformed into felines with the help of humble face paint and fuzzy costumes. Now, you can see “Cats” for free as it was originally performed, before it became a quirky, cult favorite film. In the latest installment of his Shows Must Go On series, Webber is making “Cats” free to watch online all weekend long.

The performance coming to Webber’s YouTube channel today is from 1998 and stars Elaine Paige (Grizabella), Ken Page (Old Deuteronomy), John Mills (Gus the Theatre Cat), Bryn Walters (Macavity) and Jacob Brent (Mistoffelees). “Cats”, one of the longest-running shows on Broadway, follows the story of the Jellicles, a tribe of cats trying to decide which one of them will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and return for a new life.

“Cats” comes after Webber shared the musical “By Jeeves” last weekend as part of his The Shows Must Go On series. Earlier, he showed his birthday celebration concert to fans, as well as “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, “Jesus Christ Superstar”, “The Phantom of the Opera” and its sequel, “Love Never Dies” all on his YouTube channel. Webber uploads a new show every week to watch for free as part of his efforts to keep the public entertained while Broadway and local theaters remain closed.

“Cats” is available to watch now on YouTube. See the full video above, or stream it out on The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel, where it’s available today beginning at 2/1c. Webber will be providing live commentary to go along with the show tonight during a live watch party at 7/6c on YouTube, and fans can join in with the hashtag #JellicleBall.

“Cats” will remain on YouTube for 48 hours and will be available to watch through Sunday (May 17).