Andrew Lloyd Webber 'Gutted' as 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' Closes Five Months Early on Broadway
Andrew Lloyd Webber says he is "gutted." The composer posted an emotional Instagram message on August 8, 2026 — the same day 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' played its final performance at the Broadhurst Theatre, five months earlier than planned.
The reimagined 'Cats' had been announced to close in January 2027. In July, producers moved the date up to August 8. Lloyd Webber addressed his message "to the brilliant cast and team" behind the production, writing that he hoped the closing would serve as a warning about "the unsustainable cost" of producing new shows on Broadway. He also said he had begged theater owners, unions, and producers to come together urgently to address "a crisis coming to a head" on Broadway (Deadline).
The numbers make the timing sting. For the week ending August 2, the show grossed $1,405,709 — up $216,278 from the prior week — and played to standing room only at the Broadhurst, located at 235 W. 44th St. The production earned nine Tony Award nominations and, according to Lloyd Webber, gave 17 actors their Broadway debuts (Deadline).
Nicole Scherzinger, the star of 'Sunset Blvd.' on Broadway, commented on Lloyd Webber's post, calling him "exactly the person" to help drive the change needed on Broadway. But not every response was supportive. Rosie O'Donnell asked why Lloyd Webber, a billionaire, didn't fund the show himself and liked the post.
Other commenters pushed back on the composer's framing. Some criticized him for appearing to place theater owners and union workers on the same footing when assigning responsibility for Broadway's financial pressures. One follower urged him to call out the Shubert Organization, which controls nearly half of Broadway's theaters. A costume crew member wrote that union workers deserve fair pay and should be left out of the criticism. Actor and dancer Neil Haskell added that most Broadway actors can barely afford to live in New York City.
What gives the closing its bite is the gap between the box office and the balance sheet. A show can fill the house, raise its gross week over week, and still not cover what it costs to keep the doors open — the weekly running costs, the rent on the theater, the salaries, the advertising. When those costs outpace even a healthy gross, a producer's option is to close, regardless of how the audience is responding.
The final week of performances ran August 3 through 8 at the Broadhurst, with a schedule that included Monday and Tuesday evenings and a Wednesday matinee and evening (Playbill). The show had recently announced a new block of tickets due to overwhelming demand (AndrewLloydWebber.com).
Lloyd Webber's full Instagram post reads, in its opening line: "To the brilliant cast and team behind @catsjellicleball I won't forget…" (Instagram).
