"Cats" is back in Vienna after 20 years

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The world famous Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, "Cats," is back in Austria after 20 years. Some 230,000 tickets went on sale for the production which begins in Vienna in two days and almost half of these have already been sold.

Thought of as one of the most successful musicals of all time, the infamous production based on T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" will be performed in Vienna between January 29 to May 28 2012.

Having appeared in London's West End in 1981, the musical then came to Vienna translated two years later, taking the city by storm. The production was performed for almost seven years and attracted around 2.3 million visitors. "Many people who loved it before now want to come with their kids," explained manager Juan Escandell.

The award winning musical tells the story of Jellicle Cats and the choosing of the cats most deserving of going to the 'Heavy Side Lair" or their version of heaven where they come back to life. Each musical number from Andrew Lloyd Webber tells the tale of a different feline and why they think they are most worthy of making the journey.

"Cats" has captured the hearts of some 65 million theatre goers from around the world in its time and continues to attract audiences with its celebrated music and lively performances. In the last 30 years the musical has been performed in 300 cities around the world with the words of such songs "Memory" becoming iconic for so many.